Although it may sound like a pipe organ from St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Maker Matthew Steinke has packed all of those tunes into a 4”x13”x14” MIDI-controlled, portable device. Instead of using pipes and a wind chest typically found in cathedral-esque organs, the toaster-sized device utilizes a combination of electromagnets and steel tines. Impressively, the Tine Organ is capable of producing 20 chromatic […]
There is no doubt that you remember the inescapable ‘90s hit, The Macarena. The pairing of a catchy beat and a simple dance turned the Los Del Rio smash hit into a national phenomenon. Now, 20 years later, we can reminisce about the tune all thanks to one Maker and his MIDI compatible dot-matrix printer. A hacker by the […]
Maker Daniel Sanz has put together this funky MIDI controller that employs conductive ink and a few capacitive sensors to produce sounds. The DIY nature of this design makes the possibilities for musical creation endless! Sanz is a member Music Technology Group (MTG) at University Pompeu Fabra of Barcelona and devised this project for his Interactive […]
Whether you’re interested in music, video or just flat out fun, this easy-to-build full USB MIDI controller is the open-source tool of your dreams. The minds over at Adafruit conceived this 16-button device based upon their Trellis button platform and an Atmel-based Arduino Leonardo (ATmega32u4). The Mini OONTZ is a 16-button version of the much […]
Known as “FLORA,” Adafruit’s wearable electronics platform is built around Atmel’s Atmega32u4 MCU. The microcontroller boasts built-in USB support, eliminating the need for pesky special cables and extra parts. As Adafruit’s Limor Fried notes, FLORA is extremely “beginner-friendly.” Indeed, the device is difficult to accidentally destroy by connecting a battery backwards, thanks to a polarized […]
A team led by Alex Haff of NYU’s Science of Music school recently debuted a DIY paper circuit project dubbed Draw MIDI. The digital-based platform uses capacitance sensing to collect electrical signals from a pencil-and-paper keyboard. The signals are converted to MIDI with an Atmel-based Arduino Uno (ATmega328) that sends the code to a PC via a Max […]
Amanda Ghassaei has designed a portable, Arduino-powered, grid-based MIDI controller capable of running a number of sound-related apps. The Uno-based (ATmega328 MCU) controller, which recently surfaced on Instructables, is equipped with 16 backlit buttons, used as both inputs and outputs to provide the controller with visual feedback. Meanwhile, two potentiometers are tasked with analog control. […]
Last week, Bits & Pieces got up close and personal with the Atmegatron, an 8-bit mono synth powered by Atmel’s ATmega328P microcontroller (MCU). Today, we’re going to be taking a closer look at the Tannin, a DIY MIDI controller built around the Atmel-based Arduino Nano (ATmega328). Deisgned by Shantea, the system is equipped with 16 potentiometers, […]
Jianan Li and a team of Makers recently designed a wireless MIDI floor piano for Duke University’s Hackathon. According to the Hackaday crew, a DIY Pressure Plate for a haunted Halloween house featured on the popular website served as the initial inspiration for the wireless MIDI floor piano. “Having only 24 hours to compete in […]
A Maker by the name of Vito has created a slick MIDI Drumbot using an Atmel-powered Arduino, 12V solenoid and a MIDI interface. Additional key components include various recycled materials, such as cardboard, elastic and yes, even a plastic fork. “I wanted to use the MIDI interface and then maybe develop a stand-alone interface,” Vito […]
