Any DIY bitcrushers about?

[Blurillaz]

[culturejam]

I'm sure there are a few, but there is a Heliotrope clone project at FSB.

[cloudscapes]

true bitcrushers almost always require programming an AVR or PIC micro, since analog/digital/analog conversion is required for the effect. another way to do it is wire a paralell ADC and DAC together like this:



Those ABCDEFGH switches are the equivalent of dropping bits on a true bitcrusher. thats the easiest way I can think of without using a microcontroller.

sometimes, samplearate reduction effects get called bitcrushers even though technically that's not what they are. there are a couple ways to do it, here are two of them:

http://experimentalistsanonymous.com/di ... rusher.gif

http://www.bugbrand.co.uk/index.php?mai ... ucts_id=52

[McSpunckle]

^so down to try that. thanks!

[plhogan]

Seriously genius Cloudscapes, that's gonna be the next project on my bench.

[Paradigm X]

true bitcrushers almost always require programming an AVR or PIC micro, since analog/digital/analog conversion is required for the effect. another way to do it is wire a paralell ADC and DAC together like this:



Those ABCDEFGH switches are the equivalent of dropping bits on a true bitcrusher. thats the easiest way I can think of without using a microcontroller.

sometimes, samplearate reduction effects get called bitcrushers even though technically that's not what they are. there are a couple ways to do it, here are two of them:

http://experimentalistsanonymous.com/di ... rusher.gif

http://www.bugbrand.co.uk/index.php?mai ... ucts_id=52

Awesome, many thanks for posting these. Love bitcrushers!

Cheers

Ben

[Paradigm X]

Hmm - my supplier doesnt have a DAC0807 but has a DAC0808LCN - is this the same/equivalent.

Datasheets a bit over my head tbh. Many thanks

Ben

[PeanutNore]

I made a thread about my DIY bitcrusher on here last week. A true bitcrusher does require an actual processor, usually a DSP or microcontroller. I use an arduino in mine which is a glorified AVR microcontroller. I made the DAC out of an R/2R ladder.

This is what it looks like right now. I am going to add linear 10k pots that the microcontroller will read to control sample rate and bit depth, right now it is hardcoded to 6bit, around 8khz sample rate.
Here is my schematic, which shows how the DAC works. For extra points try and guess what circuit I copied for the input/output preamps.

[erikb1971]

Hey Peanutnore.. any progress with your bitcrusher?

[eatyourguitar]

if you can get a ADC and a DAC with an input for external clock, you just go get an adjustable timing crystal. that will let you vary the sample rate. turning off bits with smallest change in 8bit value or amplitude will get your from 8 bit to 6 bit to 4 bit etc.. so a word 11111111 can be masked into 6 bit by 111111xx then becomes 11111100. because the last two bit create a very small insignificant change in amplitude, masking them gives us a ver big staircase on the scope. exactly like a real 4bit ADC>DAC but with slightly reduced headroom. the amount of headroom used in 8bit to pseudo 4bit becomes (2^8-2^4)/(2^8) of the total headroom 2^8. so your using 239 of your 255 steps in your word. pretty close and probably not noticeable when its all destroyed and crushed anyway. you do not need a pic. you can do it all analog. pic just makes it easy.