using the LINUX LV2 PLUGIN - Trigger Midi Mono - as a morse code practice oscillator

[Chuck aa0hw]

SETUP: an UltraPico Keyer, keys a 555 TIMER CHIP..from the audio output of the 555, an audio cable is attached and goes to the input of a laptop's mic jack input...the 555 time chip sidetone is very rough sounding with lots of high pitched harmonics and key clicks...INSTEAD of trying to filter the 555's raspy tone, this video demo's using TRIGGER MIDI MONO to recreate the original 555 sidetone cw element and then a LINUX LV2 PLUGIN called TRIGGER MIDI MONO keys another CPO, a software code practice oscillator synthesizer called SIMPLE SINE GENERATOR(lv2 plugin)...this SIMPLE SINE GENERATOR has zero rise or fall time and therefore has loud key clicks...so those need to be filtered out....by another LINUX LV2 PLUGIN called CALF FILTER...calf filter does a great job of taking out all the harmonics and key clicks and produces a nicely shaped cw element audio waveform output

http://calf-studio-gear.org/
https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://nedko.arnaudov.name/soft/ssg/*
http://lsp-plug.in/?page=manuals&section=trigger_midi_mono
http://kxstudio.linuxaudio.org/

Previously, this CW REGENERATION technique was accomplished using WINDOWS VST PLUGINS, or a non free app called LINUX NATIVE REAPER. After discovering this TRIGGER MIDI MONO plugin for LINUX, this CW REGENERATION technique can now be utilized with ALL FREE LINUX APPS ...

NOTE: familiarity with KXstudio, and his LINUX JACK AUDIO APPS for Linux is necessary in order to understand fully, the method that is being demo'd...there are more videos in this QRQcw youtube channel to learn more about JACK AUDIO for LINUX/windows/mac and the Raspberry Pi....

NOTE: MIDI DATA MESSAGES, of NOTE ON and NOTE OFF are used to instruct (key) the software code practice sine wave oscillator APP called SIMPLE SINE GENERATOR. (there are other LINUX audio plugins that would also work like AMsynth) -https://github.com/amsynth/amsynth

MIDI DATA MESSAGES - WHAT IS MIDI ?
http://www.instructables.com/id/What-is-MIDI/

[Chuck aa0hw]

here is another example at 93 wpm, testing to see if there is  any difference in how the cw sounds when using EXPONENTIAL verses LINEAR edge shaping:

using INGEN to build "from scratch" a midi keyed MORSE CODE PRACTICE OSCILLATOR - using the INGEN INTERNAL MODULES and the AMS-LV2 plugins...trying to see if using an EXPONENTIAL or LINEAR - VCA MODULE in the built from scratch system - makes any difference in the ease of copying QRQcw at 93 wpm

NOTE:
when the slider moves to position A = Linear VCA is being used
when the slider moves to position B = Exponential VCA is being used

this simple sine wave synthesizer was created from scratch by following the guidelines in this video: http://libremusicproduction.com/tutorials/creating-modular-synths-u...
here is a picture of the INGEN MODULES used:
https://imgur.com/VesBLL8

FLdigi's RT QSK 1KHZ SQUARE WAVE output is used to create a NEW, cloned, CW NOTE... by using LSP's TRIGGER MIDI MONO lv2 plugin...TRIGGER MIDI MONO(TMM) TMM triggers a MIDI NOTE OUTPUT that "keys" the INGEN CREATED midi input driven, MODULAR SINEWAVE SYNTH CPO:
http://qrqcwnet.ning.com/profiles/blogs/using-the-linux-lv2-plugin-...
http://lsp-plug.in/?page=manuals&section=trigger_midi_mono

my findings were:
the differences between LINEAR and EXPONENTIAL VCA are subtle...however, i found the LINEAR to be just a slightly tad "ringy" and longer in duration per note...the EXPONENTIAL has a slightly "lighter" feeling to it and tiny bit crisper - without any "duration like extra cw audio tone ringing"

you can see on the SCOPE....(the TOP GREEN WAVE IS LINEAR), (bottom red is exponential)....that the RED wave is a tiny bit smaller in length/duration than the GREEN LINEAR CW NOTE

NOTE:
using *AUDIO VOLUME to CW MIDI NOTE OUTPUT* conversion works well when using ONLY JACK MIDI - and connecting all MIDI output and input PORTS inside JACKROUTER - every "CLONED" CW MIDI NOTE was exactly the same length as the original FLdigi RT QSK 1KHZ OUTPUT audio TONE CW NOTE.

