BDIS_LAB

Scotiabank Nuit Blanche

2010-09-30T22:55:00.007-04:00

So after a great deal of work on both my project partner Alex Heidbuechel and myself, we will be attending Scotiabank Nuit Blanche with an interesting video installation work. The work is based on conceptions of self as related to our interactions with others. It uses a fun game created by surrealists known as the exquisite corpse as an avenue to explain our idea, although we have remediated the game through use of media technologies such as video and projections. The event will be ephemeral and no lasting tangible work is created, however to use our own theory and to borrow from that of Marcel Duchamp the viewer creates our work through their interactions with it.

We owe much to the myriad of people who made this project possible.

First and foremost I would like to thank Scotiabank for sponsoring the even.
Sarah you have been instrumental in making this all happen, as well the city of Toronto has done much to help the independent projects and without that support who knows where many of us would be.
We would like to thank the Niagara Artist Company, and In the Soil for their continued support.
We would like to thank organizations such as the Ontario Arts Counsel, and the Trillium Foundation for their support of artist throughout ontario, and Carfac for artist across Canada.
Thank you to the Rotary Club for the use of your events tent.
Marinko Jareb of The Disco Gallery.
I would like to personally thank artist Duncan McDonald for his continued support.
Additionally, thank you Brock University and the Visual Arts department.
We would like to thank our friends and family for their support.

And to anyone who we have forgot to mention, you have not been forgotten. For without all of you this project would not have been possible.

We hope to see you out on October 2nd, 2010.

Synth32 - Update

2010-08-10T16:22:00.004-04:00

I have been populating the second prototype run of synth32 prototype boards, although the work is going slower than I would hope. Many other projects need attention for upcoming art shows and I haven't been able to commit as much time as I want to this project. This project is very important to me and I hope to commit more time in the near future to getting this project making sound.

More information and board updates can be found on the electro-music forums here under the eChuck discussion.

OBD-II interface

2010-08-10T16:13:00.003-04:00

As part of a larger project I have completed an ELM327 interface. The board is very simple and a rough image of the end product is posted bellow. The main project can be found here as part of the OBDuinoInterface or OpenGauge project.

PS3: Because sony doesn't listen

2010-04-07T01:12:00.003-04:00

Because the sony blog will not let me post this I am posting it here for all who care:
Wow, I am infuriated.

The otherOS feature is the only reason I bought PS3 and not Xbox360. This feature was foremost a selling point for the system. And as such you misrepresented the product. By forcing this update you are retracting on a buyers agreement, and have hamstrung the product I originally purchased.

As Beathose states I too purchased a $699 PS3 console with otherOS functionality. Now I am getting the functionality of a $299 console. Patching for security reasons is a ridiculous excuse. There are only two possible solutions to correct this problem. #1 Sony refunds every customer the difference in value of the original systems to the new cheaper system. or #2 you can reinitialize the otherOS functionality.

I realize that option #1 would ruin your company but I am sick of being bullied by Sony Corporation.

I personally will be contacting a lawyer to discuss the matter further. When I purchased this unit it was specifically for the otherOS functionality, and the game console side of things was secondary to this. The classification of this unit being a computer system and not game console could be argued as this system lacks critical functionality as a computer system.

The fact remains Sony is one of many companies, which can get away with treating its customers like this. Aside from removal of the otherOS feature we also have to be aware that now devices like my PSP will have limited functionality, especially with remote play. Most of what I have purchased in the SonyStore will be inaccessible, as the unit no longer lets you login to your PSN account. So this unit no longer has internet connectivity for a number of things. This was not the unit I purchased, and this was not part of the agreement for the other content I purchased. Additionally, this unit would not classify as a computer system in anyone's mind without critical features like internet connectivity.

flowjo69, as you state the PS3 is a gaming console however, what you fail to realize is the unit was marketed in a variety of ways, including a full Linux compatible computer system. The classification of the product for import is also that of a computer system. So I am curious to know if you have the newer and cheaper slim unit, in which case your comment is a moot point as this issue would not have effected you anyway.

FoX_HounD_2ooX and SteelRush I agree, I have been with sony for a long time PS1, PS2, two premium Minidisc units (MD and HiMD) which they abandoned, a Sony field Recorder, Walkman, etc. Hundreds of games which I might add have all been purchased (not copied for PS1 and PS2) even though mod-chipping and coping was so prevalent. I have bought my fair share of products which are essentially all scrap now. For the first time I figured I would at least come out with a Linux machine after the console was long since dead and abandon.

So simply put this once great machine is now a hunk of junk.

Additionally, I am sure all the game developers are now elated that I can no longer purchase additional add-ons and content for the existing games I own, because I need the CellBE programming functionality and the linux os in general in my PS3.

Amendment @ 1:31 AM April 7, 2010.

The other matter which is further complicating the issue is they delete any post from the blog that is too long, or is unfavorable for their image. In effect censoring the issue and as a result downplaying the dissatisfaction of many.

Pants off to the 303- x0xb0x

2010-02-25T21:35:00.003-05:00

Today I finally finished the x0xb0x #1. It has been over a year since I finished the build but for some reason I just did not order a case. Well finally the x0xb0x adorns its pactec PT-10 case and it looks beautiful. Aside from missing two knobs, I just could not find the right ones.

