Author Archives: adrianwinward

While describing each line of my code would be far beyond the scope of this blog, I realise the I have barely mentioned this vital part of my modules, and so thought I should dedicate a post to at least explaining the overall structure of my sequencer’s code. Arduino files are referred to as ‘sketches’,Continue reading “A Note on Code”

After recently reading about improving design, and also being rather disappointed with the crudely drilled holes in the faceplates on my first two modules, I did some talking with the workshop team at UH and was given an induction on using the laser cutting machines. As well using the laser to cut plastic, they canContinue reading “Laser Cutting Faceplates”

My third post in this blog, posted a year and a half ago, shows an image of my next prototype module – an envelope generator, VCA and mixer. This was my first foray into analogue circuitry, and as such there are some pretty strange issues with this module, particularly when using full settings on anyContinue reading “Euler – Quad EG and Mixer”

This project has design at its heart, and so this book (recommended by my brother) seemed like a good read. Norman discusses the psychology and psychopathology of actions and responses, shows some excellent examples of both good and bad design. He explores conceptual models and how to utilise these to create more user-friendly products, andContinue reading “The Design of Everyday Things”

Next up, it was time to build something that actually made some noise! My goal was to create four discrete outputs, each of which would be fed into a VCA controlled by the four lanes from my sequencer. Each output should contain a different note, and these should make up a chord. This device wouldContinue reading “The Oscillator Module”

The sequencer was now working, but needed to be built into a more robust housing. While the end goal is to miniaturise into Eurorack compatible modules, for now I decided that preliminary work on other modules would better improve my electronics skills before moving on to PCB design. As such, I did some searching andContinue reading “Project Boxes”

Now that I had a working prototype module, I decided to hold fire on the sequencer and have a think about how it could integrate into a larger system. The following sketch shows my ideas for three more modules which could create a full Euclidean rhythm, and all of their inputs and outputs. I alsoContinue reading “Module Plan Overview”

After a couple of weeks learning the Arduino IDE and tinkering with I/O devices such as LEDs and rotary encoders, I had a basic prototype built. Rather than documenting this entire process, I will instead focus on some points of particular interest. The Display Visual feedback is very important on a device like this, andContinue reading “The Sequencer Prototype”

Now I had a concept which worked in software, the next step was to try and bring things over into the hardware domain. After doing a little research into the options available, Arduino seemed to be the best solution. Arduino is a DIY electronics platform based around a software coding environment, and a range ofContinue reading “About Arduino”

This project started out as a modular synthesiser built in Max/MSP, primarily as a means for me to reacquaint myself with the software, with the intention of being able to better support students who were also using Max. As modules were built and connected , I decided to create a sort of performance environment, inspiredContinue reading “The Max Groovebox”