project to clone Ed Sheeran's Chewie II

[jovid196168]

Hello, I have started a project to clone Ed Sheeran's Chewie II. I know there has been posts on here before about this and people may be getting sick of hearing this. But I'm a big fan and wanted a loop pedal years ago. But when I came across a tutorial online that you could make one yourself. I thought I would have a bash at it. I will be using the arduino Uno to program this, I don't have much knowledge on programming but I have been getting a lot of help from amazing people online.

I have been following this tutorial: https://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Chewie-Monsta-Ed-Sheeran-Loop-Pedal/?ALLSTEPS. it has a schematic of the loop pedal and also a arduino program already wrote. But the pedal I am wanting to build has a few other pedals that do different things, more led's and also a second screen. Don't know how I intend to get this to work fully, but I know it's achievable because I've been talking to the guy who made the tutorial. This is the original schematic from the tutorial:
and here is the program from the tutorial: https://cdn.instructables.com/ORIG/FBE/G4LO/IKH5H0VQ/FBEG4LOIKH5H0VQ.ino


I drew up a plan of what the pedal does, I'm not 100% sure with a few things. I have watched many performances of him using the Chewie II. The things I'm mainly not too sure on are what the bank button does exactly and also the knob on the left. I don't know if it has a function but it seems to light up red, green and yellow. I'm not sure why it lights up yellow but when he starts a track it's already lit up yellow. I think it lights up red when recording and green when playing tracks on each pedal. to get this to light up I thought I could use a adafruit NeoPixel ring. And use a adafruit panel for the Chewie II logo, Don't know if I'm able to do that or is there any other way that could be better?

I have had the drawing redrawn to match the arduino instead of the original perfboard schematic. But this one has been drawn with just standard switches. I plan to test it on a breadboard maybe first. But then maybe transfer it onto a perfboard to the final project or should I use my arduino uno? I have an official one and a fake one. I know you can build an arduino yourself like, Just not sure which method would be better http://forum.fritzing.org/uploads/default/original/2X/1/10e674570c3ad67b0d8e65208357234c08be499f.fzz

Any help would be great, because I'm not going to lie I am going to need it. Like diagrams for connections and programming a little

[Marcos - Munky]

Actually, this isn't a loop pedal, but a midi foot controller Ed connects to an audio interface, which is connected to a laptop where he runs a loop software.

It is an interesting project, if you have an interface with midi input and a laptop to run the software.

[jovid196168]

Oh yeah I know it's a midi controller because it sends commands. I have a focusrite audio interface and I plan to use it with ableton live. If I manage to finish the project.

[deadastronaut]

Interesting...i read he used mobius.

[jovid196168]

He does use mobius, on the Wembley DVD you can see the program on his original midi control pedal. I checked out the youtube channel, He has similar projects that could help. But I couldn't access that website.

This is what the program I have will do, I got the program from him off the instructables tutorial. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3H_KAHWdyw&t=91s. I need to add more led's and find a way to get them to light up correctly depending in what mode it is in and also assigned to the correct pedals

[blackieNYC]

Helluva first post! Welcome.

[jovid196168]

I have an updated schematic of the midi controller. added the amount of LED's. This drawing is updated for the arduino uno and also I'm just using standard push buttons at the moment. Building it on a breadboard first to test. I still need to add the 2 monitors, power plug and voltage regulator (5 Volt). that were on the original schematic. I'm not hundred percent sure how and where I will put these. If anyone could possibly help?

I'm thinking of using something like this for the Chewie II logo unless there is a better way?: https://www.proto-pic.co.uk/adafruit-neopixel-neomatrix-8x8-64-rgb-led-pixel-matrix.html1

and then use one of these for the knob on the left that lights up in circular motions: https://www.proto-pic.co.uk/neopixel-ring-12-x-ws2812-5050-rgb-led-with-integrated-drivers.html


