BP Synth (Black Pill Synth)

I haven’t seen many synth projects using the Black (or Blue) Pill board, but this one looks interesting. Has anyone given it a try? I was wondering if one can save patches or map the parameters to a MIDI controller using the synth’s GUI.

If it understands CC messages then its a perfect candidate for one of my MIDI controllers where the controller stores the patches by name and just sends CC messages to the synth and passes on all notes etc.

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Do you have a standalone version of this anywhere? I was just looking for one.

I don’t have a standalone version as such as each is tailored to the synth it controls, but if you took the Poly 61 editor then that would be a good base and cheap to build.

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Thanks, I’ll check that one out

No problem, I would just say that it doesn’t need that 3.3v regulator circuit using the LM317T, the esp32 has enough 3.3v power output to support the design.

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Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t find the download of the code or midi CC details. It seems to have about 40 rotary controls and 10 buttons or so. Easily covered by upto 8 mcp23017 chips and a Teensy 4.1 or ESP32. I watched the videos on his GUI to get a feel for things, maybe it’s just me being silly but I thought why not use 0.96” 128*32 OLED displays for options like modwheel routing information. A simple button next to the display changes the routing and updates the display. Upto 8 displays attached on an 8 way i2c mux similar to how the XVA1 synth editor works, so on patch recall each display would be updated with the correct filter type, routing etc.

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Kinda off topic but since you mentioned the 0.96” 128x32 OLEDs I recently found that a 2.23” 128x32 OLED and a 1.54” 128x64 OLED should both fit in a 1U front panel. Might be useful for those of us with older eyes. :slight_smile:

(iirc they use SSD1305 drivers)

Oh, and the files for the BP Synth are linked in the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JttEPK7bwHw

Files can be found at

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bqjaeJ6gewC67N-3Oe65PlxxNieLI0Tk/view

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1n2XfGjbSSe4Vy9_zRFdDweYG-hGERByX/view

(I haven’t checked them beyond that they exist)

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My idea so far is to buy a second hand CME UF5 because it’s black and 4 octaves, then build the BP synth and a controller into the chassis as a complete mono synth using the small displays where info is needed on recall, but still maintaining a large display for editing and parameters etc.

I would throw away the actual UF5 controls from the panel and use the available space for the editor controls and program storage.

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I’ve just bought a cheap Axiom 2 octave full size keys midi controller and it was cheap enough for me to throw it away if it all goes terribly wrong, but I intend to build the BP Synth and a controller with memories into the case.

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Yeah, thats gonna be bigger than the keyboard

That’s awesome.

And silly.

I want one! :smiley:

Good news, the M Audio Axiom 25 arrived today, a bit later because of Russians destroying most of our delivery company warehouses, but it got here, I just took it apart expecting one big PCB with everything combined, but I’m pleasantly surprised, the encoders, display, pads, modwheels are all on separate boards going to a main midi board in the base of the unit, so this means that all the parts can be removed easily and replaced with my own editor and I can use the screen location for mysin screen.

And a bonus, it has aftertouch which most modern cheap controllers dont have.

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