Digital Control Modules for Analog Devices :)

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distopik

Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2015
Messages
8
Hi :) You may know me as the crazy guy with the DAW controlled 8-channel Neve console (6U 8 channel Neve mixer).

After that I've gathered a team and we make digital control modules for analog outboard (and possibly consoles).

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This is what our modules look like

With these you augment switches and potentiometers in analog audio gear so that they connect to a computer, where you can then save and recall settings instantly as well as drive the settings from the computer without having to leave the monitoring sweet spot.

We're currently writing a manual about installation and setup. Photos from this process will come up frequently on our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/distopiksound which you are welcome to visit, like, share... :)

I wanted to start a discussion here about whatever you want to know about our stuff; questions, doubts, praises, everything related really :)

PS: We are now taking reservations for the first run with a special early-bird discount. If you are interested, please post.
 
Cool, great idea!
Does the "real" potentiometer turns once that the value has changed?
 
Hi,

thanks, we think it's cool too :)

Great question! From our research with engineers, they either don't care about where the pots are physically after recall, or they are prepared to go the extra mile and have front panel equipped with LED rings. We experimented with motorized front panels, but an electronic solution suits us more.

This is what it looks like with LED rings, we have modules for that too, though installation is (for now) a bit more complicated than ordinary modules.
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luvir said:
Cool, great idea!
Does the "real" potentiometer turns once that the value has changed?
 
Now this is next level stuff.

...but I`m guessing fitting this
DR-2402.jpg


with controlled volume/pan for each of the channels would become ridiculously expensive! Altough, with the led rings, would become pretty much a dream-mixer...
 
That's a very impressive build you are considering, hats off on that one.

I think that with such a big number of knobs, it would be more practical to go with a single custom PCB for the front panel. It would make assembly much easier and do away with the cabling. It might not be economical for a one-off, but if a few guys wanted to do this with recall, I'm sure we could make it happen!

What value potentiometers and switches does this project need?
 
Here are some more details/pictures of the installation process. It is really easy to add AnDis, you just mount them on the existing pots/switches and rewire. Everything else on the front panel stays the same. The other PCBs that handle the communication with the computer can be added anywhere there is place.


You desolder the wires from the existing pot and wire them on the AnDi module, while the pot goes on top of the AnDi PCB.


You can use the same brand of switch as you use now, so the feel stays the same. We designed it to be compatible with any switch we know of.
 
We've recently been finalizing our mod for Pultec style EQs. Some more tweaks of the power supply and we're all set :)
2mfx6c7.jpg


Before:
noeoti.jpg


We extended the early bird preorders until the end of the year because we realised that ordering prints around xmas and praying for them to arrive safely (with post being so busy around this time of the year) isn't the best of choices ;)

Contact us if you are looking into upgrading some other unit. There is quite a lot of gear that can be done with exactly the same modules, while some others could be done with slight variations of them and we would be happy to make a kit for those. The only inconvenience might be waiting a bit more for the appropriate DAW plugin to control the gear with.

Happy holidays everyone :)
 
We completed a plugin for controlling an analog pultec-style hardware EQ but unfortunately we don't have access to all different DAWs, OSs, versions and this is where we need your help.



Please help us test the plugin. Reply to this thread or send me a personal message if you wanna help us out.

Thanks in advance and have a nice holiday season :)
 
i got pretty much the same idea, still going.
i am using cubase's MIDI devices to control. i can insert or use as send FX...
prototype working fine.
unfortunately, still working on PCB design :(

edit: i am using arduino mega for all controls and midi...

 
I'm doing something similar for a line of digitally-controlled-analog synths I'm busily working on as a personal commercial venture.
In my case I'm going to use the STM32F446 MCU, a Texas Instruments 16-bit octal DAC and a lot of other bits and pieces to make it work, but have always, eventually, wanted to reapply what I learn in a similar way to what you have done. This is definitely the future. Really love what you are doing.
 
Thanks guys,

it's great to see there are people going for digital control of analog. I concur, I think it's the future and having talked to a few industry veterans from the manufacturing side, they also feel that it's going to be with us sooner rather than later.

The point of our solutions is not to have to change the original circuit much, or any. If the device calls for a 25kOhm reverse-log true potentiometer (not rheo and not buffered) we're happy to oblige. We've tested jillions of remote control options, from PWMs, DACs of various shapes and wiring options to servos.. there is no universal solution.

We control over Ethernet and I'd strongly suggest it for your projects. It's not that MIDI is bad (if you already have it working, more power to you!) but Ethernet is cheap, fast, can also be daisy chained or star configured and is standardised outside of the audio community. Just my 5 cents :)

We currently control with a linux BBB computer, but are moving to an STM32F as well. These are some great MCUs, our first product with it is getting printed this week.. can't wait to get my hands on it! Stay tuned :)
 
distopik said:
We control over Ethernet and I'd strongly suggest it for your projects. It's not that MIDI is bad (if you already have it working, more power to you!) but Ethernet is cheap, fast, can also be daisy chained or star configured and is standardised outside of the audio community. Just my 5 cents :)

I completely agree. My synths are going to have full MIDI USB, standard USB and Ethernet OSC control support. To cover the bases, and because with a processor as powerful as the STM, it's no issue.
 
this is intended  for retrofit correct    :                      one concern is digital noise introduced into an otherwise well behaved gear
 
We've been dealing with that a lot actually, and have a well behaved system now we're very proud of... The third revision of retrofit modules and the first ones we started selling,  are four layer boards with a generous amount of shielding and the communication is high speed, in MHz range. So far we've had no noise problems with  them :) (knock on wood)

This actually reminds me of the first prototype, which had quite slow digital communication in it and after we put it together, lo and behold: the tube amp in the eq was passing through a lot of hash and clicking from the even slower interrupts. So after a lot of probing and rewiring and so on, it looked like a little maze with all the isolation panels sticking out of every possible place we could squeeze them in. Fun times :)
 
this is almost a dream come true to me.

sadly just almost, because i have no budget for the whole kit - may i ask whats the minimal kit that one can start experimenting with? i guess just 1 potentiometer wouldnt really worth it, knowing the extras needed for it? can you control for eg a dual C100k this way? or even better : can this replace those pots in general?
id soo love to have the LED ring too.

with maximum respect, id like to know how you compare your product with WES Audio's Mimas for eg, which also has full digital control (+ plugin). i mean the price.

thank you - i start saving money for this project now.  :)
 
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