Category: Announcements

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WaveBoy 0.63 Firmware Released!

0.63 is now available!

For this version I spent a good deal of time improving the pitch tracking, particularly for the Sampler. There can still be issues when using samples with a higher sampling rate but it is still much improved. Also added is an ability to save metadata of samples as well as a new note-transpose in the sample edit menu. The transpose feature is actually part of the core WaveBoy pitch tracking such that other modules will soon have this option as well. There were some bugs squashed as well, notably when using the Delay where sometimes it wouldn’t actually delay immediately.

While trying to improve the pitch tracking, I started going down the route of looking to see if using DMA operations can offer improvements. One thing I don’t like is the detune feature in Wave mode can sometimes be inconsistent. It does seem improved, although I decided to save this for 0.64 as implementing DMA for all modes will require some refactoring and will result in a somewhat large change. It also has limits at the higher pitches and, I think, this is because detune needs to update both DAC channels in very rapid succession and I think it’s pushing the limits of the update-rate of the DAC. It’s not so much the total throughput, it’s the timing.

Fixing that will require a hardware change, which at present is not an option, though if a compatible ItsyBitsy module comes out that offers a faster DAC, we will evaluate it. Otherwise it may be a hardware change for the WaveBoy Advance we occasionally tease. That, itself, will be after another project we haven’t said too much about, the Turbowave ’88. We have been asked if there will ever be a multi-channel version of the WaveBoy, and the TW ’88 is what I came up with. We’ll have more on that at some point though we still have numerous features to get to with the current version of WaveBoy and that is still our focus! Also before we look at WaveBoy Advance, we might look at a WaveBoy Micro. The WBM will require fewer changes and is really a performance-oriented option in a smaller HP but without an OLED screen.

And while teasing things, we are still working on our internal Eurorack power solutions and our take on a balance line to/from Eurorack solution too! Lots to keep an eye out for.

But for now, enjoy the new firmware and Happy Synthing!

– Tim

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WaveBoy 0.59 Firmware Released!

Yes I know it’s only been a few days since I released 0.58. I hit my 0.59 goals faster than I expected (though I’ve been rather hard at work at it). This version builds on the foundation of 0.58 which is another reason it was easy to add the wanted features. In brief, the features and changes are:

  • Realtime Bit/Sample Crusher and Envelope Follower,
  • Improved V/Oct Performance
  • Attenuation for LFO and Follower
  • New Volume Attenuation Mode
  • Improved Knob Ramps

This release itself is a good foundation for what I want to do in 0.60, which is to expand the Envelope Follower a bit. I would like it to support internal audio as an option with being able to route the output either to the Step or Audio outputs. This simple routing enables being able to use other things with the follower. You can run the follower with external audio on CV with the envelope on the audio out while using the LFO on the step output, for example. Or you can use the realtime bitcrusher on the main audio and have the follower operate on the incoming audio and sending the envelope out the Step.

This is technically easy enough to do without making many internal changes. It’s handling the UI behavior in a way that is sensible which will take some thought and why I decided to release 0.59 since things seem to be in a good place.

And yes, I promise, I will get back to the feature that is the WaveBoy’s namesake (the Wave mode). The above features were ones I was getting requests for, including from my band-mate.

You can find more details on the features and changes in the manual.

If you want to pick up a WaveBoy, we have both the assembled and kit versions available!

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WaveBoy 0.58 Firmware Released!

While I didn’t quite get all the features I wanted, given some of the refactoring, I felt like it was a good time to cut a release. The changes include:

  • Sample Streaming from SD (no more 64k limit)
  • Sample-Rate Reducer (“Skips”)
  • Free-running LFO Step Mode, with optional Gate/CV control

There have also been some internal changes and a few potential compatibility changes, though these should be minor. The Wave mode no longer has alt-audio configuration options. Instead those have been moved to a new Step output menu (which is also where the LFO can be enabled and configured).

The sample metadata files now have an additional Skip setting. This will automatically get added to the files on save for existing patch sets.

I am already beginning work on 0.59. I would like to start work on the realtime audio tests, which include a real-time bit/sample-crusher and an envelope follower. So stay tuned for those!

Until then, Happy Synthing!

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What to expect in the WaveBoy 0.58 firmware

I’ve been working quite a bit on getting enough materials in hand for both the DIY and Production editions of WaveBoy and this has caused the firmware to take a bit of a back seat. I recently started working on a number of things for the next firmware release (0.58) and thought I might go through some of these. Of note there isn’t any guarantees all of these might make it in though that is generally the plan.

Streaming Samples

Something I have been wanting to work on for quite some time is to see if I can stream samples directly off the SD card in “realtime.” I recently gave this a go, initially using a naive implementation. This worked most of the time, but not all of the time. This is because reading just a few bytes off the SD card is usually fast, but when it’s not, it’s slow enough to where updates to the DAC get missed and this causes artifacts.

