Path: utzoo!attcan!telly!problem!compus!lethe!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!sdd.hp.com!hplabs!hpcc05!hpldsla!djw
From: djw@hpldsla.sid.hp.com (David Williams)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Electronic MIDI Controllers
Message-ID: <1990005@hpldsla.sid.hp.com>
Date: 6 Dec 90 20:16:41 GMT
References: <1990Dec5.124200.1833@eagle.lerc.nasa.gov>
Organization: HP Scientific Instruments Division - Palo Alto, CA
Lines: 35

> There was a post to rec.music.makers a few weeks ago that
> didn't really get answered.  Does anyone have information
> on making a controller driven by MIDI information?  I am
> personally interested in controlling lights via my musical
> sequencing, but really anything electronic could be controlled.

I guess it's just another  microcontroller kind of project.  You
need a uP (nothing in MIDI can be done without one), a MIDI port
(that is opto-coupler,  and UART), some code, and I guess if you
want  to  control  lights  some  industrial  strength  digitally
controlled switching electronics.

My suggestion in the uP department is something  like a Motorola
6802  (built in serial  port that will run at MIDI  speed,  some
RAM, etc), or maybe even 68HC11 (lots of stuff, including an A/D
converter).  Read any  book on MIDI,  they'll  tell  you  need a
Sharp PC-900, or HP 138?  opto.

There  has been a few  articles  on uP based  MIDI  projects  in
Electronic  Musician  (recent),  Keyboard  (a Casio SK-1  mod'),
others back around 86/87 (when people still built home brew MIDI
interfaces  for their home PCs).  Also, get the  service  manual
for some MIDI box, that helps me - say any little Yamaha control
box.  I'm sure  there a million  things out there  that can tell
you about controlling lights.

Hope that helps some.

David Williams
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