Open Source Stompbox

[amz-fx]

Open Source Stompbox...  info in my blog.

http://www.muzique.com/news/?p=103

regards, Jack

[TELEFUNKON]

looks promising!

[mojotron]

I wonder how much it will cost and if the HW design will be 'open' so I can make myself one?

Thanks!

[JimRayden]

Some might not agree but it seems like no less than the biggest thing in stompboxology since Fuzz Face.

Oh I'm so getting one.

---------
Jimbo

[amz-fx]

Yes, it looks promising. I signed up for the email updates.

I can see an open source library of patches in the future

Did you notice that it had a video output?

regards, Jack

[The Tone God]

Once again I don't want to sound like a downer but I can't get too excited for a few reasons.

To announce without units ready seems really premature. Unless I see an investment of units being offered by the person I won't hold my breath. I know the person says they are going to get them made but it is still a case of talk is cheap IMHO. There are alot of logistics including money involved.

I think the majority of people who will use this will not be very tech savy and just use the stock modules. This makes me think this is just going to be no different then people who trade patches for DSP units online. Not much development. Those who do have the tech background may not be interested in learning yet another language and one that is proprietary.

Look at the Tonecore situation. A good idea backed by a company with money and experience but it still is not here.

This just feels like another hopeful open source project by an enthusiastic person that will die before it comes to market when reality hits.

Andrew

[SeanCostello]

I think the majority of people who will use this will not be very tech savy and just use the stock modules. This makes me think this is just going to be no different then people who trade patches for DSP units online. Not much development. Those who do have the tech background may not be interested in learning yet another language and one that is proprietary.

Exactly. The architecture of the Propellor processor does not seem particularly suited to audio work (at least at first glance), and the need to learn a new high level language, Spin, in addition to a new assembly language, seems like a hurdle to serious work.

Look at the Tonecore situation. A good idea backed by a company with money and experience but it still is not here.

The Tonecore has the advantage of using a VERY common DSP type, such that anyone who does work for the Tonecore can apply the skills acquired towards developing Pro Tools TDM plugins, or to any of the huge number of other applications for 56K code. Plus, we know that the basic Tonecore pedals work, since there are a lot of models in production. From a cost perspective, the Tonecore SDK would be a very nice entry point to 56K coding. Still, the many-year delay in the release of the Tonecore SDK illustrates how difficult it must be to create a development kit for a stompbox that can be used outside of the confines of a corporation, where you would have access to employees that can talk you through the process.

Sean Costello

[mojotron]

I think a project with an open HW architecture as well as SW might have more traction: It's hard for me to get too excited if I can't tweak/extend/expand the HW design a bit.

[amz-fx]

The price has been announced. It's $349

Includes:
9V Wall Adapter
Mini-USB Cable

CD Containing:
Software:
OpenStompTM Workbench for WindowsTM
Full Coyote-1 O/S Source (open-source licensed)
All currently completed effects, with source code (open-source licensed)
- Tremolo
- Chorus
- Distortion
- Delay
- Tunstuff (Layered repeat loop)
- (Anything else which is ready on ship day)

Pong w/source (just for fun

Patches:
Demo patches using the released effects (Creative Commons licensed)

Documentation:
Coyote-1 User's Manual
Full Coyote-1 Schematics
Parallax's Propeller Chip documentation

Utilities:
Parallax's Propeller IDE (The code development environment for the Propeller Chip)

-Jack

[tcobretti]

Wow, that is cool.  That's the first stomp box I've been tempted to buy in years.  If anybody gets one, I'd be very curious to know how complicated it is to program.

[amz-fx]

The July 2008 issue of Circuit Cellar magazine has another microprocessor effects design. I quote:

"The heart of the StellarisGFX is an LM3S811 evaluation kit, which features an LM3S811 ARM Cortex-M3-based microcontroller equipped with a serial in-circuit debug interface for any Stellaris microcontroller-based target board. The evaluation kit's board includes the important hardware parts necessary for successful development work: a thumbwheel potentiometer, two push buttons, two LEDs, and the most important part, a 96 × 16 pixel OLED display."

regards, Jack

[amz-fx]

The Coyote-1 Open Source stompbox has been released and is now for sale at their site at http://www.openstomp.com/

regards, Jack

[geertjacobs]

It has been done:
http://www.axoris.be/MissParker.php

Maybe there's just not enough interest for these kind of things?

[MetalGuy]

It has been done:
http://www.axoris.be/MissParker.php

I couldn't find in their library basic effects like chorus, flanger, delay and reverb.

[geertjacobs]

You're right, but they seem to have been working on it.
http://www.axoris.be/MissParkerPlus.php

[MetalGuy]

You're right, but they seem to have been working on it.
http://www.axoris.be/MissParkerPlus.php

They are using the fixed effects from AL3201. I need 3-4 basic effects in a row with controllable parameters.

[Taylor]

So why is this not catching on? The OpenStomp needs some people like you guys to get the ball rolling - I don't know anything about DSP or programming, but I have plenty of complex ideas about signal processing. Currently I use Plogue Bidule, but a hardware stompbox to do some of this stuff would be awesome.

Some of the DSP DIYers will need to start working on effects in order to get people like myself to adopt. I figured everybody here would be pretty happy about this finally existing - no?

[MetalGuy]

So why is this not catching on?

Maybe because of the price?

[The Tone God]

Maybe because to do anything new with this setup I have to learn a new specialized language that is not used anywhere else. I'd rather pickup the Line 6 ToneCore kit which is cheaper, uses a standard language, provides a reproducible hardware model, is based on a common DSP core, and is supported by a large company instead of a lone person.

Sorry but while like support DIY projects I think this one is not going to go far while the ToneCore is around...or atleast when ToneCore actually shows up. The most this project I can see appealing to is people trading patches based on the preprogrammed effects. I think very little new effect designs will happen on this platform.

Andrew

[Transmogrifox]

First of all, Kudos, Jack.  This truly is a neat idea.

How many of you have messed with the Linux OS and JACK?  I have basically converted my compuker into a DSP machine.  This is why I like this method:
1)  I can boot my OS from a removable USB drive (which I already have) --thus  it's portable and does not effect the OS installed on the host computer.
2) I can use either the old AC97 built-in codec, or an external USB  or firewire sound card, or whatever...I could use 8 sound cards and route between them if I wanted.
3) recording, looping, synths, drum machines, email and word processing are all at my fingertips in addition to guitar FX.
4) I can use a USB MIDI board to control things.

Debian and Ubuntu (Debian Based) Linux distributions can get you into this kind of gig really easily.  From there, a person can work on a hardware interface that is more stage friendly than a keyboard and mouse.

Yes, Intel's processors are not optimized for hardcore DSP, but audio FX processing is not what I call "hardcore DSP".  Most PC's these days that are not in the dump can keep up with 32-bit floating point processing.  I can run chorus, delay, phase, flange, compressor, and envelope filter on a single core 2.4GHz intel chip with less than 5ms latency while my wife checks her email.

I think a more efficient way to accomplish DIY DSP any more would be to enclose a Single Board Computer (SBC) with a processor architecture that is supported by a standard Linux distribution (Debian, Redhat, Ubuntu).  Add a quality sound card to the PCI bus and put more work into your MIDI controller interface and perhaps add a touchscreen display.  Once you have the operating system, you can code to your heart's content, improving the codebase that is maintained with these systems.  Besides, you could easily network your boxes together over standard Wi-Fi or ethernet using the PulseAudio project.

The reason I think this is more efficient is because a computer is something that just about all of us who browse this forum already own (granted some probably use a room-mate's or go to a local library or something), so it doesn't require more hardware to get started.