God damnit.
Where do you guys find the time to write all these essays?
If you wanna touch at least base one of this project, you need to get to work.
I know from all the emails that I've got that out of 8000 SSL 4/6/8K users there are 7999 different work flows.
To port/emulate the old system and at the same time modernize it is gonna end up with hardware 10 times the cost of the actual console.
Ok. This is the decisions I came to:
Mandatory- Make it work
- Keep cost down
- Clean linear VCA CV voltage
Very important for clean audio.
Not important- Where the data is stored
SD card, disk, DAW, internet. Whatever.
DAW seems to be a high demand:
-It's soooo annoying to actually open up a file in another software on top of the DAW. Takes up to 10-15 seconds... sigh.
DAW control can be nice of course. Familiar edit work flow with automation data is one thing
But, DAW storage has drawbacks.
- Can't do different layers (versions) of mixes. Not in a simple way.
- No offset control. There's no way to determine when the DAW sends it's data.
- DAW can't do snapshots in a sufficient way.
- HUI is a big mess: 32 channels max. Shuffle a channel and everything will mess up.
- SMPTE
For analog support - a SMPTE -> MTC converter is waaay cheaper than the other way around.
99.99% of the users have DAW only and the SMPTE gen/reader is gonna be obsolete and very costly. - Original keyboard
Well, I speak for myself but .. if I wanna type hieroglyphs on a keyboard I go to social media.
When I mix on the other hand, I keep my hands on the faders.
A good design means NO keyboard inputs.
Keyboard is good for typing filenames. And that happens once or twice a day. Buy a wireless keyboard. If it breaks, buy a new one.
- Video switcher
!!! Sure, let's put in Space Invaders and Pong and you can switch between these as well - Transport
Cool feature. Nothing more.
Buy a wireless transport unit for your DAW. Case closed.
And hey! Please, I don't try to be rude or anything. But, the extensive list you've made is way to ambitious.
Try to find 1/10 of features you agree on and make it work, do some actual mixing with it and add stuff you miss.
And, to return to my hardware and software.I am putting together a better looking prototype as we speak.
It's the same system I use and I think it's ... awesome. The most user friendly work flow I ever worked with.
Though, It seems like people disagree I gladly sell my cards to another developer.
DIY or commercial. I can even sell them without components.
If you know some coding you can make your own software/tunnel to HUI, TCIP,.. or whatever.
I can put together an API library/component for the data.
If you're inte MCUs, you can also design various gadgets for the I2C bus (check further down).
My base system is ready to hack. It built like this:
Main card - fed with +/- 12 VFeatures- HID support - No driver is needed
- 104 channels of 10 bit fader data in/out
- MTC reader built in
I/O- USB 1.1
- 12 x slots for 8 channel bank cards
- I2C port that function as the 13:th slot.
I have a motor fader pack and a Total Recall switcher on this port.
I also have a EMT 140 control unit here.
You can hook up 127 units on this bus. Keyboard, motor faders, transport, time code display, red light, whatever you like - MIDI in
SSL interface cardFeatures & IO- 8 channel 10 bit AD/DA
- 2 LEDs and the status switch.
- Mute control
- CV ref voltages are regulated on this board from the +/-12 V
- Basically everything that's on the original.
Except!!! control of the 9th fader which is used for the master fader.
I never ride it, and the DAC chip I liked had only 8 outputs. So, sue me.
And again. I don't want to come out as pessimistic about the whole idea.
I spent around 2500 hours on it and maybe $40.000 so far.
Though, I'm not very experienced designing analog electronics.
To me, this was a lot of fun. I've really embraced the educating side of the experience.
Buying tons of books - USB specs, PCB layout, power regulating, DSP, ...
I also did a lot of research on motor faders, and that's maybe outside the borders.
On the other side, I haven't started on the software bit of the recall yet.