List your hardware that is working and not working.

[ynnebbenny]

List your hardware in this thread that is working, as well as not working with miniDexed

I can confirm that a

• PiFi DAC+ V2 (Working) https://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=pifi+dac&_sacat=0&_blrs=spell_check
• Novation Launchkey Mini V1 (Not Working)

[arsamus]

I have a Piemori Audio DAC Shim with PCM5100A chip and works ok. I"ve just test it on a RP2.

[HansManders]

Also works fine with a RPi Zero w2

[sou7611]

RASPIaudio works fine. In addition, as this board exposes pins needed for LCD and GPIO on a pass thru header, you can wire your IO through it, so only one item needs to plug onto the Pi

On June 9, 2022 7:27:18 AM EDT, arsamus ***@***.***> wrote: I have a Piemori Audio DAC Shim with PCM5100A chip and works ok. I"ve just test it on a RP2. -- Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub: #279 (comment) You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread. Message ID: ***@***.***>

-- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.

[paulsijben]

PCM5102A DAC Decoder GY-PCM5102 from AliExpress works a treat

[bearwolf]

IQaudio DAC+ from berrybase.de works great (5122 chip)
Arturia essential 61 also works great powered from the raspberry pi 3b+ usb port only.
Only problem i have is when the Arturia goes idle it goes into "vegas mode" and the power draw creates some noise on the audio output of the minidexed. It can be turned off so no big deal.

[craigyjp]

Pcm 1502 sound card, 1602 Winstar OLED display white/black. RPI 4b with 4gb ram. 4n35 opto isolator for the MIDI input. 19" plastic rack case with front USB host port and rear USB host port, 5 pin MIDI in/out/thru, left and right quarter inch jacks, power and a slot for accessing the SD card for updates.

[krafty808]

very nice !, Hope I can create this as well

[dalingux]

Hi,
first, thanks to all the contributors it's a great project !
My tested config :
Raspberry Pi 3b+
PiFi DAC+ V2
Akai MPK mini in USB
Arturia Keystep37 in USB
M-Audio Midisport 1x1 in USB, connected the MIDI Input to MiniBrute2s Sequencer, works directly.
and my quickly done case...

[probonopd]

First place for the most creative housing! 👍

[ynnebbenny]

Golden !

[koffo]

Hi,

I have the same configuration, excepting the RPI 4. Unfortunately I'm not able to have the Akai MPK Mini working (I have the MK3 model). Did you have to do something particular in the configuration files?

[dalingux]

Hi,
I did nothing in the config files but I see in another post than the Mini 3 is not working, maybe not usb midi class compliant

[Banana71]

Hi,
i tested my miniDexed Rasp Pi 3 successfully with

• Arturia Keystep37
• Kawai CS-10 (perfect match)
• Yamaha MODX8
• Akai MPC One connected direktly over MIDI, works like a charm

[danriches]

Hi,

The MAX98357A on a RasPi 4B (4Gb) works ok but is rather quiet even turned up to the max and the gain pin set to 15dB via a 100K resistor to GND. I'd go for one of the PCM51x2 boards if you can plus a class D amplifier on the output such as the TPA3122...

I have to say some of the projects above look amazing especially craigyjp's !!!

Cheers, Dan

[CelloGit]

MIDI keyboards plugged into USB on Raspberry PI 4:
Arturia MINILAB mkii: works
AKAI MPK mini 3: does not work ("Cannot get HID report descriptor")

[koffo]

Same problem with the MPK Mini 3, I just discovered that switching from the RPI 4 to the RPI 3 solved the issue.

[CelloGit]

I can confirm that the AKAI MPK mini 3 now works with release MiniDexed_2022-09-24-d53aeb4.zip. Tested on RPI 4.

[CelloGit]

Thank you developers!

[pinkmouse101]

Just a note from my thread that might be worth repeating here, if you have issues on first boot, it may well be down to your SD card, so if one doesn't work, try any others you have around.

