Toy Keyboard USB Matrix Decode with the Pi Pico – Part 2

Having added USB MIDI to my "Toy Keyboard" - I wanted the option to choose either USB or serial MIDI as the output. This returns to the Toy Keyboard USB Matrix Decode with the Pi Pico project to add a serial port option. Warning! I strongly recommend using old or second hand equipment for your experiments. … Continue reading Toy Keyboard USB Matrix Decode with the Pi Pico – Part 2 →

Toy Keyboard USB Matrix Decode with the Pi Pico

I never really got back to looking at my "Toy Keyboard" - I wanted to do the same as the Vintage Phone - create a USB MIDI version with Circuitpython. Well now I have. Here is the result. https://youtu.be/VNmp3-mwysI Warning! I strongly recommend using old or second hand equipment for your experiments. I am not … Continue reading Toy Keyboard USB Matrix Decode with the Pi Pico →

Universal Synthesizer Panel – Introduction

I have a number of "off the shelf" synthesizer programs and sketches kicking around that I wanted a way to actually be able to do some proper "musical" playing with them. Having them put together on breadboard and stripboard is all very well, but sometimes I want to be able just to load up the … Continue reading Universal Synthesizer Panel – Introduction →

Vertical Modular Synthesizer “CD Rack Format”

I'm planning on building a series of MIDI synthesizer modules that will have a pretty simple means of hooking them together, but want something to house them. I also have a couple of IKEA CD racks kicking around that haven't been required for a while, and I also don't want to take up large chunks … Continue reading Vertical Modular Synthesizer “CD Rack Format” →

Toy Keyboard Matrix Decode with the Pi Pico

I'm always on the look out for discarded music keyboards that I might be able to do something with, so when I came across this thrown out in the street I claimed it to take a look. This shows how I used a Raspberry Pi Pico to decode the keyboard part and turn it into … Continue reading Toy Keyboard Matrix Decode with the Pi Pico →

Vintage Phone USB MIDI Controller

This is the USB MIDI controller version of the Vintage Phone MIDI Controller. As the USB MIDI support is much easier in CircuitPython than MicroPython, this is also a version of the keypad controller code for CircuitPython too. Warning! I strongly recommend using old or second hand equipment for your experiments. I am not responsible for … Continue reading Vintage Phone USB MIDI Controller →

Vintage Phone MIDI Controller

I happened across a pretty dirty Doro x20 push-button phone in some very 70s colours in my garage as part of a clear out and thought it might make a fun MIDI controller. My first experiment uses a Raspberry Pi Pico (in "sawn-off" mode - see later!). In this follow-up post, I turn the phone … Continue reading Vintage Phone MIDI Controller →

Arduino Top Octave Generator – Counter Experiments – Part 2

This is an incomplete experiment, but I wanted to test the principles from Arduino Top Octave Generator and Arduino Top Octave Generator – Counter Experiments in practice a little more. You may recall the basic idea here is to generate 12 tones using an Arduino and then use binary counters to divide them by 2 several … Continue reading Arduino Top Octave Generator – Counter Experiments – Part 2 →

Arduino Top Octave Generator – Counter Experiments

After building my Arduino Top Octave Generator I went off an ordered some binary counter devices to use to produce some "lower octaves". This is a test run project to explore how the 74HC393N devices I have work. In part 2 I start to explore how to expand this to multiple keys and octaves. https://youtu.be/MO8jG0fjUSU Warning! … Continue reading Arduino Top Octave Generator – Counter Experiments →

Single Pin MIDI Channel Selector – Part 2

As I mentioned in the Single Pin MIDI Channel Selector it would be nice to use a "DIP switch" on a small circuit board to give me my MIDI channel selection switch. Here is a small board that can plug directly into an Arduino's headers. Warning! I strongly recommend using old or second hand equipment for … Continue reading Single Pin MIDI Channel Selector – Part 2 →