The GM Voice

Spikes · Joined: Feb 10, 2012 Posts: 14 Location: London, UK

Hi all

This is my first post here.
Have just got a DB60XG from doublefish, there was an issue but it was sorted out quickly, great ebayer, buy with confidence etc.

Have seen several projects about using this board as a stand alone synth, which is what I want to do, but where to start?
Would I be correct in thinking that the PCBs earlier in this thread will work for the DB60XG? And "all" that is required is to send some sysex messages and from then on regular program change?

Sorry if this is a bit newbie, but we all got to start somewhere.

Thanks guys

Spikes

Dan Lavin · Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2012 3:35 pm Post subject:

yes, correct. your board will work just fine as a GM Voice. I have the same board from doublefish and the pinout is compatible. have fun.

Spikes · Joined: Feb 10, 2012 Posts: 14 Location: London, UK

Thanks Dan, only other question I have at the moment is does the DB60XG require a sysex message before any sound can be produced? If so, can you tell me what it is?

Not really important but couldn't find an asnwer to this.

Thanks again

Spikes

Spikes · Joined: Feb 10, 2012 Posts: 14 Location: London, UK

It works!
Pretty much first go, the regulators are getting hot but a heatsink should sort that out.

It is better than very good!

Dan Lavin · Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2012 11:55 am Post subject:

Spikes,

Quintus · Joined: Feb 20, 2011 Posts: 13 Location: UK

The reg does run hot and I now use low drop out reg instead of the 78 series

The code for XG reset is

F0 43 10 4C 00 00 7E 00 F7 (hex)

The module should start in XG mode on power-up.

You can send this by MIDI OX. XGGold is the best DB50XG computer controller there is a trial version for free. The DB50XG manual is available here:

http://www.yamaha.co.jp/manual/english

or Google

Quintus

Spikes · Joined: Feb 10, 2012 Posts: 14 Location: London, UK

Thanks for the replies chaps, am pleased to report that the heatsink on the 7805 worked and have been messing about with the voices etc.

The QS3000 voice thing is now puzzling me, tried using XG Gold but it doesn't seem to upload anything, does this only work in a registered version?
Is there any other way to load those QVB files?
Once loaded do these sounds remain on board or do they have to be uploaded every time?

Thanks again

Spikes

Spikes · Joined: Feb 10, 2012 Posts: 14 Location: London, UK

And now it doesn't work! Sad

Well thats not quite right, I rewired it as I wanted to add it into a set up, now I only get audio output when I touch any analogue ground, obviously this is a grounding issue, but anyone got any suggestions how to cure this?

Thanks.

Spikes · Joined: Feb 10, 2012 Posts: 14 Location: London, UK

Well looking at it there was a rather long Analogue Ground wire, shortened that and all is good again Smile

neuweiler · Joined: Jan 12, 2010 Posts: 5 Location: Switzerland

After posting a pdf with a perfboard layout (see bottom on page 9), I owe you some pics of the finished product.

"Reduced to the max" Smile

NOTE: I anyone could tell me what needs to be done in order to get an spdif output (optical or coax), I'd be very grateful!

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some vent louvers on the bottom side (for better passive cooling)

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and the box from top (labels still missing)

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elmegil · Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 7:26 pm Post subject:

How did you get the grille so nice and even? That looks awesome. Makes me feel really bad about the cruddy 6 3/8" drill holes I used to ventilate a power supply I made Smile

I'm assuming you were using a dremel? But even so I don't think I could ever be so even handed...

Edit: oh wait, those grilles aren't drilled into the actual project box, are they? Wink

neuweiler · Joined: Jan 12, 2010 Posts: 5 Location: Switzerland

Ah no, these are no drill holes. Had the same idea at first but then decided that I was never able to get a nice grille this way. I took a piece of a plastic to protect the drip rail from leaves (http://img.westfalia.de/media/show_image.php?datei_id=687) , sprayed it black and glued it in from the inside. You can still do it that way, just cut out the area with a knife and rasp the edge clean.

wmonk · Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 4:25 am Post subject:

I see you used one of those small transformers. Can you give some information of how you did that and if it gives enough power for the whole thing?

magman · Joined: Feb 04, 2009 Posts: 363 Location: Liverpool, UK

Actually, looking at your mains PSU in a bit more detail, have you got any insulation between the Veroboard and the perforated sheet?

It looks like you have connected live mains via a switch and fuse to the input of the PCB mounted transformer on the Veroboard. This means there are some Veroboard tracks at mains potential very close to the open mesh. If you are unlucky enough to put the module down on something metallic with something that can just stick up through the grill (such as studs on the back of a panel, or a spiky heatsink), you have a reasonable chance of making this metal live to the mains. Shocked

Always treat mains power with the respect that you would treat anything that could kill you. You would want some protection between a Lion and you in a Zoo, do the same between mains electricity and Murphy's Law.

If you have a clear insulator in there, fine - but it's better to be safer than sorry, hence my query.

