VGuitar Wireless Midi Controller project

Started by gumtown, February 24, 2013, 05:32:33 PM

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musicman65

Yes, of course. The IO on both guitar transmitter and floorboard receiver ends are for controls (switches and pots) only. That's perfect! Even conventional guitarist can benefit by being able to patch up/down and engage lead boost, effects, etc, without returning to their floorboard.

bd

Elantric

Yes - Its a very exciting product for many situations

gumtown

#52
That is pretty much it..

Except the GKIO is another larger project as a multifunction highly modular plug'n'play building block type GK signal router from multiple GK intrument inputs to multiple GK devices, with each string routable, programmable HiPass filters, and more.
I hope this project will also be a plug-in module option for the GKIO project.

The editing software for this one is VGWC-Edit (V-Guitars Wireless Controller Editor).
which you can download from
http://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/files/VGWC-Edit/
I have just uploaded an update, but yet to add more functions for custom patch/bank pedal layouts.

The floor unit collects the raw data from the guitar wireless and from it's own analogs & p/buttons and converts it to preprogrammed midi functions, the floor unit has a 5-pin midi input and two midi outputs (commoned), so midi data can be send on different midi channels to more than one unit.
The midi input will accept midi data from other controllers and pass it thru to the midi out, so more than one of these floor controllers can be chained in series. The only data it won't pass thru is large system exclusive data chunks, so I wouldn't edit your VG-99 or GR-55 with this in-line.
The editing is done also via the midi ports.

The 1200 baud is quite slow, and can be changed, but for the moment I went for reliability and distance over speed.
Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/

whippinpost91850

This is getting really exciting ;D I just wish I was smart enough to be able to contribute :'(

cell7

@elantric - thanks for the summary! Now i understand much better :)

Quote from: Elantric on March 21, 2013, 07:08:44 AM
Bluetooth is attractive, Many products such as the IK Multimedia Bluetooth Footcontroller comes to mind  - but that would require much development time and cost. But might be a good plan for the future.
http://9to5mac.com/2013/01/23/ik-multimedia-announces-irig-blueboard-bluetooth-midi-pedalboard-for-ios-mac/

So we have several threads with very different - off topic titles, that all have bits of information all relevant and crucial to know.
Someone just joining the discussion might have surely missed!

Very interesting, as i am just about to kick off a project in conjunction with the industrial design faculty at T.University DELFT to explore a gestural 'performance' peripheral using bluetooth [as the main goal is to connect with an audio manipulation app on an iPad]. It could be that there are some crossovers here that we can somehow add to the GKIO project! Although you guys are kicking some major @ss in the dev of this already. Cant wait to add this on to my guitarasaurus.

gumtown

#55
Edit: Just updated it again, a few more tweaks, and the forever expanding patch file size now 68 bytes, has now surpassed the memory limits of the pic16f685 chip, and now waiting for the pic16f689 to arrive with it's 7k of program memory and 256bytes of ram.

Just uploaded another update to the software editor with options for patch control with the floorboard part,
the use can select if they want bank up/down pedals, and any number of patch pedals from 1~10,
and select the bank/patch range the pedals work up to, and also for good measure,
select which midi channels you want consecutive patch change data sent on,
where typical controllers give you a choice of one channel,
this one allows sending patch change on any or all 16 channels at once.

Also added controls to allow momentary or toggled action of the switches & buttons.

https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/files/VGWC-Edit/VGWC_Setup.exe/download
Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/

gumtown

#56
Just uploaded a mac 64bit version of the editing software,
download from here >>> https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/files/VGWC-Edit/
had an importaint break-through in the mac midi driver for this and other GT & GR related software in getting reliable operation without crashing (rewrote the midi API). And found my Edirol UA20 is not mac 10.8 compatable.
There are a few additions since the last screen capture, with the patch pedal controls, and multiple simulatious midi channels selections.

I read a post on using a midi event converter, and though, hey this can do it too, since it is always reading and through-putting midi data.
An option to use (sacrifice) any of the programmable controls to convert midi data.

