MINIDEXED - honey, I shrunk my DX7 collection

[@mr_floydst]

Resources for this project: *please remember to support the devs if you like this* MINIDEXED github.com/probonopd/MiniDexed, also join the discussion on github.com/probonopd/MiniDexed/discussions Audio hat ("soundcard"): raspiaudio.com/ LC Display: bit.ly/3L6NF8N Rotary encoder: bit.ly/3KSts6o GPIO expander: amzn.to/3M8Kduf You can also buy one of the sets by Freenove: amzn.to/3rtuvBR - these will get you a lot of components useful for synth projects.

[@elusivemite]

On the video you show creating the sysex/voice directory. How do you access these files from the hardware please. Got me scratching my head. Currently waiting on a screen and rotary.

[@mr_floydst]

@@elusivemite those show up in the "bank" menu. MIDI program changes and bank selects should work.

[@mr_floydst]

@@elusivemite please plug in a screen (hdmi) while booting. do you spot any error messages like "invalid filename"? if yes, just rename your SYX files to something like 01.syx, 02.syx and so on.

[@elusivemite]

@@mr_floydst il give that a try later thanks. Don't recall any errors but il check in a bit.

[@elusivemite]

@@mr_floydst that did the trick. As an aside. I numbered the banks and put names in brackets after the digits and it loads them fine .

[@DougGray-xf3hz]

I have delayed building this project until I could get my hands on another Pi4 (the only pc format that I fully utilise) but building a MiniDexed has by far been the most rewarding and useful tool I have built in recent years. As a rather poor pianist and keyboard player this has put the iconic sounds of about three decades of popular music into my hands in their fullest glory. The sound quality with the external A/D is superb. Thanks Floyd for bringing this little project to the populous through your channel.

[@mr_floydst]

Thank you very much. I agree, this project strikes just the right balance of usefulness and amount of work needed.

[@_MattSauer_]

They should add support for an opsix-style mixer section: six faders for operator level and six pots for operator ratio. Edit: CC support is on the project’s to-do list!

[@mr_floydst]

Yes, it is! And I can't wait for it. :-) This is without doubt my favourite open source project in '22 so far.

[@unclemick-synths]

CC support would be essential for me for playing it from my Roland AE-30 wind synth.

[@maxspencerkarinen6463]

@@unclemick-synths I believe DX7 patches can already be setup with aftertouch or breath control, so you should be able to use a wind synth! maybe try it out on dexed, free dx7 vst

[@unclemick-synths]

@@maxspencerkarinen6463 thanks Max. I dug out the manual for my TX7 and it's in the function memory rather than the voice memory so I'll have a play with that. Not as convenient as my DX27 (breath is built into the patch itself) but if it works I'll be happy! It won't be using all the features I can send it but better than nothing.

[@morrinsville23]

Wow thats so cool! Im definitely gonna build that! The tx816 is a bucketlist synth for me

[@mr_floydst]

I thought this was the coolest open source project II've seen this year, too :)

[@williamtell1477]

I just got a beautiful DX5 and I almost got a tx816 when I was shopping. I fell for the DX5 what can I say, it wasnt rational. :) This is SO cool though, I think it would be fun to build a chassis + touch UI for it!

[@morrinsville23]

@@mr_floydst ive just built a Headless M8 and I love it!! I am working on that midi out mod, I dont see why the midi in couldn't work, so Ill try that one too

[@arcanics1971]

The future is now. Especially if you want to relive the past! Awesome project. Nice work, sir.

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks, Scott!

[@ryanbmd7988]

Floyd, I love your channel and you’re going in great directions. Long time “like”-er but had to mention your video are a real highlight to a busy world.

[@mr_floydst]

Thank you very much!

[@johnsaunders6510]

Thanks Floyd. Another great video with a lovely chilled out Sunday jam to boot.

[@mr_floydst]

Thank you!

[@hydraADL]

I am blown away by this project, I had been thinking about building this for a long time then I took the plunge and built it using a Pi4 in an argon 1 nanosound case and Arturia keystep keyboard and it sounds absolutely amazing. I used a 0.96 inch I2C OLED. I will be showing it off at a science exhibition next weekend.

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for watching, and have fun at that expo! Sounds like a great time. ;-)

[@threedaymonk]

This looks so good. I'll have to add it to my list of projects to make whenever it's possible to buy a Raspberry Pi again :-(

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for watching! I didn't know it's hard to get one at the moment. Chip crisis?

[@asapatheist]

​@@mr_floydst Pi 3 is selling for $200 bucks, a Pi Zero will run you $95, aside from that this would be great release timing giving the announcement of volca fm2

[@louisdort5857]

I’m amazed by the new technology and your ingenuity,Sir 😮 I still have a DX7s, bought it brand new with huge some of money and mine turned out to be somewhat temperamental few years on. I’m so glad that software emulation is here nowadays and Dexed brought Dx7 synths back to life 😊. This video gives me a reason to research Raspberry pi’s and other associated projects. Well done 👍 Big thank you

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for watching and for your kind words! I just wanted to make it clear that the actual software was developed by @probonopd and I'm merely the messenger. ;-) I have a playlist on Raspberry PI synths on my channel page, kzbin.info/www/bejne/l5aYhYyeo82jadk, which might serve as a quick overview on what to research next.