Regards

Magman

neuweiler · Joined: Jan 12, 2010 Posts: 5 Location: Switzerland

sompost · Joined: Aug 17, 2010 Posts: 58 Location: Switzerland

I just got my DB60XG from double-fish1981! Unfortunately, it appeared to have got a rough treatment during transport: several SMD electrolytic capacitors are damaged, and one is partially and another one completely torn off. I guess that they are decoupling capacitors -- the meat of the beast being in the ICs -- so the board might just work without them.

Perhaps I could solder on ordinary electrolytic capacitors, and then lay them flat on the board, but I like things neat and tidy. So I ordered SMD ones and then cross my fingers that the rest of the board didn't suffer too much.

Even though a dollar isn't what it used to be, 25 of them are still roughly $25 after all, aren't they.

Ralph

Silesius · Joined: Feb 12, 2010 Posts: 65 Location: Berlin

Hi! Just a quick question. I have all the parts needed for the project, but I couldn't find the 74ls00. I just assumed it would work with a CMOS 4093 nand gate. I haven't started yet, but it would be nice to know if my idea is correct. What do you think guys?

Silesius · Joined: Feb 12, 2010 Posts: 65 Location: Berlin

Well, it's not working for me; but as I said, I'm using a 4093 nand gate; I think everything else is fine so, before assuming my board is faulty, I would like to know if this is supposed to work with cmos gates instead of ttl. Any ideas concerning this??

sompost · Joined: Aug 17, 2010 Posts: 58 Location: Switzerland

The 4093 is not actually a NAND gate but a NAND Schmitt Trigger. Could that be the problem? I'm not too proficient in electronics, so I couldn't tell (that's why I usually follow instructions to the letter Wink

)

If it doesn't work, try leaving out the NAND altogether. The circuit published by c't (http://www.heise.de/ct/artikel/MIDImal-285418.html) doesn't do any buffering at all, so I don't think it's strictly required.

Ralph

Spikes · Joined: Feb 10, 2012 Posts: 14 Location: London, UK

Try a 74HC00, other designs use this. Yes it is an important part of the circuit as the daughter board expects MIDI data to be at a TTL level.

mjkirk12 · Joined: Jan 05, 2009 Posts: 22 Location: Chicago, IL USA

I was wondering if anyone has good results with the licensed XG Gold software and Yamaha DB60XG card for the "hidden" QS300 patches that use 3 and 4 element voicings?

The unlicensed XG Gold only supports 1 or 2 element voicings.

I configure the DB60XG for a 3 or 4 element patch, click the QS editor, and reduce the volume on elements 1 and 2, and get no sound. I would expect to hear something with elements 3 and 4 levels turned up.

Maybe I need to take this up with the XG Gold author as a next step, but wanted to make sure someone else has this already working on a DB60XG (or DB50XG).

Thanks,
Mike

mjkirk12 · Joined: Jan 05, 2009 Posts: 22 Location: Chicago, IL USA

Problem fixed. I am able to get 3/4 element voices on DB60XG working. Smile

1) XG Gold must have TC (transmit as controller) button DESELECTED. The 'hidden' QS300 voices must use Sysex messages instead of CC (controller) messages with 3/4 element voices to set volume and other parameters.

2) I was routing the XG Gold through MIDI-OX with small Sysex buffer (256 bytes) which also seems to cause problems. When I ran XG Gold direct to the DB60XG it works fine. Later in MIDI-OX, I enlarged to 512 byte Sysex buffers and decreased the Sysex message latency which seems to work for me.

Thanks,
Mike

Dan Lavin · Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2014 1:00 pm Post subject:

For those looking for a more updated soundcard to use, I've posted my GM Voice for the 21st Century in the main DIY section here:
http://electro-music.com/forum/topic-61315.html

The circuitry is also a lot more simple than this design, making it an ideal 1st time DIY project.

Dan Lavin · Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 11:24 am Post subject:

I just posted in the Arduino sub-forum a way to make the GM Voice respond to a single midi channel instead of all midi channels. Should be easier to work with other midi modules:

http://electro-music.com/forum/post-401253.html#401253

sompost · Joined: Aug 17, 2010 Posts: 58 Location: Switzerland

Hi everyone!

Sorry for infusing new life in an old thread. I wish I could do that with a DB60XG clone (NEC XR385) that stopped working after I left it sitting around for a year or so.

When I ordered it, I had to replace 2 of the 10uF capacitors, because they were ripped off during transport. After that, it worked perfectly. I could play the GM voices and even verify that I could upload and play QS300 voices. The circuit I use to attach the board to is a blend of various designs here on this thread.

I went on to implement a PSR-type style player, which took a while (always does...) and when I wanted to test an early version of it. The board was completely silent. It appears the the audio output is zero.

I have a second board where I can hear "something" through the intense crackling noise when I play it using a MIDI keyboard, suggesting that the circuits leading to (MIDI/power) and from the board (audio amp using a TL072) are somewhat OK.

I wonder if anyone could hint at what might be the problem (no sound on one board, crackling on the other). I checked voltages as far as I know where to look, and so far it looks good. Of course I can't fix/replace any of the ICs, but I might go ahead and replace all the electrolytic capacitors (some of which have dents), if that makes any sense at all.

Any ideas as to what I -- a borderline dilettante -- might check are most welcome!

Thanks, Ralph