• 12Oct

  Xbox 360

  Development, Progress Update Comments Off

  So after doing some research, it looks like we’re not going to be able to offer a version of the V1 for the Xbox 360.  It basically has to do with a proprietary security chip that Microsoft has built into their controllers in order to thwart would-be 3rd-party developers from coming out with competing hardware.

  However, the USB version seems to be coming along nicely; we just sent off an order for some prototype circuit boards and we’ll see if those work, then it’s just a matter of figuring out some supply stuff and figuring out the enclosure.   So hopefully we’ll at least have kits available soon, and maybe a full product!
• 09Oct

  PCB, Etc.

  Development, Progress Update Comments Off

  So the USB communication seems like it’s gotten to a working point at this point.  We’re actually starting to get to a point where we’re starting to make things more and more permanent.  As of today, in the SVN repository, there is an initial prototype circuit board for the USB version.  The Wii version is mostly the same; a circuit board for that should be forthcoming as well.  Hopefully we’ll be able to make a few ourselves and test it out, then maybe a small production run.  This means that we’ll be hopefully offering kits soon!
• 05Oct

  USB + External Implementation

  Progress Update Comments Off

  In the last few weeks, this is what’s been done -

  1) USB functionality is coming along.  Right now, the guitar will connect to a computer (and hopefully a Playstation 3..) and register button presses, but it has a problem with randomly disconnecting.  This may be cause by electromagnetic interference, but may be a problem with the AVR chip itself. If that’s the case, things get more and more difficult to fix.

  2) Proof of concept for an external version.  By externally attaching wires with adhesive, the guitar doesn’t have to be built into the guitar body itself anymore.  This means that it will be possible to make a version that simply clips on to the outside of an existing guitar.   Which means we can start making kits and products that don’t cost like $200.  Cool!

  Here’s some pictures of the

  

  

  

  
  
  
• 04Sep

  Leaving for Japan

  Site Updates Comments Off

  So, I’m headed out to Japan for the next few months, then I’m off to Australia.  However, I’ll still be working on the project while I’m out of the USA.  Still, for the next two weeks, I’ll be on a rural island off the coast of Japan, so communications are going to be kinda spotty.

  Still, before I go, I figured I’d give you an update about where things stand -

  The Wii version is almost to a point I’d call a solid working version.  Either the chip needs to be upgraded from 8Kb to 16Kb, or I need to optimize the wii communication library, but as it stands, the code and controller work with 3 modes of playing.

  I spent this last week trying to get a USB version to work.  And, by all means, it should work… For some reason, the USB communication was going along just fine, and then all the sudden it stopped working right.   However, once I get that sorted out, a Playstation 3 version should be basically ready to go.

  Also, while I’ll be out of contact for the next 2 weeks, I’ll be working on documentation and such, since that area is severely lacking…

  Finally, and most excitingly, I’ve got ideas for a version that doesn’t need to be built into the guitar, but can be clipped onto it instead.  I’ll have more details and design sketches hopefully when I get back from the island; it was something I was hoping to get done this week, but then the USB stuff just stopped working…

  So that’s where things stand.  See you in 2 weeks!
• 28Aug

  Videos!

  New Release, Progress Update, Videos Comments Off

  So, I should probably just have gone and gotten a new camera, but after struggling with things for a week or two, I’ve finally gotten some videos taken and edited so the sound doesn’t sound TOO bad.

  Here, we’re showing off the ability of the V1 to practice chords -
  

  And here’s a a video showing off how you can map individual notes and scales to the guitar -
  

  Although we don’t show it (since we got that code working after we took the video…), there’s another fret combination (first 3 strings on the 4th and 5th frets) that allows you to change between the original “play with the frets” mode, chord mode, and notes mode.

  There’s still some updating of the software we’d like to do, since right now, you can re-assign the chords or notes that you play as color buttons, but they reset to the default when you restart the controller.  It shouldn’t be difficult, but right now, we’re using 97.7% of the current chip’s memory, so we’re going to have to upgrade our hardware first.  Still, that’s just a simple swapping of a better chip, so things are coming along!
• 14Aug

  Kits

  Site Updates Comments Off

  Part of the OpenChord project is a commitment to open source and do-it-yourself hobbyists.  In this light, we’ve always planned on putting together kits to let you easily make your own OpenChord guitars.  As it stands, it seems like we’re in a position where the basic assembly of the guitar has been mostly figured out, leaving most of the updates on the software side of things.  Right now, we’re in a position where we could get a bunch of circuit boards printed out and start packaging them together as kits.  However, when you buy a circuit board, the board itself costs only a dollar or two, but the set-up costs are around a hundred or so.  Therefore, it only makes sense to go and get some boards if there’s enough interest to buy a large order of boards.

  So we’re asking you, the person interested in OpenChord, would you like to buy a kit to build your own OpenChord guitar?  Drop us a line in the comments, or e-mail us at buy@openchord.org, and if we get enough interest, we’ll go ahead and get a run printed up!
• 14Aug

  Chords, part 2

  Development, Progress Update Comments Off

  So this week, in addition to not having a camera to take new video with, we’ve been working on expanding the abilities of the V1, including the ability to play scales and chords.  While before we were looking into ways to connect the controller via USB to reprogram it, allowing you re-map the buttons on the controller, now we’ve incorporated a method of re-mapping the controller in-game, allowing you to pick which chords you want to correspond to which buttons in the game.  This afternoon, we’ll try to get the camera working, and hopefully we’ll get a better video out soon…
• 11Aug

  Chords and Scales

  Development, Progress Update Comments Off

  So after a weekend away, we’re back tonight with some cool stuff.  Basically, some thinking, some re-writing of some code, a few added functions, and now we’re able to use the V1 to play Guitar Hero using either chords or notes on a scale for the buttons.  Of course, the notes you’ll be playing still won’t be the actual notes of the songs on the game, but it will help you work on note and chord transistions, hopefully in a way that’s more fun/motivating than just having to play a lot of chord transitions.

  I have to admit, once you start using chords or notes, it makes playing the game a lot harder. When testing it out, even playing easy with chords mapped G Major to the green button, C Major to red, and E Major to yellow, I still failed shockingly quickly… Of course, I’m just about no good at the real guitar, and I’ve been doing a lot more guitar engineering than actual guitar playing this summer! Maybe this’ll start me practicing the guitar again…

  Well, I’ll try and get a video up in the next few days.  The only camera I’ve got around here is having some problems with the sound quality, so I want to be able to take a nicer video than I can right now.
• 07Aug

  Alternate Video for the V1

  Site Updates, Videos 1 Comment

  So here’s another video for the V1… It’s pretty low-quality, but it shows how the V1 sounds when it’s not plugged in, that is to say, it doesn’t make real sounds.  We took this one a few days ago, but thought the other one was better quality.   We also tried to take one tonight, but the sound quality on that clip is amazingly horrible, so we’re not posting that one….
  

  Thanks for watching!
• 04Aug

  V1 for the Wii Video

  New Release, Site Updates, Videos 1 Comment

  A clarifying note – While we left it plugged in to the amp in this video to demonstrate how it’s both a real guitar and a working controller, if you unplug the guitar, you don’t really hear it, and if the slight sound is still too much, you can just tap the pick against the strings instead of a full strum.  You see that happen in the first few notes that are hit in the video..  Yeah, what an embarrassing mistake!

  Anyhow, we’ve got a new video up on the blog, and we’ll try to have a more in-depth video up soon.

  
  We finally got a video taken!  We’re still offering the Beta Version of the V1 for $169; for more information, check out the ‘Buy’ page.

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