AmEv's 2011/2012 Physics project

[AmEv]

I signed up for physics this year at school.

One of the projects is to "make something that makes music, and know how to play it". Being the computer modder I am, I thought deep about it.
Not too deep.
(Well, the physical labor was deeper than the mental, but....)
A teaser.
http://ubuntuone.com/p/1FKP/

More to come, including what the mysterious orange-handled tool is.

[Fuganater]

Got enough old cases? :P

[AmEv]

Where do you think I am getting the scrap metal?


Oh, wait. You're talking about in the background.

There's ModCron belly-up, needing, what is it? MoBo #4?
There's my backup computer laying on top of my cube server.
And the two others in my FS thread.
Naw.



Bonus points if anyone can identify what the orange-handled tool is.

[Fuganater]

Crimper?

[AmEv]

Nope.


Well, sort of. It squeezes, but it's not a wire crimper.

[Collinstheclown]

Automatic wire stripper?

[Espie79]

pop rivet gun

[AmEv]

Good call Collins.

[Collinstheclown]

Yes! Bonus point for me!!

As for the project... When can we see more about that dew-dad up there? lol

[AmEv]

You will see it....
Immediately.

http://ubuntuone.com/p/1FdS/

http://ubuntuone.com/p/1FdN/

Whoops, wrong thing.

Please stand by....






http://ubuntuone.com/7LYypBxkTakIdbD2wLZwlF

Ah, that was quick.
Here we go.

On a related note....
http://ubuntuone.com/p/1FdX/

http://ubuntuone.com/p/1Fdc/

[xr4man]

oh man, is that a combination 3.5 and 5.25 inch floppy drive? i love those. until i upgraded to my asus mobo that doesn't have a floppy connector, i used one of those in all the incarnations of my desktop pc. i've got stacks of both types of floppies for it too. my grand prize thati have not found yet is a 8" floppy drive.

[Twigsoffury]

fVGOiSjVwJ0


If you don't do this you sir are not a G33k.

[AmEv]

Eh, no. I just found a stack of ~30 5 1/4" floppies.

Scary thing is, I am using the exact same style drives as in that one video.

[AmEv]

Two things:

I need some sort of controller for the 4 drives I'm using.

And, does somebody happen to have a spare 5 1/4" (or two :P) collecting dust?


Although, this is the (2nd) best floppy music I've seen:
X4SCSGRVAQE

[AmEv]

Well, this (http://www.sparkfun.com/products/10356) seems good.


When's that free day, again? Anyone know?

[Twigsoffury]

Two things:

I need some sort of controller for the 4 drives I'm using.

And, does somebody happen to have a spare 5 1/4" (or two :P) collecting dust?


Although, this is the (2nd) best floppy music I've seen:
X4SCSGRVAQE

You know i just might.

I'll have to look.

[xr4man]

i know i have several 51/4 drives just sitting around not being used. send me a pm with your info and i can ship em out. just cover shipping costs and they're yours.

[AmEv]

Well, thanks to YouTube user Sammy1Am, the programming section of this is DONE!
I know, programming is (ahhahaha) half the fun, but I'm kinda short on time.
https://github.com/SammyIAm/Moppy
http://youtube.com/user/Sammy1Am

xr4man, I'm still interested in those drives if you still have them; I'm just broke right now, and will get to them later.

[TheGreatSatan]

How the hell do they make those drives do that?

[Wordbiker]

How the hell do they make those drives do that?

Jedi powers!

[AmEv]

Stepper motors.


You send rapid signals to them. One "step" forward, one "step" back, repeat.
Makes a unique "bzzzzt" sound.

[AmEv]

Major, MAJOR help/spoilers:
w6tuMn5sPyM

[AmEv]

Well, the arduino is ON ITS WAY!


And I have the PSU mounted!

[AmEv]

I'll just leave this (http://ubuntuone.com/0AJJvIx0UIu0JnhLjlEe5N) here, for your enjoyment....

[AmEv]

Pending payment on the 5.25 drives. Got all 4 3.5" drives working!
Found out the biggest problem is not the teeth in the floppy header, bu ta single wire in the Arduino header.

