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Sixty Four Pixels MIDI Switcher Controllable DC Power Switch Device

Sixty Four Pixels

£54.00
In stock.
Shipping info

MIDI SWITCHER is a compact module that functions as a MIDI triggered, 8 port power switch. It comes fully assembled and tested and is a replacement for my previous MIDI Switcher DIY Kit, with improved features and functionality

MIDI SWITCHER allows you to use your MIDI keyboard, sequencer or DAW to control low voltage DC loads such as:

Solenoids/actuators (think robotic percussion!)
DC Motors
Relays
High power LEDs (with appropriate voltage and heat sinking)
Filament bulbs
It is perfect for making electro-mechanical musical instruments, controlling light shows from your DAW, making crazy robotic sound art installations or just about anything else you can think of!

MIDI SWITCHER is a “low side” power switch, which means that it switches between the (-) terminal of the connected device and power supply (-) terminal. It can switch DC currents that are referenced to ground, but not AC currents, signals or DC currents that are not referenced to ground (these limitations can be bypassed with an additional relay, with the MIDI SWITCHER driving the relay coil)

THIS DEVICE IS NOT SUITABLE FOR DIRECTLY SWITCHING MAINS ELECTRICITY Mains can be switched via an additional relay but I do not advise this unless you are qualified and experienced with working with main power!

Each of the eight outputs can be triggered by

MIDI notes (with optional velocity range filter),
MIDI continuous controller messages (with configurable value range filter)
MIDI Program Change messages.
The switching pulse can then be “shaped” as follows

Switching lasts for specified “hold” duration and/or length of the trigger condition. The hold time can be modulated by note velocity or by a separate MIDI CC with settings from 10 milliseconds to 16 seconds.
Switching power can be controlled using pulse width modulation (PWM). The PWM duty can be modulated can be modulated by note velocity or by a separate MIDI CC. Four of the outputs use hardware PWM to achieve highly stable control at ~1kHz carrier (the other four outputs use software PWM at around 150Hz)
Gamma correction and “release” envelope for PWM duty are ideal for controlling LED strobe effects.
MIDI SWITCHER is configured by MIDI System Exclusive (Sysex) files and a web form is used to configure it. Submitting new settings immediately downloads a Sysex file to be sent to your switcher. Try the web form at http://www.six4pix.uk/switcher/patch.asp

MIDI SWITCHER has flexible power options including a 2.1mm socket for low power applications and screw terminals for higher power. A power link jumper enables the microprocessor power circuit to be disconnected from the loads, allowing them to run at up to 100V DC and 8A per output. I recommend that the total continuous current through the board be limited to 8A, but higher currents can be supported in pulsed applications (such as solenoids). The main thing is to ensure the supply is adequate for the loads and nothing on the board is overheating during use.

Two MIDI SWITCHERs can be connected with a single additional wire to allow them to share a single MIDI input and power supply. More switchers can be used in an application if an external MIDI splitter is used.

Optically isolated, 5-pin DIN MIDI input and “shared MIDI bus” connector for pairing switchers.
2.1mm centre positive barrel socket which can take from 7V up to 30V at 2A and be used as the sole supply input in low power applications

How much is my shipping?

Shipping is automatically calculated before you submit your payment information. Simply add items to your cart and proceed to the checkout page, where you'll be offered shipping options and their prices. In the UK it's normally around £4 for order values under £150, and free above that. Shipping to mainland EU is typically between £7 and £20, depending on the shipping method and the size and weight of the order.

Do you ship to my country?

Almost certainly - the site will give you an estimate of shipping costs if you add an item to the cart and then enter your country and postcode. If you have specific requirements (such as if you prefer UPS over FedEx, for example) then let us know in advance and we'll try to work something out for you.

Shipping methods

We use a combination of Parcelforce, DPD, Royal Mail and UPS for the UK, and for international orders it's either Royal Mail, UPS, DHL or FedEx depending on where you are in the world. If you have a particular preference then try to let us know BEFORE you order so we can look into it for you. Please note that there may occasionally be additional shipping charges if you live in a remote area, depending on what surcharges are applied by the shipper. We'll get in touch to discuss this with you in such cases.

Dispatch times

For UK orders, we normally dispatch the same working day if we get the order before 15:00. If you have a really urgent situation then of course drop us an email before ordering and we'll always do our absolute best to accommodate you.

For international orders, we normally dispatch the same day if we get the order before 13:00 but again, occasionally it might be the next day before we can send it out, and sometimes FedEx or UPS may come a little earlier than scheduled which would also push an order into the next day.

Shipping times

Since April 2020 the couriers we use have suspended guarantees for shipping times, so even though we're paying them for priority services - 24-48 hours for most of the world - in practice it's often an extra day on top and sometimes it can be longer.

There is absolutely nothing we can do about this unfortunately. If you are outside the UK and it's a life-or-death situation where you absolutely MUST have that passive mult for the next day then... it may be better to find a local supplier.

Saturday shipping

If you're in the UK and you order before 15:30 on a Friday then we can send something for a Saturday delivery (NB: this applies to UK mainland addresses only). The success rate with DPD is about 95% so it's worth a punt most of the time. Please note that if you select Saturday shipping on an order placed earlier in the week, we'll wait until Friday to ship it.

Pre-orders

If a product is listed as a pre-order, it means we've ordered it from the supplier but it's not physically in stock yet. The product listing will include an estimated shipping date based on the best information we have from the supplier, but do bear in mind this is subject to change and is not a guaranteed date.

If you place an order containing a mixture of in-stock and pre-order items, we'll normally hold off on shipping anything until the pre-order item(s) have arrived, rather than splitting it into multiple shipments. If you need the in-stock items sooner, we'd recommend placing separate orders. As always, please get in touch if you have questions.

