CHEAP, FAT and OPEN

Forum 2005-2010 (read only) General Exhibition
1

hej all,
check it out, my shot at an arduino based synth:

510×510 88.7 KB

right now the feature list is as follows:

  • atmega328 processor
  • 12bit DAC sound
  • 16 LEDs run through shift registers for sequencing control
  • LCD display
  • rotary encoder for multi purpose tweaking
  • stylophone keyboard
  • expression control through body switches
  • wireless receiver and transmitter through infrared light (control your synth with your remote control!)
  • passive volume control
  • 5 navigational keys and 1 home key (can be expanded with shoulder keys)

sound circuit and code based on the arduino pocket piano project.

making PCBs now, will soon have some more tight versions of this little frankensynth! :smiley: the plan is - with time - to create a kit of this prototype, if you have feedback or ideas, please share.

thanks,
/j

2

Looks cool if a bit big at the moment...

What exactly does the LCD show apart from CHEAP, FAT+OPEN?

I would also recommend using & instead of + because that looks slightly strange...

Mowcius

3

yeah, its superbig. hopefully the PCB version should make up for that!

the LCD display is not of too much use right now (except for bling, which is, after all, really important) but it is the idea that the LCD combined with the rotary encoder, will let you adjust settings.

i need to code all of these behaviours with time. the idea right now is to design a platform for musical experimentation, which is open and flexible.
/j

4

first PCB version now completed ;D

5

Looks interesting. Any videos of it in action?

6

i uploaded some here:

not the best quality, but they should give you an idea...

7

edit:
forgot to say that your project looks great and that your device featuring your first PCB looks impressive...

just a quick question...
why don't you use a "touch" switch like the ones found there:
http://www.talkingelectronics.com.au/projects/TouchSwitch/TouchSwitch-1.html

seems a bit more complicated but there's some not so complicated "super alpha pair" to take back their words that sould make the jobs

you could even use something like Antistatic device - Wikipedia for a common connection... that seem more confortable than using a connector on your pcb keyboard...