janzen@pipa.DEC (Thomas E. J. LMO4/B5 279-5421 ECL Test) (07/11/85)
Re: building an all-purpose digital synthesis system. Off course, this has been attempted by companies with money. The question is, can a hobbiest do it? I have also considered a 29116-based system, or a 10900 MCA ECL ALU - based design. I also conclude that the software (without a top notch development system) is impossible for one person to write in one lifetime. The fast RAMS and logic is hard to get and expensive, as well. I can imagine using a PDP11 to get MACRO-11 modules that can be recompiled to microcode on a PDP11 emulator, but that cross-assembler has to be written. This is the reason I started getting PAiA modules (also because I had planned to since 1976); partly because I'm more interested in live music processing, on stage, than in storing a archive of studio work on tape. However, I am starting to build delay. It will work differently from most commercial digital delays, because the clock rate won't change (this is better DSP practice), but it won't do much. Anyway, It may be reasonable to build a bus-oriented parallel system, starting with only one module. All the modules would be the same, with different addresses on the bus. The module would have a bunch of RAM (not so fast), a multiplier, and maybe a sequencer, not an ALU, or whatever it takes to sequence through the RAM. Also, a DAC and an ADC. That's for next year. Tom Janzen DEC never heard of me Marlboro MA Posted: Thu 11-Jul-1985 08:51 EST To: @SYNTH