HOWEVER....if the MIDI APPS used can not use "JACK MIDI" and have to use ALSA MIDI instead, by going through a virtual midi cable etc..., this has been found by experiment and measurement to introduce some midi timing jitter and the MIDI OUTPUT CW NOTES will therefore vary in length by plus or minus 2 to 3 milliseconds in length...fortunately, INGEN allows the use of JACK MIDI for the midi input port..and TMM allows the use of JACK MIDI for its midi output port - and this combo between TMM and INGEN seemed to make a very HIGH PRECISION CW NOTE GENERATOR with adjustable, PITCH, RISE/FALL TIME, EDGE SHAPING etc...volume...

[Chuck aa0hw]

here is a step by step video demo of building up from scratch, a software CW KEYER

using INGEN and the AMS-LV2 plugins

based on the examples here:

this simple sine wave synthesizer was created from scratch by following the guidelines in this video: http://libremusicproduction.com/tutorials/creating-modular-synths-u...

https://libremusicproduction.com/tools/ams-lv2
https://github.com/blablack/ams-lv2
http://qrqcwnet.ning.com/profiles/blogs/using-the-linux-lv2-plugin-...
http://lsp-plug.in/?page=manuals&section=trigger_midi_mono

[Chuck aa0hw]

Here is a LIVE VIDEO DEMO and EXPLANATION of how to use  a  TLC555 low power timer chip CPO config, running totally off the mic jack power of a sound card,  and using TRIGGER MIDI MONO, & the ad5dz software cw keyer, to create an amazing software iambic CW KEYER station, that you key with your IAMBIC PADDLES

LIVE DEMO and explanation of how to setup a TLC555 as a CPO, to run off of the voltage & current available at a computer sound card's STEREO MIC JACK input ..then....key the 555 directly with your paddles into the MIC JACK INPUT ports, which then keys a software iambic CW KEYER app - the AD5DZ software iambic CW KEYER
https://youtu.be/l8wKVnA4oGc

here is a picture of the 555 schematic
https://imgur.com/JFyPqCt

TRIGGER MIDI MONO info
http://lsp-plug.in/?page=manuals&section=trigger_midi_mono

[Chuck aa0hw]

Here is an example of TRIGGER MIDI MONO and the MFJ-451 CW Keyboard operating together to send QRQ CW while interfaced with a LINUX LAPTOP

Brief demo of operating the MFJ 451 in sending QRQ CW into a LAPTOP that is running LUBUNTU 18.04

the MFJ 451, is keying in a unique way an external TLC555 oscillator that is running all the time ... on pin 3 of the 555, one of the keying output leads of the MFJ 451 is connected...the other keying output lead of the MFJ 451 is connected to a 4th LINE input of a USB SOUND CARD...when the 451 is keyed, it connects PIN 3 of the 555 to input 4 of the USB SOUND CARD and then inside the laptop's software, the rest of the story takes place....via TRIGGER MIDI MONO, and the AD5DZ software CW KEYER APPs

NOTE: inputs 1 & 2 of the USB SOUND CARD are used by the iambic paddles, to allow the always running 555 to connect to the 1st & OR 2nd USB sound card inputs... input 3 of the USB SOUND CARD is reserved for the Straight key...using the same idea...the ST KEY, connects pin 3 of the 555 to LINE INPUT 3 of the USB SOUND CARD

there are quite a few videos that provide much more detail about both TRIGGER MIDI MONO and the AD5DZ software CW KEYER.., and how to set them all up....in this same YouTube QRQcw channel