Welcome to my digital home! There are lots of articles you might find helpful buried in this site on topics such as modifying an Alfa Romeo 159, rebuilding a Lotus 7 (Robin Hood 2B), not to mention a ton of stuff on technology in general. It’s all here somewhere, so use the search function or navigate using the menu structure. if you want to talk, reach out via the contact function, I usually do answer!
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Alfa 159I already had the amplifier and sub from a prior install, and in that install I had discovered a problem with the pairing. The sub is an Infinity Kapa perfect 12 VQ rated at 400w RMS and the amplifier is an Alpine MRV-420 rated at 350W RMS. Driving the sub at high voltage, with line levels in excess of 4v and the gains maxed out means that the amp is producing closer to 450W RMS and the sub, which is well regarded as being able to handle much higher loads than 400W RMS, just laps it up, but had one small issue that needed sorting. It would overheat during extended sessions of Drum and Bass at full power! To sort this issue, I stripped the amp back to bare metal, rebuilt it using high grade CPU heat sink paste and added a temperature controlled cooling system utilising 6 x 40mm fans in a push/pull config. Needless to say, it can run at full power and then some, all day long now !
These images are of the strip & rebuild:
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LiveMixesOldschool Hard House from the archives
https://jabawoki.com/wp-content/mp3/Jabawoki_16022001_Euphoric_Hard_House.mp3
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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GeneralBack in 2008 I wrote an article on an idea for a new deck stand. After a few years of not needing one as I migrated to a midi based solution that fitted on my desk, I added a few more bits of kit and ran out of space. So about mid 2012, I ended up with 3 days free in my schedule with no family or work and decided to build a new platform. I designed a fresh platform from scratch but used the same MDF sheet approach to keep costs down.
The plans are here: (visio)
The build process ended up requiring me to invest in far more tools than I actually owned, so it cost way more than anticipated, but it was worth it. The build process can be viewed below:
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LiveMixesIn celebration of my birthday I thought I would take a trip back to my roots and put out a big room trance mix for you all. Enjoy!
Track listing:
1 ALEX M.O.R.P.H. feat. Michael – Wanna Be (Album Extended Vocal Mix)
2 Cosmic Gate feat. Emma Hewitt – Not Enough Time (Extended Mix)
3 Dash Berlin feat. Emma Hewitt – Waiting (Original Mix)
4 Fabio XB & Andrea Mazza – Light To Lies (Gareth Emery Mix)
5 John OCallaghan feat. Audrey Gallaher – Big Sky (Markus Schulz AX Remix)
6 Rex Mundi feat. Susana – Nothing At All (Original Mix)
7 torcycle – As The Rush Comes (Daniel Kandi & Anton Firtich Divine Remix)
8 Myon & Shane 54 feat. Aruna – Helpless (Monster Mix)
9 Roger Shah & Tenishia feat. Lorilee – Im Not God (Roger Shah Mix)
10 Medina – You And I (Dash Berlin Mix)
11 Marco V – Unprepared (Extended Mix)
https://jabawoki.com/wp-content/mp3/Jabawoki_Uplifting_Trance_Vibes_10022011.mp3
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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GeneralI decided to write this how-to as there are no specific guides on Ubuntu 8.04 LTS for the net-4501, and it took a combination of configs from two completely different approaches from two separate guides to get it all working.
I have found that the easiest way to build for the target platform of the Soekris is to make use of the QEMU emulator, freely available in Ubuntu. It lets you perform a typical installation, the way you would do for any other platform so its less confusing.
That said, there are a couple of slight differences and gotchas that this how-to will cover.
Step 1 – Preparation
Aside from a Soekris device you will need a CF card, whatever size you require, I tend to use 8GB or higher as they are quite cheap nowadays and a card reader in your host platform. To perform the installation you will need a host platform running Ubuntu. What ever you have lying around, or a VM will do the trick.
Install QEMU on your host platform if its not already installed:
sudo apt-get install qemu
make a build folder and download the Ubuntu 8.04 LTS x86 Server Release into it from here:
mkdir build
cd build
wget http://releases.ubuntu.com/8.04/ubuntu-8.04.4-server-i386.iso .
Once your environment is ready its time to prepare the CF card. As we are going to use QEMU to emulate the platform and allow a typical installation, we dont need to manually create the partitions on the card. All we need to do is ensure that it is 100% empty.
