Electro-Music Klee Sequencer Build and Applications Thread

[Scott Stites]

This might help all of you get a running start at the panel wiring. It's the latest revision, though it doesn't have the variable interval pot or input.

The variable interval pot (optional) will be another two pin connector, and the input will go to the pot.

As the schemo says, the Digital Board is 100 series reference designator on the schematic, the Analog Board is 200 series reference designator, and the front panel is 300 series reference designator.

This helps to know what goes where - for, example, P204 (plug 204) begins with 200, so you know it plugs into the Analog Board. 204 means it plugs into Analog Board connector J4. P103 means it plugs into Digital Board J3. R304 is pot 4 on the front panel.

This is the doc we built the prototypes from, so it's proven. Of course, we'll have a more explicit build doc, but this will let all of you rarin' to go to know what cables you can build now.

Cheers,
Scott

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EM_Klee_Interconnect_112.pdf
Description:	electro-music Klee Sequencer interconnect schematic	Download (listen)
Filename:	EM_Klee_Interconnect_112.pdf
Filesize:	1.17 MB
Downloaded:	397 Time(s)

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[a.b.o.z.]

[Scott Stites]

I forgot to mention it, Tim. "Alone" is a very cool piece - you're using some pretty neat technique with the Klee. I notice on some voices, the pitch changes from time to time. Are you mixing some of the CVs with a keyboard?

I loved the voice textures in that one, too.

[State Machine]

Here are a few tips that can make your panel wiring wiring go smoother, free of wiring errors, and functionally better:

1) Mounting the series 200 analog board to the left of the series 100 digital board will allow the 15V power cable, P101 to P211, to be as short as possible. Twist the wires in the cable also. Use as large a gauge as possible for hte housing terminal.

2) Pay close attention to the connector pins numbering verses the numbering of switches and LED's as they are reversed. For example, gate bus stage 1 switch wires to pin 8 of P201, stage 2 goes to pin 7, etc .... the natural tendency may be to wire ascending switch numbers to ascending pin numbers.

3) Pay close attention to the contact state of a switch verses the function. For example, the MERGE active state is a contact closure.

4) Overheating switch terminals while soldering causes failure of switchs. These failures are sometimes latent. Tin the wire first, wrap to terminal, apply flux on the terminal and wire then, using a clean iron, preload some solder on the iron then touch to the terminal. This will minimize dwell time. One second should be all you need if you do this. The solder will just wick right onto the joint nicely.

5) Solder wires to the LED's at least 1/2 inch from the LED base. The heat will destroy them. CHECK the LED orientation carefully by noting FLAT side of LED body or noting the longer lead which is always the anode side.

6) Use bus wire for most of the grounding. The process of wiring your panel will go lots faster .... This is especially applicable to the LEDS's, Programming Switches, and BUS switches.

7) Make you cables first and leave a good length of wire on them to allow the wires to reach their destination. On pin 1, use a different color to help quickly ID it. If you dent have a crimper, use a soldering technique and then crimp with a needle nose plier. Don't use too much solder. This will make a strong joint. Connect the cables to the board then cut each wire to the correct length and solder. Allow a bit of service length just in case you need to make repairs alter on.

BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ your wiring and NOTE the polarity of your power connections before turning on ....

I am sure there are more tips and hints but I really have to get back to work ...

Bill

[Scott Stites]

Here's a sample using a keyboard applied to the external range input. It works better than I'd anticipated.

Using a keyboard with this optional input more or less is like having a one-touch casio function on your keyboard, only this one can be made quite demented if you so choose. I made this sample a little more "standard" in a musical sense (I think I did anyway).

The trick was protecting the input from negative excursions with a Schottky diode (BAT85). A 1N4148 would allow negative voltages applied to the input to go a bit too low and whack around the CD4051 it's feeding. The BAT85 took care of that quite well.

If you listen to the sample, you'll see how this differs from mixing the Klee output with a keyboard - applying the voltage at this point results in an actual change in the intervals of the sequence. For example, the lowest note in the sequence never changes - that's because it fires when the pattern isn't accessing any pot that is set for something other than 0. So, as the intervals rise, the bass notes stay the same. And, of course, the upper notes "expand" and "contract" the voltage pattern, depending on which voltage the keyboard selects to apply to the input. This would be really cool with a sequencer plugged into the input.