Synth32 - Update

2010-02-22T01:03:00.004-05:00

As some may know the initial Synth32 boards arrived a few weeks ago, and I have been populating the boards. In the fashion of a true prototype there are some errors which the version 2 board will not have, additionally there are some things I deliberately omitted which will be included such as a 5th order low-pass filter, and on board power supply which includes +5, +3.3, and -5 volts for better amplification.

The revision 2 board is in every respect better than the first. A great number of ideas have been explored and the board is much tighter with a better layout, and access to every pin will now be a reality with very large pads. I think everyone will be pleased.

The second order of proto-boards will happen in the next few weeks after routing of the new board is completed. Please be patient as I want to eliminate all bugs before I do a larger order for these boards.

Loose Ends - Bench Top Powersupply from an ATX computer power supply.

2010-02-19T19:18:00.007-05:00

Today I decided to finish a project which has been sitting in a bin for about 6 months.

The project was found here at Incructables.com

It is a fantastic project, and with the supply used I now have +5v, -5v, +3.3v, +12v and -12v. The total price to finish this modification was around $30 CAD. Most of the cost was for the banana plugs.

The project is really easy and requires only a 10 ohm 10watt resistor, 2 220 ohm resistors, two LED's, and banana plugs. I am looking forward to not having to make a breadboard power supply for each project.

An additional link: Here

Easy LCD screen interface on Atmega32 using Peter Fleury's LCD Driver

2010-02-07T20:05:00.009-05:00

How easy is it to connect an LCD screen to an Atmega32? Well very easy.

Peter Fleury's HD44780 compatible LCD library works quite well with only one modification to the code; you must edit the clock frequency in the test_lcd.c file to your desired target, mine was 16000000 for 16mHz.

Talk about easy!!!

In this example I use PORT A which is commonly used as an 10-bit analog to digital converter. Seeing as I have no use for A-to-D on this project PORT A seems like the logical choice. In this project the port is running as standard digital I/O for screen display using 4-bits. PORTA,0-4 are the 4-bit data lines and PORTA,5-7 are the Reg. Select, Read/Write, and Enable pins. The test_lcd.c file requires no editing and the lcd.h file only requires the change of

"#define XTAL 4000000"

to

"#define XTAL 16000000"

to the desired clock speed of the target MCU. The size of the test_lcd.hex file loaded to the atmega32 was 3kb, which is quite small and leaves 29kb of free Flash space for your program code. If one so desired much of the driver is written in C which could be optimized in assembler to decrease the size of the code base. I however am willing to let 3kb go.

Compilation of the test_lcd.c was done with AVR-GCC 4.4.2 on Mac OS 10.6, then loaded with AVR Studio 4.18 on Windows XP using an AVR ISP MkII.

Power Supply board 9v, 5v, 3v

2010-01-11T02:05:00.003-05:00

This board has been in my library for a while just waiting for the right time to make an appearance. It works although the version 1 looked like New York City. I needed to fix some serious errors. All is good now and I am ready to get this one going. You will notice the FTC "resistor fuse" this is optional as it will limit the amperage.

Pickit 2 3.3v Voltage converter

2010-01-04T12:10:00.008-05:00

I found a schematic online for a 3.3v logic converter for the Pickit 2, and decided to make a board for it. The key was making it very small. I wanted something I could just fit in my pocket with thePickit 2 programmer. The design has to be tested but the schematic looked sound. If you want a copy of the board in PDF to make your own just send me a message, its going to take me a little while to put the files on the server.

update: Jan 10, 2010

Aduino

2010-01-04T00:41:00.005-05:00

So I made an arduino board! Well not quite, its a little different more like the barebones arduino idea with surface mount parts. I wanted something small with a tiny power regulator for 5v logic only, which suited my needs better than some of the other boards available. Regardless the files are available if you want them.

update Jan 10, 2010

Bonome

2010-01-04T00:14:00.007-05:00

So I was going through some old posts and decided to see what Julien Bayle of Julienbayle.net is doing and was looking at the monome clone called the Bonome. This project really excited me it was a meeting of the minds with so many different people, hardware, software, firmware, and of course we can not forget the creators the original monome team.

Now with my new project I have decided to switch to PIC32. Why because I want to learn another platform and there are a few other reasons such as the support for DSP with there new library. Less coding means more fun for me.

This board is something new a PIC32 development system designed for audio. I have some interesting needs for art installation ideas however, the realization of the works have been halted due in part to the extreme cost of audio synthesizers. Of course there is a large amount of intellectual property under the hood of a synth, but developing your own can be rewarding, and teaches you much about synthesis techniques. There is a forum post started here on Electro-Music. Inventor has designed a system called eChuck based on the Chuck programming language; essentially it is an audio programming language. The eChuck concept will allow people to port that idea onto hardware.

I expect to be in prototype soon, I just need to hear back from a board house on the cost of manufacture of a few prototypes. In the mean time a programming application framework is being developed to meat my needs, and additionally board for tactile input and visual output are in the works. Which brings me back the the bonome, I have designed the unit with a header to connect to the 8x8 keypad / led matrix. If I can port the code over I will but it is more likely that I will write the interface to suit my own uses internally for sequencing. But its a way to reuse some older equipment if you have it.

Stay tuned for additional info on the project either here or on the Electro-music forum.