[probonopd]

@ynnebbenny

Novation Launchkey Mini V1 (Not Working)

Please retry with the latest build. There is now improved support for Novation devices.

[pik33]

Novation Impulse 61 (latest build)
HifiBerry DAC Light (ESS Sabre DAC chip)

[zsoltmar]

Komplete Kontrol S88 Mk2 - Works
Korg MicroKey 37 - Works
Arturia KeyStep Pro 37 - Works
Organelle M - Not sure why, but the knobs send some midi signals that make the synth go all weird and get stuck on notes. Currently trying to figure out how to remove the knobs from sending midi out.

[akivaatwood]

Yeah -- that'll teach me not to work late at night... (thought 1 was opposite 4...)

Do I need a new Optocoupler?

Thanks

[Banana71]

Do I need a new Optocoupler?

🤷‍♂️
let us know if the optocoupler still works 🧚

[akivaatwood]

It does. I breadboarded it up and it works perfectly
Thanks

[Banana71]

Good to know. Then give yourself enough time to complete. 😬

[akivaatwood]

Yeah.

[pegli]

I had a successful smoke test of the following components today:

• Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 2019 Quad Core 64 Bit WiFi Bluetooth (4GB) ($163.49 at Amazon)
• Hikig 5Pcs KY-040 Rotary Encoder Module ($9.88 for five at Amazon)
• Teyleten Robot 0.91 inch OLED LCD Display Module SSD1306 IIC 128x32 LCD OLED Screen ($11.88 for five at Amazon) - I2C address is 0x3c
• Akai Professional LPK25 mini MIDI controller

No trouble at all getting MiniDexed running after updating the Pi firmware. Audio is about what you'd expect from the default interface. I'm planning on adding the following DAC for better sound, then mounting it all in a case:

• HiLetgo PCM5102 I2S IIS High Quality Lossless Digital Audio DAC Decoder Module Stereo DAC Digital-to-Analog Converter Voice Module ($11.99 at Amazon)
• Flirc Raspberry Pi 4 Case ($15.95 at Amazon)

I'm so excited to get those sweet 80s sounds going!

[paulsijben]

Behringer UMA 25S keyboard does NOT work as a USB device, but does work when connected through an M-AUDIO midi interface.
I have a hunch this may be caused by the fact that the device also is an audio interface...

I did check the USB side on a different computer to verify that indeed it is sending midi as expected over USB

[plamikcho]

Hi,
First I would like to express my admiration to the people who have created and maintained this great project - I did not expect to build so easily an instrument with great quality and sound.
Here is my configuration:
Rpi 3A+ from welectron for 29 EUR
DAC GY-PCM5102 from AliExpress
LCD AC162BYA (found it in my box with old electronic parts)
KY-040 encoder from AliExpress
2x 18650 batteries 3200 mAh with TP4056 (charge controller) and MT3608 (DC-DC converter)
This capacity is perfect for Rp3A+ and Arturia Keystep 37 (powered from the USB). I've played almost 5 hours and the batteries are not empty :)
(and still waiting for the rotary encoder knob from AliExpress)

Keyboards:
Arturia KeyStep 37
Pianonova Corrida - this is a cheap keyboard, something like Yamaha PSR-E373. Very nice keyboard for the price (150 EUR)

The case is built from aluminium door handle and PVC pipe :)

[plamikcho]

Some new parts arrived from AliExpress - rotary encoder knob, OLED, nice ribbon cables and connectors.

[DutchBigEd]

https://youtu.be/wVlOwCCaI1E

Minidexed dx7 (raspberry pi3) set to performance Rachel (Thanks Peter!) and the novation launchpad pro connected to the (only) usb port of the rpi3

[probonopd]

Cool. Now, who is going to code a step sequencer for the Launchpad series ("Programmer Mode", meaning the Raspberry Pi controls the whole show) on Circle/MiniDexed?
The protocol has been documented by Novation...