Install your CF Card and if it mounts as a partition, unmount it from the command line:
umount /dev/sdc
NB: you can determine the device it is detected as by running the dmesg command and noting the device it is assigned. It will likely be sdc or sdd as the card will be seen and used as a SCSI disk device.
Now you need to ensure that it has no partitions on it. run fdisk and delete any partitions listed:
fdisk /dev/sdc
The commands you will need in fdisk are:
p = Print partition table
d = delete partition (you will be prompted for a number)
w = write changes to disk
? = help
Step 2 – Installation
Now you have a blank CF card your ready to run QEMU and start the install. This is actually very simple as QEMU can be controlled from the command line, so all you actually need to do is type the following command:
qemu-system-i386 -m 512 -hda '/dev/sdc' -cdrom 'ubuntu-8.04.4-server-i386.iso' -net nic,vlan=0 -net user,vlan=0 -localtime -no-acpi
This will launch a window and present you with the Ubuntu installation program your already familia with.
The only notable option within the installation is when prompted to configure your disk layout, use “Guided” without LVM and use the full disk available. if you use LVM it will add an unnecessary overhead and as the net-4501 is a GEODE Processor with 133mhz clock and 64Mb ram, overheads are not ideal.
Once it has completed its installation, reboot and allow the newly installed OS to boot up in QEMU once more.
Step 3 – Configuration
The one drawback I have found with QEMU is that you cannot copy and paste between the host and guests. This is a bit of a bind, but fortunately there are not a lot of configuration changes to make.
The first major change we have to make is to swap the kernel for one that does not require PAE extensions. To do this, type the following:
sudo apt-get install linux-image-generic
Now we can configure the serial port listener using your favourite editor (vi, nano etc.. I prefer vi so will use that in the commands):
vi /etc/event.d/ttyS0
start on runlevel 2
start on runlevel 3
start on runlevel 4
start on runlevel 5
stop on runlevel 0
stop on runlevel 1
stop on runlevel 6
respawn
exec /sbin/getty ttyS0 115200
Next we need to configure grub to use a serial port:
vi /boot/grub/menu.1st
Somewhere near the top of the file add the following two new lines:
serial --unit=0 --speed=115200 --word=8 --parity=no --stop=1
terminal --timeout=5 serial
Now, find the line that looks like this:
# defoptions=quiet splash
and change it to look like thgis (keeping the hash):
# defoptions=splash console=ttyS0,115200
Finally we need to load some modules early on or it wont be able to use the CF as a disk to boot from:
vi /etc/initramfs-tools/modules
Append these lines to the bottom of the file:
ext3
ide_generic
usb-storage
The last thing to do is to force an update of the changes we just made so run the following commands:
Update-inintramfs -u
update-grub
For good measure you can always run:
apt-get update && apt-get upgrade
but it is optional 🙂
Now all that is needed is to power off the QEMU instance:
poweroff
and remove the CF card from your host.
Step 4 – Finishing up
The final thing to do is to sync the baud rate of the Soekris device to the baud rate we have used in the configs. By default the Soekris is set to 19200 baud, but we have used 115200 baud in teh configs to make things a little better to work with. We need to sync these for ease of access later on, so first open up your preferred terminal application and connect to the Soekris at 19200, with no CF card installed.
At the boot prompt type:
set conspeed 115200
Once this is set, you can power down the Soekris, install the CF card in it and boot it back up. It should boot to a prompt quite happily and your ready to configure your new embedded Ubuntu device however you need 🙂
Enjoy!
——————————-
FAQ Section:
Q: Why are you using 8.04LTS and not a more recent release?
A: As of 10.04, Ubuntu dropped support for all 486 and older style CPU’s on the premise that most people would have modern computer systems. This is a deviation from the ethos of Linux in my opinion, but it was their choice to make! I have spent weeks trying to build later versions of Ubuntu on the 4501 platform, and have built custom kernels with the right modules etc, but have NEVER had success. Your welcome to try though 🙂
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Generalok, I have had an X25 deck stand for years now, and it is actually quite good. Its stable and well put together, and of course, holds enough of the basic equipment to keep you up and running. Of course, as I expand my setup, I have come to basic realisation that what I need, is actually a simple flat surface. So me, being me, I opened up visio and knocked this up:
….essentially it is 2 sheets of 8ft x 4ft, 3/4″ mdf cut into a number of shapes and sizes, screwed togetehr resulting in two vertical podiums, each wide enough to take a 19″ rack mount perfectley, and a worksurface 2meters by 750mm, big enough for plenty of equipment. the whole thing stands 600mm high, which is the same height as your kitchen sink! so its ideal to stan infront of for long periods of time. If anyone is interested I’ll post up the 2 x cutting guides for the mdf sheets so that you can make your own. To put it into perspective. you can buy somthing similar, but inferior at www.htfr.com for well in excess of £130. The total cost for my version, which is bigger and better, is £30, yes 2 x sheets of mdf from B&Q at £15 per sheet. for the sake of an afternoons work, i know which one i would do!
