Saturday, 3 December 2022

LUX - NLC - build notes - thermin

Some build notes for the LUX module.

This is a Nonlinear Circuits Eurorack module.
It's just 2HP 

Think optical thermin.

Four resistors, two photodiodes and a dual op amp. 
The simplest NLC module, so far.

Links:
+ BOM

The photodiodes pick up changes in the light and convert this into control voltages.
I think its a useful module to have ... we can always use extra CVs 

Remember though ..   the closer your hand is to the photodiode 
the lower the output voltage.




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The photodiode i'm using is this one (recommended by Andrew F).

His notes:
"The 3rd ones I tried were 1540051EA3590 which
are my favorite so far, with a 1M resistor the output voltage sits at
about 8V in my shed at noon (I have a skylight), so it is easy to
play the module and get a 0-8V range."

Mouser No:710-1540051EA3590
Mfr. No:
1540051EA3590
THT stands for through hole technology

Photo diodes consume light , converting it to a current.


Of course you can try different photodiodes.
Experiment :-)
There are actually two identical lux circuits on this module so you could 
set up each differently to suit different conditions.


 dRANO Hotshot -- injecting drano ??
Not recommended - :-(
 
I think this is a lyric from the band "The Cramps"
New kind of kick...
 
 
 
Schottky, power
rectifier or 10R,
optional - for reverse
voltage
protection...or not
I'll use 10R only because I have lots of them.
 

The photodiodes produce current when light falls on them. This is
fed to an op amp which spits out a voltage that reflects the light
intensity. 

The design is really supposed to be an ambience and movement
sensor to reflect changing light conditions (if you were playing
outdoors for example) and it responds to your movements as you move
around tweaking and patching.
 

I'm started using 1M resistors with the photodiode.
This put out very low voltages .... approx 1V.
...........hardly noticable 


Then tested with 10M resistors ...the module put out voltages between 5V and 8V
...... much better .... though maybe a touch too high for euro ???

 This is the basic circuit
I think its worth experimenting.
At the moment, I'm only experimenting with the feedback (10M) resistor.
The (1k) output resistor may also be worth fiddling with.




next ... 4.7M resistors ...  --- between 4 & 5 volts
... I would refer  a bigger range
I'm in fairly well lit room.
This may be  very different in a dark room


6.8M
range 6.7 and 4.4V




3.3M

I'll stay with 3.3M for the moment.
In a fully lit room the output is about 4.5V
maybe different in a dark room



 
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You can find more NLC builds here.
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Digitone - Making & saving new Projects

The Elektron Digitone has a unique data or file structure which can seem confusing at first.

The Digitone stores everything (settings, patterns, projects, sounds etc etc) in the  +Drive
You can compare this to the main hardrive of your computer which stores everything.
All your info is then divided & stored in folders. There is a main folder
containing many sub folders.

If the + Drive = C drive, 
then your main folders are the "Project" folders
stored in the C drive. 

These Project folders are at the top of the tree.
You can have 128 project "folders". Note that the first project folder contains
the presets, so you will have 127 left.

Each project is made up of patterns and sounds.
There can be 128 patterns and 128 sounds in each project.
Seems that 128 is a magic number.





I think that the best way to learn a new instrument is to first load a blank project that 
has 4 blank tracks that have the default sound setting (sine wave on each track).



Note that Projects are saved, loaded and managed in the SETTINGS menu.

So to make a new project you will need to press the settings button














You now enter the project folder

Within the project you have stored 
patterns & sounds

press YES





You are presented with 3 options.

You can create a new project either in the 
LOAD Project or MANAGE project option
but I prefer to use the Manage option as it 
allows me to name the new project.





This is a brand new Digitone Keys so the 
project slots (apart from the presets) are
empty.








Scroll to 002, then press the right arrow.
Enter INIT NEW





You will then see this screen.

Scroll to rename.

















Rename using the Function button,
with the Arrow, No & Yes keys.









This will be my first Project
BLANK_1










Its a simple sinewave on each track

From this template, hopefully I'll build
interesting things






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

Copying patterns between projects
1. Hold Pattern +  the Trig 1-16 you want to copy + Copy
    The screen should say "Copy Pattern"



2. Go to the project you want to copy to
     Hit Settings button etc etc and load that project
3.  Hold Pattern +  the Trig 1-16 you want to paste to + Paste





A bit about Patterns & Sounds within the Digitone enviroment.

Patterns
A pattern contains up to four sounds (one for each synth track), 
along with sequencer data like trigs and parameter locks.
We can have 128 patterns
These are stored in 8 banks 
Each bank has 16 patterns


Sounds
A Sound is a collection of the synth track settings in the 
SYN1, SYN2, FLTR, AMP, and LFO PARAMETER pages. 

Note that Sounds can be stored either in the Sound pool of the active project or 
the +Drive Sound library.
The Sound pool holds up to 128 Sounds and the +Drive library holds up to 2048 Sounds.




Friday, 2 December 2022

Israel - Jerusalem - 1 - Dome of the Rock

Some old pics of Jerusalem.
Such beautiful memories


This was a trip I did in the 1990s

..

..



\
The Dome of the Rock







Wailing Wall


'the western wall', often shortened to the Kotel or Kosel), known in the West as the Wailing Wall, and in Islam as the Buraq Wall







This is one of the arched entrance ways.



Some more pics of Israel

    - The Separation Wall - Israel/Palestine
    - Israel - Golan Heights - Mt Bental
    - Masada - Israel
    - The Herodium - "Herod's Tomb"
    - Bethlemen - Street Christmas lights
    - Bethlehem - The Palestinian Territory - West Bank
    - The Church of the Nativity - Bethlehem
    - Tower of David - Jerusalem
    - Mount of Olives Cemetery panorama pics - Jerusalem
    - cAESAREA - Med coast
    - aCRE - Akko 

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Monday, 28 November 2022

Bi-di chopper - nlc - build part 2 - completion

 The build so far.




The B-Di chopper  can be used to process CV and audio signals.

Its a  CV controlled switcher
There are 2 switcher circuits in this module.


Part 1 of the build is here:





Links
Wiki
BOM
















I'll use 10R for the power protection.
( don't have any schotty's)

LL4148 diodes


DG213


100k b pots


power header, etc

..





3mm LEDs

...
This module can be used as a switch.
1 into 2  (eg A into B1 & B2)
or
2 into 1. (eg B1 & B2 into A)



However its important to remember that Choppers are different from regular switches
as the signals being switched also controls the switching.
Thus things happen that you might not expect.



I'll need to experiment with CVs that you use to do the switching.

The module below is a pretty standard LFO Triangle wave. 0-5V
Works well.

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You can find more NLC builds here.
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