Snow Leopard Update

2009-10-10T12:16:00.002-04:00

So as many of you know I have been suffering through Apple's Snow Leopard so many of you do not have to. The latest find to correct some of the problems I have been experinceing is this: booting into safe mode. I am attempting it right now, as my Disk Utility would not allow for complete repair to the Preferences. If the article is correct this should correct the issue if not there is a second option which requires you to turn off File Sharing and then turn it back on, log out and presto, working SL, OS.

[10 min later]

And it works. I am able to create encripted disk images for storing personal information, saving works resonably well. However, the next week will be the real test.

Online Drawing

2009-09-28T10:25:00.003-04:00

A quick search online today revealed some interesting programs for drawing and painting online. As if there were not enough distractions at work already.

If you have any experience with those tools post a comment on which ones you find best for your workflow, or explain how you find these tools enhance your workflow or creativity.

Snow Leopard

2009-09-09T00:34:00.003-04:00

Well after some growing pains installing Snow Leopard, Mac OS X 10.6, everything is running as normal. I encountered an issue with my HP LaserJet 1020 not working, as a result of the update. This has been a consistent problem when using an HP printer with my Mac's. The solution was quite simple if you know where to look, OpenPrinting for OSX - HP using Foomatic. One of the main selling points of the OS update was improved printer support, but this one area seems to be problematic, I realize that apple uses the GNU Cups development initiative for its printing however, for some the PDD (postscript printer description) files are just as equally important. However they are not integrated into the OS or at times difficult to find. Regardless the issue is now resolved and the solutions are now posted.

I also find it interesting how much of your computer system you can setup from just within your web browser now. For instance CUPS printing can be setup using http://localhost:631/, which is just one example. Firefox has about:config although it attempts to scare you into not using it. A better description of about:config hacks can be found here Eriwen.com.

My Apple Support Forums Post - dioioib with the solution to HP LaserJet 1020 printing issues in Snow Leopard.

Max/MSP synth building

2009-07-22T19:36:00.009-04:00

It has been quite some time since I have posted anything related to Max/MSP, Puredata or PWGL. In many respects for synthesis building I find PWGL much easier to work with, this might be a result of errors I encountered in some of the tutorials for Max/MSP. Some of the tutorials[1] for Max/MSP have errors partly due to the version they were developed for. The main issue I was experiencing surrounds the use of the umenu with the filtergraph~ and biquad~ objects. The problem with the tutorial example is the point at which the umenu item is connected to the filtergraph~ element. This connection should not happen at the right most outlet but rather should connect to the center outlet. This outlet is labeled as "Menu Item Text Evaluated as a Message" which should be connected to the leftmost inlet "a0 coefficient."

This organization of objects changes the filtergraph~ objects filter curve depending on the option selected in the umenu object. Perhaps due to changes and additions in Max/MSP there are a few missing filter types in the example on the Cycling '74 site. However, here is a complete list of filters: display, lowpass, highpass, bandpass, bandstop, peaknotch, lowshelf, highshelf, resonant, allpass. It is beyond the scope of this post to explain what each one of these filter types do. If you are interested in learning more about these filters I would recommend the book "The Computer Music Tutorial." The new filter types include resonant which is similar to bandpass but to use a definition from physics, "resonance is the tendency of a system to oscillate at larger amplitude at some frequencies than at others." And although not technically a filter allpass, functions as a bypass for the filter.

[1] Max/MSP Synth Building with Max/MSP #3

DX7 Ram Cartridge

2009-07-15T01:18:00.003-04:00

I have been testing the first prototype for the DX7 ram cartridge over the last few weeks. It looks promising, but there are still a few bugs to work out before I can get this boards produced. Much time has passed since the beginning of this project, however, taking time to get it correct is my primary concern.

Here is the latest image of the cart design:

Noise Maker Time

2009-06-22T20:30:00.004-04:00

I will be teaching a small introduction to AVR / Arduino class at the Niagara Artist Company this summer during the first week of August (rescheduled from the 4th of July weekend).

I have decided to use this as the foundation to the lecture:

Tinker.It Arduino Synth

This device is fun to say the least. Although I found you need an op-amp to really make it shine. I have a surface mount board available for anyone who is interested, just send me an email and I can send you one for $2 + postage. The board uses SMT / SMD parts (surface mount) but it really makes the tinkerit board scream like it should using an OP275GSZ op-amp from Analog Devices. This device gives a clean amplification at 5v with no additional parts, talk about easy to use.

I think the thing most enjoyable about this project is the hack-ability. You can edit the code to make different sound grains, you can add distortion and other effects, as I am doing, look here for some easy single sided board projects TonePad FX.

Kicad

2009-06-22T20:17:00.005-04:00

Its been some time since my last post however, I have been fairly busy.

A few months ago I came across a blog in which nightly builds of Kicad are available for OSX. The release is finally at a point where almost every aspect of Kicad works on OSX and although there are still bugs, I personally feel it is at a level where it is usable. I do still get the odd crash now and again but the stability is quite good for the most part.

Visit the following link:

Broken Toaster Blog

the current build as of today is R1835, Nick has put a lot of work into these builds and we should recognize and thank him for his hard work.

Thanks Nick.

Return to the Bronome

2008-08-05T19:03:00.003-04:00

So I recently found a fellow artist working in France who is also working on an RGB Monome like project. He calls it the Trinome and his webpage is here. LiveInterface There you will find a complete resource for the code and a schematic. However I am currently working on a backpack to control the leds. I will be creating complete PCB's for this project once it is completed. I am unsure as to the direction Julien is taking with his project, however, I wish to push this device to its limits and even integrate even more functionality as a controller. I have always intended on this device being a stand alone controller. But Julien's use of the Monome Protocol (OSC) though USB is also interesting.

