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Scratch Build – In Progress DUNA Project. Add-on: Controlling Winamp via Midibox - new custom software *VIDEOS*

Discussion in 'Project Logs' started by misterkholl, 30 Jan 2008.

  1. Fozzy

    Fozzy What's a Dremel?

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    How much is all this costing? I'd love to get into a project like this but I bet it's not cheap.
     
  2. 500mph

    500mph The Right man in the Wrong place

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    This is an complicated project. I can't wait to hear some mixes you put together with this machine.
    Good luck, and keep it looking great!
     
  3. jhanlon303

    jhanlon303 The Keeper of History

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    Any thoughts for studio desk for this treasure?:thumb:Our local Guitar Land has mixing desks that are to die for.
    John
     
  4. badje

    badje boni

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    I had a few beers to much, so I don't have any idea what this is.
    But ..... it looks awesome.
    I will read this log tommorow.

    Get on with it :dremel:
     
  5. Dizman

    Dizman What's a Dremel?

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    Congratulations, I will now be spending the next week trying to understand even a little bit about this project. Maybe if I learn anything about electronics in college I'll attempt it sometime, but I'm also interested in how much this actually costs to put together.
     
  6. AJB2K3

    AJB2K3 What's a Dremel?

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    Sweet gezz look at all the electronics.
    Have you got plans for the finished unit? I'd hate to have to fix it when it goes wrong
    Nice work there.
     
  7. Burnout21

    Burnout21 Mmmm biscuits

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    with the level of detail and quality i dont think it will go wrong, ever! lol!
     
  8. AJB2K3

    AJB2K3 What's a Dremel?

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    Hes using windows so therefore it will fail for some reason :D But as you said with the quality, the electronics won't be the thing that fails.:thumb:
     
  9. Burnout21

    Burnout21 Mmmm biscuits

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    i agree, as soon as microsoft was mentioned, its going to go wrong. i expect at least to hear about 10 BSOD by the time this mod is finished! lol!

    i dont know if there a linux version and software that would be better for this?
     
  10. MrMonroe

    MrMonroe What's a Dremel?

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    This is some quality work and real attention to detail. Well done.
     
  11. PrometheusCon

    PrometheusCon What's a Dremel?

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    Wow, just awesome work you've done. I'm really amazed at the complexity and its complete DIY-ness!

    Great work!
     
  12. misterkholl

    misterkholl modMode:on

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    Glad to see you here Mr. Magnus!! :D thanks a lot my friend for the comments!

    :thumb:

    Hi Fozzy,
    The idea behind the Midibox project (as well as several DIY projects) is exactly to

    avoid the high costs of the audio pro equipments, specifically about the device

    controls. Besides the possibility of the customization you have the opportunity to

    aquire the components according your pocket.

    The most expensive component of a digital mixer is the motorized fader, it costs about

    US$ 40 each. Regarding the standard LC has 8, you will spend about US$ 320 just with

    this component. But you have the way to participate of a bulk order with another

    community members, so it could be about US$ 9 each.

    This is the actual cost:

    Code:
    
    ----------------------------------------------------------
    Midibox components From SmashTV's
    ----------------------------------------------------------
    1x Core Kit (w/ pic 18F452)  		  23.95
    4x DIN kit                   		  48.00
    4x DOUT kit                  		  52.00
    2x MF PCB                    		  10.00
    1x CORE PCB                   		   6.00
    1X AIN PCB                    		   6.00
    8X ROTARY ENCODER             		   8.00
    4X 19B POT                    		   5.00
    2X 20 MIDI JACK               		   2.00
    2X 21 MIDI JACK               		   2.00
    	Subtotal               		 162.95
    	Shipping (Express Mail)  	  34.75
    	Handling (PayPal Fees)    	   3.00
    
    			Total 		$200.70
    
    ----------------------------------------------------------
    Motorized Faders from a Germany supplier
    ----------------------------------------------------------
    8x ALPS Motorfader RS60N11M9 60 mm	 174.20
    	Shipping			  18.76
    	Tax				   3.00
    
