pro made PCBs and kits...need suggestions

[jakeb]

I have been selling kits for admirs edrum setup and have been talking with Dmitri and I will be offering the same thing for the megadrum project very soon. I am about to have some PCBs made and would like to judge what people want.

The plan right now is to have 15 sets of the digital32 board and the analog22 board made.

Can anyone explain the USB connection a bit more? Does the digital32 board have USB on board or does that need another board to work? Does this then connect to usb ext1 ? I see that it has midi in/out so that is good.

I plan to provide raw PCBs, kits, and maybe populated boards, and fully built kits as well. But probally just boards and kits to start.

any suggestions before I order (today) would be great.

[zip1]

Although I haven't got far enough along to build it yet usb USBEXT1 is to the usb singal processing board, USB1.1 is to the the actual USB input connector

[jakeb]

So do you need the usb singal processing board connected to usbext1 to use usb or can you connect directly to usb1.1? is the singal processing board just so the computer knows what you are connecting?

jake

[dmitri]

If you don't connect a USB board to USBExt.1 then USB.1(USB Type B socket) will only provide power to MegaDrum and you will have to use standard MIDI ports for communication.

[jakeb]

ok, that makes sence. Does the MIDI input/output work fine?

Do most people perfer to have usb connection or MIDI connection?

Should I have the optional USB board made as well? I have not priced that out yet. Or would people be fine with making that on a perf board.

Jake

[dmitri]

Standard MIDI In/Out works fine.

I cannot judge for others, but I guess to have a USB MIDI board is desired so that you don't need to mess with midi cables when connecting to a computer.

[Synthex]

Do most people perfer to have usb connection or MIDI connection?
Should I have the optional USB board made as well?

I think we must add the USB interface.
It's one of advantages of this unit.

Synthex's one ?

[zip1]

Many new computer today only have USB, no LPT, no serial, and a limited numbed of slots to add cards to.
Most people don't add additional sound card any more so yo don't have the game ports to add a midi adapter to.
A few of the newer commercial Midi controllers are just starting to add USB ports for this same reason.

Also with no USB, No power to the main board and you would have to add a power supply.

Having a USB is almost a must have thing now days for anything that can connect to a computer.

[Synthex]

I plan to provide raw PCBs, kits, and maybe populated boards, and fully built kits as well. But probally just boards and kits to start.
any suggestions before I order (today) would be great.

Just a question, where and how you make PCBs ?

[jakeb]

Yes I would use Synthex's board.

I use a company in China I found in nuts and volts mag. The shipping is a little bit expensive to the US but they are cheaper than any place I could find around me.

The more boards you buy the better price you can get.
I am ordering 15 sets, digital, 22 channel, and the usb board

Also ordering 10 more sets for admirs 22 channel edrum kit. But this may be the last order of those as the megadrum seems like a much better system. Less components and easier to build.

jake