Product Overview

MIDI SWITCHER is a compact module that functions as a MIDI triggered, 8 port power switch. It comes fully assembled and tested and is a replacement for my previous MIDI Switcher DIY Kit, with improved features and functionality

MIDI SWITCHER allows you to use your MIDI keyboard, sequencer or DAW to control low voltage DC loads such as:

Solenoids/actuators (think robotic percussion!)
DC Motors
Relays
High power LEDs (with appropriate voltage and heat sinking)
Filament bulbs
It is perfect for making electro-mechanical musical instruments, controlling light shows from your DAW, making crazy robotic sound art installations or just about anything else you can think of!

MIDI SWITCHER is a “low side” power switch, which means that it switches between the (-) terminal of the connected device and power supply (-) terminal. It can switch DC currents that are referenced to ground, but not AC currents, signals or DC currents that are not referenced to ground (these limitations can be bypassed with an additional relay, with the MIDI SWITCHER driving the relay coil)

THIS DEVICE IS NOT SUITABLE FOR DIRECTLY SWITCHING MAINS ELECTRICITY Mains can be switched via an additional relay but I do not advise this unless you are qualified and experienced with working with main power!

Each of the eight outputs can be triggered by

MIDI notes (with optional velocity range filter),
MIDI continuous controller messages (with configurable value range filter)
MIDI Program Change messages.
The switching pulse can then be “shaped” as follows

Switching lasts for specified “hold” duration and/or length of the trigger condition. The hold time can be modulated by note velocity or by a separate MIDI CC with settings from 10 milliseconds to 16 seconds.
Switching power can be controlled using pulse width modulation (PWM). The PWM duty can be modulated can be modulated by note velocity or by a separate MIDI CC. Four of the outputs use hardware PWM to achieve highly stable control at ~1kHz carrier (the other four outputs use software PWM at around 150Hz)
Gamma correction and “release” envelope for PWM duty are ideal for controlling LED strobe effects.
MIDI SWITCHER is configured by MIDI System Exclusive (Sysex) files and a web form is used to configure it. Submitting new settings immediately downloads a Sysex file to be sent to your switcher. Try the web form at http://www.six4pix.uk/switcher/patch.asp

MIDI SWITCHER has flexible power options including a 2.1mm socket for low power applications and screw terminals for higher power. A power link jumper enables the microprocessor power circuit to be disconnected from the loads, allowing them to run at up to 100V DC and 8A per output. I recommend that the total continuous current through the board be limited to 8A, but higher currents can be supported in pulsed applications (such as solenoids). The main thing is to ensure the supply is adequate for the loads and nothing on the board is overheating during use.

Two MIDI SWITCHERs can be connected with a single additional wire to allow them to share a single MIDI input and power supply. More switchers can be used in an application if an external MIDI splitter is used.

Technical Specs

Optically isolated, 5-pin DIN MIDI input and “shared MIDI bus” connector for pairing switchers.
2.1mm centre positive barrel socket which can take from 7V up to 30V at 2A and be used as the sole supply input in low power applications

Shipping Details

How much is my shipping?

Shipping is automatically calculated before you submit your payment information. Simply add items to your cart and proceed to the checkout page, where you'll be offered shipping options and their prices. In the UK it's normally around £4 for order values under £150, and free above that. Shipping to mainland EU is typically between £7 and £20, depending on the shipping method and the size and weight of the order.

Do you ship to my country?

Almost certainly - the site will give you an estimate of shipping costs if you add an item to the cart and then enter your country and postcode. If you have specific requirements (such as if you prefer UPS over FedEx, for example) then let us know in advance and we'll try to work something out for you.

Shipping methods

We use a combination of Parcelforce, DPD, Royal Mail and UPS for the UK, and for international orders it's either Royal Mail, UPS, DHL or FedEx depending on where you are in the world. If you have a particular preference then try to let us know BEFORE you order so we can look into it for you. Please note that there may occasionally be additional shipping charges if you live in a remote area, depending on what surcharges are applied by the shipper. We'll get in touch to discuss this with you in such cases.

Dispatch times

For UK orders, we normally dispatch the same working day if we get the order before 15:00. If you have a really urgent situation then of course drop us an email before ordering and we'll always do our absolute best to accommodate you.

For international orders, we normally dispatch the same day if we get the order before 13:00 but again, occasionally it might be the next day before we can send it out, and sometimes FedEx or UPS may come a little earlier than scheduled which would also push an order into the next day.

Shipping times

Since April 2020 the couriers we use have suspended guarantees for shipping times, so even though we're paying them for priority services - 24-48 hours for most of the world - in practice it's often an extra day on top and sometimes it can be longer.

There is absolutely nothing we can do about this unfortunately. If you are outside the UK and it's a life-or-death situation where you absolutely MUST have that passive mult for the next day then... it may be better to find a local supplier.

Saturday shipping

If you're in the UK and you order before 15:30 on a Friday then we can send something for a Saturday delivery (NB: this applies to UK mainland addresses only). The success rate with DPD is about 95% so it's worth a punt most of the time. Please note that if you select Saturday shipping on an order placed earlier in the week, we'll wait until Friday to ship it.

Pre-orders

If a product is listed as a pre-order, it means we've ordered it from the supplier but it's not physically in stock yet. The product listing will include an estimated shipping date based on the best information we have from the supplier, but do bear in mind this is subject to change and is not a guaranteed date.

If you place an order containing a mixture of in-stock and pre-order items, we'll normally hold off on shipping anything until the pre-order item(s) have arrived, rather than splitting it into multiple shipments. If you need the in-stock items sooner, we'd recommend placing separate orders. As always, please get in touch if you have questions.