Bronome Schematic - Julien's schematic with a partially finished backpack and arduino.

LCE Rotary Encoder LED graphs 360 degrees

2008-07-20T06:51:00.005-04:00

360 LED Graph

LED Graph 360 by
Brian Durocher is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 2.5 Canada License.

Ram Cart Pins

2008-07-08T23:45:00.005-04:00

Ram Cartridge by Brian Durocher is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Canada License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at brian.durocher@gmail.com.

This project is currently closed development. If you would like to become part of the development team or make derived works e-mail me. Permissions will be given to individuals interested in producing cartridges for their own personal use. Permission will not be given or implied for any commercial use as per the Creative Commons attribution.

Kits will become available upon creation of a working prototype. Currently development is in its infancy. Please be patient as I still need to find suitable parts to replace the discontinued PROM's, and other required components such as a case.

If you are interested in following the discussion about the ram cartridge please visit Yamaha Forums UK

DX7 RAM Cart Teardown

2008-07-04T19:12:00.006-04:00

Teardown of a DX7 RAM cart.

2x X2816AP (2k * 8 PROM)
1x 2.2 16 Cap Polar
2x 16pin SIP (Marked RML S12472J
1x Slide Switch

CSound

2008-06-25T06:18:00.003-04:00

I have decided to start experimenting with a program called CSound. The programming code has a structure similar to Cobol programing syntax. This should be interesting. Below are some links to get you started as well.

CSound is a powerful synthesis language which can be used to make your own virtual instruments, oscillators, etc. The sonic potential of this program is only limited by your imagination.

Critical Files for using CSound and Cecilia:

http://tcltkaqua.sourceforge.net/
http://csound.sourceforge.net/

OS X Front End:
http://csounds.com/cecilia/

Resources:
http://www.csounds.com/chapter1/index.html

Windows Front End:

http://myweb.nmu.edu/~benjohns

Related Software:

PureData:
Intel
Pd-0.40.3-extended-rc2 Intel

PPC
Pd-0.40.3-extended-rc2 PPC

Windows
Pd-0.40.3-extended-rc2-windowsxp

Patches
http://mmonoplayer.com/mspexternals.php

Chuck:

http://chuck.cs.princeton.edu/

Crazy Keytar Yetti

2008-06-08T16:53:00.002-04:00

Megan Whitmarsh, keytar yeti is really amazing.

APC 555 Optical Thermin

2008-04-13T18:06:00.006-04:00

So I have cooked up an optical thermin for myself based on the 555 timer and some tweeking of good old Mr. Mims Atari Punk Console design. This project is not for the beginner as it uses surface mount parts but it is fun none the less. So all of my hard work has lead me to offer this as a share alike piece of hardware.

APC 555 Optical Thermin by Brian Durocher is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 Canada License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at brian.durocher@gmail.com.

Chip Tune

2008-04-11T14:51:00.001-04:00

Today I was crusing the web and found some great websites.

http://www.escapehawaii.com/
http://www.getlofi.com/
http://www.micromusic.net/
http://c64music.blogspot.com/

Hope you get some enjoyment out of these.

Fritzing.org

2008-04-10T09:06:00.004-04:00

Today I downloaded the Fritzing application again to see the progress this application has made in development. It is finally at a usable state for small projects, it is particularly good for the beginner as it accurately reflects the equipment you would be using.

Fritzing.org

Bronome

2008-03-30T22:26:00.003-04:00

Sorry about the lack of posting regarding the Bronome, this last leg of university has been hectic to say the least.

However, the LED routine has been smoothed out and here is a current video:

On Friday April 4th, 2008 the Bronome will be on display at Rodman Hall Art Gallery until April 27th.

555 PWM

2008-03-17T11:05:00.004-04:00

So I was bored today and started making a 555 PWM for my synth in eagle cad. The final product will use surface mount parts and I will have a breakout board soon.

Musicians Friend

2008-03-14T20:10:00.003-04:00

A few days ago I purchased a used Akai MPC500 sampler and decided I would buy the ram module (EXM-128) from Musicians Friend an online music equipment retailer. I have to say this store has gone far beyond my expectations and I would recommend them to anyone looking for musical equipment.

TEMT6000 Light Sensor Breakout

2008-03-05T16:57:00.005-05:00

Today I took some time to develop the TEMT6000 break out board for one of my projects using Eagle Cad. Its a small little board which uses surface mount parts 2x 10k Ohm resistors and 2x TEMT6000 light sensors. This breakout board is for a much larger project involving performance and audio.

The file can be found here:
Breakout PDF

I used PDF format for the actual file as its easy to print at the correct sizes for multiple systems.

Enjoy!

Bronome Schematic

2008-03-05T14:53:00.003-05:00

I have been working on a schematic for the Bronome in Eagle CAD. It is not completed but right now it accurately reflects the parts I am using. Any suggestions are appreciated.

Bronome Brain

2008-02-28T11:23:00.009-05:00

I have been working on the Bronome switch system which is based on 74LS164 and 74LS165 shift-in / shift-out registers. I have yet to write the code to handle these things but two such brains have been built. Additionally here are some images of the build of the Bronome.

