Operatorer is a clock divider designed to help synchronize Pocket Operators to external devices that aren't natively compatible. It extends the built in synchronization to accept a 24ppqn signal from a synth or MIDI Clock over USB, and make sure the Pocket Operator's pattern gets reset whenever the clock stops.
The Pocket Operator expects a 2ppqn (pulses per quarter note) sync signal which is not all devices support (like my Arturia Keystep). Operatorer will act as a converter from 24ppqn which is used by many modern devices and is related to DIN sync and MIDI Clock signals. Additionally, an external device has no way to reset the Pocker Operator's pattern position natively so Operatorer will track it's position and continue sending clock pulses until the Pocket Operator reaches the beginning of it's pattern.
Operatorer is based on a Arduino "Pro Micro" module which contains an ATmega32U4 MCU with native USB support so it can function as a standard USB MIDI device.
Just for fun, it supports a ring of 7 addressable RGB LEDs (NeoPixel Jewel) to display the clock and the current clock source. This is certainly an optional part of the project but has been helpful for debugging and looks nice.
Operatorer is very simple to build. The digital sync pulses (from my sequencer at least) are directly compatible with the Arduino's GPIO. 3.5 mm jacks could be used for a more professional build but my prototype used some header pins spliced into a mono patch cable. Eventually I'd like to design an enclosure.
I am a fan of Sparkfun's Pro Micro board and chose it because it's procerssor, Atmega32U4, has native USB support allowing it to appear as a standard USB MIDI device. It's also small, flexible, and has a convenient micro USB port.
| Pin | Connection |
|---|---|
| 7 | Sync In |
| 8 | Sync Out |
| 15 | LED Data |