[diyelectromusic]

err... what happened to "trying to keep the code lean" (#509 (comment))... ?

;)

[Banana71]

Roland MKB-300 with built-in miniDexed.
Probably the most beautiful keyboard I've ever had...
About 38 years old with scratches and patina gets a second life thanks to the miniDexed.
I never had the heart to drill holes for a display and encoder in the case. Now that we can select the performances via MIDI program change, I saw a chance to breathe life into the old master keyboard again.
Up to 128 Performances can be selected using the bank and program buttons. Editing on the device is not possible, it is a pure FM Rompler :-). I only need 4 x 2.5 mm black countersunk screws to attach the Raspberry more inconspicuously.

VID-20230826-WA0000.mp4

[probonopd]

Well, I think we should change the software so that if you have a file that starts with a certain number, then it will be accessible via MIDI under that number (MSB/LSB). Performances and voices. No matter whether there are gaps in the numbering of the files or not. Would you agree @diyelectromusic?

[Banana71]

That would be the most logical way

[diyelectromusic]

That is effectively what I was commenting on here: #543 (reply in thread) - so yes, I think so too.

But before we get into that, we ought to chew over if we want banks of performances or not (I'm tempted towards not, keeping it simple, but is 128 enough?); decide what to do about the built-in, default performance (MIDI Program 1, internal index/MIDI msg PC 0); and agree to number the files using MIDI "user" numbers - i.e. 1 to 128.

Note: there is no LSB/MSB for program numbers, only banks... so with no banks, we are limiting MIDI accessible performances to the first 128... but I think that is perhaps enough? Anything over that is quite unwieldy really...

Kevin

[Banana71]

But before we get into that, we ought to chew over if we want banks of performances or not (I'm tempted towards not, keeping it simple, but is 128 enough?); decide what to do about the built-in, default performance (MIDI Program 1, internal index/MIDI msg PC 0); and agree to number the files using MIDI "user" numbers - i.e. 1 to 128

Basically I agree with you, I could do without the banks at the performances. But I would still like to work with different performance folders. That would look like this.
There are 4 performance folders that you can switch between in the UI: Performance A, Performance B, Performance C and Performance D. So you could, if you wanted, be prepared for all kinds of situations. A folder with the Performances provided here, one for multitimbral projects, a folder for a live setup and one for the Performances he created himself.
With the DX7 it's comparable to the cardridge, depending on the situation you can switch between internal or cardridge or simply plug in a different cardridge. I suspect this solution would also be easier to program. After changing between the folders, the corresponding folder would have to be read in again, as with a cold start. I don't know, but there are probably many possible solutions. For me, the default performance in the root directory is a relic from the first days and actually no longer needs it.

[diyelectromusic]

To be honest, what you are describing sounds like banks to me, just with the bank specified by the directory... :)

I suspect rather than introduce a new concept (the selected folder) it makes for a more consistent approach to use banks then, but I suspect that isn't that trivial to do...

The first step I think would be to use the filename index as the "patch" number regardless (which makes sense to me), then if appropriate upgrade the system to use banks mapped to directories. If that is something people want, I'll take a look, but it might not be for a while...

Kevin

[CelloGit]

Use a powered usb hub?

…

On August 26, 2023 7:20:00 PM GMT+02:00, akivaatwood ***@***.***> wrote: Same problem here. miniDexed works fine hooked up to a midi keyboard via USB. USB to MIDI cable is flashing while the PC sends midi data Any suggestions on testing the midi interface? -- Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub: #279 (reply in thread) You are receiving this because you commented. Message ID: ***@***.***>

[DutchBigEd]

I have tried this, and it works.
Used a MiniDexed on a RPi3 and a cheap Aliexpress switchable usb hub.