You can see in the above that weird slope in the middle. That’s not supposed to be there. The beauty of the simple solution is that loops were easy to manage. But it’s not really a solution if it doesn’t sound and work the way I want. Another limitation was the sample rate could not go as high as with the previous solution.

So plan B has been to use a simple set of 512-byte buffers where one is being read while the other is being written. This seems to work very very well. Not only can I play files of several megabytes in size without any discernible artifacts, I can also support higher pitches similar to the original solution. All while taking up far far less SRAM (which is fairly precious).

The one big issue at present is looping is now more difficult to implement, but certainly doable. The looping will end up being moved to the buffer routine such that the read-routine that sends data to the DAC can remain simple. I not sure if 0.58 will have looping functions or not. That would be a regression from how things are today but only until I sort out how to do at least forward loops.

LFOs

My band-mate has been wanting more modulation options for his guitar-centric Eurorack. While he’s been trying to figure out what LFOs to get, I realized it wouldn’t take too much work to setup an LFO mode on the Step output and would like to have at least a basic LFO in 0.58 (even if it’s just a triangle).

Envelope Follower and Realtime Bitcrushing

Another thing my band-mate’s been trying to sort out is an envelope follower. Specifically an asymetric one (where the up and down slopes can be independent). This, I think, is doable by using the CV input (since it’s bipolar) as a sample source and then output the enveloped on the Step out (which at some point I’ll probably rename to simply “Aux” or something similar).

But if I can do that, I can also do realtime bitcrushing. I find the Sampler’s crunch is really fun and the variable rate DAC seems like a great solution for adding an interesting flavor of bit-crush and sample reduction. As with the follower, the audio would be sampled via the CV in, mangled, and then sent out probably the main audio out.

What’s Not Making It

Folks may notice something glaring lacking from this release. The Generators feature, which allows for generating full Wave patches (all 16 frames) using Manipulators and/or algorithms. This is coming! But the above features I thought were a bit more in reach and I really wanted to improve the sampler. Yes, this is partly selfish since I tend to use one of my own WaveBoy’s as a sampler to augment drums among other things. The 12-bit variable clocked DAC gives it a nice LinnDrum-like sound that I really like.

Also a sequencer/tracker is something I’d like to do. The Sampler updates help realize this by freeing up more RAM for things like pattern storage. Of note this is not a near term feature necessarily (in part due to needing to figure out how to work with the limited size of the display as well as its overhead in updating the display).

I’m not sure when 0.58 will come out but I’m actively working it! That’s all for now! Of note both the DIY and Production versions of WaveBoy are now available for purchase if you want to pick one up!

For now, Happy Synthing!

Tim

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Angled Stands For the Akai MPC One

Folks that follow my band may recall we are experimenting with going DAWless. Or I guess in the case of the MPC One more like PC-less since it is sort of DAW-like in places. At any rate I recently picked up a used MPC One to see what all the fuss is about. While I don’t use it much for Sampling, oddly (I use the WaveBoy for that, of course) it’s been fantastic as a MIDI and CV hub of sorts. I do quite like it, even with the bugs (of which there are many).

One downside of the One over the other MPC options is that it sits flat on the table by default. That makes the screen a tad harder to see but in my case it was also running into one of my computer monitor stands. When I’m using the one, I’m often not using the computer, but it was making my desk a bit cramped. So, over the weekend I decided to design some simple stands to lift the MPC up a bit and angle it forward.

And this is what I came up with! I’m super happy with how these turned out. So much so that I thought others might like these as well, and have now added these to our store. I rather like the frosted clear shown above, but I will offer the stands in other colors as well.

These are made using PETG plastic with a 0.8mm nozzle. The PETG is for a bit more durability and so the sides can have a nice textured finish on them since PETG works very well with textured print beds. The 0.8mm nozzle is for strength, but also helps add clarity to the transluscent color options. The stands also come with optional threaded rods and nuts to secure the sleds together. This is optional but can be helpful when wanting to move the MPC around as it keeps everything together. Finally they are laser cut adhesive cork along the bottom to prevent scratching and add a bit of grip.

I love my own stands and hopefully other folks find these useful as well! As always, if folks have any questions about these, or any of our other products, don’t hesitate to reach out.

– Tim

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WaveBoy 0.53 Firmware

I spent a good chunk of the Holiday break working on a new feature for WaveBoy I’m rather excited about – internal volume envelopes! These plus some bugfixes and feature tweaks are available on the newest firmware. Head over to the WaveBoy manual for more information and to take it for a spin!

Folks may have noticed the WaveBoy is currently out of stock. I am working on the production version and hope to have it at least available for pre-order very soon. I am not yet sure if it will be available only as a kit or if we will also have fully built and tested versions available.