[@calvin16213]

Thank you for sharing this project, would love to see more!!

[@mr_floydst]

Glad you liked it. I will definitely do a video trying to create a patch using only the encoder, and I will do another one once the MIDI controller support is there.

[@BrtNdR73]

Beautiful !! That Is really Amazing ! Load time quicksilver ... Great Aldo the possibility to load soundfonts

[@matzer8846]

Thank you very much for making and posting this great video ..... This is is just great for an old Raspbianic diving into Musik! 🏁

[@mr_floydst]

Thank you too! :)

[@jimbotron70]

A QY-70 sized case with lots of buttons and knobs for this hardware would be dope!

[@mr_floydst]

Yes indeed. :)

[@dylanjeffers7028]

Hey Floyd, your videos and music just keep getting better! I’ve been looking at the SY70 or SY100 for awhile now, I think I might go for it. I’m surprised there doesn’t seem to be any modern product that has the functionality of that thing at a decent price, in theory it seems like a great machine to sequence multiple hardware synths with.

[@mr_floydst]

You mean the QY100? It absolutely is, and you're right, there's nothing like it at the moment.

[@mr_floydst]

@gridsleep the SY77 is a synth I'd like to try one day.

[@valley_robot]

Still got my qy70 , I will never sell it

[@JoseGustavoAbreuMurta]

I was amazed by this project. I'll build one! Thanks for sharing.

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for watching! :)

[@TerenceKearns]

That was pretty cool. Actually making decent music from it was the highlight.

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks!

[@n9jcvyellow]

JUST INCREDIBLE SIR!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING!!!! everything so easy for us to follow. You are a very good man!

[@mr_floydst]

Thank you ;-) Glad it was helpful.

[@JonathanDotExe]

Wow this looks really awesome. Looks like it could be used as a standalone hardware FM synth (which is something I don't have and but want to have) if one gets a proper case. I think I'm gonna build this in the summer holidays :).Thanks for showing us this. And also nice jam.

[@mr_floydst]

Thank you very much, Jon! :)

[@XavierRadix]

I'm... Blown away this actually works as well as it does hahaha. I never was really interested in the Raspberry PI, but every time you make a new videos of doing projects on it, my interest increases more and more each time. Just incredible stuff as always mate.

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks, Xav!

[@IrregularShed]

After I see this video I assembled the circuitry and put minidexed on a 2GB (!) SD card I had knocking around. Sadly my LCD has died since my last project, so I'll have to get a new one, but it sounds absolutely wonderful. It didn't like my AKAI MPK Mini Play (I think because it doesn't default to midi mode ?) so I had my Beatstep running patterns through it. Even the analogue audio on the Pi 3 sounds good though! Anyway - thanks for another excellent video!

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for watching! This project is worth keeping an eye on for sure.

[@MasterMainak]

You ARE Dx 7 Floyd. It is you. Dexed, minidexed, dx7 all of it, its you. Towards the End i saw the Fifty Shades of Floyd :) it was Floyd from different sides, zoomed in. zoomed out... flipped...yeah well Floydification in editing :)

[@mr_floydst]

Narrrrrgh you! :-)

[@matthewgaines10]

Interesting project. Thanks. Maybe I'll try it once the supply chain returns to normal.

[@mr_floydst]

I hope they do, but the outlook seems bleak at the moment... There's a lesson to be learnt here.

[@PeteKowalsky]

What a cool project! I mean, sure I can do all this on my computer but still, it's pretty mind-blowing to me that all that horsepower required back in the good ol days is now just a small pile of inexpensive stuff that fits in the palm of your hand!

[@mr_floydst]

Thank you! Indeed, this is a cool project. Yes, of course a PC can run anything, but here's potential to create you own hardware controller on top of it (if you like building things).

[@WoodyPianoShack]

quite astonishing project!

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks, Woody - this has so much potential - if the developers stick to their roadmap, you could put this _inside_ a midi controller and shape sounds and create all kinds of performances for under $50.

[@LayneHarris]

Looks, sounds super rad. Nice work!

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks a ton!

[@johnsepulveda9538]

Great video. I'm excited to try this out. Also, Raspberry Pi prices are crazy high currently.

[@mr_floydst]

Thank you! Yes, some viewers already mentioned the current prices. Hope that will go back to normal soon...

[@Alnilam1973]

Looks really promising, but it would need cc support to be of any real use to me as a wind controller player, hell if it did midi and audio over bluetooth aswell, I might even make it my primary synth! Looking forward to watching this grow

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for watching! CC support seems to be on the feature list next.

