Now that the electronics are operational, the bike built and running, the parts assembled, it comes the time to shape the sound as desired.
I've decided to separate the different pads to different sounds. The drum pads are going to be bass drum and snare, the left button pad should trigger some kind of fat filling ambient bass sounds, the right button pad will be linked to keyboard chords.
These sounds will be rendered from Logic Pro. The PD patch will take the inputs from the bike, turn them into midi signal and send it to Logic. Logic will get the midi in different channels. Each channel will be a software instrument. The specificity of each instrument will be preset to the project. There will be, however, variables to each one. These variables are taken care of via a Lemur patch. Moreover, the variables are not only for the sounds in Logic but as well the signal reception in PD.
Another aspect not yet approached is the sensors and how they will affect the sound. So far, the only affectation roughly made comes from the crank cadence, received via the hall effect switch. Two things were made: an RPM counter with an added 2x multiplier. This will meet more likely the BPM of the listened sound. The reason is that the effort in cycling with equivalence between BPM and RPM is not likely. As a cyclist who listens to music while commuting, I don't find it feasible. On the other hand, BPM=RPM*2 is a common practice. This way every time and foot pushes the pedal equals a beat. This will have several sound affectations and probably other multipliers. However, the only connection I've made so far is to a delay effect on the drum section.
As to the other two hall effect sensors the maths are different and so will be the way they'll affect sounds and the sounds they'll affect. First of, the maths. These sensors don't output signal from 0 to 1 but rather from roughly 0.5 to 1 or 0.5 to 0 depending on the magnet pole approaching it. However the to value also depends on the strength of the magnet. Due to size matters the magnets used only take the value to about 0.85. Therefore, the range of +-0.5/+-0.85 which is about 0.35 will have to be multiplied to meet the range 0/127 equivalent to midi values. Also, due to circuit stabilising, the negative output (0.5/0) is seriously damped, therefore the usage of the positive values. An important note is that once the sensor and corresponding magnet are on the brake levers, meaning that their standby position provides the maximum value and decreases upon usage of the brakes. So, in terms of midi values, it will start at 127 down to 0 rather than the opposite. There is the possibility of creating an equation to invert this, however, the first attempts are going to meet what the sensors provide.
Tuesday, 26 March 2013
Wednesday, 13 March 2013
Cycle Sound - assembling the electronics on the bike
So, the bike is ready. An excellent ride I should add.
The electronics are ready to assemble. But the bike is not ready to receive them. Simply because there is no place for buttons, sensors and drum pads on a bike!
Well, but I'm making place for it.
Here's some snap shots of what I've done so far. I must say as well that everything I've done is tested and it's working.
Linear hall effect sensor and magnet on the brake levers.
Soon enough the weather will be suitable for proper park testing! Can't wait for the day to come.
The electronics are ready to assemble. But the bike is not ready to receive them. Simply because there is no place for buttons, sensors and drum pads on a bike!
Well, but I'm making place for it.
Here's some snap shots of what I've done so far. I must say as well that everything I've done is tested and it's working.
Linear hall effect sensor and magnet on the brake levers.
Hall effect sensor switch and magnet on crank wheel for cadence computation.
Mini rear rack to hold the arduino, xbee shield, xbee, cyclesound shield, antena and batteries.
Soon enough the weather will be suitable for proper park testing! Can't wait for the day to come.
Monday, 11 March 2013
Programming Cycle Sound
This weekend the bicycle became perfectly ready.
Some nice test drives through the city got me really proud about its construction.
Plus, on Friday at the London Hackspace, I made a nice aluminium rack to hold the arduino. It still needs finishing, but it looks promissing.
Also, I assembled half of the interacting elements to the bike (only one side as it is symmetric). However there were some isolation issues that made the system short and therefore Pure Data was getting lots of trash!
I already isolated everything but haven't assembled it back.
Now I am working on the Pure Data patch. Not only that, as I am making a Lemur skin to work with the patch wirelessly on an iPad. It will allow easy multi touch direct access to several parts of the patch to modify elements along the way, such as threshold values, notes and octaves.