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WaveBoy: Sampler CV

I don’t yet have a video demo of it. Partly because the UI could stand to provide more info and partly because I haven’t gotten to it yet; but I implemented the sample banks sort of idea for the WaveBoy Sampler I was toying with.

Each patch is now a collection of 16 samples. Just like with the Wave mode, you select which sample you want via the CV input. The menu then lets you select from different patches (each with their own 16 samples).

Samples are still 8-bit and up to 64k. The sample rate doesn’t really matter or is to taste based on the fidelity and sample length you want. Reading off the SD card seems fast enough to play samples of arbitrary length but I’m not yet sure if I should actually implement that. The limitation is kinda part of the game (noting for my DreamTracker program on the X16, samples are limited to 8k).

Still to do is adding meta-data (sample names, desired looping perhaps, sample-rate multiplier, etc.) and better nav of the patches but the foundational parts of the feature are there and I’ve already been able to jam out to some drums with it.

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WaveBoy: Now With a Sampler!

A sample player I suppose is more apt. This is just the initial minimum setup but it works! It uses the same approach as the Wave mode in that it uses a variable clock to the DAC to control the pitch and sample rate. This gives it a more unique sound with, yep, some intentional aliasing. The samples are 8-bit unsigned raw PCMs and can be up to 64k in length though I may be able to get well past that limit by using a buffer and reading off the SD card. I didn’t do that here since I wasn’t sure if it could properly keep up (it seems like it can).

https://youtube.com/shorts/RJeNhp6cbwE

I have some ideas on what I can do to make things more interesting though. For instance, I could use the CV input to control to change samples, I could add looping and ping-pong options, etc.

Curious what folks think and if you have any suggestions! This is sort of a bonus feature – the main purpose of WaveBoy is, well, the Waves! But since there’s plenty of space and horsepower on the microcontroller, I’ve been wanting to try my take on a lo-fi sample player and here it is!

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Panel and Screen Options for WaveBoy

I’ve been trying various screen, knob, and panel combinations for WaveBoy and will probably settle on the options seen here:

The two panel options I am looking at for the 3D printed panels are purple on white, white on purple. I may also offer black on white and white on black though I find those don’t pop quite as much and I plan on keeping at least a small inventory of panels due to the multi-color printing process I have to use. The tune knob options will be purple or grey and I’m sticking with rubbery black knobs for the top encoders for now. The OLED displays will be offered in white or the yellow/cyan. I find the white looks more aesthetically pleasing, but the yellow/cyan is easier to read.

I’m also still looking at FR4 and aluminum panels. So far those have been cost prohibitive for what I want though I am still evaluating options. If I do there’s a chance they won’t be available in the same colors as the 3D printed panels Folks may have also noticed I now have a documentation portal linked off our main website. The direct link is https://waveboy.bitbybitsynths.com.

All that to say, if indirectly, I am getting close to having at least a small number of WaveBoys available for purchase for early adopters. I may also set aside a few of these for some beta testing and might be looking for beta testers. There are still some features I want to work towards and a few bugs to sort out but it’s very usable already, both for its original purpose of the 4-bit wavetable stuff, as well as the noise algorithms. I have used both in my band with success.

If you’re interested in picking one of these up, I’d love to hear from you! You can use the contact form or send me a ping on our Instagram (@bitbybitsynths)!

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Introducing Acrylic Options!

And the return of birch! I finally found a supplier that provides Finnish birch. Previously I was only able to find Russian birch. And look I’m not saying there aren’t good people in Russia, perhaps that make fantastic birch plywood. I just don’t feel right about possibly doing anything that might help Russia do what they’re currently doing. And I’ll leave it at that. Fortunately, after over a year there is now an alternative so expect birch to come back as an alternative to MDF for most of the cases. And of course I will continue my Hardwood Editions for folks that want a premium hardwood case.

But for now, let’s talk about acrylic!

Meet the Skiffy 42 Acrylic Edition! This was made using recycled frosted acrylic and Starry Night for the plastics (my favorite color). I’m super excited about these and honestly I’m not quite sure why I waited so long to try making an acrylic case. Folks have been asking for them. Part of the issue was finding a good supplier but I also wanted to focus on having more case designs too. Or at least that’s my excuse 🙂

Acrylic is more expensive than MDF or Birch. It sits in between Birch and the hardwoods and this is reflective in the cost. But it is quite a stunning look! I do plan on offering more colors. I think translucent red acrylic panels with black plastics would look really awesome for instance! So expect more options to follow soon!

For now the Skiffy 16 and Skiffy 42 are available as Acrylic Editions but I hope to offer most of my cases in acrylic. The X-series, since it is meant to stack, will require some additional testing but I think all the Skiffy designs should be pretty well good to go. If you had a case in mind you wanted that isn’t available in acrylic yet, just let me know!