Thursday, 17 July 2025

Tuesday, 15 July 2025

ARP 2600 1st patches

Basic AR patch.
We will use the AR envelope generator button to trigger a sound.
This patch is useful for getting a basic sound out of your ARP 2600 if you don't have a keyboard.


Everything is zeroed.
OSC 1 is the only sound source

Open up the filter.
Res = 0

The AR envelope has a instant attack and quick decay.
Sound passes from VCO1 > filter > VCA

You can develop the sound by slowly adding VCOs to the filter input & tweaking 



gaggimate - initial wi-fi setup.

 I'm so happy I finally managed to connect the gaggimate to my wifi

I'm not a network engineer but maybe this will help someone (with plain language)
understand basic wi-fi networking.
I think this basic knowledge is necessary.

The gaggimate PCB uses  a ESP32-S3 N8R8 microcontroller and has connected to this 
a 2.1-inch display.

The ESP32-S3 N8R8 microcontroller.
The ESP32-S3-N8R8 has Wi-Fi connectivity. It is based on the ESP32-S3 chip, which includes integrated 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) and Bluetooth 5 (LE). The N8R8 designation refers to the amount of Flash and PSRAM memory available on the module, specifically 8MB of Flash and 8MB of PSRAM
This PCB ESP32 handles sensors, relays, and control logic.


The 2.1 inch display
The 2.1" LilyGo screen.
The main control chip adopts the ESP32-S3R8 Tensilica Xtensa Dual-Core LX7 Microprocessor. This chip supports Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 5.

Programming Platform Arduino-ide, VS Code



The LilyGO ESP32 is often used mainly as the display/secondary interface.
Wi-Fi can be handled by either, depending on how the firmware was configured

Both the PCB board and the LilyGo screen have a ESP32-S3 microcontroller, 

Check the IP/device list in your router.
If you see one ESP32 device, that’s the one doing Wi-Fi.


Hottop custom profile 2 & 3

 The Hottop 2K+ behaves much closer to a small commercial drum than most home roasters, but with lower thermal mass and slower recovery, so the key is anticipation and smooth adjustments.

Important quirks:
Heat changes have a delay (~20–40 sec)
Too much fan early = heat loss + stalled roast
Easy to crash RoR after first crack if you overcorrect

๐Ÿง  Hottop-specific roasting mindset

This matters more than the numbers:

Think in momentum, not temperature
Make changes before you need them (due to lag)
Avoid big jumps in P or F
Aim for a smooth declining energy curve

-------------------

☕ Gesha Profile (Hottop 2K+)

(Dense, high-altitude, delicate)

๐ŸŽฏ Goal:
Longer roast, smooth declining heat, preserve florals
๐Ÿ”ฅ Step-by-step profile
Preheat Empty drum to ~165–170°C (IBTS or bean probe equivalent)

Charge (0:00)
Drop beans (~250g batch ideal)
Power: 100 / Fan: 0 / Drum: default

Drying phase (0:00–5:00)
Keep Power: 100
At ~3:30 → F: 1–2 (light airflow)
Target: Yellow at ~5:00

Maillard phase (5:00–8:30)
5:00 → P: 80 / F: 2
6:30 → P: 70 / F: 3
๐Ÿ‘‰ You’re gradually reducing energy while increasing airflow

First crack (~8:30–9:30)
Just before FC (~8:00): P: 60 / F: 3–4
At first crack: P: 50 / F: 4–5

Development (post-FC)
60–90 sec development
Keep airflow higher to clear chaff/smoke

Drop:
~10:00–11:00
Light–medium (end temp ~202–205°C equivalent)

⚠️ Watch for:
RoR crash after FC → don’t drop power too fast
Too much fan early → stalls before yellow





















๐Ÿ“Š Target RoR Landmarks

| Time | Stage         | Target RoR (°C/min) | What you're doing         |
| ---- | ------------- | ------------------- | ------------------------- |
| 1:30 | Turning point | 20–25               | Max power pushing heat in |
| 3:00 | Early drying  | 18–20               | Still strong momentum     |
| 5:00 | Yellow        | 14–16               | Start tapering heat       |
| 7:00 | Mid-Maillard  | 10–12               |  decline                  |
| 8:30 | First crack   | 7–9                 |  control                  |
| Drop | ~10:30        | 4–6                 | Gentle finish             |

๐ŸŽฎ How this maps to Hottop controls
0:00–3:00 (P100, F0)
→ Build that high initial RoR (~20+)
3:30–6:00 (step P down gradually)
→ Prevent RoR from staying too high
Before first crack
→ You must already be declining to ~8–10 RoR
(If not → you’ll get a spike/flick)
Post first crack
→ Small power reductions only
→ Use fan to control, not kill heat