Had much success with the hardware too, since upgrading the chip memory size, I now have wireless reception and midi reception being integrated and merged, currently with the midi input taking a higher interupt priorety, as this works better for connecting the programming software while receiving wireless guitar controller data at the same time.

I have a $5 acoustic guitar which I am now going to fit a GK-Kit and wireless controller transmitter (with mini joystick) and knobs and buttons.
Even the midi pitch bend works rather well.

The project is nearing the stage for a final schematic which I will pass over to Elantric to design some printed circuitboards.
Just a few last minute 150k pullup resistors added to all the analog inputs, so that they can be either left open circuit or used as a pushbutton/switch input.

Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/

musicman65

This is so awesome! I want to be first in line to build a pedalboard add-on with this technology. The event converter is just icing in the cake!

AWESOME!

bd

Elantric

Gumtown, this is fantastic and will become a set of valuable  tools for many here.
Thanks for finding time and energy in your busy schedule to make this happen.

whippinpost91850

Quote from: Elantric on March 31, 2013, 09:07:22 AM
Gumtown, this is fantastic and will become a set of valuable  tools for many here.
Thanks for finding time and energy in your busy schedule to make this happen.
I agree with Elantric this is both Fantastic&Exciting

rolandvg99

Woha! Awesome stuff indeed. Need to refret my GK equipped Strat Plus and route some more internal space. (Haven't used that guitar for 7 years!).

Great, great piece of work.
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gumtown

#61
A bit of a minor setback, my Microchip PicKit-3 (the chip programmer thing) has stopped working,
and I was getting some interesting things happening with the guitar transmitter controller part.
Have so that the user can program certain features on power up,

by holding button 1 and button 2 down,
the time until sleep (if no button is pressed) is set by potentiometer controller 1 position, between 2 minutes to 2 hours.

by holding button 1 and button 3 down,
the data repeat rate is set by potentiometer controller 1 position, between 1 to 5.

by holding button 1 and button 6 down,
the controler is reset to factory default settings.

I will have to get another PicKit-3 to finish the project.

more soon...
Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/

musicman65

#62
Anxiously waiting :) I can't wait to build your circuit and give it a try!

bd

gumtown

#63
I picked up my floor based part of the controller, and tried it for another purpose, to control my DMX lighting.
I have started using FreeStyler DMX http://users.telenet.be/freestylerdmx/ as a software intelligent controller for my band lighting.
It uses the mic sound to switch on/off dimming, start Cue sequences and obtain beat timing for sequence speeds.

The Midi floor pedal part of the project sends cc# data and is used as 7 scene selection + blackout  buttons, and variable Master and manual scene speed faders.
The Freestyler DMX software can receive midi commands and assign functions to those actions.
The lighting bars are set into Groups with
6 x bars with 2 x led PAR64's, a Jelly Led gobo type light and a mini laser.
2 x bars with 4 x halogen crowd blinders
4 x larger lasers (yet to try a new 450mW blue one).

To make life a bit easier each lighting bar has a 2.4GHz wireless DMX module fitted, these cool things are only $20 a piece
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-4G-led-stage-light-led-move-head-wireless-dmx-pcb-moudle-for-wireless-system-/181363892438?pt=US_Stage_Lighting_Controllers_Dimmers&hash=item2a3a2160d6 they auto hop over 126 channels, divided into 7 selectable universes, running RS485 serial data. If it's not transmitting, then it's a reciever.
Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/


Elantric

#65
Adding a link to old post where this "VGuitar Wireless guitar Midi Controller project" brainstorm was hatched
Using MIDI message to switch Pickup
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=7946.msg56388#msg56388

Quote
EDIT: a colossal idea  :o a micro controller chip hooked to a 5 position strat pickup selector switch which sends system exclusive data to change GR-55 modeled pickups.