[dalingux]

Hi,
a new configuration

• Raspberry 4
• HifiBerry ADAC+
• HAPAX Sequencer directly connected on the RPi4 by USB

With the HAPAX you can control the 8 Midi channel of the minidexed and assign the effect to the encoder
At the same time you can control your Drum machine and/or other synths through the MIDI output !!!
I can plug also the keystep directly on the HAPAX USB Host.

[probonopd]

Welcome @dalingux. That looks cool! I am sure it sounds cool, too 👍
Does Aftertouch work for you?

[Kirtai]

Yamaha P-115 digital piano
Pi2B
Generic KY-040 encoder from Amazon (still needs the capacitor mod).
Freenove I2C 1602 white on blue LCD from Amazon.
Generic purple GY PCM5102 DAC module from ebay.

Is it worth upgrading to a better Pi? The Pi2 seems to handle everything fine.

[probonopd]

As long as you don't hear stuttering or similar artefacts, there is no need to upgrade if 8 voices are enough. With the Pi 4 and (at some time) 5, we may be able to do more. Same for more compute-intensive effects.

[Kirtai]

Ah, so something for a future build then. Thanks :)

[Lonolo]

I can confirm eight Dexed instances on the Pi ZERO2W. No dropouts and MIDI thru transmits seamlessly.

Components used:

PCM5102 DAC
1302 OLED
KY-040 encoder
External USB to MIDI adapter.

[poetaster]

Just curious which External USB to MIDI adapter you used?

[Lonolo]

I can verify this adapter works perfectly, but be warned not all similar-looking adapters are the same. I've purchased versions that lack the power from the USB side to power the unit.

https://www.amazon.com/TENINYU-Synthesizer-Microphone-Instrument-Converter/dp/B07L8KFYBK

[diyelectromusic]

I must admit I'm always a little wary about this style of MIDI interface, see: http://www.arvydas.co.uk/2013/07/cheap-usb-midi-cable-some-self-assembly-may-be-required/

But the general consensus seems to be "probably ok if only playing notes, but not sure they'll cope with lots of data at any time" so I take that to mean if you're doing sysex dumps or lots of pitch bend you might run into issues...

But I guess the real problem is the variability - one lead might be fine, but another really problematic, so it really is a case of YMMV...

Kevin

[poetaster]

I just wanted to add a dac 5102 card (12 euro on amazon) to the mix. The following has trs 3.5 mm and stereo phono jack outs. I set the jumper as seen in the picture.

I've tested with the origianl pi, the b+ and a pi zero (v1.2) using an akai MPK 25 and a little LPK 25. The old MPK 25, with a 2 amp 5 volt power supply works fine drawing power over any of the pis, but the pi will get warm.

I've also tested an IQaudio pi-codec zero which DID not work. But I'll try setting it up again. GY 5102 worked as expected, but I want phono outs to build into the MPK.

EDIT: the pi-codec zero uses a Dialog Semiconductor DA7212. The card has stereo in and amplifier so it's not really for this project anyway :) I haven't tested the my piaudio hat, but that's also over dimensioned for this. My old Audio Injector (I2C, wm 8731) didn't work, not surprised.

[HansManders]

I got everything working with a PI4 (4Gb) eventually:

• WCMCU (CJMCU klone) 5102 DAC - works but I had to short LCK and XMT
• KY040 - had to switch DT en CLK: DT to 19, CLK to 21 or else you have to turn the encoder counter clockwise to get to the next entry. (they forgot to include a nut and washer with the encoder, aargh!)
• had the case printed with printics - everything fits like a glove, but I don't know how to secure the DAC to the case - any ideas anyone?

[plamikcho]

Found another cheap OLED with comfortable size. The ones mentioned in the Wiki are quite small. This one is 1.5 and is fully compatible with SSD1306.
https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005004403320998.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.35.24ee1802HGBe1X&gatewayAdapt=glo2deu

[Banana71]

Hi Plamen, my eyes would also be happy with a display of this size. I always had doubts about the compatibility and that's why I never ordered it. Thanks for your tip, my order is out 🤩

[plamikcho]

I also had doubts but 5 EUR is not that much so I decided to try :). There are many others like this using the same chip SSD1309 even with green color which also should work. This one is yellow (the phone camera messed the color).