The sounds are now coming from Logic Pro. An amazing feature with this is that it allows me to have different instruments assigned to each of the interacting elements of the bike.
Even though the servos are still uncertain, counting on their inclusion, the functionality of this should look something like this:
Some nice test drives through the city got me really proud about its construction.
Plus, on Friday at the London Hackspace, I made a nice aluminium rack to hold the arduino. It still needs finishing, but it looks promissing.
Also, I assembled half of the interacting elements to the bike (only one side as it is symmetric). However there were some isolation issues that made the system short and therefore Pure Data was getting lots of trash!
I already isolated everything but haven't assembled it back.
Now I am working on the Pure Data patch. Not only that, as I am making a Lemur skin to work with the patch wirelessly on an iPad. It will allow easy multi touch direct access to several parts of the patch to modify elements along the way, such as threshold values, notes and octaves.
The sounds are now coming from Logic Pro. An amazing feature with this is that it allows me to have different instruments assigned to each of the interacting elements of the bike.
Even though the servos are still uncertain, counting on their inclusion, the functionality of this should look something like this:
Tuesday, 5 March 2013
More developments - moving quickly
Today was a quite intense day for the Cycle Sound project.
Started off with testing the XBee connection. This had been done very softly before and needed deeper understanding and testing.
Four things needed checking: a) all the pins of the XBee shield are sending; b) the analog pins are sending analog signal; c) the remaining pins of the arduino, despite not connected to the XBee, also send signal; d) Pure Data is receiving all signal, parsed as desired.
There is, however, another point to be tested: multiple simultaneous signals being sent and received and respective correct parsing. For this multiple connections to the arduino are needed.
After checking these points I proceeded to designing all the separate PCBs and a shield for connecting them to the arduino. As it was done their production starter: laser printing in photo paper, cutting the prints, cutting the copper board, transferring the prints to the copper board, etching the board, removing the toner, drilling and finally populating the boards.
I made a couple of mistakes on the way. Nothing serious.
1st - I didn't invert the shield drawing for printing. The others weren't important to invert as they were symmetric. And they were all printed in one go. I only realised this when I was already peeling the photo paper after the transfer had been done. Therefore, I had to go back to Illustrator, invert the image, print, cut the print and a new board, make the transfer again and so on...
2nd - the two very small hall effect sensor PCBs for the brake levers take a ratiometric hall effect sensor each. I assumed that it was going to work in the same way as the switch. Clearly I was wrong. But, luckily enough, I didn't have to make new PCBs for this. The problem was that I didn't test the sensors before making the PCBs. Anyway the difference was that they proved stabler without the resistor. I actually didn't test with different resistors but assumed that they would only interfere. Therefore I simply didn't insert the resistor.
The shield was done with surprising accuracy. However, the pin connectors aren't yet in my posetion. As soon as I get them I'll populate the shield. With it done, I can connect all PCBs to the arduino and make a full range test of the XBees, taking it to the park and making its first walk outdoors.
Hopefully, the brake calipers will also arrive soon and the bicycle will be able to join the XBees for a test drive.
Started off with testing the XBee connection. This had been done very softly before and needed deeper understanding and testing.
Four things needed checking: a) all the pins of the XBee shield are sending; b) the analog pins are sending analog signal; c) the remaining pins of the arduino, despite not connected to the XBee, also send signal; d) Pure Data is receiving all signal, parsed as desired.
There is, however, another point to be tested: multiple simultaneous signals being sent and received and respective correct parsing. For this multiple connections to the arduino are needed.
After checking these points I proceeded to designing all the separate PCBs and a shield for connecting them to the arduino. As it was done their production starter: laser printing in photo paper, cutting the prints, cutting the copper board, transferring the prints to the copper board, etching the board, removing the toner, drilling and finally populating the boards.
I made a couple of mistakes on the way. Nothing serious.