So you have your GR-55 assign setup like..
Assign 1***********
[Assign1: On/Off] = On
[Assign1: Target] = Modeling E.GTR Cla-ST,Mod-ST PU Select
[Assign1: Min] = Rear
[Assign1: Max] = Front
[Assign1: Source] = CC#27 Midi Controller
[Assign1: Source Mode ] = Moment
[Assign1: Range Low] = 0
[Assign1: Range High] = 127

and you send cc#27 on channel 1 like this..
B0 1B 00 = Rear pickup
B0 1B 7F = Front pickup
B0 1B 40 = Centre pickup
B0 1B 20 = R + C pickups
B0 1B 60 = C + F pickups

you only send a 7bit data,
B = cc# send
0 = channel 1
1B = cc#27
00 to 7F = data (controller 7 bit value)


Elantric

#66
Ordered few of these small 4-way joystick  / push switch (like X-Box Controller)  - use for real time controllers on  a future guitar build

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CP0TMU2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1



On the principle, the control rod can be considered that it is organized by the two potentiometer and a button.

Description:

1,Adjustable Sensitivity , Stable Performance
2,Support both the output digital value and the output analog value
3,Port explanation : DO for digital output, AO for analog output
4,Two channel simulated output, one digital output
5,X, Y output are separately for two potentiometer which can read out the twist Angle through the AD transform
6,Applicable to a variety of platforms including Arduino / AVR / ARM.

Directional movements are simply two potentiometers - one for each axis
Compatible with Arduino interface
The biaxial XY Joystick Module KY-023 applies ARDUINO
Dimensions: 1.57 in x 1.02 in x 1.26 in (4.0 cm x 2.6 cm x 3.2 cm)
5 Pin
Color: Black

Spider



gumtown

Will pickup again on this project very soon,
got another PIC programmer as the last one 'died',
and playing with more powerful PIC chips of the same type pin-outs.

Also have to build a few more prototypes, as I want the same consistent results across all of them.
Been bit before by building one prototype,
then going to production to find the results different (requiring PCB redesign).

The last work on this was trying to resolve a potential problem, where if the transmitter is 'off',
the receiver pickups up white noise hash, and the PIC micro input being interrupt driven,
is spending too much time trying to decipher data code, and not scanning the buttons enough or listening for incoming midi to pass through.
It is just a matter of allocating CPU time evenly, and maybe installing a receive switch if the transmitter ins not in use (depending on how the project is used).
Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/

Elantric

I wonder if these can be useful?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E594ZX0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Product Description
The nRF24L01+ is a 2.4GHz ISM band transceiver.

Includes on board support components and a 2.4GHz antenna for easy implementation into designs without additional hardware.

Communication range up to 329 feet (100 meters) in ideal conditions.

A host microcontroller can communicate and configure the nRF24L01+ over a 4-pin Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI). The configuration registers are accessible through the SPI connection. Configurable parameters include frequency channel (125 selectable channels), output power, and data rate (data rates: 250kbps, 1Mbps, and 2Mbps).

The on chip voltage regulator accepts supply voltages from 1.9 to 3.6V. When using the nRF24L01+ with an Arduino be sure to use the 3.3V output pin from the Arduino board to power the nRF24L01+ module.

The module has 5V tolerant inputs which allows for direct connection of SPI pins to the Arduino.

Ultra low power consumption as low as 11.3mA transmitting, 13.5 receiving at 2Mbps, 900nA in power down, and 26uA in standby.

Internal filtering results in high margins of meeting RF regulatory standards. The module's radio uses Gaussian Frequency-Shift Keying (GFSK) modulation as well as fast Automatic Gain Control (AGC).

The module includes an Interrupt Request (IRQ) pin which can be used to wake the host microcontroller, (ex: Arduino), from sleep when the module receives a transmission providing great power conservation in battery devices.

deepdjdanny

2023.03.30., Did this project get finished?

gumtownadmin

Ended up with many other projects in the recycle bin.
Made a working prototype transmitter and receiver, plus editor software.
Proved to myself I could do it and it works, then moved on to something else.
I haven't been particularily interested in making commercial ventures from any of my projects.
Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.