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 →

Arduino MT-32 Program Changer

One thing that I always found slightly annoying with my MT-32 Synth Module, and something I thought would be a nice addition for my MT-32 Pi, was a two-knob voice selector. This project uses an Arduino Nano to create one to send Program Change messages over MIDI to an MT-32. https://youtu.be/JhuPMa-xiNM Warning! I strongly recommend … Continue reading Arduino MT-32 Program Changer →

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 →

Raspberry Pi Pico Reversible MIDI Out

I wanted a quick "just plug in and use it" MIDI out for my Pico, but in a slightly simpler format than my Raspberry Pi Pico MIDI "pack" Interface, so popped this one together as an alternative. Warning! I strongly recommend using old or second hand equipment for your experiments. I am not responsible for any … Continue reading Raspberry Pi Pico Reversible MIDI Out →

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 →

Trinket FM Synthesis with Mozzi

Having played around a little with the Adafruit Trinket M0 I'm now starting to spend some time learning about the SAMD21 processor on board as part of an investigation into 32-bit ARM processors and their possibilities for synthesis. In a follow-up post I add MIDI host support via the built-in USB port. In a further … Continue reading Trinket FM Synthesis with Mozzi →

DIY MIDI Interfaces

This page is a mixture of beginner and advanced, DIY options covering MIDI in (receive), MIDI out (send), and USBMIDI to MIDI conversion for non-Arduino like microcontrollers. Here are some other pages of interest: Ready-Made MIDI Modules - a range of modules for "ready to go" MIDI IN and OUT for both 5V and 3V … Continue reading DIY MIDI Interfaces →

Pi Pico PIO Poly Tone Step Sequencer – Part 2

In this project I've added some basic IO to the Pi Pico PIO Poly Tone Step Sequencer. https://youtu.be/a5Mkd0wnbzs Warning! I strongly recommend using old or second hand equipment for your experiments. I am not responsible for any damage to expensive instruments! These are the key tutorials for the main concepts used in this project: MIDI, MicroPython … Continue reading Pi Pico PIO Poly Tone Step Sequencer – Part 2 →

Pi Pico PIO Poly Tone Step Sequencer

In the next part of my messing around with the Raspberry Pi Pico PIO polyphonic tones, I've paired it up with my Pi Pico Keypad MIDI Step Sequencer using my Pimoroni RGB Keypad. In part 2 I add some MIDI controllers. https://youtu.be/JJSOUhSP038 Warning! I strongly recommend using old or second hand equipment for your experiments. I … Continue reading Pi Pico PIO Poly Tone Step Sequencer →

Pi Pico PIO Poly Tone MIDI “Pack”

This is a simple "pack" design for the Pi Pico PIO Poly Tone Keyboard providing 8-note tone-style polyphony with MIDI in functionality. Warning! I strongly recommend using old or second hand equipment for your experiments. I am not responsible for any damage to expensive instruments! These are the key Arduino tutorials for the main concepts used … Continue reading Pi Pico PIO Poly Tone MIDI “Pack” →