Recorded in one take, with the CGS Toms. Low bass note is output A, high note is A+B. The Klee is in 8X2 mode with Invert B on. At 2:40 I flip it into random mode, so the bassline becomes totally a function of the random bits, while the high note becomes a function of the random bits and the repeating Invert B pattern of register B. When I flip it to Random, I also unmerge gate bus 1, which is controlling the low Tom, allowing more beats to come through. All I'm doing with the keyboard is hitting a note now and then at the right times (or what I would consider the right times ).


Cheers,
Scott

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jazzy_emklee.mp3
Description:	Keyboard controlling the interval of the Klee Sequence.	Download (listen)
Filename:	jazzy_emklee.mp3
Filesize:	3.03 MB
Downloaded:	1342 Time(s)

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[Rykhaard]

[THeff]

Hi Scott,

I think I went back to the future with your "Jazzy" sample. It is really slick and has a completely different flavour than your other samples.

You asked me if I was using a KB with my last sample and the answer is no. I was just changing an octave (Larry Henry 822) switch after the Klee. I like the idea of using the KB and I think I will modify my existing Klee octave switch so that the last position provides an external input (with diode protection). I still have not added the INV B function yet so I will probably do them both at the same time.

When I go back and listen to your earlier samples I still am amazed that you made those with the breadboard spread all over your table, and you used needle nose pliers to move the wires around. That would have made a great YouTube video!

Regards,

Tim

[THeff]

Scott,

Back again. I was just thinking that the Circon controller that Wendy Carlos and Bob Moog designed would make a neat input for the Klee. You could just plug it in where you are connecting your keyboard now. I have had my on eye this controller for a while and thought it would be interesting to play with. Now with the Klee there is more of a reason.

http://www.wendycarlos.com/circon.html

It would allow you to slide to new scale steps and yet stop at musical intervals. It's a really simple circuit so I think am going to build one and give it a try. All of the details are on her web sight.

Tim

[State Machine]

I see lots of cool music and applications being posted here, in addition to building topics,, and it's great !! It sure gives me lots of ideas. I was wondering, Scott, can the title of this thread go through yet another revision and call it:

"electro-music Klee Sequencer Build and Applications Thread"

This will sort of cover it all otherwise some of the posts would be sort of off topic ....

Just a thought .....

Thanks !
Bill

[THeff]

Hi Bill,

Sorry for diluting the EM-Klee Build topic. The Circon idea just popped into my head last night and I submitted it before I forgot. It really would have been more appropriate to post it on one of the other Klee threads.

Regards,

Tim

[State Machine]

[Scott Stites]

[Scott Stites]

Oops, there is no optional output C, should be "B". It's a draft

[State Machine]

[numbernone]

Getting to be deep waters here...did the BOM sink to the bottom??? I cant find it anyplace.

[Rykhaard]

Is there any possibility of adding a RAM board, for storing the bits, for later retrieval? A small chunk of RAM should be able to be simply addressed / written to / read from, shouldn't it? (Thinking back to the days of the Roland DR-55 and it's memory).

[Scott Stites]

[State Machine]

[State Machine]

Here are the latest BOM's for both the analog and digital boards. They are the latest and we don't expect this to change. This should be the final draft.

Bill

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Digital_BOM.pdf
Description:		Download (listen)
Filename:	Digital_BOM.pdf
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Analog_BOM.pdf
Description:		Download (listen)
Filename:	Analog_BOM.pdf
Filesize:	48.8 KB
Downloaded:	205 Time(s)

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[State Machine]

OK Guys, I put the EM KLEE parts kits sales announcement on a separate thread in this DIY forum ..... You will see it .........

Thanks !
Bill

[Photon]

This is one of the main inspirations for what I'm thinking of for my desktop Klee console . The other being a controller for an old Spex spectrometer we have at work from the 80's (with sloped panel and wooden cheeks, sexy and nerdy at the same time)
unfortunately I'm sure its going to fall a bit short. aim for the stars in any case, eh?

Pete

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[Alienation]

I was thinking along the lines of a desktop unit or something similar as well.

I like State Machine and Foniks front panel maybe something like that mounted in a case by Nice-Racks.com.

[EdisonRex]

[Photon]

[Evan]