PLAN B analog blog

Milton news, opus (insert big number here):

First off, the computer conversion process is going really well. 
We've settled on the powerful Amtel AT89C2051 Microcontroller 
to do this job.  Far better (and at 11MhZ,  faster) than a PIC or 
Microcomputer as a Microcontroller has it's own on-chip flash 
RAM.

Secondly, we've added a manual step advance feature - 
somehting that was long overdue before.  When one manually 
depresses the halt button - every depression of that control after 
that will advance the sequencer to the next step, L to R.  Once the 
sequencer is told to begin again, via a dpression of the RUN 
button or through tht euse of an external trigger - then the HALT 
button wil return to it's 'normal' mode - touching it at that point will 
merely step the seuencer from advancing.

Third , while previously I've mentioned the Schmilton expander., 
now that I'm in the heavy development stage, I realized I was 
painting Milton into a corner in regard to real estate.  

First  the problem:

The Main Milton unit is big - about 60 HP wide.  It may get a bit 
shorter, but not much as I am not willing to comprimise features 
for real estate.  OK, that's cool...but what happens when one 
elects to get another 8 step via the expander?  Where will that 
go?  Can't fit in the same 84 HP row...so it'll have to go on 
another one, probably directly under the host unit. OK, that's 
fine...but how do I get the internal ribbon cable form one rack to 
another.  No problem if one have a ^RU chassis, but how about 
those with only a single?  Secondly, what happens when you VC 
direction and really need to see what your control voltage is 
doing?  How easy wil lit be to clearly formulate it's effect when 
the LEDs are broken into two rows?  The answer is obvious:  not 
so easy.

The Solution:

I tossed around having four step expanders instead ogf eight - 
that wil fit on a single row, but i think it's lame to expand for only 
four steps.

So, I've made a decision that I hope many of you wil go ga-ga- 
over:

 There will be two initial Milton releases:  a small 4 bank x eight 
step (as shown on the EAR Group site) and.... 

...A 4 bank by 16 step version, a Venti Milton or sorts.  

It'll be quite possibly the first 84 HP wide module ever created in 
Euroracjk format.  The only sacrafice is the pot spacing in the 
matrix will be paired down 5 tenth of an inch to .7 inch centers.  
However, given that I've already made the decision to use the 
narrower knobs on the banks pots (the same used on the VCO 
fine tune), so this new matrix width is as functional 
bithergonomically as it is creatively -  even for those among us 
fitted with Gorilla-sized digits.

Other upsides - the $$ for the 16 stepper will run less than if 
someone wanted a a smaller one (call it thE GRANDE) with an 
Expander.  You see, the pots are going to be board mounted - 
there is a separate board which lies parallel to the faceplate 
which holds all the bank pots and pulse bank switches.  The 16 
step version will simply be fitted with two of these, on after 
another on a common faceplate.  They wlll both run off the same 
engine. 

Keep your eyes here for more updates.  There will be a 
rendering of the Venti MItlon on the EAR site in a few hours.

- P