    			Total		$195.96
    
    
    ----------------------------------------------------------
    Knobs from another Germany Supplier
    ----------------------------------------------------------
    PS: I ordered about 60 items from this supplier but i will show only the costs about 
    
    the LC setup (8 fader knobs + 8 encoder knobs)
    
    
    8 x Fader Knob - Silver Chromated	  13.05
    8 x Rotary Encoder Knob			   9.79
    
    	Shipping			  19.10
    	Tax				   5.44
    
    			Total		 $22.84
    
    -----------------------------------------------------
    			Grand-Total	$419.50
    
    
    
    I still need to buy the on/off switches (i have few) and its caps and make the case

    and front panel. My estimated final cost is about US$ 530.

    The Logic Control is out of sales today, but the very simliar Mackie Control (8 faders

    + 8 rotary) costs about US$ 1,300.00 in the US market today, it saves me about US$

    770.

    Of course, maybe you can find the Logic Control on e-bay at US$ 500 or more, but the

    possibility to create my own device is priceless! :dremel:

    I my specific case, where you need to pay about 60% of importing taxes, the US$

    1,300.00 could turn in US$ 2,080.00 (plus shipping), no way!!

    Note that all the parts above came up as educational kits, so, no taxes. DIY is good!

    :D


    500mph, jhanlon303, badje, Dizman, AJB2K3, Burnout21, MrMonroe, PrometheusCon:
    Thanks a lot you guys for the kind posts!
     
  13. misterkholl

    misterkholl modMode:on

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    DUNA Add-on - Midibox to Winamp

    After several tries i had to forget my plans to create my own touch sensitive device for the motorized faders, as you know, without this feature you will not able to move the faders manually when the motor is on (software automation turned on), and I ordered the model without it (there are models with native touch sense feature, but much expensive). So after some after some e-mails the supplier agreed to exchange the faders for the model with built-in touch sense without break my bank.

    So, I sent the faders back to Germany some days ago, and i will need to wait for some days more because besides the long shipping time (Brazil-Germany-Brazil) the supplier today has only the 5k (resistance) version of the 60mm faders, and I need the 10k.

    Well, When i was waiting it I decided to create an add-on for the Duna project. Sometimes i just turn off the mixing software and open my good and old Winamp and just to listen nice songs, and a way to control with via Midibox could be a funny thing, so I started to write the 'Midibox to Winamp' software.
    It took many days because i don't have much time a day due my daily job (software developer in a local company) and sometimes i just want to arrive in home and be so away from a computer.

    There are some solutions about it on the market, like the Bome's MIDI translate, but besides the US$ 80 of the full functional version it's too much generic for me, i wanted some custom features so create the software from the sketch was the best plan. There's some Winamp plug-ins about it too, but again, too much generic.

    After some tests i decided to release this version which includes some features:

    - OSD - Volume, Track Pos and EQ Bands/Freqs (i still thinking if is necessary to create the OSD for the commom operations like Play, Stop, Prev., Next....etc...)

    - Basic Functions - Previous, Play, Pause, Stop, Next, Open file Dialog, EQ Band Left/Right, etc...

    - Virtual POTs (Jog Wheel style) - Volume, Playlist Seek, Track Seek, and File Dialog Integration (*).

    - Smart Playlist - Shows up the Winamp Playlist when you are seeking by the jog wheel, even if the winamp is minimized. Auto-hide the playlist when you stop the movement (according the show time set).

    - File Dialog Integration - Allow to interact with the windows standard file dialog box: Up, Down, Page Up and Page Down by virtual pots. Home, End, Level UP, Select All, Shift and Control by buttons. Enter by button or rotary encoder's built-in switch.

    - MIDI Learn/Setup - Where you teach the software to get the MIDI message and fire up a Winamp event or File Dialog event, also, allow to set the Rotary Encoders Sensitivity (movement speed).


    The main window:

    [​IMG]


    MIDI Learn/Setup:

    [​IMG]


    Systray Menu:

    [​IMG]


    About box....

