Introduction

This web page was inspired by the Littlebits hardware modules that snap together magnetically. The "snaps" are either an input or an output. Using the magnetic North and South poles the magnets are arranged in the snaps so that an input and an output will attract each other and that two inputs or two outputs will repel. Each snap also has three electrical contacts.

• +5 Volt power
• Data (which is a value between 0 and +5 volts)
• 0 Volt power and the common for the data value

A Power bit has just an output and is used to power the rest of the chain of bits. The data signal of the power bit is +5 volt.

I first discovered the Littlebits modules at Moogfest in 2014. Korg had designed a series of bits based on their synthesizer designs.

A couple of years later, I thought about making a web page that used the simple snap together idea of a single data line (variable) between modules. And coded the basic module with snaps design. The code had to allow the snapping of modules together and building up groups of modules. Since the Littlebits modules use a 0 - +5 Volt value I decided to try and use a 0 - 255 (8-bit, byte) range for the data variable.

Midi Kit

The Midi kit has many modules.

Midi is has a lot of functionality. Multiple Midi interfaces can be used at the same time. The (Action ) Midi Group (in / Out) modules create and modify Midi Interface / Midi Channel groups. The input and output modules such as Midi CV (note) in and out are assigned to a group (Default initially). You use the Midi Group modules to create as many groups as you need. Some modules such as the (Action ) player module will add interfaces and groups as needed.

Most of the Midi wiring is not visible. The main Midi modules that have snaps are the Midi note (CV) and Control Change (CC) ones. The Midi input modules act like (Basic ) Power On and have an output that is determined by the note or control change value. The Midi output modules for notes (CV) and Control change (CC) have a pass through output which allows them to be chained.

Note Groups allow the tracking of note on and off data. Typically a notegroup will track a set number of notes. The default is 3. When a note is started, a free slot in the notegroup is assigned and when that note stops playing that slot is marked as free. When a second note starts playing, it will be assigned the next free slot. Various slot assignment methods are supported. When the note is passed on, the Midi channel is set to the slot number. This allows several Midi note inputs to each be assigned their own notegroup slot so they can each then be connected to a monophonic sound generator such as the (Sound kit) Oscillator or a Midi note output module.

The (Action ) Target module allows most knobs to be mapped to a Midi control change message. You select the Target module and click Add. You then move the know you want to map. The knob will be added to the target list and then you adjust the Midi control and the knob will now be mapped to the control. The Target module allows many knobs to be mapped. You can clear mappings and also delete them.

Basic Kit

The Basic kit has many modules.

Sound Kit

The Sound kit has many modules.

The Audio signal paths have yellow snaps with a rectangular shape. You cannot dock a regular snap with an audio snap. The Littlebits Korg Synth kit Oscillator turns off when the input gets close to 0 volts. In the sound modules an input value of less than 20 will cause the module to mute. This functionality is used by many modules such as the (Basic kit) sequencer output which has the selected "knob" value during the gate period and then goes to 0.