Midi Update

Livid brain and breakout board arrived today.

very excited to open the packaging.  

very keen to get started, should be ordering some more bits soon!!

Cheers,

Bass Building Guide

just finished the presentation and uploaded to youtube

just pause and play so you can read through, if you would like the file, leave a comment and i will get back to you.

remember, this is just a guide, i urge you to do as much research as possible when going through this. this is just the practical guide,

Cheers!

Midi Controller, Coming Together

So, still waiting on my order from livid, but as expected it has been 7days already, but its international postage so im not worried :)

I have been pressing ahead though. i have been contacting plastic fabrication companies up and down the east coast of australia looking for a decent price on CNC routing and machining for my enclosure!...... the average quote is $10 for my piece of plastic.... $310 for the routing!

It is most likely worth the money, but my wallet is on the fritz from the hectic component buying, until i found this little gem!

http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/

Based in the US of A they have FREE cad software for yyou to use, or will transfer your corelDRAW/autocad drawings to their format, and they are cheap!!

Inside the software you can get an instant quote based on your design so far, its hands down, fantastic.

I am sticking with the CAD programs though, because i already have my drawings ready and they took hours upon hours to do/figure out!. but i have included a screen shot of front panel designer for you all to ooo and ahh at :)



This includes the ardcade button layout and the 2 holes for playstation 2 thumbsticks i will be adding!

but the rest of the layout is up in the air, still can't decide on faders :/

Cheers,

DIY Midi Cables

Found it hard to find a decent DIY guide to midi cables on the Net, so here we go!

Parts list:

2x 5 pin din connectors $1 AUD

any size of 2 core shielded Cable

solder

Tools:

Wire cutters

Soldering iron

Get that stuff, and your good to go!

righto, so the 5 pin din, obviously, has 5 pins, but only 3 of these are used for a midi connection.

pin 2, 4 and 5

these pins contain, a gound (shield), Current (reference voltage) and the Signal

the below diagram shows from inside the midi connector.

Step 1: get your wire and strip back the outer plastic to reveal your 2 core wires and your shield surrounding these.

Step 2: Next open up your 5 Pin Din connector, the short part of the pins will be where you solder your wires

Step 3: take the black plastic surrounds of the connector and put the wire through it BEFORE YOU SOLDER ANYTHING!!

Step 4: Tint the Wires and the pins that you are connecting on the Din connector, this will let your easily solder your connections

Step 5: Solder your cables to the appropriate pins on each end of your cable, use a multi meter to check these.

Step 6: re assemble your Din connector around the cable

Step 7: Connect your midi device and away you go!

Midi connectors are most likely the simplest data cables to make, but it can get a bit fiddly, so i suggest a desk top vice!

here's where you can get your bits.

Midi Connectors

http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=PP0304&CATID=35&form=CAT&SUBCATID=618

Cable

http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=WB1506&CATID=22&form=CAT&SUBCATID=543

These are the Australian prices, but i have put them up for you to source from where ever you like this site IS international.

Cheers!

Midi Controller - Let's Begin!

In the last few weeks, i have been researching custom DIY MIDI controller-ism. 

In short i want to build my own midi controller....

i will cut to the chase here... I first found a video by Ean Golden, showcasing how to build a relativly 'cheap' Midi controller with a few buttons, knobs and LED's using a basic USB HID (human interface device) brain.

The main problem i had with this was that it was not 'class compliant' meaning, i had to get other software to turn the HID signals to MIDI info. HID is basically for joysticks, buttons knobs anything really for controlling video games or robotics or even cranes and large construction equipment. Although the though of a custom gaming chair intrigued me!

After a few endless nights of obsessing over my idea of a midi controller, i found a new brain.

Class compliant USB powered, Midi i/o, i thought i was dreaming.... wait no, i was just really tired.

I found the Livid builder series of products. This was fantastic, a new product for 2010 and REALLY easy to use, i ordered one instantly for $189 USD and it should be here within 2 weeks. for more info that i would just ramble and confuse you with can be found here: http://lividshop.com/builder/builder-brain.html

I also liked the idea of Arcade buttons, great for sampling and triggering!

I can't wait to get started on this project, and i will keep you all informed and teach what i learn along the way!

Cheers!

Creative Phaze - Open For Buisness!!

So after a few crazy weeks of paper works and website creation and some purchases....

Creative Phaze Recording is ready to start recording or mixing your next project.

Recording is based in the Northern Rivers of NSW as a mobile 'studio'

Basically WE COME TO YOU!! so you don't have to lug your gear out of your rehersal space!

or if you are a solo artist wanting some demos recorded we can even come to your bedroom/music room/Zen garden and push the big red button.

and don't forget we can mix as well!! even if you have recorded at a different studio and need a fast mix on a budget we are happy to help!

So head over to the website or myspace to get rates or hear some previous productions and we can get under way.. Cheers!

www.creativephazerecording.tk

www.myspace.com/creativephaze

Electric Fretless Bass Guitar

I recently completed building an Electric Fretless Bass Guitar, before i started this blog, if i have enough requests i will post a power point presentation (quicktime) of how i did it, fully illustrated of course.

The construction took all of 20 days 3 hours each day.

cost: $50

Parts:

Pickup - $50

Hardware - Salvaged

Timber: 

Bluegum/pine - body

Jarrah - Fingerboard

This beast is a fretless 34" scale (fender)

Music man pickup - still pumps out a bit of hum

I am happy that it was possible to create a custom instrument withing 20 days and only 2 days of planning, However, this is only possible because i built a bass over a year ago which took about 12 months, looked 10000% nicer and was sold a month after i had finished it.

i would like to go back over the bass and fix some of the wiring to eliminate hum, and also get the fingerboard smoother.