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LiveMixesIn honour of the crew @ B-Sides 2013 and @Dantiumpro for developing a cool cipher challenge for the UK Cyber Security Challengers to mess with, I have come out of retirement, fresh for 2013 (all be it a bit rusty!) more to come!Track Listing:
1 Wild One Two (Original Mix) – Jack Back feat. David Guetta, Nicky Romero & Sia
2 Icarus (Original Mix) – Madeon
3 Breakn’ A Sweat (Zedd Remix) – Skrillex & The Doors
4 Quasar (Original Mix) – Hard Rock Sofa
5 Don’t Hold Back (Original Mix) – Starkillers & Dmitry Ko
6 Lightspeed (Original Mix) – Datsik & Kill The Noise
7 Damaged (Main Mix) – Antillas feat. Fiora
8 That’s What She Said (Original Mix) – Joe Garston
9 Let’s Party (Instrumental Mix) – Mat’s Mattara feat Rockman
10 All By Myself (Original Mix) – Dubvision
11 French Rules (Muzzaik Remix) – Sebastien Drums, Niles Mason
12 Mono (Mat’s Mattara, Peruz Mix) – Peruz, Mat’s Mattara
13 Cascade (Original Mix) – Tommy Trash
14 Slash (Original Mix) – Nari & Milani vs. Maurizio Gubellini
15 Toulouse (Original Mix) – Nicky Romero
16 Concrete Angel (Original Mix) – Gareth Emery feat. Christina Novelli
17 Paradise (Fedde Le Grand Remix) – Coldplay
18 Spaceman (Original Version) – Hardwell
19 Flashing Lights (Kid Massive Remix) – Roger Sanchez, Sidney Samson
https://jabawoki.com/wp-content/mp3/Jabawoki_BSides_2013.mp3
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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GeneralWell, after the change of room size the RP6G2’s lack of low frequencies eventually pushed me to go the extra mile and get the KRK10s. Initial feedback on it? Its got so much bass! I know that’s the whole point of it, but wow, I like bass and even I struggle with this sometimes. So much so that I actually bought the Boss FS-5L latched foot switch so that I could bypass the sub from time to time and allow the full range of frequencies back to the RP6G2’s!!!!
So….. what does all this mean?
Well, first off the KRK10s is one hell of a good sub, well built, sounds great and can really pump out some power, so much so, it rattles all of the radiators in every room of the house when its wound up! that said, it more than matches the RP6G2’s and compliments them well. The unit itself acts as the hub of your system, so you route your main outs to the unit from your source, then plug each of the other 2 speakers into the sub. My preference for this was to use TRS Balanced Jacks from my mixer to the Sub, then XLRs from the Sub to each speaker. A good, cheap cable provider I use regularly is: Vision Sounds on eBay, they are quick to process, cheap to buy and decent quality, so that works for me!
The KRK10s comes with a built in Crossover, with a knob on the back to set the Crossover frequency. I have played with this for a while now, and for me, I find that the best option is to keep some of the bass going to the RP6G2’s and let the sub handle the low stuff. To that end, I tend to have my crossover point at around 50Hz, which lets the RP6G2’s handle the punch in a beat while the KRK10’s handles the roll. I find this approach keeps the imaging better in my opinion.
The built in amp comes with the same +-6db of gain through a control knob on the rear. Mine is set to -4db and that still, on some tracks and sources, overpowers the RP6G2’s at 0db gain! For this reason, I find that it is very useful to have an EQ of sorts in the mix so you can compensate for different sources. I make use of an Alesis MultiMix8:Firewire to bring each of my audio sources together, which gives me a low/med/high EQ on each channel (except the Firewire output, but that’ a whole different article!).
