Hello again. I took up boxing recently and immediately injured both wrists making me unable to type, work at the bench efficiently, or play musical instruments. These are a few of my favorite things..... Bummer!
I thought I’d use this downtime to dictate ideas I’ve had for upcoming projects.
Then augment this post in coming weeks and months as untyped content aka SPTKTO, aka A Single Place To keep things Organized.
If this post reads like I’m talking into a mic it’s
because I am--the illustrations in this post were created with AI but my prose never will be.
Control/Alt/Delete?
First things first--on my Windows 11 system how do I make Voice dictation
work--Remember I can’t type....
 |
| Is voice dictation in Windows 11 included for free? Yeh, right. Nothing in Windows 11 is included for free. |
After getting the internal microphone for my W11 computer working, I said into the mic “say voice access wake up” and Windows took me through a quick wizard; surprisingly it worked right after that.
To toggle the feature I clicked on the mic icon in the top left of my main screen:
To kill the feature entirely: I right clicked on the Windows icon then Settings > Accessibility > Speech.
Overall, Window's ability to accurately transcribe voice turned out to be surprisingly good but at times frustratingly slow. I might look into other solutions.
Shut up and list the audio projects!
Previous post for the DS1881 is here.
Next I’ll explore other uses for this interesting integrated circuit--using it as a rheostat, for MCU programmable variable gain using an op amp, in all-pass filters, and a perennial favorite: as an analog multiplier.
My always-patient and always-enthusiastic sponsor, PCBWAY has already fabricated a never-ever-breadboard-again PCB for future rheostat experimentation.
Meaning: post about the rheostat application coming, as soon as I can solder again and vet that the board doesn't turn into charcoal.
SBC's
DEE-ES-PEE?
 |
| Any primate can write DSP Code with a $200/month Claude Subscription. But what about the damn layoffs? |
My interest in learning digital signal processing continues. I created simple proofs of concept using Python (post here) but feel (doh!) I have a whole, complete, sh*t-ton lot more to learn.
A scary smart tech in my audio Discord group turned me on to a PDF that should motorize the pursuit--"The Scientist and Engineer's Guide to Digital Signal Processing" by Steven W. Smith, find it on Github, here .
The book covers (along with other useful topics) DSP basics that are spot-on for what we do. It's not overly mathematical and contains examples a Fellow BAM Member leveraged to create a professional sounding -24db per octave low pass filter 1U demo he brought to a recent meeting.
STRING SYNTH
Another one: creating an analog string synthesizer based on top octave generation, frequency dividers, and some sort of mega-attenuator (probably based on many aforementioned DS1881's).
Another super-talented dude from my Discord group has already written working C++ code for an RP2040-based top octave generator and shared it with me. Using that I have breadboarded a TOG, frequency dividers, and basic ADSR controlled EG's, creating a few working "Solina" notes on
the bench. However, I’m not happy with the sonic results so far.
The work continues.
BAH-RINGER?
 |
| If Behringer can rip these guys off why can't I? |
In the same Discord group just mentioned: we discussed jettisoning some or most all of our commercially available recording and electronic music hardware and replacing it with prototypes we design and build. Time-wise this is an extremely bad idea but sounds like a challenge and even a lot of fun.
For me low
hanging fruit are things like my Intellijel dual ADSR. I figure for the basis of this I will use the
one chip ADSR described in the post here--who knows.
 |
| Roland's amazing JP8 was designed by some of the greatest audio engineers of all time. If they are the big leagues can I swing in single A? Maybe??? |
Related ideas include a programmable single voice PCB that can be expanded into a to 8 voice polyphonic synthesizer. So reverse engineering something like a Jupiter 8 or Prophet T8. Why not--??
STOMPS
It’s been a long time, but many years ago I had fun making quarter-inch to quarter-inch guitar pedals. I might start doing that again. Also going through old paia frak designs, porting them to SMD, and possibly moving them to Eurorack.
ARTIFICIAL INSUFFERANCE
The 800 pound gorilla in the room: AI. This ever-useful, ever-terrifying, potentially economy-busting technology has already changed every aspect of my 9 to 5 job. Actually it’s more like 24x7x365 job where the VIP's let me screw around with electronics when they don't need me screwing around with AI.
How to better incorporate AI into AudioDiWHY? How can I not have an entire page of ideas already?
Sorry.
Other than speeding creation of assembly BOMS and getting sometimes-accurate-sometimes-not OpenAI diatribes about electronics fundamentals I still don’t have a clue--figure I might wake up in the middle of night with
something.
A PLUG FROM MY SPONSOR: PCBWAY!
 |
| PCBWAY community's servers are not in orbit (yet). Check 'em out here. |
Once the ideas are off the drawing board and rise above the level of ewaste I’ll need prototypes made; for that of course I’m going straight to this blog's wonderful sponsor: PCBWay
My work can, at times, be e-waste fodder, but PCBWAY's work never is!!
You can greatly help this blog by checking them out--using the link here.
OUTTRO
Enough for now, hopefully once my wrist is better start Building things again.
See ya next time and don't spend all your tokens on one ride.
