Discovery done - Somehow I missed the existence of Stoermelder’s VCVRack-packtau and the T7 suite:
https://github.com/stoermelder/vcvrack-packtau
Now to suss out how to detect 2x trs sockets on an arduino being linked together, which should be p’easy, make that a midi message, et voila!! Hardware patch cables! Ooooo… *dribbles*
Oo - and this fork of packtau looks to get it working properly in Rack2… saves me a job!
All up and running & can now repatch cabling via MIDI CC pairs…! #yay
This is a hefty game changer. Shame I wasted yesterday not managing to get it to work, which turned out to be as simple as: T7-CTRL *must* be on the LEFT of T7-MIDI for messages to be passed through.
So, software side sussed… JSON structures - no probs there. Next step: build up a l’il 4 in / 4 out control surface out of scrap!
My plan for the first attempt at hardware is gonna be based loosely around https://forum.arduino.cc/t/detecting-input-pins-connected-to-each-other/20206/3 and just shorting bare pins with jumpers. KISS. Once that works, add a 3.5mm socket tip connection to each pin and buy some patch cables. Question will be loop time per pin across 50% of available pins (only need to check half assuming each pin has a single corresponding partner if shorted. This raises the question of stacking tho.)
…and I reckon, with 55x available input pins, a Teensy4.1 will do the trick _perfectly_ with LOTS of room for expansion…!
Cor… 55x mono sockets for less than £10!! Add in the Teensy & that’s a 55 way patch surface for sub £40. https://www.switchelectronics.co.uk/3-5mm-mono-miniature-jack-socket
I’ll start out with a #raspberrypi #pico as I’ve got 5 of ‘em rattling around in my toolbox already doing nothing… 1x Pico should handle 24 sockets (24x GPIO set to Input, with pull-ups)
Well THAT was easy. Can now safely detect shorted pairs of pins on an RP2040, including stacked pairs (one output to multiple destinations) with no additional hardware required. Now to convert that into MIDI gates and add (buy) some 3.5mm sockets!
#vcvrack #eurorack #virtualcablecontroller #RP2040Pico #RaspberryPiPico
(Ignore the wibbly pin 3 appearing - that’s my fat fingers while clamping a phone tween my thighs, a laptop on my thighs, and wrestling electronics over a metal MacBook whilst trying not to kill anything)
After an hour or two improving the code (shifted from MicroPython to CircuitPython and written WithIntent™ instead of proof-of-concept), IT WORKS… with stackable outputs.
Just need to order me some sockets & cables now!
And the code repo is o'er yonder: https://github.com/PatchworkBoy/VCVRack_CableControl
Sockets arrived… layout / drilling / soldering is in my immediate future!
I intend to scavenge the switches n’ knobs etc back from my (one of many) MuteSynth too whilst I’m at it…
Still looking for a suitable panel for the sockets, but in the meantime… #vcvrack #RaspberryPiPico #midicontroller #circuitpython
