FV-1 Multi effect full forum project ready to go. (ShimmerVerb Also)

[Digital Larry]

+1

http://joefriday-lg.com/spincad-designer-2/
Is a possible candidate to make programming a bit easier!!

Piet AKA echotapper

Thanks for the plug, Piet.  For future reference, I have updated my domain and new updates to SpinCAD Designer are now at:

http://holycityaudio.com/forum

joefriday-lg.com will be active for a few more months until my account expires, but I will keep the other one going.  My next goal is to allow users of my program to add their own blocks by simply importing a properly formatted Spin ASM file.  That's going to be at least a few more months in the making because I don't spend a lot of time on this now that I have a new "real" job and I'm still at the concept phase, so most of the hard work remains.

[scuzzphut]

Mick - this is awesome 

I'm persuaded now to bite the bullet, grasp the nettle and jump in feet first with the FV-1. Can't wait to start footering about.

I'm in the UK - would you be prepared to sell a couple of those fabbed boards ? 

Mark.

[Digital Larry]

I think it could be a good idea to have a thread that goes through some of the programming basics, a bit like the PIC tutorial books. For example strarting with how to read the ADC then write to the DAC just to get an output, going onto how to use a pot to give a boost. You know what I mean, by keep adding to the program to explain in steps what the instruction set does.

I have spent a LOT of time with the Spin documentation, and there are enough typos and things left to the imagination that I think we could do a much better job, bit by bit as you say.  I am willing to contribute what little I know.

[Ice-9]

I think it could be a good idea to have a thread that goes through some of the programming basics, a bit like the PIC tutorial books. For example strarting with how to read the ADC then write to the DAC just to get an output, going onto how to use a pot to give a boost. You know what I mean, by keep adding to the program to explain in steps what the instruction set does.

I have spent a LOT of time with the Spin documentation, and there are enough typos and things left to the imagination that I think we could do a much better job, bit by bit as you say.  I am willing to contribute what little I know.

+1 And Frank from spin/oct is always there to give pointers or corrections but it is nice to see people get together and pool resources. There are lots of people that have been working with the FV-1 but it looks good that maybe this thread is bringing the interest of everyone together. I haven't heard from 'Taylor' recently but along with 'Slacker' they are both very involved in the software side.

Digital Larry's Spin Cad is a great drag and drop building block that everyone should have a look at. 

[slacker775]

This definitely looks pretty interesting.  I'd definitely be interested in a PCB when these become available. 

[garcho]

^ More than one SubGenius?  

My old avatar:

[slacker]

We are legion.

[Levispeights]

This definitely looks pretty interesting.  I'd definitely be interested in a PCB when these become available. 

"If anyone want to work from these PCB's I could make them available with all the SMD components already programmed and soldered for anyone who doesn't like the idea of hand soldering these up."

I want one!! This is fantastic! Any idea when (and where) the PCB's will be available?

[peterv999]

As interest seems to be extending to the FV-1:

Presently my DIY design based on the FV-1 on the SKRM board to avoid soldering SMT devices is already build about 250 times and includes both hybrid solutions and advanced automation. The parts, including the eTap2hw motherboard can be ordered from a Vendor in the Netherlands so all is 'at cost' without any uplifts. The eTap2hw emulations are all related to vintage echogear and do emulate the specific valve and tape characteristics. To build on the cost is below 100 euro. my blog  and some fora ( given on my blog) are providing all details. I'm also very much impressed by the presented Stompbox and clever BCD extension and will support that to assure it delivers eTap2hw performance!

Piet
Www.echotapper.nl

[peterv999]

Mick - this is awesome 

I'm persuaded now to bite the bullet, grasp the nettle and jump in feet first with the FV-1. Can't wait to start footering about.

I'm in the UK - would you be prepared to sell a couple of those fabbed boards ? 

Mark.

I just had the opportunity yesterday to have Mick's unit for testing here. A very good semi-pro guitar player with decades of experience was flabbergasted on all sound aspects of the  unit loaded with eTap2hw  ( Stratocaster andVOX amp). He played some tunes while I checked the unit in detail using known settings for specific Shadows tracks. It seems the unit is already reached maturity thanks to the expertise/experience of Mick.

