KOLOR - Combining multiple LED tiles

 Some videos showing examples of how to combine mutiple LED tiles

Here is what the rear of the tiles looks like.

There are 3 connections ... 5V, Gnd and either DIN or DOUT

I'm just playing with the random settings on the KOLOR module.

It's Eurorack, from Elk Elektronik's in Australia.

Ed has been working on this for ages, and is releasing it on Kickstarter.

Ed describes it as a WS2812 LED Pixel Strip Controller for Eurorack.

It's compatible with multiple LED strips.

Control can be either manual (via the knobs) or CV patched into 6 jack inputs.

The controls are:

1. Red /hue

2. Green/saturation

3. Blue/value

4. width

5. pixel number

6. preset pattern

For more info visit:

https://www.elkelektronik.com.au/kolor

NLC - More (cowbell drum module) - Build notes

These are my build notes for the nonlinear circuits "more" module.

It's a eurorack module.

This module contains three individual cowbell circuits based on those in the Roland TR-808.

Links

+ Wiki

+ BOM

As far as parts go there isn't anything rare or hard to find.

CD 40106 

& three Opamps - TL072

CD40106 (CMOS IC with 6 Schmitt trigger inverters)

The really cool thing about this circuit is that it uses a logic chip to make metallic noise

Each bell uses 2 of the 6 oscillators.

I think in the 808, similar circuits provide the basis for the cymbal & hi hat sounds

The original 808 used band pass filters to remove the upper and lower partials.

Andrew's description is as follows:

"The filters are fixed as per the original design. This means the output

is loudest when the oscillators are set close to the operating frequency

range of the filters and softer when the oscillators are at much higher

or lower settings. For me, this seems fine, but mess with the filter

values if you like. I have seen some mods of the 2k2 to ground resistor

varied to change the filter range. In proto-typing, this was

experimented with but I didn’t feel it was much improvement."

resistors next

Diodes: LL4148

These are the power protection voltage rectifiers... or just use a 10 ohm resistor and dont plug the module in backwards.

You'll need a through hole +5V 100mA voltage regulator : 78L05. 

power header

Transistors : BC857, 847

Six 1M pots.

12 sockets

The accent input is tied to the trigger input via the switch tab,

probably best to use a gate rather than a trigger to get the sound going,

but that depends on what you want to do. Otherwise patch whatever you

like to make things happen.

This is a dense but easy build.

More links

+ Hackaday

+ Roland TR-808 cowbell rebuild

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You can find more NLC builds here.

http://djjondent.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/non-linear-circuits-ncl-index.html

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NLC - Tinkle (drum module) - Build notes

These are my build notes for the nonlinear circuits "Tinkle" module.

Tinkle..... 4 channel preset drum module with a distortion circuit added on the summed output.

TINKLE & STOCHAOS 1

Links;

+ Wiki

+ BOM

I found the PCB you be very " tightly packed"... so use a soldering iron with a fine tip to avoid shorts.

The drums are based on the so called “Gamelan resonator” circuit developed by Paul DeMarinis in the early 70s for his Pygmy Gamelan device. 

They are quite simple but have a lovely gentle tone and are easily tunable using different capacitors and gain resistors. 

When building you can select capacitors to suit the pitches you want & different resistor values to vary the gain. 

It would be good to build a few of these to have some variations in pitch

The distortion circuit is fairly harsh but when the drums are feed high frequency clocks you can get some quite heavy sync’d riffs going.

Each drum sound has an output. The 4 sounds are summed together and

passed through the Razor circuit for a mixed output. Turn the pot to

minimum or max to turn off the Razor and get a clean summed signal. 

Parts

TL072 or TL082 4 Soic Tayda: A-1139

LM3900 1 Soic Mouser Part No: 595-LM3900DR .

LL4148 6 sod-80 Tayda: A-1213

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The 5V1 zeners limit the output of Razors to +/-5V, they do not

have to be installed.... order

Mouser have a lot of 5V1 zeners in stock, some numbers are

78-BZT55C5V1-GS18 or 78-BZT55C5V1 or 78-TZMC5.1

Tayda have a sod-80 5V6 zener which is close enough - A-6014

I'm using a VISHAY TZM5232B-GS08 from Tayda (X-4504)

Zener Single Diode, 5.6 V, 500 mW, SOD-80 (MiniMELF), 2 Pins, 175 °C, Surface Mount

There are 2 x 33K resistor marked..... replace these with10K

 

.

When building you can select capacitors to suit the pitches you want,

also need to select a resistor value to vary the gain. Some suggested

values are listed below, but feel free to experiment.

Each Gamelan circuit uses 3 caps & 1 resistor.

There are 4 of these circuits.

For comparison, Andrew has also included a pic of a Twin-T & bridged-T circuit.

These 3 circuits are resistor-capacitor networks which are placed in the feedback loop of an op-amp.

Twin-T Oscillators (sometimes known as parallel-T oscillators) are RC (resistor-capacitor) oscillators which produce a sinewave output .

Andrew built a Twin-T  (BongO) drum module many years ago which you might like to check out.

Bong0 - Bongo - Drum / VCO build notes

The Bridge-T oscillator is an even simpler form of RC network.

It's based on a bridge-T notched filter that is placed in the feedback loop of an op-amp, 

changing it from a notch to a bandpass filter.

The Roland TR 808 bass drum circuit is based around a bridged-T network oscillator.

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All the capacitors in the build, should be the same value for each Cx and Rx sets

the gain for that section.

For example, use three 2n2 capacitors for the three C1 pads and solder

200k into R1.

Cx   Rx

1n5 180k higher tone

2n2 200k

3n3 220k

4n7 220k

10n 200k

15n 390k

22n 510k

33n 680k lower tone

I think I'll mix things up

Gamelan 1 4n7 220k

Gamelan 2 10n 200k

Gamelan 3 22n 510k

Gamelan 4 33n 680k

It would be good to experiment with this values.

I reckon it would be fun to build a few of these 

modules with other combos.

I prefer the higher frequencies.

Each drum sound has an output. The 4 sounds are summed together and

passed through the Razor circuit for a mixed output. Turn the pot to

minimum or max to turn off the Razor and get a clean summed signal. 

The Razor is an unusual distortion circuit employing unbalanced comparators

to produce pulses that are mixed with the original signal. 

The Razor can be used as a separate module. Patching a signal into the input

disconnects the summed Tinkle signal.

.

final caps 7 resistors.

S1JL, Schottky, power

rectifier or 10R

Im using a 10R resistor

LL4148

headers to connect the 2 PCBs, & eurorack 10 pin power connector.

10 sockets, 1 x B100k pot

Pair this with a VCA/EG

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You can find more NLC builds here.

http://djjondent.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/non-linear-circuits-ncl-index.html

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