[@Alnilam1973]

@@mr_floydst cant wait to try it,I've always loved dx7s and having dedicated hardware for it and dexed in the daw for editing would be awesome

[@spud4242]

nice. will look into this project. got a spare pi 3 sitting on the desk ..

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks! Have fun with this, setup is really easy.

[@JorisVDVelde]

Great work, and nice music too. Keep it going.

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for watching! Will do. :-)

[@acidjack]

great great... cant await to see this in some studios...

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for watching! This project is off to a good start, and it's worth keeping an eye on. It might be studio ready sooner than we think. :)

[@acidjack]

@@mr_floydst oh yes a friend, i think he has contacted you already is planing to do a small run of modules :-) great one. i love FM and have a lot of old FM Synths :-) Thanks for doing this.... stay helath and take care.

[@rot3]

Been looking for something like this for a long time. 👍

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for watching! Glad you found what you were looking for. :-)

[@bemily9485]

amazing thank you so much. You've helped my project a lot

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for watching! Glad it was helpful.

[@DeathTrapProductions]

I wonder if anyone with experience with the Korg Volca FM might compare the two. Very cool project.

[@djjuno106]

you killed it with this video floyd one of your best :)

[@mr_floydst]

Thank you very much!

[@belomorets]

I made one, and this works! Thanx, Floyd !

[@mr_floydst]

You're welcome!

[@williamtell1477]

Raaaaad. Thank you this is very cool!

[@mr_floydst]

Glad you like it!

[@Lion_McLionhead]

Interesting concept. The big problem with 80's synthesizers on the raspberry pi is they're all VST plugins for windows & the windows PC is way across the room.

[@mr_floydst]

But does your Windows PC boot within 5 seconds? :)

[@elijahlucian]

thank you for the video and the song!

[@lundsweden]

2030: we can now run 8 Roland JP-8000s on a Raspberry Pi 7... haha in my dreams!

[@mr_floydst]

Hi, thanks for watching! Perhaps I'm overly optimistic here, I if a software emulation of the JP8000 existed, I'm sure the PI4 could run 8 of them. You could try ZynAddSubFX, it has the supersaw wave, if I remember correctly. ;-)

[@lundsweden]

@@mr_floydst The JP8000 came out about 15 years after the DX7. The DX7 was 16 note polyphonic in 1983, JP8K only 8 note polyphonic in 1997. That gives some indication that the JP is much harder to emulate than the DX7.

[@JoeJohnston-taskboy]

Great video. Thanks for doing this. I got minidexed running on my RPi4 without the display or knob or soundcard. Using the M-Audio Oxygen49, I can at least change patches on it. It's like a cheaper version of the Korg Volca FM, but with more polyphony (it is at least a 5 note polyphony, but it might be higher). Looking forward to slapping a hifiberry audio hat into the unit to clean up the output.

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for watching! On a PI4, you should get 8 virtual DX7s, which means 8 part multitimbrality and 16 voice polyphony each (8*16= 128 notes)

[@JoeJohnston-taskboy]

@@mr_floydst Thanks for the info. I've been noodling this this gadget off and on this afternoon. It's a little tricky to manage without the display, but I can see the possibilities. And I've never had my RPi boot so fast. :-D

[@mrnitin6057]

Voila ! Mr. Einstein.

[@mr_floydst]

well, uhm, no. :-)

[@mCKENIC]

Thanks Floyd, this is fascinating! I would love this with the display as HDMI so it might be possible to have a graphical editor. Ill certainly keep watching for updates as this really sparked my interest. Thanks again!

[@mr_floydst]

Thank you very much! There's a version of this project for Teensy which features a touch screen UI (but you only get 2 tone generators instead of 8 because the Teensy CPU is less powerful). codeberg.org/positionhigh/MicroDexed-touch

[@clown134]

I'm not well versed in this technology, but couldn't this be a vst plugin?

[@mr_floydst]

@@clown134 Yes, you're right! This is based on asb2m10.github.io/dexed/, a VST plugin. But on Raspberry PI, the fun is in the process of building. Adding a display and controls yourself teaches you a thing or two about electronic components and how they work. The only real advantage here over using this on a phone or a computer is that this here as practically no latency, as there is no operating system to circumnavigate. Plus you could go ahead and add anything you like (a screen, more physical controls, a keyboard...)

[@clown134]

@@mr_floydst thank you! that's awesome and good to know. I definitely see the practicality and fun-ness of these types of projects. I didn't mean to imply it as redundant or anything like that

[@mCKENIC]

@@clown134 Hi Katie. I believe this is based on the VST DX7 Synth Dexed. I think its really nice to have it on a Pi to use it standalone. Cheers!

[@yamitanomura]

Amazing, I love the DX7 !!

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for watching! :)

[@rot_studios]

I'm defo gonna build one of these. But not a fan of the minimalist interface (though it does make it VERY compact and portable). Gonna slap on an interface like I did for my HS Expander I think, since that is still pretty minimal (3 sliders and an LCD) but removes all menu diving :) Amazing what fits on an tiny board like the RPI these days.

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for watching! - yes, an external MIDI controller certainly helps here.

