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• Save the EVI Campaign Update!

  Steve Anderson • 02/25/2018 at 17:41 • 1 comment

  Success! Thanks to the genius skills of Johan Berglund (instrument maker extraordinaire), this project has exceeded my wildest expectations!  The project originally started out of a desire to preserve the legacy of a brilliant musical instrument design by Nyle Steiner - the EVI aka the Electronic Valve Instrument.   

  In an age where trumpet players have virtually no options these days in terms of migrating to electronic music, the EVI was an elusive unicorn.  The EVI was in danger of extinction, due to lack of access.  EVI players, such as myself, James Ingenito, and others faced the difficult prospect of someday not being able to play the EVI in the event of the loss of current instruments.  Nothing lasts forever.

  That's why Johan and I started the Save the EVI project.   We both have tremendous respect for Nyle Steiner's contributions to the field of wind controllers and could not stand by idly as we watched a great instrument like the EVI fade into oblivion.  Our goal was to create a path for the EVI that would allow it to survive and would make it easier for those interested in this great instrument to have access to them.

  Together, Johan and I worked on getting a prototype built and establishing proof of concept.  I ended up with this:

  I used off the shelf parts and with Johan's patience and guidance,  I was able to build a rudimentary EVI.  From there possibilities started to bloom, as Johan and I put our creative heads together. 

  From there, Johan took the reigns and continued to push development to a higher level of refinement and elegance.   As a result, he was able to achieve an aesthetic level of fabrication that is, quite frankly, astounding. Behold the evolution of the Steiner EVI, which is currently dubbed the "NuEVI":

  As a longtime EVI player, I have to say.....this new EVI has a level of craftsmanship, materials and robust features that are something EVI players have dreamed about.   Battery changing is a breeze. Solid state Breath sensor.  Nice keys. An OLED menu for setting controls and response (goodbye trimmer pots!).  And lots more.  Need I say more?  

  This EVI has ALL the features of the current Steiner MIDI EVI along with some additional features NOT currently available on our old Midi EVIs.   And so it should. The EVI is an electronic controller. It should evolve and it should improve.

  I look forward to playing the next generation EVI. A huge thanks to Johan Berglund for his major contributions and leadership of this project.   This project could not have succeeded without him. 

  More news to follow that will no doubt be of great interest to all EVI players - and those that wish to play an EVI but could not due to lack of availability and access.

• Short prototype demo

  Johan Berglund • 09/30/2017 at 21:04 • 0 comments

  Just to show off some more of the progress:

  https://www.instagram.com/p/BZgrAc0FRci/

  Sat down with the list of functional requirements the other day. I could tick them all off. And there are of course goodies added to the list :) So I suppose what's left is fine tunings and body construction. Pretty cool :) Ordered a 3D printer for that body. Very exciting stuff!
  
  
  

• Up and Running!

  Steve Anderson • 09/23/2017 at 14:52 • 0 comments

  So we have prototype TeensyVIs up and running! We have dubbed this NuEVI.  Currently testing software/hardware for basic playability, but this project is moving fast. Amazing possibilities and it looks like existing EVI players with aging EVIs - and those that have wanted an EVI but could not get one -  will have a very viable option in the near future.

  
  

  The above is my prototype built quickly solely for the purpose of testing. But I could probably play a gig on this thing is necessary.  Touch sensitivity is handled by the Teensy and add-on touch sensor board.  It works very well, and we are now in the tuning and refinement stage of testing.  

  For this prototype, I used simple materials. Off-the-shelf nuts and bolts, simple metal for the benders (which work amazing btw!) and other readily available parts.  Plexiglass for the sandwich body. And other parts that weren't too hard to source.  I will add special keys and vibrato sensor in my next iteration, but first wanted to test the basics - breath, fingering, bending.

  In short, we are making great progress! Stay tuned.

• Assembling the Prototypes

  Steve Anderson • 08/12/2017 at 00:27 • 0 comments

  Currently, we are in the process of assembling basic prototypes for testing.  We continue to work on sourcing of materials for the instrument itself.  The primary challenge that remains is the physical construct for the EVI vibrato sensor. This is a critical part of the EVI, however I am confident that between Johan and myself, we will arrive at a solution.  We knew this would be a challenge, but it is not insurmountable.

  In the meantime, we are making testable EVI instrument forms.  I will be using a plexiglass sandwich design with a canister.  The hardware is so tiny, that there is plenty of room for wiring, tubing, etc.  Space is not an issue. In fact, we have a luxurious amount of room to play with.

  Technically, one could fabricate a small EVI. But I personally like the size of the EVI. Much like a trumpet player would prefer the feel of a traditional trumpet to a pocket trumpet or cornet.  

  So let the drilling, sanding and cutting begin as we build our Franken-EVIs!  We make tremendous and rapid progress. However,  this is hard work too! Lots of time and thought already has gone into this project. This makes it all the more worthwhile that we work to preserve the noble and well designed Steiner-EVI for future generations.

  Next to come - user testing, tuning, etc. to make sure we have a stable, usable instrument that plays well in a variety of conditions. Also some experimentation will likely occur along the way!

• Electronics and firmware

  Johan Berglund • 08/08/2017 at 13:06 • 0 comments

  Since this project started, we have made a lot of progress. My part so far has been making PCBs for easy testing and prototyping, experimenting with sensors and writing the first prototype version of the firmware. 

  Now I'm very much looking forward to putting all of this into a prototype controller body with keys and octave rollers! I'm so done with playing by just touching loose wire ends and blowing into a tube :)
  

• Gathering Materials

  Steve Anderson • 07/15/2017 at 19:49 • 0 comments

  Currently gathering materials for the prototype build. The MIDI EVI is not that complicated of a build, especially with 3D print technology now available. You can print up a custom EVI body now, which can be much easier than gathering all the tools, etc. This is ideal for a DIY EVI.

  Prototype will initially be simple - a sandwich of plexiglass with a cannister, open design with spacers. Finished versions may include a 3D printed enclosure or a custom wood body with a wood canister!

  The components are amazingly tiny. The Teensy 3.2 is astonishingly micro-sized. The MPR121 is also tiny. This will leave lots of room to work with inside the EVI body, and allow for a greater option for powering the EVI.

• Making the DIY EVI enclosure and parts

  Steve Anderson • 07/05/2017 at 13:07 • 0 comments

  Looking to 3D print some of the DIY EVI components for use in the prototype. I'll be shopping around for the best price and service for this. Fortunately, the cost of 3D printing is uniform for 1 or many. Later, as I learn from the development, we can look at creating a more professional enclosure / instrument body for the EVI.

  The EVI should be light, made of strong enough materials to withstand a 4 foot drop, but also be elegant enough to fit in with traditional instruments without looking like a a cyborg.

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