Educational DIY Synth Thing

For a while I've wondered if it was possible to find something that could be used to learn about the basics of analog synthesis. This is the first part of a series of posts looking at the possibilities. Part 1 - This introduction and high-level design principles. Part 2 - Detailed design of an ESP32 … Continue reading Educational DIY Synth Thing →

Selecting Microcontrollers for Music

I was browsing some of the newer ATtiny chips the other day and started to make a note of some of their properties and it made me realise I actually have quite a few different microcontrollers at my disposal and many more I could be having a look at. But having committed to not attempting … Continue reading Selecting Microcontrollers for Music →

ESP32 DAC Envelope Generator – Part 2

Following on the back of my ESP32 DAC Envelope Generator and in particular my note at the start that it was essentially the code algorithm and none of the electronics that might make it useful, I started to try to find the simplest possible circuit that Just Might Work as a voltage controlled amplifier (VCA) for … Continue reading ESP32 DAC Envelope Generator – Part 2 →

ESP32 DAC Envelope Generator

I'm continuing my series of experiments with the ESP32 by considering how I might use the twin DACs onboard the WROOM module as a Lo-Fi, 8-bit envelope generator. I've not looked at envelope generation before, so this is a good excuse to see what it is all about. Important Note: This is NOT an envelope … Continue reading ESP32 DAC Envelope Generator →

ESP32 and PWM – Part 3

I'm continuing my look into the ESP32 and PWM. This time I'm adding in some analog control to introduce an element of frequency modulation to the synthesis. Part 1 - All the theory and research around PWM and the ESP32. Part 2 - Generating different waveforms on multiple channels. Part 3 - Introducing analog control and frequency … Continue reading ESP32 and PWM – Part 3 →

ESP32 and PWM – Part 2

In this second part of my look into the ESP32 and PWM I've updated the code to expand to several channels to make a sort of (fixed) simple signal generator. Part 1 - All the theory and research around PWM and the ESP32. Part 2 - Generating different waveforms on multiple channels. Part 3 - Introducing analog … Continue reading ESP32 and PWM – Part 2 →

PICO2/AFPOC

February saw another momentous step in the ambitious John Cage Organ Art Project at Halberstadt when the playing chord changed for the first time in two years. The resultant chord will now continue to play for another two years before the next change. The project is a performance of John Cage's ORGAN2/ASLSP, generally known by … Continue reading PICO2/AFPOC →

ESP32 and PWM

I'm continuing reinventing wheels with my ESP32. In ESP32 and Mozzi I was using the built-in DAC for audio output. In this post I'm taking a detailed look at how to use PWM for audio output instead. Part 1 - All the theory and research around PWM and the ESP32. Part 2 - Generating different waveforms on … Continue reading ESP32 and PWM →

ESP32 and Mozzi

I've been meaning to do something with the ESP32 for some time. I have some general ESP32-C3 devices, and a range of XIAO ESP32 (S2 and C3) devices too, but what I was particularly interested in was the original ESP32 as it includes two 8-bit DACs. This is my first set of experiments using a … Continue reading ESP32 and Mozzi →

Diagnosing and attempting to fix a Yamaha DX100 – Part 2

At the end of part 1, I've established that the basics all seem ok (PCB, interconnections, power) and that basic digital logic stuff is happening. I rounded off my write-up with the following ideas for what to investigate next: Get some proper triggering from the chip enables to check for valid data signals. Check out … Continue reading Diagnosing and attempting to fix a Yamaha DX100 – Part 2 →