Hi,
This is my first post, hello!
I'm building a percussion instrument using 50 solenoids. I will be sequencing the notes and I can see that I can use a midi decoder to drive the solenoids but is a midi system the best or is there an alternative system which might be more flexible or up to date in terms of its interface features?
Any advice or links welcome
Thanks
MIDI is probably the way to go... MIDI is still the standard for "electronic music" or "programmed music" with virtual instruments.
If you wanted to "hard code" a sequence (such as playing only one song) you can simplify the hardware and software by skipping MIDI and driving the solenoids (or rather, driving the solenoid drivers) directly from Arduino I/O pins.
But if you want to play from a MIDI keyboard or from a MIDI file on the computer, a MIDI interface is the way to do it. That way you wouldn't need to write an application for the controller/computer (you can buy MIDI sequencer/editor software), or build any custom hardware for the controller/computer side of things, and you'd have an instrument compatible with everything out there.
The Arduino can serve as a MIDI instrument or MIDI controller. I believe it's "easier" making regular-old serial MIDI interface (with the round connector) than with USB-MIDI.
Have you figured-out how you are going to drive 50 solenoids? With an Arduino Mega? With a serial shift-register interface?
I suppose i'm thinking about using stored sequence data and recalling when I wish, live. Midi still sounds like a good option therefor. I'm currently looking at a Mega or a 64 channel Midi decoder. I'm happy to hear of variations or examples if available..I just wanted to ask the question before I marched off down one route..