Update and Coming in 2023
Here’s where things are at the moment. I made a batch of SquishBox kits and units available in the store, after a short delay waiting for parts and making some (I think) helpful modifications to the enclosure layout and updating instructions to match. They sold so quickly I think I might need to order a new batch of the current PCBs to keep the store stocked while I work on the next hardware update. I also released a new version of FluidPatcher today. This includes some bugfixes and QoL updates to SquishBox, and will probably be the last release before the next major update.
The next thing I’m working on is a big update to FluidPatcher which involves porting the code to Cython. The main reason for this is speed. The custom MIDI event router that makes all the magic happen is plain old Python, and it’s not hard to max out the CPU on a Pi with notes, especially if you have some MIDI files and/or sequences playing at the same time. I’ll also take the opportunity to reorganize the repository into a proper Python package which I can upload to PyPI, which should make installing and updating easier for users.
After that, I want to make an update to the PCB that will use surface-mount components and put the sound hardware (PCM5102) directly on the board, rather than require a third-party external board. I’m also hoping to add a switching voltage regulator to make 9V powering viable, circuitry for optional 5-pin MIDI jacks, and an option to use an OLED screen instead of the 16×2 character LCD.
Looking forward to working on these projects, hopefully I make fast progress – wish me luck and see you in 2023.
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Hi, I received some squishbox v.3.2 PCBs from OSH park (I tried to look for the most current version of your project at the time I ordered, but I just didn’t find your newer releases until now). I can only find the assembly instructions pdf for version 4. Would it be possible to send me the instructions for version 3?
No problem – I added links for the older versions of the Assembly Instructions on the Downloads page.