But someone on the fritzing forum said "The neopixel will be bright, but is also timing sensitive (although adafruit has a library for it) and power hungry (with bad peak currents sometimes). Depending how much brightness you want/need a tft color display might do but it won't have anywhere near the brightness of the neopixels. For the power section I'd chose to use a 5V (at however many amps the neopixel wants) regulated wall wart in stead of the 7805 regulator / wall wart combination as the 7805 is only good for 1 amp max and I think the neopixels may want more than that. From the adafuit data sheet (worst case) 60 ma per led the 64 led one is ~ 4 A (3. and the other is going to be 720 milliamps so you may need around a 5A wall wart to power the leds. I'd suggest another 1 amp or so wall wart to power the processor to keep the supply noise from the neopixels (which will have large current spikes) away from the processor. Note they recommend a large (1000 UF 6.3V or higher) capacitor on the pixel supply as well. You will need to be careful with your grounds and wire sizes at this current level, I doubt that you will be actually drawing 4 amps in this application and a 2A wall wart may do fine, but I'd measure the current draw with your image displayed to be sure and more current available won't hurt, it just costs more.
(edit: I just realised you appear to be trying to display the words

Chewie II

as the logo. An 8*8 (64 led) panel will only display the C of that (as characters are typically 5*7 dots) to display that word (assuming that is what you want) you would need a tft panel in the 480*320 or larger range (and they get expensive fast as the size increases)."

Just wondered if someone else had any other methods or could possibly help? thanks

[jovid196168]

Anyone?

[slacker]

For the logo you could cut holes in the case in the shape of the wording, put some frosted plastic behind it and backlight it with few RGB LEDs, much cheaper and easier than using a LED matrix. Or use a frosted plastic panel and paint on it in reverse to make the wording.
I'm not a fan of Sheeran but this gizmo is really interesting.

[LiLFX]

You can also make a similar gizmo by hacking a USB keyboard. Use switches as the key presses and map those keys to whatever function you want in the DAW. A USB keyboard is like $1 at the thrift store.

[jovid196168]

I was thinking of getting a case made, and to have the logo laser cut and to then have it anodised. I work at an engineering company so I could possibly do it at work. I also thought to put some plastic behind it. Just not sure how many LED's I'd need. Are there LED's that light up multiple colours and can be program to light up a certain colour in arduino? That's interesting, I read something on the lines of using a keyboard. But I didn't know what it was for until now. Thank you for the ideas? Need some help finishing my schematic now

[slacker]

Are there LED's that light up multiple colours and can be program to light up a certain colour in arduino?

Yes, here's a tutorial on using RGB LEDs,

and some example code https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-arduino-lesson-3-rgb-leds/arduino-sketch

[deadastronaut]

im with LILFX on the usb qwerty hack...(been there)

if you pull one apart, there a little pcb with all the connections ready made for ya..

just trace certain keys, done.

ultra simple.

[jovid196168]

I have just opened a keyboard, problem is it's not a USB one. But I know you can buy adapters, how do I go about this then? Sorry I'm fairly new to this

[deadastronaut]

get a usb one.......you'll be better off..go to a thrift shop etc...


crude version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGr3lvBtMV0

another crude one..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et0YBV-tQc0

and another , for proof of concept..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxaClh7FACw

[ElectricDruid]

The glowing logo looks like an electroluminescent panel behind a cutout to me. Moog synths use it on some of their gear to make everything on the panel glow. Something like these:

https://www.adafruit.com/categories/81

HTH,
Tom

[jovid196168]

I looked at the electroluminescent panels. Thought it would work really well, but I don't think it'll work for what I need it to do. It has to stay green the logo and then when a pedal is pressed I need it to flash red for a few seconds. Would of been a really good way too.

[ElectricDruid]

Ah, I see. Sorry, I didn't realise it changed colour. In that case, definitely RGB LEDs behind a diffuser of some sort.

T.

[jovid196168]

It's okay, yeah it's looking like I'll have to put a few LED's together, because I don't think the adafruit panel will work with wiring and power issues

[jovid196168]

Please could someone help me and show me how I would connect the screen and the other things on the left of the original schematic correctly. I honestly don't have a clue. I have my switches connected on a motherboard so far. Just want to get an idea that's all. All the help would be great thanks!