==================================

☕ Robusta Profile (Hottop 2K+)

(Lower density, harsher compounds)

๐ŸŽฏ Goal:
More development, smoother body, reduce harshness

๐Ÿ”ฅ Step-by-step profile

Preheat:

Slightly lower: ~160–165°C
Charge (0:00)
P: 90 / F: 0

๐Ÿ‘‰ Less aggressive than Gesha

Drying phase (0:00–4:30)
Keep P: 90
At ~3:00 → F: 1–2

Target:
Yellow at ~4:30–5:00

Maillard phase (4:30–7:30)
4:30 → P: 80 / F: 2
6:00 → P: 70 / F: 3

๐Ÿ‘‰ Keep momentum—don’t let it drag

First crack (~7:30–8:30)
Before FC:
P: 65 / F: 3–4
At FC:
P: 60 / F: 4–5
Development (key difference)
Longer: 90–120 sec
Slightly higher end temp (~210–215°C equivalent)

Drop:

~9:30–10:30
Medium to medium-dark

⚠️ Watch for:
Too light → rubbery / harsh
Too much early heat → tipping/scorching

⚖️ Key Differences on Hottop
| Variable     | Gesha          | Robusta               |
| ------------ | -------------- | --------------------- |
| Charge heat  | Higher         | Slightly lower        |
| Early power  | Max (100)      | Slightly reduced (90) |
| Roast length | Longer         | Shorter               |
| Development  | Short          | Longer                |
| Fan usage    | Later, careful | Earlier, more freedom |

๐Ÿ“Š Target RoR Landmarks
| Time | Stage         | Target RoR (°C/min) | What you're doing            |
| ---- | ------------- | ------------------- | ---------------------------- |
| 1:20 | Turning point | 18–20               | Moderate เคถुเคฐुเค†เคค              |
| 3:00 | Early drying  | 16–18               | Stable เคŠเคฐ्เคœा                 |
| 5:00 | Yellow        | 13–15               | Controlled เค—เคคि               |
| 6:30 | Mid-Maillard  | 11–13               | Maintain momentum            |
| 8:00 | First crack   | 8–10                | Slightly stronger than Gesha |
| Drop | ~10:00        | 5–7                 | More developed finish        |

๐ŸŽฎ Control translation
Start slightly gentler (P90 vs P100)
→ Avoid harshness
Keep RoR from dropping too fast mid-roast
→ Robusta hates “stalling”
Post first crack:
→ Hold a bit more energy than Gesha
→ Longer development = smoother cup





















๐Ÿ“ˆ What makes this curve “Robusta-specific”
๐Ÿ”ถ RoR (key difference)
Starts lower (~24 vs ~28)
Declines more gently
Stays slightly higher at first crack

๐Ÿ‘‰ This reflects:

Less aggressive early heat
More sustained energy through the middle
Stronger finish for development


Wednesday, 9 July 2025

Verbos 254v (buchla format)

 This is essentially two Buchla 257 modules in one.....
 with an additional CV in. 


Great for smaller systems where in one panel space 
it can do most of the scaling , 
adding and modifying of voltages you would ever need. 


Each section has 4 inputs.

Input 1/2:  Inverts/attenuates and scales voltages 
                 from the input .... allows for -12 to zero 
                 to +12V control of whatever is plugged 
                 into the jack

Input 3/4 : The voltages can be crossfaded with 
                  the knob or a CV at the banana input 
                  between.

 V(Offset):  Adds a DC offset to the final output.
                   The offset knob's range of output is
                   -12 to +12V
                   (12'oclock is 0V if nothing is plugged 
                    into any inputs)
                   

Comparison NST vs EVN

 We’ll compare:

Northern Star Resources (NST)
Evolution Mining (EVN)

…and focus specifically on the balance sheet (financial strength)

Assets = Liabilities + Equity

๐Ÿ“Š Side-by-side (simplified balance sheet view)

MetricNST (approx)EVN (FY2025 actual)
Total Assets~$20.4B~$9.6B
Total Liabilities~$5.5B~$4.7B
Equity~$14.9B~$5.0B
Current Ratio~1.8x~1.5–1.6x
Debt (relative)LowModerate
ScaleVery largeMid-large


-------------------

๐Ÿ” 1. Who is financially “safer”?

