Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
expensive than purchasing a Moog Taurus 3 (a full analog synthesizer in a foot pedal
form factor) or even a PK-6 (a simple foot pedal controller, at roughly $900 USD).
For those less familiar with music production, MIDI stands for
musical instrument
digital interface
, and it's an industry-standard protocol for electronic instruments. It
is based on three types of events (note events, control events, and global events) and
uses a serial connection at 31250 baud.
Why “Alcyone”?
The Moog Taurus was originally designed as a part of a synthesizer ensem-
ble called the Constellation. The Taurus was the bass pedal of the ensemble;
the other parts were the Lyra and the Apollo. The Lyra was never built; the
Apollo's design found its way into the PolyMoog. The Taurus, however, be-
came very popular, through its use in bands such as Rush, Genesis, ELP
(from whom the explanation of the Constellation comes), and others.
When naming this project, various star names were considered. Alcyone is
Taurus's second-brightest star and one of the Pleiades. The project Alcyone
is pronounced “al-SEE-on-ee,” though the star is “al-SIGH-on-ee.” The war-
ped pronunciation came from “halcyon,” which is a variant of the mytho-
logical character Alcyone's name. “Halcyon” uses the “ee” form of the “y.”
The Alcyone is “merely” a MIDI controller; it does not generate any sound in and of
itself. The actual processing power is provided through a Raspberry Pi, and the Rasp-
berry Pi's audio output is only 11 bits, which is better than, say, a Nintendo DS or some
ancient digital synthesizers, but is far inferior to CD quality, and is nowhere near what
you'd want for actual audio creation.
Hardware
The Alcyone uses a simple internal electronic design (shown in
Figure 6-18
). The ped-
als themselves are a 13-note chord, salvaged from an old Lowrey organ, purchased
over eBay. They rely on a rocker switch that pulls a spring across a circuit to close it.
You could build your own (or perhaps 3D-print your own) if organ salvage proves chal-
lenging.