[@DutchBigEd]

What a great project! I get one or two pi4’s, already have ordered two types of audio modules (one with PCM5102A and one holding a PCM5122), I have some rotary encoders and a 16x2 LCD, but I plan to use the 128x64 I2C OLED instead. The end goal is to make a euro rack module out of it to fit my diy synthesizer.

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks, and good fortune with that project. :-)

[@rrtramel]

You had me at “bare metal”

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for watching! :)

[@els1f]

Yes! Yes I am VERY interested! 🍿😳

[@mr_floydst]

Thank you very much. I'll publish more DIY stuff in the future, among other things (music and synth stuff)

[@supercompooper]

You dither nicely Floyd

[@mr_floydst]

I see you're a man of culture, too. See, in a world that only knows black and white, ... :)

[@elusivemite]

Thanks for sharing. Had a pi4 on the mantlepiece doing nothing so had a test earlier. Il definitely be building this up. I'm hoping I can push midi din through my sl MK2 into dexed to intergrate this into my setup

[@mr_floydst]

There are so many PIs sleeping in some cupboard or resting an mantlepieces in this world. Let's give them a new lease. :-)

[@ProckGnosis]

Gut gemacht und ganz cool!

[@mr_floydst]

Danke! :-)

[@jeanfrancoisnolin340]

I sold a TX816 and miss it. I need one of the new DX7. Amazing thing!

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for watching!

[@unclemick-synths]

Good video 👍. Very interesting for me if it could also have 5-pin MIDI to use completely standalone and also to be a patch librarian for my TX7.

[@mr_floydst]

You can use a USB to 5 pin midi converter for around $10. I used one in this video.

[@elusivemite]

Been testing today. Installed on a pi4. Usb midi into the pi from a novation SL mk2. (built in midi interface.) Midi din from my rig into the SL and to dexed. Able to play (and later program) from my SL and sequence it at the same time via din from my MPCs

[@wavesequencer]

Great timing on this one - just after Volka FM2 announcement.. you have to wonder the margins on the Volka if it can only do one instance of 6 voices and has such a useless display.. of course enclosure/packaging/marketing add to the cost. Now.. somebody please build this or sell a complete kit including enclosure with multiple control knobs and sliders (Opsix style) - around 250$ would be a good price.

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks! :) Well you always have to consider R&D, and the Volca has more knobs, a keyboard and a sequencer and Interfaces. It should have more polyphony, for sure. :) The minidexed team is working on MIDI controller support so the door is open for a custom built hardware .

[@RK11111111111]

Minidexed works in headless mode, what an awesome synth! I'm surprised that the midi controls used for effects like reverb and cutoff appear to be hardcoded. Minisynth has a parameter mapping for this. My Alesis has a utility to change the values it sends, but I like to use my controller for several different projects, for example, I might have another SD card to run a different synth.

[@mr_floydst]

Hi, thanks for watching! You can always drop a feature request on the projects GitHub page. ;-)

[@hostnik777]

Wow, I didn't think it was possible to make the DX7 more difficult or stupid to program, and yet here we are. It's awesome that they squeezed a TX816 into a tiny form factor, but without a software editor, you might as well just use an iPhone with any number of apps.

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for watching! MIDI cc programming is in development. And well, if we're honest, every synth can be replaced by an iPhone and most people wouldn't notice. Raspberry Pi project are for people that enjoy tinkering. In my opinion this project is off to a good start .

[@hostnik777]

@@mr_floydst - Yeah, no. You can't replace a knob-per-function physical synth with an iPhone.. AS a synth programmer. Sure the apps sound great, and in many mixes the sound will hold up, but UI is crucial if you're actually using them for sound design. That was the point I focused on in my original comment, not sound quality or whether an audience would notice in a mix. And this is where devices like this fall down - it has ported the processing to a smaller device, but without such a ridiculous UI... for FM synthesis especially!, it's really not providing much more than a sampler with these sounds could.

[@AlphaChromeYayo]

This is wonderful, thank you for sharing! Instant sub, cant wait to dive into the rest. Now I really want to build a Minidexed unit myself. I'm not bad with a soldering iron, but a complete beginner in terms of how stuff actually buttons up and how to follow the quite daunting schematic on the github. If you happen to have any advice, I would be most grateful. A vague request I know!

[@mr_floydst]

You can buy a breadboard and a couple of wires from Aliexpress, bypassing the soldering. www.aliexpress.us/item/1005005968711434.html www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805804401192.html www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804460701476.html

[@AlphaChromeYayo]

@@mr_floydst wonderful, thank you very much for the reply and information. Keep on keeping on making cool things!

[@JH-pe3ro]

A version of this for the Munt MT-32 emulator would be a big score for DOS game nostalgists who want the full experience of the games that used that hardware to display text messages etc., without the high prices of the vintage hardware.

[@mr_floydst]

I'm not shure, but I think this exists. Got to google it...

[@09427560]

That project is called "mt32-pi".