Enough is Enough, stop stealing our money

2008-02-24T01:12:00.007-05:00

When should someone be allowed to steal your money? Should you have to pay for music downloading if you do not download music at all? Personally I do not think so. The song writers in Canada have proposed a $5 fee to be applied to your internet service bill to compensate themselves.

This brings back memories of the tried and failed iPod levy introduced in Canada. And yet again I am left wondering why in this new digital era are music companies and now music writers not adapting. For the last 8 years this group proposes sales have "dropped from $1.3-billion in 1999 to $704-million in 2006." Is this not a clear indication someone needs to change?

Essentially the idea of distribution adding to the cost of music is dead. Being able to download a track or album provides the record companies even greater profits. Additionally consumers are not idiots we know that companies want to give us less while charging us more. No package, no printed material, no shipping, no storage fees from logistics companies, no middle men (if you do it correctly) and you have pure profit, production costs aside of course.

Rather than charge us $5 consider spending all that money you are using to lobby the government and put together an effective business plan. A plan that benefits the customer while making yourself money through downloads eg: iTunes, and other online sites, about 100% of the music I enjoy listening too is not available through these distribution methods, so I am forced to buy a CD and rip it to my iPod. This is far less convenient than purchasing online content (with out DRM) to place on my iPod or my MiniDisk.

The infrastructure argument: this new form of distribution costs us money. Everything costs money, but digital distribution will cost you less money. What major company does not have an internet and intranet network these days. Personally I run a business and maintain my own web server, I am not a major corporation and somehow I manage to fit that into my own budget, and I don't charge my customers $5 more for them to view my web content, write down my prices, or even to send me an e-mail.

"80% of artists make 15000 or less a year"

This last point is particularly frustrating to me, and to most artists in any discipline. I enjoy making art and would love to work as a full time artist, but currently that's not realistic however, I work two other jobs to support myself. I understand that people need to make money but loving what you do is sometimes more important than the money you make. Take for instance Radiohead, they released a pay what you can album. I was ecstatic, free music, perfectly within my budget, but more importantly its someone giving something back. Someone who loves what they do and wants to show that they care, and that we the listener are important.

And finally to complete my point. This flagrant disregard for respecting the rights of Canadian internet users is shameful at best. If this tax actually gets passed whats next taxing people who hum or whistle a melody, do we tax a telephone user if music happens to be playing in the background, or even better maybe we should tax car radio listeners by the kilometer.

And to quote the Calgary Herald "It's not my fault that nine or 10 years after Napster, a proper system hasn't been worked out to compensate songwriters and recording artists." ... second source article (page 2)

Update

2008-02-21T00:31:00.006-05:00

Tonight was the lunar eclipse and I managed to get a decent photograph of it.

As for my other projects, I have been working on the bronome switch array and have two prototype units built. The code needs writing and Little-Scale has been nice enough to lend a hand with some of the missing pieces. With a little more free time on my hands I should have something working. In the next few days.

Bronome set to white Feb 20, 2008.

TEMT6000 Ambient Light Sensor for laser midi interface project.

Bronome Prototyping

2008-02-07T01:22:00.000-05:00

Today I started to tackle the LED routines. Right now its still really crude as I am borrowing a large section of the code base from other sources. I am not happy with the speed at which it is executing so I am going to rewrite a lot of it and perhaps use assembler. Here is the latest video:

Please excuse the documentation of code, that was more for my record.

Why Bronome?

2008-02-05T12:58:00.000-05:00

The Bronome project has been designed to address some of my personal performance audio needs. I saw a need for something more than just a USB interface something which could also act as a hardware midi controller. In that respect the Bronome is a brother to many other projects such as the Monome, Tonori-on, and MidiBox. It borrows concepts and ideas from all to make a unique interface onto its own. Although the initial facade is very much like the minimalist Monome 40h, the differences are in its use of light to convey meaning. Through visual means the interface of the Bronome can mutate or transform into a multitude of utilities, keyboard, sequencer, or display. The configurations are endless.

If you would like to participate in this project either through coding, graphics, ideas or suggestions, send an email to Brian Durocher.

Bronome

2008-02-04T02:22:00.000-05:00

Here is an update of the bronome with a simple animation of the LED lights.

Bromome Stage 2 (RGB Monome Derived Interface)

2008-02-03T03:50:00.000-05:00

A few more parts arrived from my favorite supplier and I was able to wire everything up and get it working on a very basic level. The next stage will be switch/button implementation and LED reaction to button presses. I am not totally sure if i am going to use the Monome code base or just create my own assembler version. Regardless here is the video.

Crusing YouTube on a stormy Day

2008-02-01T10:55:00.000-05:00

SID Music Video

Amtel 2560 PCB

2008-01-30T13:13:00.000-05:00

My 2560 PCBs have arrived from BatchPCB they took about 3 weeks in total. It was fairly quick and cheap, so perfect for what I am doing. I ordered two and soldered one yesterday. However, I distroyed some of the pads on the board while putting the surface mount chip on. :( (Thats what happens when the iron gets too hot I suppose. No worries I am just going to use some 30 awg wire and replace the broken traces with that.

To save on time I am probably going to order this next time.

Monomachine sans BOX

2008-01-30T12:52:00.000-05:00

So it finally arrived the long awaited Monomachine from Elektron. After opening the box I was immidiatly impressed with the build quality, rugged brushed aluminum face, sturdy rotary encoders, and nice feeling buttons. This however, is such a small attribute in a much larger sonic arena.