    [​IMG]



    I assembled a simple midibox setup on the protoboard just to test the software:

    [​IMG]

    The setup:

    [​IMG]

    Note that the Playlist Seek rotary encoder has a built-in switch:

    [​IMG]




    Ok, let's see the Midibox to Winamp in action:

    PS: The File Integration feature on this video was still in development (the 'always shift on' bug is fixed as well now)




    Smart Playlist feature:




    PS: At the point of the videos below I added two buttons in the setup: Toggle Shuffle/Shift (file dialog mode),Toggle Repeat/Control (file dialog mode).

    [​IMG]


    MIDI Learn:



    ...MIDI Learn cont....Encoder Sensitivity:



    Current File Dialog Integration:





    Hope you like! See you soon! :thumb:
     
  14. Oreon_237

    Oreon_237 CHEA BRO!

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    WOW man that is soo cool. I wish i knew how to program and everything, then i could integrate something like this into my recording setup. :jawdrop:WOW:jawdrop:
     
  15. Dira

    Dira What's a Dremel?

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    Very nice! I have been thinkin about building a winamp controller :) Not as advanced as this :) But I'll remember to watch here for insperation later when that time comes ;) Btw cheers for Millencolin in "DUNA Project: Controlling Winamp via Midibox" Great swedish band :)
     
  16. Burnout21

    Burnout21 Mmmm biscuits

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    sounds odd, but could you do a winamp control tut over in the modding thread.

    basically i love the idea of having control over winamp like that and would love to build one. i have very simple electronics knowledge, and i can follow a circuit diagram, but other than that im a noob at this.

    a list of components that can be soldered to a bread board with a circuit diagram would be amazing!

    is the control box connected via a Midi port, USB or serial?

    as i said i would love to build one and drop it just beneath my screen so i can just reach up and make adjustments.

    please make a tut!
     
  17. Oreon_237

    Oreon_237 CHEA BRO!

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    I second that !!!
     
  18. misterkholl

    misterkholl modMode:on

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    Thanks Oreon! note that the Midibox project is open source and you don't need to have god skills, because there are many levels, so you can start with the basic setup and default application, and the Midibox to Winamp application will be freeware, I will release it for downloading soon, you can use it as well you want.

    ...

    Thanks Dira! i really love Millencolin! they were here (Rio) in 1999, I was there, great show!!! :rock:

    But my favourite Swedish band calls Candlemass!! i have 6 original albums in CD, 5 with Messiah Marcolin on the vocals.

    ....

    Burnout21: Thanks a lot for the interest! i will make a tutorial :thumb: do you accept to be a beta tester of the 'Midibox to Winamp' software?

    About the interface, it's MIDI, but you can use a MIDI to USB cable adapter as well, like this one:

    [​IMG]

    It 'creates' a MIDI In/Out, so the software will work normally.
     
  19. Burnout21

    Burnout21 Mmmm biscuits

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    i would be a beta tester, but depends on how much it will cost to make and setup, might have to save up you see.

    is this a midi to USB adapter the same? if so dirt cheap! if i could build it all for £20 then i would be smiten

    cheers for the offer!
     
  20. misterkholl

    misterkholl modMode:on

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    I think i could make a tutorial for a low cost setup:

    - 1 Core Module;
    - 1 DIN Module (16 buttons + 8 Rotaty Encoders);
    - No LCD (your monitor will show all the info);
    - No DOUT (no leds, no meters, no led rings).


    The link you sent is exactly i'm talking about, a MIDI to USB adapter. Very nice price GBP 5.76!!

    Thanks to accept the invitation :thumb: If the project fit in your pocket, welcome to Midibox world.

    PS: The tuto will start after the assembling steps, because i just can't 'hijack' the whole Midibox project to here, so, i would invite you to know the project at www.midibox.org, and learn how to build the modules, load the MIOS, etc... so, the tutorial will have all the wiring/connection steps (modules interconnection, buttons and encoders) and the setup of the two applications: the PIC application (will run under MIOS) and the PC side application (Midibox to Winamp) and will drive you directly to control the Winamp.
     

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