[@camelCased]

If there was a way to have a more expressive synth that's suited to MIDI wind controllers (breath controller message)... Is there anything like Respiro or at least EVI-NER for Raspberry-like microcomputers?

[@mr_floydst]

Hi, thanks for watching! I do not know of such an app at the moment, though there are plenty of synths that can react to air pressure and expression. Some of those could create a relatively convincing "natural" sound if programmed carefully. E.g. ZYNADDSUBFX or Surge.

[@matszh]

Nice! Even better than the Volca FM2 :)

[@mr_floydst]

Thank you! - I don't know, maaayyyybeee? ;-) Polyphony and multitimbrality is bigger, obviously. :-)

[@bennmurhaaya8518]

Yamaha QY70 - now there's a piece of hardware you don't see every day! And in mint condition at that!

[@mr_floydst]

It's a great portable sequencer! :)

[@bennmurhaaya8518]

@@mr_floydst Yes, but programming it is not for the faint of heart :D

[@ChrisLeeW00]

With more of these pi based solutions coming out, it would be nice to see an enclosure available with the capabilities to support them. Im talking a shield with inputs/outputs/audio dac, screen, controls.

[@mr_floydst]

That would be nice, but I think it's unlikely to happen soon. Developers would have to settle for a standard (interface assignment) and there's R&D and marketing and distribution costs involved - a lot of work and risk to be taken. Could be a kickstarter project perhaps.

[@bradscott3165]

@@mr_floydst Besides, DACs are unobtanium. Look at stock on digikey and mouser, it's all zero stock with 6 months or more wait time. It's great we can find these boards in stock now, but good luck if you want to start making new stock and you're not already on someone's priority list.

[@liudas5377]

Great job, thanks for the how to. ..

[@mr_floydst]

Glad it was helpful!

[@vinyljunkie07]

This is great! Think I'll have to do something with this, can you add more encoders\buttons to the pi so you can setup shortcuts etc for editing

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for watching! The developers have MIDI controller support for fast editing on their to-do-list next. I really recommend joining the discussion on github.com/probonopd/MiniDexed/discussions

[@dzod]

Might build one myself.

[@tedkritzler8970]

Floyd...you keep making my to-do list of projects longer and longer. Still need to try the teensy m8 build and your webmidi sequencer. Oh yeah, need to try out the full blokas labs pisound build of modep with a guitar to see if it sounds any better than when you compared it to Zoom MS-100bt.

[@mr_floydst]

Thank you, Ted. I think today's "project" is done really quickly, as all you need to do is unzip that synth onto an SD card - it will turn your barebones PI into a DX7 no questions asked. All you need to do is to connect a MIDI controller that can send program change messages. By default, sound will come out of the 3.5mm jack. The LCD and other stuff I showed here is entirely optional.

[@aardiie]

Yer such a Tinkerer eh lol well done, bit of a mess but results speak for themselves .... Thank You

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for watching! Yeah, using a breadboard always looks a bit shoddy. Advantage is you can reuse the parts later.

[@paoloramacciotti3532]

Hello Floyd, what an enticing DIY project: kudos! I have built a Zynthian in the past, and already know how surprisingly poweful a Pi4 core can be at generating software synthesis. This idea of yours of a mini-TX polytimbral DX7/Dexed is just brilliant. Since I am considering building one myself, could you please point at a suitable external case that fits all the components listed in your video? Thanks, and keep up with similar ingenious projects!

[@mr_floydst]

Hello Paolo, thanks for your kind words! This is not my project, though, I'm just showing it off / explaining were to get it and how to use it. Credit has to go to @probonopd (and countless other open source developers that created the software he combined to make this possible) But yeah, micro computer content will be a mainstay of this channel, there's certainly more to come. :-)

[@GeorgeKer]

Why haven't subscribed for years?!

[@eboblin]

Would be glad to see this as ready-made tiny box. Maybe as one extension board, norns-style. Have you considered this possibility? I think this should be a hit, tiny multitimbral synth!

[@mr_floydst]

This project has so much potential as everyone has a RasPi somewhere in a drawer. And yes, if you own a 3D printer, you could easily turn this into a nice looking box. WIth the PI Zero-2, you could also tuck it into a MIDI hardware controller and create your own hardware synth. :-)

[@elusivemite]

@@mr_floydst that's my plan. Though il keep the pi mounted behind the controller out of sight in a case and add the screen and encoder to the controller.

[@Solidsoundfx]

Super dope , I’m going to build this. I just got a dx 7 and totally restored it, I love it. Btw what is the purpose of that Yamaha thing there ?

[@mr_floydst]

Thank you very much! That's a QY70, a battery powered sequencer. I used it to play back an 8 bar pattern & drums in the jam at the end of the video.