After experimenting with the Monomachine for a few hours I was able to modify kits, navigate the menus smoothly and make rhythm tracks, with basslines sounding like old school MC303's to Dark gritty D'n'B / dub sub-bass. Given some more time with this machine and a good sequencer I should have almost everything I need to make music in this one box.

Ok perhaps thats a little exaggerated but this thing has some awesome power, it does everything from Voice synthesis to percussion sounds, has so many effects and filters up to 64 steps per pattern, 6 internal tracks per pattern with an additional 6 tracks for triggering external midi equipment. Seriously this tiny box has some major staying power.

Tomorrow

2008-01-28T19:39:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is only a day away!

Here is a cool link to check out in the mean while.

TONORI-ONhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

The wait

2008-01-28T11:42:00.000-05:00

For the past 4 days I have been eagerly awaiting my Elektron Monomachine order. It sits at an import facility somewhere in Ontario. They tell me it will ship out next day after it is released. I cannot imaging what the holdup is. Perhaps the Canadian government is afraid of the awesome sonic powers of the Monomachine. Perhaps I could create music capable of destabilizing the world economy. Maybe I should have ordered two.

However once this synthesizer arrives I will have more reasons to finish the BrOnome (pronounced bro-nome). However with a deadline of Feb 2008 it is unlikelly I will have the project completed for the art show this April.

Check this out

2008-01-23T02:50:00.000-05:00

Cardboard ADSR and RGB 40h brOnome

2008-01-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

Two new projects are in the works, the first is the ADSR (Attack Decay Sustain Release) module for the modular synth I am building to use in performance art. This project was a build from the ADSR on the Music From Outer Space Webpage, by Ray Wilson. If you have not seen this webpage you really do need to check it out.

The second project which has just started as of today is the RGB monome 40h. I am temporarily calling it the brOnome. Some more research needs to be done to determine the correct way to implement the RGB Leds with PWM functionality. Its just a matter of time before this one comes together. My plans are to loosely base this project on the monome 40h. In essence I want to make something that not only functions as a monome but also does a lot more. Something like a [Tonorion / Monome]-megasord.

Important Sites

2008-01-11T21:51:00.000-05:00

Here is a link I stumbled across a few weeks back. MIT Open Courseware
Its a link to MIT's open course ware. They have some really interesting open courses. I downloaded a tone of them. Finding the time to do them however remains to be found.

Pure Data

2008-01-10T21:31:00.000-05:00

As part of my degree I have opted to explore the Program Pure Data. My first patch is nothing special it makes laser sounds and the "Wheel of Fortune" wheel blip sound. Oh that Bob Barker. Of course you have to adjust the sliders and number boxs to get the sound just right.

The MEGA OSC.

2008-01-09T23:33:00.000-05:00

So I have spent some more time completing the VCO for my synth. The main problem was finding a replacement for a chip which was poorly labeled in the schematic. TSM101 to be exact. I will post the final circuit once I am sure this whole thing is going to work. It would be a shame to see all that hard work waist away, but until i make a power supply for this board I am unable to test it out. Here are the updated pictures with 100% population of the board. The next stage is to add the mixer for complex wave shapes. I am not overly concerned about that at this point in time. My focus is going to be the power supply however until I find voltage regulators for + / - in all required voltages I am putting that on hold.

Synth_Tastick!!!!!!!

2007-12-28T00:40:00.000-05:00

So I haven't posted for a while. Here is why:

I have been working on putting together a synth with the ICL8038 chip. Right now its just a collection of voltage controlled oscillators. The second board is my first attempt at a midi in port. At the heart of the project I will be using an Amtel ATmega2560. I will keep everyone posted on the progress.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-25T00:49:00.000-05:00

Don't send a lame Holiday eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

Due Epoch

2007-11-28T19:02:00.000-05:00

A thanks to everyone who made it to the Due Epoch show on November 24th, 2007. It was a good turn out especially considering the freezing temperature.

Arduino Class Update

2007-11-22T12:49:00.001-05:00

Tonights class is canceled sorry about any inconvenience. I know this is last minute but something has suddenly come up.

Fritzing

2007-11-15T18:36:00.000-05:00

So what is Fritzing? Its the newest project out there for prototyping your Arduino projects and other projects for PCB layouts. You can easily get ready to manufacture from this programming and its easier to use than some of the other programs out there like EAGLE CAD. There website is right [here] and you can download the alpha release.

Wearable arduino

2007-11-14T00:41:00.000-05:00

If you would like to see my completed arduino wearable you can watch the video [here]

Pot's and not the ceramic kind.

2007-11-13T21:18:00.001-05:00

I have been making interesting sound devices for my art works as of late. And I figured I would share some of my findings with all of you. Some basic electronics tutorials can be found on Pots which are used in a number of applications for the Arduino.

The Atari Punk console project a Synth Project and a few other projects including an ICL8038CCPD project with Sine Wave, Triangle Wave and Square Wave out.

I started with the Music from Outerspace synth project and I have to admit it was difficult for a first timer. The Atari Punk was a much easier project to build. However now after building the ICL8038 project I am getting quite confident in my abilities and intend on doing some performance art with them.

I will post images shortly.

