I’ve been wanting to do something that combined a number of these projects for a while, so in celebration of reaching (and now surpassing) 50 project posts (update: now over 100 – I celebrated with canons!), I am pleased to introduce the Arduino Lo-Fi Orchestra!
- Click here is the full list of Lo-Fi Orchestra performances so far.
- Here is a detailed The Lo-Fi Orchestra Explainer with a lot more about the individual projects used.
- And here is The New Lo-Fi Orchestra Explainer with details of the rebuild that happened early in 2023!
Or browse them by (loose) musical genre:
Update January 2021: The Lo-Fi Orchestra now has its own Facebook Page!
Join here: https://www.facebook.com/LoFiOrchestra.
About the Lo-Fi Orchestra
The following principles have guided me in putting this together:
- It must use the projects as they appear on this site (although there have been a few updates as a consequence of putting it all together).
- They are striving for “something someone else could reproduce simply and cheaply” rather than aiming for audio quality.
- There is no video production or particular mechanical polish – see the point above! (also this isn’t really my thing).
- I’m not trying to create a generic MIDI file player – the programming is by me and where appropriate I’ve simplified the music to give the Arduino a fighting chance!
- Each Arduino is effectively a “MIDI instrument” that receives MIDI instructions from somewhere else – usually a PC with a specially coded up MIDI stream built using MuseScore3.
- Its a bit of fun and something I hope to be able to sling some more MIDI arrangements at in the future too.
And of course, throughout, the standard warning applies (I might have killed an amp in the making of this orchestra…)!
So without further ado, I give you –
- On brass, playing the opening of the Promenade from Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition – Arduino Multi MIDI Tone Module – Part 2.
- On strings, playing the opening of Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik – Arduino Multi Mozzi String Synth – Part 2.
- On saxs, an extract from Mancini’s A Shot in the Dark – Arduino Multi-pot Mozzi FM Synthesis.
- On flutes the opening of the Andantino from Mozart’s Flute and Harp Concerto – Arduino PWM MIDI Synthesis with Mozzi and Arduino MIDI R2R Digital Audio.
- On guitar and bass the Arduino MIDI VS1053 Synth joined by Arduino MIDI Relay Servo Drumkit giving us Money by Pink Floyd.
All coming together to close with Eclipse by Pink Floyd.
Supporting cast:
- Simple Passive Audio Mixer
- Arduino MIDI Filter
- Simple MIDI Monitor
- Arduino MIDI Channel Monitor
- MIDI In-Out Half-Shield
- MozziByte Output Board
- Mozzi Output Circuit – Part 2
Extras: Roland UM-One, mixers, amp, leads and power.
Conducted by an old PC running MIDIBar from http://www.midiox.com/ to “play” the MIDI stream.
All MIDI programming by me using notation in MuseScore exported to a MIDI file and then mucked about with by hand using MIDIEditor.
All music rights and copyright with original authors, composers, producers, artists, and so on.
Kevin
Simple DIY Electronic Music Projects 
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