[@Solidsoundfx]

@@mr_floydst is it polyphonic? I can look it up tho 😉 but keeping the conversation going is cool 2

[@Solidsoundfx]

Super cool video , ist the first one i see from you ! Thx

[@mr_floydst]

@@Solidsoundfx Haha, of course. But you can also watch my video on the QY100, which is the same thing but with an additional audio input: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aITOY5aJmq18hJI To answer your question: Yes, it is. And it's got a super awesome feature dubbed "chord tracks" - you can create patterns as usual but you also specifiy the key they're in, and the QY series can than "hot swap" your pattern into another chord / key. I've never seen this on any other device and it was one of those "aha!" moments.

[@Solidsoundfx]

@@mr_floydst excellent !! Inwas looking for a good standalone smal polyphonic sequencer for my dx 7 and prophet 5 . But this thing can do so much more . Thx for the info anni will look at your video . Thx again

[@thefumigator]

Amazing, simply amazing sound. But hey, I can't believe how well you play the key2, I couldnt even play on regular Keys. The drums are from the yamaha? Or are you using it as a sequencer? It's amazing

[@mr_floydst]

Thank you very much! The drums are indeed from the sequencer I used, not from the MiniDexed.

[@SteveJones172pilot]

This is amazing.. I have had a DX7 since '85 when I bought it new, but now I need to build this!! One question - What was making the drum sounds in your video? The DX7 isn't particularly good at drums. I assume these were built into your sequencer? Also.. did you know there's a similar project for the MT32?

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for watching! Yes, the drums sounds are from the sequencer I used. (though there _are_ some great sounding drum patches out there for the DX7 - they just were not that useable on a synth that's not polyphonic) I know of that MT32 project. Perhaps another thing to make a video about.

[@ukaszponka2880]

Floyd, where you catch up to talk and donate future of this project? I have some suggestions that need to be discussed since I don't know the power of Rasp, but if you clear my doubts, I'd be happy to drop by Pay Pall.

[@mr_floydst]

Hi Lukasz, pardon, do I understand it correctly you need help with a specific problem? Best is to post your question here so everyone can participate / benefit from the answers.

[@elnugget5309]

Woow this is nice!! How many voices does it have pear sound module? Really looking forward to make this project

[@mr_floydst]

Hi, thanks for watching! You get a full DX7 per module (16 voices).

[@PhongLeTranDK]

Hi Mr. Floyd. Thanks for a great video! Do you have any solution for a slighty distorting sound? i am using raspiaudio ultra+ HAT on a Pi Z 2

[@mr_floydst]

What kind of distortion is that? More the "overdrive" distortion (output signal too hot) or a digital distortion (stutters, weird noises)? In the first case, check the output level. You can do that in one of the submenus. In the second case, check the amount of synths in the config file. Pi Zero 2 can't run 8 synths simultaneously if I remember correctly, please reduce the number to 1 and test again and then slowly go higher.

[@PhongLeTranDK]

Thanks for the reply Mr. Floyd, much appreciated! Yeah thats precisely it, signal is too hot… i tried lowering output level in submenu’s, and that didnt do the trick. but I will def try lowering the amount og synths as first thing…will get back.

[@PhongLeTranDK]

@@mr_floydst So i tried ToneGenerators=1 Polyphony=8 and 16, and unfortunately it did not do the trick..sounds are guite amazing otherwise, just not very useful when the general output is slighty saturated..I don't have any ideas what to do about this :(

[@PhongLeTranDK]

I found another solution, i replaced the ultra+ with a V3. Now the output is clean and i am quite happy about this thing 🎉

[@JulianToler]

Great walk through. I must try to build this myself. Your QY70 looks like it has a backlit display - is this just an artefact of your lighting setup or have you added a backlight to your QY70??

[@mr_floydst]

Thank you! That's just the reflection of my studio lights, unfortunately. Would love to have a backlit LCD on this.

[@deddiboy75]

hi Floyd. Great video- thank you! What's the latency setting on this? How low can you take it before crackling?

[@mr_floydst]

Hello, thanks for watching! I didn't measure it, but due to the fact this project just skips the operating system altogether, my impression was there's no latency to speak of. Just try it yourself, it's installed within seconds, it's just a matter of copying those files to an SD card.

[@Death_By_Media]

Can you edit the synth parts with Dexed or use it for offline patch creation ? Not sure how that could ( if it does ) work with the multi-part architecture , But hope it does because a Yamaha TX synth with the equivalent of an alpha dial sounds like menu diving purgatory .

[@mr_floydst]

You can. In the DEXED VST, it's relatively easy, and here, it's possible, but maybe a bit slow as you have to click your way through a lot of sub-sub-submenus. But it's really easy to understand.

[@Death_By_Media]

@@mr_floydst Awesome.

[@Death_By_Media]

Now hopefully someone will make a similar project for OBXd . One of my favorite freewarez and probably the only way I’m going to have an oberheim type synth in hardware anytime soon .

[@zachbognar4494]

Great video! Is there a wiring diagram out there somewhere? I have everything ready to go but don’t know what wires go where.

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for watching! The wiring diagram is on the same page you can download the software from. I talk about it in the beginning of this video.

[@zachbognar4494]

I guess I meant header positions. I look at the wiring diagram and I am completely lost. Thanks for replying to me so fast.