Audio Works

2007-11-07T01:18:00.000-05:00

I have not written for some time as I have been producing some time intensive works. Mainly sound generators, which I intend on using in a performance work and collaborations. These audio works use simple circuits to make square waves, saw waves and other odd combinations of pure sound. I work intuitively with these projects and the end result is sometimes unexpected. I find a similarity to supreamatist paintings in that the sounds are pure wave form and not samples. A kin to paintings like Kashmir Malevich's "Black Square" 1915 or "Broadway Boogie-Woogie" 1942-43 by Piet Mondrian. At any rate here are the bowels of the beast so to speak. The project is based on the Atari Punk Console project but I have added a second circuit which runs independant of the first, its not quite a square wave, it sounds closer to a saw tooth wave generator.

Processing

2007-10-18T11:03:00.000-04:00

The brains behind the wonderful, easy to use, and open, Processing programming language have just realsed an update. Processing is now at version 127. I can not stress how much I love this intitiative. Processing can be used with the Arduino to make interesting interactive works of art.

Arduino Workshop - Update

2007-10-15T23:34:00.000-04:00

This weeks Arduino class will be canceled. However, class' will continue the following week.

Additionally the Arduino class will be expanded to cover programming with Processing.

These two systems can also be used in tandem to create interactive works that exist in both a physical and digital world. Hybridize your projects.

Lets collaborate.....

Nuit Blanche

2007-10-05T22:05:00.000-04:00

Not much to say watch the video's.

video 1

video 2

Textile Arduino

2007-10-05T10:34:00.000-04:00

After being inspired by various Arduino projects I have decided to make a wearable LED based art piece, by incorporating traditional textiles used through antiquity, leather, AVR, and LED's. Leah Buechley's work with Textile based micro-controllers is a great inspiration to me. Her line of textile Arduino's called LillyPads have just been released through SparkFun Electronics.

Here are two images of my ATmega168 connected to leather. The horrible solder job is actually deliberate and is intended to act as a stop for the conductive threads attached to the pins of the integrated circuit. After stitching towards the IC come up with the needle from under the IC, wrap the conductive thread around the pin with the solder bead then make a knot. The hold is very secure. (I will post a drawing of how I tie my knots). I chose leather because of its thickness and rigidity. The likelihood of the leather folding over is also minimal which reduces short outs between traces. It is harder to work with and you need special needles, however, these are often inexpensive and readily available in most art supply stores (ie. Micheal's). The use of an IC socket is recommended for two reasons, first, you can remove your AVR from your project to reflash it using an ISP programmer. Second, you will need to bend some of the sockets pins and use the other unused pins to secure the IC socket to the leather. On the reverse side of the leather you will bend the remaining IC pins. Use an exacto knife to puncture holes through the leather, this will allow for easy socketing of the IC socket onto the leather.

Desktop Modificationous

2007-10-04T00:29:00.000-04:00

After a full days work and five hours in the studio what better way is there to kill time than modifying your desktop. The thing I love about Mac's are the endless modifications you can do to them. I mean full GUI modifications. Simple tools like Unsanity's Shapeshifter, X Labels, and Fruity Menus allow you to do a complete overhaul on Apples beloved Aqua theme. I chose a theme called Kuro, which is handy for someone who produces art, edits photos, and makes music for extended periods of time like me. Combine this with Icons from Interfacelift and you have a winning theme suitable for the next OS distribution.

To continue a shift towards the dark colour of composite plastics I also changed the look of Firefox with a handy tool called Stylish. This add-on allows you to skin web-pages , site by site, change your Google search, Skin your GMail. The possibilities are endless. The thing I enjoy most about this add-on is the ability to avoid horrid, banal and unchanging web-pages. Google come on, its been what 5 years and your still using the white background. I guess unlike objects in the real world digital white is much easier to keep clean.

AVR Weaerable Continued

2007-09-27T09:22:00.000-04:00

Stage two of the wearable project is completed. I have the micro controller off the Arduino board and running on its own. There is a slight flicker issue and I am not entirely sure what is causing it. Perhaps the 8 mHz Clock speed is two slow for a clean transition between colors.

A million billion trillion LCD Screens

2007-09-26T17:12:00.001-04:00

So during my normal search for artistic programming applications and possibilities, I stumble across this interesting idea. Vision as the bugs see; this new compound eye has endless possibilities. Alas my dream is a reality. If you have not already come across this in your internet travels, you should know about the delight that is Processing.org. This little programming environment is an excellent way to learn programming and a wonderful tool for artists. Anything and everything are possibilities, interact with the Arduino, Bluetooth, Serial Communications, Trigger Textile-Based works or use Textiles to trigger your program. Oh how I love being uninhibited, programatically speaking of course. Alas you ask what is the point of all this, the "Eye" yes. Has one, two, three, four or even five screens just not been enough. Need to keep up with the Jones' well your in luck. Be the envy of all your friends and neighbours when you show them your Matrix-esque wall of light. Here is the link. Linked with Processing you can now output your eccentric creations ad-infinitum or more simply put in multiplicity.

Before you fling yourself into the amalgam of this digital utopia I call Processing.org, take a minute to look at the other projects that are currently underway at the website.

The future is limitless.

