Practical Usage

Category: Electronics

  • REVIEW: iConnectivity iConnectMIDI4+ — Part 1 – Hardware

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    I just received the iConnectivity iConnectMIDI4+. This is a hardware review. You know me: take it apart first, and then review it. So this post is about hardware. The next post will be a software and application review. In the mean time, you can take a look at MusicInclusive’s Derek Jones series of review/how to…

  • MP-2 + MRe: Hacking the Alesis Vortex and using a Wireless Midi Transmitter

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    A two-project merge! The Alesis Vortex needed a bit more… controls! So I decided to add a few sensors that would give me greater flexibility when playing. The Vortex is already quite capable, but my left hand was not “used” enough. Sure, there is a touch strip and a pitch-bend wheel at my finger tips.…

  • MRe-2: A demo

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    I have decided to try the MRe-2 in a real setting. So I hooked up my keyboard and recorded a demo. It was done using Ableton Live 9. The trick was to setup 2 midi loops (using clips). The first one is used to loop the riff that plays after the intro. I had to…

  • Midi Wireless: The iRig Midi adapter and Audeonic’s MidiBridge

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    In a previous post, I explained how I successfully use a pair of XBee radios to exchange Midi information between a midi instrument and a computer. This post is about another wireless solutions for those who have an iPhone or iPad. The iRig Midi adapter The iRig Midi adapter fits the connector of any 30-pin…

  • MRe-2: XBee Midi emitter

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    In the previous post, I  explained that I temporarily abandoned trying to use the RFM12B radio transceiver to exchange Midi information between two devices. This post explains how I successfully used the XBee radio transceiver to achieve sending information between a Midi source and a computer. The XBee radio comes in many different versions. The…

  • MRe-1: A special version of the MP-1: A Midi Transmitter

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    A special version of the MP-1 was built to get MIDI data from the Vortex and send it wirelessly to a computer for further processing. I have decided to name it the Midi Remote Emitter 1 (MRe-1). In fact, the electronics is the same as the MP-1, but the Midi-Out port was not put in,…

  • Jeenode: Interference

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    Because of the previous post, I decided to  test a bit more. To see if I could physically move the board to reduce interference. So I connected the Arduino with the attached RFM12B radio module. The one using the Sparkfun MIDI breakout board. As I was clearing the desk, I placed the Arduino on a…

  • RFM12B: Dealing with radio interference

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    This is a screenshot from the serial monitor of a Jeenode (Arduino compatible) connected to my computer. It runs a program that will listen to incoming radio messages through its RFM12B radio transceiver. In this window, you can clearly see too lines that start with “OK”. These are real messages coming from my EM-1 Energy Monitor.…

  • VC-1: New circuit

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    The first circuit design for the VC-1 was a bit unstable and very dependant on the quality of the control signal. Since the goal here is to control the resistance with a PWM signal from the micro-controller, the control signal is going to be a fixed frequency square wave with a variable duty cycle (variable…

  • Tech Preview: Alesis Vortex (updated)

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    Update 16/1/31: The Alesis Vortex has been replaced by the Alesis Vortex Wireless . But the links below about in-depth reviews and complete user manual are still applicable and current. Update: 2012/12/21 – I am reviewing the Vortex in new posts. The first part is at: https://practicalusage.com/?p=781 Update: 2012/12/29 – Second part of the Vortex Review/Guide. Programming…