The final, but very useful feature that comes with this unit is a bypass ability. You can plug in any latch-able foot pedal, but the Rokit site recommends the Boss FS-5L. I have the FS-5L and agree with them, its well built, but not so hard a switch that you can’t use it by hand if you want it on your desk. The reason for the bypass is actually quite a good one. Sometimes, you need to remove the bass effect of the sub and revert back to just the bass of the RP6G2’s. To do this without a bypass and making use of an EQ, you would taint the bass feed to the RP6G2’s and actually not give an accurate image, however, the bypass, when engaged, simply kills the Sub, bypasses the EQ and outputs a full range signal to the RP6G2’s leaving you with a nifty way of getting an accurate frequency reproduction for those absolute moments of audio clarity!
If your seriously thinking of adding a KRK10s to your setup, here are some tit bits of advice for you:
Buy the Boss FS-5L Latched Foot switch at the same time to give you the ability to bypass the sub easily when needed
If possible put at least a basic 3 band EQ between your source and the entire setup, as the ability to gently retard the bass is very handy
Make sure you have no neighbours attached, above, below or to the side of you, or you will quickly make some new enemies!
All in all, I am genuinely blown away with my overall investment into the Rokit camp, and will happily pick up an ERGO when funds can justify the £500 price-tag!
KRK10s Specs:
225 Watt (peak) Powered Sub woofer for Studio Use
SPL: 110dB Music and 113dB Peak
10” High-Excursion Glass Aramid Composite Woofer
Frequency Response: 34Hz – 50Hz to 130Hz Variable (+/- 1.5 db)
Variable and Sweepable Low Pass Filter
80Hz High Pass Filter
Radically Curved Front Baffle Design for Amazing Performance
Front-firing port provides low frequency extension without boundary coupling
Bypass Control using Standard Foot switch
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ElectronicsWell I finally got round to purchasing an Arduino Uno Open Source Prototyping Platform and first impressions are !WOW. I am genuinely impressed with the overall package, its flexibility and quality of the hardware and software. First off, getting up and running on your favourite OS is a breeze, with detailed step by step instructions available on the Arduino site.
Aside from the basic Uno itself:
I invested in a few extras from a UK outfit called Cool Components that sell the Arduino and plenty of shields and extras. To give me enough to start with, I picked up:
140-Piece Wire Kit
Electronic Brick Kit
Generic Starter Kit
Jumper Wires – Female to Female
Jumper Wires – Male to Female
Although in hindsight, I should have bought a few more male to male jumper cables as these seem to be the primary cable type!
Getting up and running was a breeze, remembering my basic electronics from my childhood stood me in good stead to build a small circuit, and google/youtube filled in the blanks easily!
So what did I build?
Essentially its 5 LEDs running in a sequence, with the timing controlled by an analogue rotary switch or potentiometer, as I learned it was called. It actually took longer to figure out it wasn’t called a “rotary encoder” which is apparently something very different and digital, than it did to code the entire program and build the circuit!
The circuit is simple:
…and so is the program:
/*
Jabawoki Light tracer V1.0
22/07/2011
*/
int potpin = 0;
int val;
void setup() {
pinMode(12, OUTPUT);
pinMode(11, OUTPUT);
pinMode(10, OUTPUT);
pinMode(9, OUTPUT);
pinMode(8, OUTPUT);
}
void loop() {
// Read the Analog Pot
val = analogRead(potpin);
// Switch the LEDs on
digitalWrite(12, HIGH);
digitalWrite(8, HIGH);
delay(val);
digitalWrite(11, HIGH);
digitalWrite(9, HIGH);
delay(val);
digitalWrite(10, HIGH);
delay(val);
// Switch LEDs off
digitalWrite(12, LOW);
digitalWrite(8, LOW);
delay(val);
digitalWrite(11, LOW);
digitalWrite(9, LOW);
delay(val);
digitalWrite(10, LOW);
delay(val);
}
What more could you ask for in a prototyping platform?
You can download the code and schematics for this project from the downloads section
Watch this space, I have 5 key projects I am planning once I get my head properly around this, some of which will blow your mind.
Here is some video of the project working in all its glory!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9rIHjsyiUs
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Alfa 159 / ElectronicsThis is the final update to the schematics and overall design and concludes the R&D aspects of the project. What I have now is a good mix of design good practice and intelligent thinking that results in a solid architecture for a production run. So far I have just prototyped the design into the car using readily available breadboards, however, the next step is to move to a manufactured circuit board that will give much better longevity and easier assembly.
Content relocated to Project Page
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