There is one remark and one observation that requires some effort: the LED is only for active/bypass and should also take the peak signal warning. This could be established by a multi LED I guess when a new batch of boards are required.

The observation left is the exact hysteresis of the switch position e.a. If the switch is set to 6 would that be the range 5.5-6.5 ? I have communicated the positive outcome with Mick already but thought of also reporting this here as it is a real (s)milestone for his very exciting project!

Piet

[slacker]

Nice feedback Piet. The clipping LED is a good idea, I've done that in a couple of my pedals using a bicolour LED. I find it most useful when making programs though to see if the output is clipping rather than as a input clipping indicator.

The switch code works like this. It reads the voltage from the pot using an 8 bit ADC (actually 10 bit but only the top 8 bits are used) it then shifts the result 5 places to the right so you're left with the 3 most significant bits bits giving values 0 - 7 to correspond to programs 0 - 7. The hysteresis works by only changing the program if the value read is different to the previous one for 256 consecutive reads, this means small transient spikes and noise are ignored. If you set the pot near the transition between two values then it may read either one value or the other on consecutive reads so it won't change, this creates dead bands between each value where nothing happens. I don't know exactly how wide these are, it probably depends on a number of factors like how noisy the supply is, how accurate the ADC is etc
So to answer the question a setting of 6 will be somewhere between 6 and 7.

[peterv999]

Slacker,
Great feedback!
Seems your scheme could be improved if you would think around this:

Position 1 would be from 0 to .5
Position 2 would be from 0.5 to 1.5
Position 3 would be from 1.5 to 2.5
Position 4 would be from 2.5 to 3.5
Position 5 would be from 3.5 to 4.5
Position 6 would be from 4.5 to 5.5
Position 7 would be from 5.5 to 6.5
Position 8 would be from 6.5 to 7 (.5 step)

If this model is applied the nominals would be on target and thetwo values on to top and bottom limits would have some clearance.

Would this be a valid proposal to improve repeatability of selections.

Piet

[slacker]

Ah, I see what you mean, that would be nicer than my current method. Shouldn't be too difficult to change the code to make it work like that.

[Ice-9]

That's great Piet I'm happy we only have 2 little issues to deal with, the first being the clipping LED. As mentioned that can be a simple mod to the existing PCB to add a bicolour or second separate led but on this revision PCB would mean soldering a wire directly to pin 5 of the FV-1 and and adding a resistor. The LED mod can be easily added to the PCB in a new revision so as not to need to manually wire it up.

As for the second point, thanks Ian for the full description of the pic code.

I have also been trying to track down a BDC switch that is able to do the job but has a similar footprint to a standard 16mm pot and at a reasonable price, needless to say this is proving difficult. 

[the3secondrule]

FV1 Multi effect Part 2

Next picture I have hand soldered the SMD components to the PCB the pic has been programmed before soldering. I would usually solder semiconductors last but it is far easier to solder these first in the case of SMD as the board can lay flat and there is plenty room to work around the PCB. If anyone want to work from these PCB's I could make them available with all the SMD components already programmed and soldered for anyone who doesn't like the idea of hand soldering these up.

I would be VERY interested in this

[cackhanded]

I AM very interested in this. When will we know more?

[scuzzphut]

Would the switch required for preset selection be something like this ?? ---->  http://www.jameco.com/Jameco/Products/ProdDS/473457.pdf

3rd page - series 94R - octal version.

[scuzzphut]

Side note - I've ordered a couple of FV-1s and a couple of the tonepad reverb PCBs to get started    The fever !!!

[slacker]

3rd page - series 94R - octal version.

Yes, that's the right sort.

[Ice-9]

3rd page - series 94R - octal version.

Yes, that's the right sort.

Yeah that switch will allow you to select 8 internal effects along with 8 external Eeprom effects, it would be nice to get a similar switch with a nut for mounting to the enclosure just like a normal pot.

Sorry Mark I must have missed your earlier post for pcb availability. Glad you got sorted with the tonepad pcb though.