๐Ÿ‘‰ NST wins here

  • Lower leverage (debt vs earnings ~0.2–0.4x)
  • EVN higher (~0.6–0.9x)

๐Ÿง  Translation:

  • NST has more buffer if things go wrong
  • EVN uses more debt to grow

๐Ÿ‘‰ Think:

  • NST = conservative
  • EVN = slightly more aggressive 

--------------------------

๐Ÿ” 2. Liquidity (short-term survival)

Both are solid:

  • NST: ~1.8x
  • EVN: ~1.5x+

✅ Both can comfortably pay short-term bills

๐Ÿ‘‰ No red flags for either


-------------------------------

๐Ÿ” 3. Balance sheet size (this matters more than you think)

  • NST assets: ~$20B
  • EVN assets: ~$9.6B

๐Ÿ‘‰ NST is more than 2x bigger

๐Ÿง  Why this matters:

  • More mines → more diversification
  • Less risk if one operation fails

๐Ÿ‘‰ NST is structurally more resilient

-----------------------

๐Ÿ” 4. Quality of balance sheet (this is subtle but important)

Here’s where it gets interesting:

๐ŸŸข NST

  • Huge asset base (Super Pit etc.)
  • Strong equity buffer
  • Lower debt

๐Ÿ‘‰ Feels like a “fortress balance sheet”


๐ŸŸก EVN

  • Smaller but still strong
  • Uses more debt strategically
  • Very strong cash generation recently

๐Ÿ‘‰ Feels like:

“Efficient operator using capital more aggressively”

-----------------

๐Ÿ” 5. The BIG philosophical difference

This is the key insight most beginners miss:

๐ŸŸข NST strategy

  • Scale
  • Lower risk
  • Strong balance sheet
  • Massive production base

๐Ÿ‘‰ “Big, stable, dominant”


๐ŸŸก EVN strategy

  • Higher margins (often better profitability)
  • More disciplined capital allocation
  • Slightly more leverage

๐Ÿ‘‰ “Smaller, sharper, more efficient”

---------------

⚖️ Core equation (applies to both)

Assets=Liabilities+EquityAssets = Liabilities + Equity

But what differs is how they structure the right-hand side:

  • NST → more equity, less debt
  • EVN → relatively more debt, higher returns focus
----------

๐Ÿ† So… which balance sheet is better?

๐Ÿฅ‡ For safety → NST

  • Lower debt
  • Bigger asset base
  • More resilient

๐Ÿ‘‰ If gold price drops or operations fail → NST safer


๐Ÿฅ‡ For efficiency/returns → EVN

  • Better margins historically
  • Strong capital discipline
  • Uses debt to boost returns

๐Ÿ‘‰ If things go well → EVN can outperform

--------------

๐Ÿ’ก The simple takeaway (this is the gold nugget)

When you compare them on CommSec:

๐Ÿ‘‰ NST = stronger balance sheet
๐Ÿ‘‰ EVN = potentially higher-return operator


๐Ÿงญ How YOU should think about it

When you open these on CommSec, ask:

  • Do I want:
    • ๐Ÿ›ก️ Safety & scale? → lean NST
    • ⚡ Efficiency & upside? → lean EVN
-----------

Friday, 4 July 2025

Moog modular - Friday night Jam

 A impromptu jam last might. 
My mate Ed and I decided to play with the old Moog.
This hasn't been used in a while so it was good to see most things worked.



The old VCOs drifted a lot so it was a battle to keep things in tune.

This is the old moog:

Above are some Synthesizer.com sequencers / modules
and other misc 5U modules

Patch notes:
The two 960 sequencers are synced.
The right is the master.
They control various filters, VCAs etc of Moog 
I'm using one sequential switch to add variation to the sequences
Its triggered from the 1st 960 and the Klee 


-------------------------

Two Q960 sequencers can be synchronized or used independently to create complex sequences. They can be patched together to create longer sequences, or one can be used to modulate parameters of the other. 

Here's a more detailed explanation:
1. Synchronization: 
To run two Q960 sequencers at the same speed, the clock output of the first sequencer can be patched into the shift input of the second.
Ie; Use the osc of the 1st sequencer to shift the osc of the second sequencer.

To create a slower tempo on the second sequencer, you can use a clock divider (like the Q962) to reduce the clock speed before patching it into the second sequencer.

2. Creating Longer Sequences:
By patching the step output trigger from the first sequencer into the shift input of the second, you can create sequences that are multiples of the original length. 
For example, chaining two 8-step sequencers in this way can create a 16-step sequence, or even a 24-step sequence by using the three rows of the Q960 

3. Independent Use and Modulation:
One Q960 can be used to transpose the sequence of the other, by patching the first sequencer's step output to the second sequencer's shift input and using its CV output. 
You can also use one sequencer's CV output as a modulation source for another, controlling parameters like filter cutoff or VCA. 
One sequencer can control the gate of another to create rests or shorter phrases within a longer sequence. 

4. Additional Tips:
The Q960 has a reset input, and the reset can be triggered at any point in the sequence, allowing for complex rhythmic patterns. 
The Q962 sequential switch can be used for various purposes, including dividing the clock, muting sounds, and controlling the sequence direction.