[AmEv]

Note to self:

Do not stick wrench in live PSU. Fancy fireworks show and weird smell will ensue.

[TLHarrell]

LOL. Yeah. Probably not a good idea.

[AmEv]

Yep.

I just killed a power supply.

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6230/6866634632_ca9b8436a7_b.jpg


The upper heatsink shorted with the common ground.

[Cale_Hagan]

lol...

[AmEv]

I thought the fuse had probably blown.

NOPE.




The full extent of the damage:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7258/6873678110_68290a17a6_b.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7258/7019784417_4ef0d03a0a_b.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7111/6873678586_0995708210_b.jpg

[TLHarrell]

Obviously blown capacitor. Replace.

[AmEv]

Electrolytic capacitor.
And ceramic capacitor.
And resistor.
And copper/solder trace.


Thankfully, I've got a replacement ready.

[TLHarrell]

All easily replaced at a small fraction of the cost of a new PSU, even a cheap one. At least, if you have a cool electronics surplus place nearby...

If all you have is a Radio Shack, go buy a new PSU and keep that one for parts later.

[AmEv]

I've got a replacement ready.

-.-

[AmEv]

Floppy drives came today!

[TLHarrell]

Rad. How many are you ultimately going to have in your orchestra? And when am I going to hear some Equinoxe?

[AmEv]

Success!
TjBbbGUBZto

[AmEv]

I'm live:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/amev7fam

[AmEv]

Teaser pic:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7037/6963316348_a7b4bb6923_b.jpg

[ArgOs]

ha ha ha I'm remember those floppy drives, was needed 11 disk to install the win 3.1

[TLHarrell]

I still have Win3.1 install disks around here somewhere. One of these days I might have to play around with a floppy orchestra too. This one looks like it could use a custom case with some sort of resonator (like an acoustic guitar).

[AmEv]

Personal song selected:

Axel F. It's one several, including my teacher, will recognize. They may not know the name, but I'm pretty sure most will recognize the tone.

[AmEv]

And it is DONE AND BUILT!

It was a HIT at school! People were amazed at the fact that floppy drives are now officially a musical instrument!

Quick thing:


out-18.ogv
Uploading your video. 469 minutes remaining.

[AmEv]

...AAANNNDDD.....

I uploaded an .ogv. I got a grey screen instead.


Help?

[TLHarrell]

I got bit by the urge to goof around with floppy drives too. I managed to find (5) floppy drives that I could scrounge, and one that the case wasn't going to give up (really old HP case, doesn't want to open). I have data cables enough to hook up 4 of them. Need to find a way to power them (probably will wire wrap them). Will post something up when I get sound.

First track to play: Jean Michel Jarre- Equinoxe 4

[TLHarrell]

Have one drive hooked up. Sketch uploaded to my Arduino UNO. Just waiting for (heopefully) the last Java thing to install and we'll be up and running...

[AmEv]

Try this out:
yBX4EYV6tuM

[TLHarrell]

Yeah, I kind of figure I'm gonna need a tracker program since a lot of the stuff I've been trying doesn't use track 1 or 2... or is doing something the drive's won't do. Got two drives hooked up now with far cleaner wiring.

Thanks for the assist on the software side of things. It was getting really frustrating.

[AmEv]

No problem. The weird thing is, you started by doing the exact same procedures as I did.

[TLHarrell]

Do you have a good recommendation for software (WinXP) for splitting and reconfiguring MIDI files? I've got a few files that I really want to get working, but they are obviously not set up for the way the drives work. I will need to split single tracks with multiple notes and will need to move notes to other tracks and/or change the instrument type used.

[AmEv]

Send a request to me via Google Talk to AmEv7Fam at gmail dot com.

I'll teach you MT2.

[TLHarrell]

Coming soon: 7 floppy drives in a custom made case. (Floppy casemodding??) Laser's working on it right now.

[AmEv]

Why don't you start your own thread when you're ready? :)

[TLHarrell]

Will definitely do. This was all your fault. You made me do it.

[AmEv]

:P haha