Raspberry Pi Pico Synth_Dexed – Revisited

I thought it was time I took another look at my Raspberry Pi Pico Synth_Dexed. I've a couple of main aims with coming back to this project: Update the build for the latest Pico SDK and Synth_Dexed. See what is involved in getting it running on an RP2350. See if a simple I2C display can be … Continue reading Raspberry Pi Pico Synth_Dexed – Revisited →

Raspberry Pi Pico Synth_Dexed? – Part 6

One last thing I definitely wanted for my PicoDexed was the option for PWM output. This post is by way of a short coda detailing how to do PWM on a Raspberry Pi Pico. Part 1: Building Synth_Dexed for the Pico. Part 2: Assessing the performance and analysis of the Pico audio library. Part 3: … Continue reading Raspberry Pi Pico Synth_Dexed? – Part 6 →

Raspberry Pi Pico Synth_Dexed? – Part 5

Ok, ignore my last comment about Part 4 being my last post on this topic. I thought I ought to pull together all the hardware notes on how to build one as I haven't really written that down anywhere. So this shows the connections required between the Pico, I2S DAC and MIDI IN. Part 1: … Continue reading Raspberry Pi Pico Synth_Dexed? – Part 5 →

Raspberry Pi Pico Synth_Dexed? – Part 4

I was going to leave things at Part 3 blog-wise, and just get on with filling in the gaps in code now, but I've come back to add a few more notes. But this is likely to be the final part now. Recall so far, I have: Part 1 where I work out how to … Continue reading Raspberry Pi Pico Synth_Dexed? – Part 4 →

Raspberry Pi Pico Synth_Dexed? – Part 3

The story so far... In Part 1 I work out how to build Synth_Dexed using the Pico SDK and get some sounds coming out. In Part 2 I take a detailed look at the performance with a diversion into the workings of the pico_audio library and floating point maths on the pico, on the way. … Continue reading Raspberry Pi Pico Synth_Dexed? – Part 3 →

Raspberry Pi Pico Synth_Dexed? – Part 2

Now that the initial elation at getting a reasonable sounding, er, sound from my Raspberry Pi Pico Synth_Dexed has worn off, I've been seeing what I can do about the performance. TL;DR: this is all analysis and measurements, working out and attempting to understand how it all currently works. I haven't fixed anything or improved it yet. I'm … Continue reading Raspberry Pi Pico Synth_Dexed? – Part 2 →

MiniDexed TX816 – Part 7 – In use!

Now that my MiniDexed TX816 seems largely usable (for me at least), this is the last part in the series for the time being and is simply a short demonstration of the module in use! Here is an 80s style FM synth version of Jupiter from Holst's Planets Suite. Previous posts in this series: Part … Continue reading MiniDexed TX816 – Part 7 – In use! →

MiniDexed TX816 – Part 6 – Pico MIDI Router and TX816 IO Code

It's been a while since finishing the MiniDexed TX816 Mechanical Assembly and I had a bit of a distraction recently rebuilding my Lo-Fi Orchestra, but I've also been tinkering with the code for the TX816 IO panel and router. This post looks into a bit more detail what it is all doing. Posts in this series: … Continue reading MiniDexed TX816 – Part 6 – Pico MIDI Router and TX816 IO Code →

MiniDexed TX816 – Part 5 – Mechanical Assembly

Having now built the required PCBs and obtained a panel, this post starts to think about the actual mechanical assembly of the MiniDexed TX816. Posts in this series: Part 1: Introduction, context, and high-level design. Part 2: PCB design. Part 3: Panel design. Part 4: PCB assembly. Part 5: Mechanical assembly. Part 6: Pico MIDI … Continue reading MiniDexed TX816 – Part 5 – Mechanical Assembly →

MiniDexed TX816 – Part 3 – Panel Design

One the things I really wanted to pay attention to for my MiniDexed TX816 was the panel itself. Usually, my panels are a very "DIY, it'll do" affair but I want this one to at least make an attempt to capture some of the style of the original TX816. I looked at a range of options … Continue reading MiniDexed TX816 – Part 3 – Panel Design →