[@MagnusWedmark]

Thanks for the Video, great content and great sound! really showed that off using those Stereo sounds, great work! Would be even greater if it was possible to combine f.e. one core of BareMetal and a single-core Linux installation which could handle a Web-UI. That would make this project so much easier both to build and to handle. Is that even possible? F.e. 1 Core BareMetal+SingleCoreLinux for Pi2-Zero which I have laying around. Another version would be a Pi-PicoW or a ESP32 to handle the web and a BareMetal PiZero-2 for Sound generation.

[@mr_floydst]

Hi, thanks for watching! At the moment, I think this is not possible. Projects that are built like this commonly use an Arduino or Teensy on top of the PI for additional user interfaces / inputs.

[@merlijnduynstee]

The verb sounds like a strymon. Is it? Or are the onboard verbs that good?

[@mr_floydst]

Hi, you're completely correct - that's a reverb pedal. This unit has no onboard effects whatsoever. (I think you can see the pedal at one point in the video)

[@doctormellow]

Shrank!

[@mr_floydst]

Ah, yes, of course! Thank you. Edit: Well, no, I wanted to refer the 80s movie with the title, and it's _shrunk_ . en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey,_I_Shrunk_the_Kids

[@doctormellow]

@@mr_floydst Still wrong though. :-)

[@wobblyman2000]

Can you please provide more information on the PCB and wires etc. Already attached to the bread board? You sort of skipped over this in the video unfortunately

[@mr_floydst]

Hi! The link is in this videos description and in the pinned comment, but here it is once again: amzn.to/3TLG7O9 This is a beginners DIY set with some very well written tutorials. I can't recommend this enough.

[@GrevDrake]

Will it accept a USB-cable with a micro-MIDI-interface? Something like a MIDI IN and MIDI OUT plug on one side and a USB-plug on the other side?

[@mr_floydst]

Hi, thanks for watching! Yes, that will work.

[@ynnebbenny]

Im revisiting this project, but having issues understanding where to get the actual voices from. I think this video is great for whetting peoples appetite, but a tad too fast on the details of setting up and the intricacies. Is it time for an update video? ;)

[@mr_floydst]

Hi, thanks for watching! As this is built on DEXED, you can use any DX7 patch bank you like. It's in the video at ca. 2:40. DX7 patches are all over the net: www.bing.com/search?q=dx7+patches Edit: I might do another video, but in the past, a second video on the same topic always attracted little to no viewers, and these videos are a lot of work. So for my "mental health", talking about new things is better.

[@raulacevedo-esteves9493]

So you are running with just 1gb of RAM, that's impressive. Is there a benefit to use the RBPI4 with 8gb?

[@mr_floydst]

I didn't follow the latest updates, but I think there's no benefit in throwing more RAM at it. In fact, you can go even lower than 1GB because this skips the entire operating system by running directly on hardware.

[@junkbandman]

Really nice project and I think I need to have a go at this and follow the project as it develops, have tinkered with Rasp Pi before, but I'm a bit of a newbie on the hardware side - the one part I'm not following is the display - does it need a separate IIC/I2C interface (there is one mentioned on the linked 1602 display product page? Looks like there is something on the breadboard not mentioned.

[@mr_floydst]

Hi, thanks for watching! No, you just need the basic display and connect the wires according to the table on this project's git hub page. I had the one with the i2c interface in my collection so I used that one (wiring as decribed in the doc still works the same regardless of the presence of that interface)

[@junkbandman]

@@mr_floydst Thanks for the response, much appreciated. Definitely giving this a go.

[@straighttalk2069]

This would be even better if it utilized the official Raspberry Pi 7inch touchscreen instead of the rotary encoder and 16x2 LCD.

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for watching! It's open source, so you theoretically could do that yourself. (Or join the discussion on github.com/probonopd/MiniDexed)

[@straighttalk2069]

@@mr_floydst Thanks Floyd. I'm seriously considering this (even though I've just purchased the Korg Volca FM2 a few days ago) because I own two Raspberry Pi 3B+'s DAC's and official Raspberry Pi 7inch capacitive touch screens. I bought the Pi's with the intention of porting my midi sequencer that I wrote for Mac OS to the Raspbery Pi but moving from Objective C to C++ and JUCE is very time consuming.

[@straighttalk2069]

@@mr_floydst Hi Floyd, that github link didn't work for me. I did manage to find probonopd via a search and in the discussions area, I found this answer, to someone asking about using another display. "Graphical displays would be nice, but would also be a fairly significant piece of reworking of the UI everything currently assumes it is driving a "text" output supported by the circle environment." I think it would be much easier if I just ran Dexed for linux LV on the Pi OS.