[diyelectromusic]

Nice.

The thing to watch out for is if these are powered by 5V or 3V3 and if powered by 5V make sure they don't pull the I2C lines up to 5V without any kind of level shifter as that is too high for the Pi. In my experience of these larger screens, some include level shifters and some don't. If the photos of the rear of these specific boards are accurate, it looks like they might include the shifters, but do check with a multimeter first.

More details of what to watch out for and how to spot/work it out on the wiki here: https://github.com/probonopd/MiniDexed/wiki/Hardware#ssd1306-128x32-and-128x64-i2c-oled

Kevin

[plamikcho]

It is powered by 3.3V like the small one 0.91 described in Wiki and also has the same pinout. Technical data says it can be powered from 3.3 to 5V.

[poetaster]

Interesting. I have a bunch of these (all rated at 5V) and get them for about 3 Euro here in Germany. So, I thought I'd kick the can and it works just fine (also with rotation) on @diyelectromusic pcb for the 2011 pis

[poetaster]

• KY040 - had to switch DT en CLK: DT to 19, CLK to 21 or else you have to turn the encoder counter clockwise to get to the next entry. (they forgot to include a nut and washer with the encoder, aargh!)

I had the same issue with the build using the pcb above. @diyelectromusic did I err somewhere? Or just build in the wrong encoder?

I actually removed the dac since it's difficult to fix it in place on that design above. And the sound quality is fine internal for this purpose.

If you look just above your post, you can see the larger version DAC I've used with a pi zero. It's a lot easier to get into place (but big!) and it has rca outs! Those you can get for 10 to 15 euros.

[diyelectromusic]

• KY040 - had to switch DT en CLK: DT to 19, CLK to 21 or else you have to turn the encoder counter clockwise to get to the next entry. (they forgot to include a nut and washer with the encoder, aargh!)

I had the same issue with the build using the pcb above. @diyelectromusic did I err somewhere? Or just build in the wrong encoder?

I think different encoders get wired up differently internally, but I'm not really sure! I think this will always be one of those "try it, and if you need to switch them, just switch them" things.

Kevin

[poetaster]

It's not really an issue with an encoder. With pots it can be annoying, but I have a couple of devices that are poled that way, and as long as I know which device, it's automatic that I just swap my swipe behaviour :)

[poetaster]

Err, am I slow. I just switched the pins for clk and dt (in the config!) and now they go in the 'right' direction.

[ricotico]

I tried a Raspaudio DAC Audio+ V3 HAT with my Pi2. It worked as a HAT, but did not send any information thru the HAT, and I couldn't get it to work as a breadboard unit, so I decided to go with the Raspberry Pi Audio DAC PRO instead, which works great. I have soldered external 1/4" jacks for L+R output, as well as headphone output.
I get MIDI from the MIDI Featherwing, to which I also has made external jacks.

Left to solve: Main volume output (should be available thru GPIO's on the Raspberry Audio DAC PRO, but most likely not supported in the MiniDexed code). The soundcard also acts unexpected as the added headphones jack activates only when I insert mini-jacks in the original headphone output (something with the "Detect" pins, still to be unraveled).

[Gitarrenzupfer]

my rotary encoder hardly worked at all without additional components. When I soldered 2 capacitors (22nF) between ground and the corresponding pins, it worked much better. Finally, I "cleaned" the signals using an SN74HC14N. I always connected 2 inverters in series for this.

I used a standard 5V MIDI input circuit (6N138 etc.) and used a cheap level shifter (4-way Ebay or Amazon) to get it from 5V to 3.3V. Works without any problems.