This is a thread for when you're thinking of some piece of gear, can't find it out there, but maybe it's out there and someone here knows of it!

Here's mine: I'm looking for a midi->squarewave module--basically it will take midi signal from a keyboard, turn it into a normal square wave, and then I can run that output into an EHX synth pedal/distortion/etc. No frequency modulation, changing the shape of the wave, etc. The smaller the better to incorporate into a small pedal board setup.

I'd bet the Empress Zoia could do that. Digital oscillator, not analog, if you care about that.
If you started building some kind of miniscule modular pod to do it with a VCO, a MIDI-CV module, and a gain attenuator / mix module, you'd end up with close to the same price tag and nothing close to the same flexibility. (And a bigger footprint.)

It’s not a great answer, I know. Ridiculously over specified for your need.

Confused, Are you just describing a squarewave synth? LIke you hit notes, squarewaves come out? I'm probably missing something. Almost every synth can do that.

Good point. A Korg Volca Bass might work and is way cheaper.
I seem to recall FM tallchris getting a Moog(alike?) monosynth so I'm guessing he's intending to trigger this squarewave from that synth's MIDI out.

Wouldn't a used £50 laptop running a freeware vsti synth do this pretty happily?

Yeah, maybe I should be clearer. What I'm wanting is something that just puts out a square wave signal that can be controlled with a midi foot keyboard. Like, if I could just take a Korg Monologue and remove everything except just the square wave, and still change notes w/ the midi keyboard. Then output that into a synth emulator pedal, fuzz pedal, etc. But like, this thing would be as small as typical Boss pedal.

No way I'm putting a laptop on stage ever.

There are projects for doing this with an arduino, which would give you a small form factor:

https://www.instructables.com/How-to-ma ... with-MIDI/

I think there are MIDI shields now, so you don’t need to build that extra interface with the optoisolator chip.

While this isn’t a project I have time for, it seems so easy enough that someone would already be making tiny synths like this, maybe on Etsy or something.

Not sure about the foot control part, but a good starting point could be the Gakken SX-150.

https://technabob.com/blog/2008/09/27/g ... s-delight/

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284282016141 ... gJPhfD_BwE

tallchris wrote: Sun May 16, 2021 12:29 pm Yeah, maybe I should be clearer. What I'm wanting is something that just puts out a square wave signal that can be controlled with a midi foot keyboard. Like, if I could just take a Korg Monologue and remove everything except just the square wave, and still change notes w/ the midi keyboard. Then output that into a synth emulator pedal, fuzz pedal, etc. But like, this thing would be as small as typical Boss pedal.

No way I'm putting a laptop on stage ever.

this thing probably can do a simple square wave.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... lsrc=aw.ds

EMW makes a midi oscillator module: https://www.electronicmusicworks.com/eu ... lator.html

There's a simpler version out there somewhere but not sure if it's still in production. You could probably affix it to some existing gear or rig up some quick housing for it. Not quite sure it's what you want though!