Sound Byte Labs
banner
soundbytelabs.net
Sound Byte Labs
@soundbytelabs.net
Engineer. Artist. Dog dad. I love all things music and circuits! I keep it positive.
I promised diagrams, so here!

Gatekeeper is a utility module with 2 buttons, CV in, Gate out, and status LEDs. The module is in one of 3 application states: Init, Perform, or Menu. While in Perform or Menu, the CV input controls the gate output.

In the Perform state, you also get 2-button control
December 15, 2025 at 3:36 PM
github.com/mjrskiles/ga...

Introducing Gatekeeper! A reference project for DIY Eurorack and/or embedded development with AVR microcontrollers.

I am still working on rev2 hardware, so there will be bug fixes and updates to the firmware, but it is pretty stable in the simulator now!

Enjoy 😊
#diy
GitHub - mjrskiles/gatekeeper
Contribute to mjrskiles/gatekeeper development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com
December 15, 2025 at 3:04 PM
New handle! Same modular synth & audio firmware stream of consciousness! #modular #synthdiy #bluesky
December 14, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Just wanna shout out Raspberry Pi for being real af.

I love their place in the embedded ecosystem. Pico is such a well done product line. We need more dual core micros!

But I love that they can be the canary on bleeding edge features as part of their business model 👌
December 12, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Alright so now that VS Code is trying to out Cursor Cursor, who's gonna fork it and un-slop it?

I say this as a Claude Code user.

I just want a text editor.

I want to choose when to interact with AI tools.

pls
December 11, 2025 at 5:22 PM
People who work directly with Makefiles... why?
December 8, 2025 at 11:17 PM
Well damn. TIL about @adafruit.com Neopixels. This makes things interesting 👀 #synthdiy #eurorack
December 8, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Where have FabFilter plugins been my whole life?? Oh yeah I used to be broke #daw #fabfilter #vst
December 3, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Still plugging away on the EP project! Also cooking up a firmware snack for your learning pleasure! Details soon.

Anyway, here's a sketch I'm developing!

on.soundcloud.com/SpsyX0eYgJdu...
London Bus sketch
Listen to London Bus sketch by Michael Skiles #np on #SoundCloud
soundcloud.com
November 29, 2025 at 5:42 PM
After 10 long years I finally have a new electric guitar! Naturally had to lay down a modular + electric track 🕺🎹🎸

EP-40 Riddim on drums
Rings>Beads>Morphagene on modular
Electric guitar on electric guitar

on.soundcloud.com/qJT62fGJbPvG...
Brain Invaders demo
11/23 nite cut
soundcloud.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:51 PM
MIDI makes me grouchy, but mostly because of the historical 8 bit-ness of it. I also think it's too tied to western keyboard conventions, but mostly everything has decent fixes or workarounds these days.

I'm having a lot of fun controlling the 0-Coast with a combo of MIDI and CV! #modular #synthsky
November 19, 2025 at 3:44 PM
In the AI era, I keep coming back to books. You don't gain book-level knowledge without processing a book's worth of information!

It's nice to outsource some cognitive load (full disclosure: I use Claude Code often). But you can't outsource actual learning and understanding. Keep reading, kids!
November 19, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Okay, the EP-40 Riddim is just straight up fun! 🕺🎹 It has some really nice upgrades over the KO 2, although I wonder if some will trickle down. I love the new synth engines and the improved looper!

Btw this was my "portable" set up down at my parents' farm 🤣 #modular #synthsky #teenageengineering
November 18, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Trying to run 3 sound sources from the same pitch signal is non-trivial in modular! 😱 I can tune them all to the same root, but they scale all wrong. Maths to the rescue? #modular #synthsky #makenoise
November 11, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Modular synths are not for everyone, but they are definitely for me! I absolutely love patching this thing from scratch 🤓

Other signs you might love modular include thinking:
- You would rather die than use presets
- Money isn't real
- 12TET is a prison for your boundless creativity

#synthsky
November 3, 2025 at 4:48 PM
I really appreciate how Nintendo has stuck to certain core design values like replay-ability. I love that my mom can still get dozens or hundreds of hours out of a new Mario or Donkey Kong game. That's really special ❤️
November 1, 2025 at 8:16 PM
I've had a K.O. II since shortly after release and not only have they addressed almost all the shortcomings since release, it's just downright one of my favorite instruments to play! It's my go-to drum machine, idea sketch pad, and messing around toy. Sequencing MIDI with it is next level! 😎🕺
October 31, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Between Ableton and Reaper, I've found a set up for sample chopping, layering, and bouncing that I really like! Reaper is nice and fast for those tasks and I'm able to keep my Ableton arrangement view clean and focused on the song. It's also great for marking wav files and exporting for Morphagene!
October 26, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Help I blew up my Ableton project and my last backup is too old 😱 All because I got greedy and wanted to try a different compressor plugin... #synthsky #dawlife #avarice
October 21, 2025 at 3:30 PM
I'll be honest, I chose Ableton like 10 years ago because that's what Flying Lotus uses. I still have no regrets! It's been perfect for every stage of my evolution, from recording pocket operators straight into arrangement view to the complex routes and racks I use now 🤓🎹 It's honestly the closest..
October 20, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Putting FX on the Return tracks in Ableton is another easy level up! I was using insert FX on individual tracks and it created a lot of mud. Having your synths share a reverb helps them feel like they share a space and reduces unwanted noise and harmonic interaction 🤓
October 18, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Why do I need every granular synthesizer ever made? Intellijel Multigrain got my mouth watering lately 🤤 #synthsky
October 18, 2025 at 2:15 AM
It's interesting when you start making art with an audience in mind. I've always just made stuff for me and not really shared it, but working on an EP now it feels important to wrestle with a few questions about intention and messaging! 🤔 This is mostly good news for my friends & family who want
October 17, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Now I know what was missing from my mixes. It was glue! #synthsky
October 17, 2025 at 3:23 PM