AVRDUDE and the AVRISPmkII

2007-09-23T19:35:00.000-04:00

After much pain and mental anguish I have cracked through stage one of the AVRISP mkII programmer using AVRDUDE. Although many readers are thinking what are you jabbering about, this is a huge breakthrough for me and my AVR class on Thursday nights. In the spirit of GNU, FOSS, OSS, and other open initiatives I have decided to post my findings for others who wish to embark on the wonderful journey of AVR programming.

>$ sudo avrdude -c avrispmkII -p m168 -P usb:0000B0005522 -U hfuse:r:high.txt -U lfuse:r:low.txt

avrdude: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.11s

avrdude: Device signature = 0x1e9406
avrdude: reading hfuse memory:

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.03s

avrdude: writing output file "high.txt"

the command line entry to access the AVRISP mkII through usb and print the fuse bits to files is:

sudo avrdude -c avrispmkII -p m168 -P usb:0000B0005522 -U hfuse:r:high.txt -U lfuse:r:low.txt

The next stage is programming the fuse bits, and the processor itself. More will follow.

What a twist.

2007-09-21T00:47:00.000-04:00

Well this project wins over all other projects I have seen this week. Nicola Tesla eat your heart out.

It's the Barbie Doll electric chair.

Tolerance

2007-09-20T01:16:00.001-04:00

Tolerance. Tonight a sliver of life was relinquished willingly. In order to understand intolerance. Perhaps there is a certain dearth of logic in such a task. That is to say trying to logically understand the illogical. To paraphrase, in the end the only thing that matters is whether you do or do not made a difference in the world.

What have you done?

Perhaps this gives us all the possibility to leverage a turning point. To critique our own intolerance in an attempt to gain more of what we lack. For we are all guilty parties to a larger or lesser extent.

Imaginus Iconificus

2007-09-18T14:47:00.000-04:00

War'ing Warhol's

2007-09-18T08:58:00.000-04:00

Warhol how I love to hate you! Your multi-billion dollar glorious comodification of the art world. This object is so useless but holds such an important role. I still wonder why I carry it. Perhaps its obsessive. It hardly posses a burden on me.

Although I think of Ed Burtynsky's manufactured landscapes every time I look at it. How much waste resulted in your manufacturing, how marred is the landscape.

Oh how I hate this little object.

Arduino Workshop

2007-09-17T20:45:00.000-04:00

This Thursday from 7:00 to 8:30 an Arduino workshop will be held at my studio #2, 3rd floor @Rodman Hall. The workshop will be informal and the main topics will cover the potential use of the Arduino board in visual arts. No experience is required, and a collaborative approach to developing interesting projects will be discussed and pursued.

http://www.arduino.cc/

or you can

Order One

LED Throwies

2007-09-16T14:03:00.000-04:00

During a recent conversation with my multi-tool my attention was directed to this wonderful webpage. http://www.instructables.com/ Specifically the very controversial and highly aesthetic act of LED Throwies. http://www.instructables.com/id/E9D2ZJ3FG0EP286JEJ/?ALLSTEPS These things are a fantastic alternative to the aimless act of spraying, "I was here" all over the place. Spice up the night with light!

Verso Versa

2007-09-13T11:56:00.000-04:00

For all you artist types reading this wonderfully contrived blog, I have decided to include some useful information on occasion, to break up the monotiny of the random craziness of my normal ramblings.

What is this?

A book you say!?

Yes this newly translated and released text is a fantastic read. This discourse on the modern image offers a wonderful answer to the question what comes after the death of the image. Jacques Ranciere is a professor in Paris and his new book "The Future of The Image" is a must read.

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Future-Of-The-Image-Jacques-Ranciere/9781844671076-item.html?ref=Search+Books%3a+

Amorphous Multiplicity

2007-09-11T13:38:00.001-04:00

Amorphous blobs, contrived in linear fashion. How you remind me of Ukrainian Easter Egg's. This memory brings back feelings of nostalgia. Oh how we long to have you back, the friends the smells, the innocence of play. It was a simpler time, perhaps our relationship would not have been so strained had we met then. Oh how hindsight is 20/20.

Cranial Decimilia

2007-09-11T10:57:00.000-04:00

100 grams of pure black injection molded perfection, adorned with silver hexagonal metallic Allen-key. Castoff into the abyss scorned by the Gitzo from which it came. A seemingly useless object, but one which contains such hidden and divine powers. Its dominion is our realm. It breaths by our use, your tightening of screws and fastening of bolts. Certainty resting on the knowledge that everything has its place. That everything is in order. After much internal discourse the notion of such a small hunk of plastic and steel vexes me. I think back to all the Ikea furniture hardware packages, the various car tools and the like acquired over the years. Redundancy, as I have never seen before, but with a twist. "A plastic socket wrench," I exclaim, unsure of the excitement or revulsion. Perhaps an idea born of the 1950's complete infatuation with things space-aged, or a 1960's furniture sensibility. It wreaks of solubility, a lack of permanence shared by soil along rivers edge and snow at the coming of spring. A useless castoff item born in the forge of capitalism.

Although the use value is clear and the utter lack of need apparent, but still, I cannot discard thee. Carried forth on my back I burden you as you gleefully anticipate my next move, to which you will undoubtedly mirror. Mimicry is a form of flattery so they say; but who are they anyway? You are tucked away deep in pocket, but there you hum a ditty to your own cadence, that has always been your way.

I think back to the day we first met. You a recent arrival from Italy, and I a local to southern-Ontario. You traveled so far to enter into such a charged relationship. How could either of us know the contempt we would share for each other.