[@kristersaurus]

Could you give us some details on the off-screen connections? Are you taking the nano keys to a usb to midi converter and then to the qy70? Is the 3.5mm output on the pi going to your pc? Thanks for the great video

[@mr_floydst]

Thanks for watching! Ah, I always assume everyone watched my previous videos when in fact that's rather rare, haha. :-) In the demo, the Nanokey is connected to a USB MIDI host built by Hobbytronics in UK, which sadly is out of production. MIDI out of that host goes into MIDI in of the QY70 (a pocketable battery powered 16 track sequencer which serves as a "MIDI mixer" here and that also plays back an 8 measure chord, bass and drum pattern) MIDI out of the QY70 is connected to the MINIDexed, which is playing the pads, bass and EP. All of this is recorded on a ZOOM R20 multitracker.

[@dolvaran]

I saw that! Sneakily adding a QY70 to your collection without telling anyone! Any particular reason why you didn't use the QY100, or was it just because you could?

[@mr_floydst]

Hi! For the sake of this channel, I'm constantly buying and selling stuff, and after publishing the QY100 video, some viewers brought to my attention the QY70 is the same thing but without the audio input, and it's smaller. As I don't need the audio input, I sold the QY100 and found a QY70 for a very good price. Lucky me! :-)

[@gumse666]

Is there a possibility to connect a digital audio output to this project. S/PDIF , Toslink ?

[@mr_floydst]

Hi, thanks for watching! I didn't test it myself, but please search for "I2S to Spdif TERADAK". That should be what you're looking for.

[@Jason75913]

Tempting, but I would hate to be stuck with one control and a two-line screen for editing. Might the devs later implement a capability for a touchscreen and multiple encoders?

[@mr_floydst]

Hello, thanks for watching! They're working on MIDI CC support at the moment according to their github page (please visit that to join the discussion). There's also MicroDexed, a similar project for the Teensy microcomputer: github.com/dcoredump/MicroDexed They're working on what you are asking for, but due to the lesser CPU on that board, you will get 2 "DX7s" max.

[@wimlenthevan5908]

Deer Floyd, do you think a Raspberry Pi 3 with 1mega will do?

[@mr_floydst]

Hello Wim, yes, of course. That's what I used in this video.

[@wimlenthevan5908]

@@mr_floydst ah thanx!!👍😂

[@chicken_flavoured_bacon3230]

this is amazing.. wold it work on a raspberry pi 2? or would I need to change some of the code..

[@mr_floydst]

It will work, but you will get only one "DX7" instead of 8.

[@09427560]

@@mr_floydst Actually Pi 2 should do all 8. Pi 1 and Zero do only 1.

[@mr_floydst]

@@09427560 ah, right. thanks for pointing that out.

[@chicken_flavoured_bacon3230]

@@09427560 thank you, will try

[@chicken_flavoured_bacon3230]

@@mr_floydst thanks, again this is really cool man, good job

[@DutchBigEd]

Just a small question: When using a raspberry pi4b plus the Audio hat for this project, is there any knowledge about whet current this setup will draw from the 5 volt usb-c supply ?

[@mr_floydst]

Hi, thanks for watching! I'm sorry but I never checked in on that. All I can say is you can run this project on a typical power bank for days. I'll try to check power consumption some time, but perhaps other viewers can share their knowledge here?

[@DutchBigEd]

Thank you for your prompt answers 😃👍🏻 Hope someone else can answer this? From the datasheet of the pi4 I know that the pi needs at least a 2.5 amps power supply but since your projects run from a bare metal pi, I guess the power consumption might be far less?

[@DutchBigEd]

I have a preliminary setup and the power consumption is about 370mA @ 5 volt. kzbin.info/www/bejne/m4euaYOcgcx7rcU

[@DirkArnez]

May i ask how is the latency (between playing a note and the sound coming out) of this?

[@mr_floydst]

I haven't measured it, but it's "practically nonexistent". There is no operating system and no audio subsystem, only the firmware interacting with the hardware.

[@lopezmontequila]

Hello! Can we use HIFIBERRY DIGI+ instead of PCM 5122?

[@mr_floydst]

Hi! Please look at the project's git hub page. They have list of supported chips.

[@elijahlucian]

any way to control things with OSC instead of a hardware knob?

[@mr_floydst]

Yes, that's possible. Please take a look at the project's homepage for more details!

[@Jackmotif]

Do you have this whole project, the "mini" TX816 ready to buy? Where can I buy? Send to Brazil?

[@mr_floydst]

Hello, thanks for watching! I'm afraid I can't do that. This is not a commercial project and _if_ someone would have the right so sell this, then the project's creator, @probonopd. You can reach him here: github.com/probonopd/MiniDexed

[@MrBeen992]

Is Mini dexed code equivalent to "Full" dexed ? Do they sound the same ? Btw those QY100 are so useful ! A band in a box. I wish Ive purchased one.

[@mr_floydst]

Hi, thanks for watching! Yes, it is. It's a full port and you can load original DX7 patches. I agree on the QY series, it's so useful! And it has some astounding features I haven't seen anywhere else. I wish they made a new model.

[@MrBeen992]

@@mr_floydst Thanks, I will try it. Yes, Yamaha definetely has to do a new version of the QY100