1st - I didn't invert the shield drawing for printing. The others weren't important to invert as they were symmetric. And they were all printed in one go. I only realised this when I was already peeling the photo paper after the transfer had been done. Therefore, I had to go back to Illustrator, invert the image, print, cut the print and a new board, make the transfer again and so on...
2nd - the two very small hall effect sensor PCBs for the brake levers take a ratiometric hall effect sensor each. I assumed that it was going to work in the same way as the switch. Clearly I was wrong. But, luckily enough, I didn't have to make new PCBs for this. The problem was that I didn't test the sensors before making the PCBs. Anyway the difference was that they proved stabler without the resistor. I actually didn't test with different resistors but assumed that they would only interfere. Therefore I simply didn't insert the resistor.
The shield was done with surprising accuracy. However, the pin connectors aren't yet in my posetion. As soon as I get them I'll populate the shield. With it done, I can connect all PCBs to the arduino and make a full range test of the XBees, taking it to the park and making its first walk outdoors.
Hopefully, the brake calipers will also arrive soon and the bicycle will be able to join the XBees for a test drive.
Monday, 4 March 2013
Bike one step away!
We are getting there!!!
Saturday, 2 March 2013
Cycle Sound development
In the last week, great developments have taken place.
1st - The Bicycle. Very few parts are now missing to complete its construction. I am pretty stubborn and the choice I made was to build it from scratch. Piece to piece... Of course, in the end it's a much more expensive bike than it could be, but it is the bike I chose to make. I just need a deraileur, pedals and a saddle. Brake calipers are ordered and should be here by the end of next week. This means that in a couple of weeks it will be ready to ride. I'll spend the weekend assembling the bottom braket and crank. Sunday, I'll get the deraileur and possibly pedals. This means that by monday it will be a moving bike... However, it wont brake yet...
2nd - Electronics. All parts for the bike rigging are either ordered or already in my posetion. Most of the PCBs are made and tested but there are some to be made still. Mostly, what needs to be done is the inter connection of all parts and its assembly to the arduino. Thumbs up!
3rd - Wireless. It was a long frustrating strive to find how to make the XBees work together. Not only that in a simple way, but very specifically: a) making it transmit all the signals desired; b) getting the signals straight into pure data. However, I'm still not too shure about it fully working, whitch still requires some testing. This will take place very soon. One of the question marks I still have wondering around my head is about the transmition of all analog signal.
4th - Pure Data. The patch is pretty simple so far. I'm using FM8 to make notes from the patch. The development of this will be done when the electronics are fully functional and stable. Some things will probably be worked in the meanwhile to test the electronics.
1st - The Bicycle. Very few parts are now missing to complete its construction. I am pretty stubborn and the choice I made was to build it from scratch. Piece to piece... Of course, in the end it's a much more expensive bike than it could be, but it is the bike I chose to make. I just need a deraileur, pedals and a saddle. Brake calipers are ordered and should be here by the end of next week. This means that in a couple of weeks it will be ready to ride. I'll spend the weekend assembling the bottom braket and crank. Sunday, I'll get the deraileur and possibly pedals. This means that by monday it will be a moving bike... However, it wont brake yet...
2nd - Electronics. All parts for the bike rigging are either ordered or already in my posetion. Most of the PCBs are made and tested but there are some to be made still. Mostly, what needs to be done is the inter connection of all parts and its assembly to the arduino. Thumbs up!
3rd - Wireless. It was a long frustrating strive to find how to make the XBees work together. Not only that in a simple way, but very specifically: a) making it transmit all the signals desired; b) getting the signals straight into pure data. However, I'm still not too shure about it fully working, whitch still requires some testing. This will take place very soon. One of the question marks I still have wondering around my head is about the transmition of all analog signal.
4th - Pure Data. The patch is pretty simple so far. I'm using FM8 to make notes from the patch. The development of this will be done when the electronics are fully functional and stable. Some things will probably be worked in the meanwhile to test the electronics.
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