Arduino/Piezzo connections

Meanwhile there should be more developments in the programming stage for the Pure Data patch and the Arduino connections.
For the record here is an image of the way to connect the Piezzo to the Arduino.

Dumm conclusions

I have been struggling to get my two XBee pro's to communicate with each other. However there has been no progress in that and I couldn't figure out why.
Do you know when you think you know something about something and when you're reading about it you kind of skip some parts just because you think you already know what's coming there!?
Well, this was the case... I was thinking I knew enough already about the XBee to go straight to the programming stage... However, just because I have the XBee pro 900 digimesh RP-SMA that wasn't so right.
The reason is simple: turns out that RP-SMA is a connector for the actual antenna. Needless to say that without an antenna there is no communication!

"The UFL and RP-SMA options are just connectors, they require an antenna tuned to the correct frequency and with the proper connector in order to function!" http://www.ladyada.net/make/xbee/modules.html

Next step: buy a couple of antennas!

XBee pro 900 digimesh RP-SMA

Finally I got back from a big absence in the development of Cycle Sound.
Once I made some progress in different parts of the project, other priorities took place.
The parts I worked were:
building the handlebar that supports the drumpad; build the electronics of the drumpad; make the connections to the Arduino; program the Pure Data patch to get the drumpad signal and send it to an external VST (in this case for experimenting I'm using FM8 from Native Instruments).
Each of these parts are not complete but ready for experimental stage. However there is still one part missing so that experimental stage can take place and that is what was I most recently working on: the XBee communication. This is the device that allows the RF transmission of data from the Drumpad -> Arduino to the Station that will read and play the bicycle's signal.
Therefore, the complete diagram for the signal's path is:
Drumpad -> Arduino -> XBeeShield -> XBee --- XBee -> XBee Explorer -> Computer (MacBookPro).

However, the progress made on the XBee's is still not enough for the required task.
Two major issues are making it go slower than expected: I only have one XBee Explorer so I had to find a way of working on both XBee's at the same time using an Arduino and a XBeeShield; the X-CTU software for programming the XBee's is a windows only platform. Making me use a Virtual Machine that brought problems of it's own to the equation.
In the end I was able to program the XBee modules without being able to get them to communicate with each other. Which means I'm only half way through this step.
However, hopefully, as soon as I get these two modules communicating I'll be able to experiment the whole setup. After this I will actually get the bicycle to mount everything on and take the first outdoors trial.

Cycle Sound drawigns

Cycle Sound

Cycle Sound is the project I've been working on the last couple of months.
It is all about a different understanding of the relationship between cycling as a social, economical and ecological choice of transportation method and music as an entertaining and mood setting device.
The outcomes of this relationship as an expressive feature of everyday life in contemporary western civilization are the object of this research project.

The drawing above is one of the sketches for the bike mod.

All the electronics I recently have been working on are means to an end. The intention has been to understand electronics and sound in order to build this piece.

The new delay

After finishing the Fuzz Factory clone guitar pedal, sourced by a French website, linked by Paul Marossy, I started working on two other guitar pedals: an Octavia (by Fuzz Central website) and a Delay (by Soldersound website). This last one is quite curious as he built a bunch of guitar pedals inside a very small enclosure (1590A for anyone who knows what I'm talking about!).

The Fuzz Factory clone ended up like this:




Two things:
1st. I called it Fuzz Funktory!
2nd. The knobs have no writen nomination! Maybe for the next one!!!
Other than this it's pretty screaming funkadelic.

As to the Octavia, it's working. However, I think something might have gone wrong as one of the potentiometers (the one that should increase or decrease the "octavia" amount) is not working!!! I'll still have to figure that out!!!
Anyways it is still outside the enclosure...

The last but not least, the Delay has just got itself the enclosure holes to fit the circuit inside (some to go still). Besides this, a delivery with the PT2399 IC should be arriving any day to complete the circuit. Let's just hope it works properly!!!
This is how it looks so far:



Hope you enjoy the sounds being worked behind the scenes to be played with these mambo-jambo's!

Milan 0 - 1 Tottenham

This was the first game I drew from this series.
Two matches were supposed to be drawn, however due to discrepancies in the champions league website I started 1h later, so only one half was drawn.
For these games I am going to draw only half time of each as they are playing at the same time.
This is the result of today's game!

Fuzz Funktory trial

All problems have made me remake the pedal on a breadboard...
This is what it sounds and looks!

I really need to add that nothing would have been possible without the help of Paul Marossy!
He was simply THE BEST!!!
Thanks Paul!
You can visit his website:
http://www.diyguitarist.com/

The not working pedal!

painting stage 1

Following Football

This is the first set of experiences towards bigger drawings of the champions league final stage games.

One resistor away!

Everything e coming together!
And I'm growing ansious...

Update

A few parts are still missing. Apart from the pots, the sockets and the switch this is basically it! I have all these they just ain't connected here. The parts missing are one transistor and a resistor.

Electronics and music

I have been introducing myself to electronics in a different and deepper way.
This time trying to understand what does what in transforming sound.
To start with I'm going to build a few guitar pedals and understand the structure of things so that I can apply it to other projects hidden in a deep corner of a drawer.
The first one I'm working on is a clone pedal of a ZVex Fuzz Factory.
Particularly simple to build and very interesting soundwise.
This is how it's looking so far: