Arduino Tone Polyphony – Part 2

There were two enhancements to my Arduino Tone Polyphony project I was keen to explore. One was to expand the MIDI range of notes and one was to "build in" a keyboard. I have managed to create an experimental version that can support four octaves over MIDI, but tuning needs some work, so I'm not ready … Continue reading Arduino Tone Polyphony – Part 2 →

Arduino Tone Polyphony

I've been reading about the Oskitone 555Poly which looks like a lot of fun. It is a fully polyphonic sound generator based on one 555 oscillator circuit per key, each one individually tuned to the note you want it to play. Unfortunately my budget for making is unlikely to be able to justify getting one … Continue reading Arduino Tone Polyphony →

LOLShield MIDI Step Sequencer – Part 2

I wanted to experiment with different scales and tempos with my LOLShield MIDI Step Sequencer but naturally didn't want to keep having to recompile and redownload sketches onto the Arduino, so some kind of control was in order. However the LOLShield uses all the IO apart from RX/TX, which are used for the MIDI, but I … Continue reading LOLShield MIDI Step Sequencer – Part 2 →

LOLShield MIDI Step Sequencer

One of the things I always do when I get a new LED matrix style display is run Conway's Game of Life on it, so having recently played with some MIDI step sequencers, I thought it time to put the two together. This is the result. In a follow-up post, I add some simple MIDI … Continue reading LOLShield MIDI Step Sequencer →

Arduino MIDI Multi-Tone Module

I've not done anything with the Arduino's built in tone() for a while so thought I'd revisit something I've wanted to explore for a while - Arduino tone() polyphony! But not of the sort I explored in the Arduino Multi MIDI Tone Module which stacked up several Arduino MIDI Tone Modules together. Instead, I wanted to … Continue reading Arduino MIDI Multi-Tone Module →

Arduino VS1003 Drum Machine

I picked up some cheap matrix button boards a while back and wanted to use them as some kind of MIDI controller, so linked up with the Arduino MIDI VS1003 Synth I thought I'd make a self-contained simple drum machine. https://youtu.be/xzDqOiP5L4g Warning! I strongly recommend using old or second hand equipment for your experiments. I … Continue reading Arduino VS1003 Drum Machine →

Arduino MIDI VS1003 Shield – Part 2

Having left a good half of a proto shield free in my Arduino MIDI VS1003 Shield I thought it would be useful to add in some potentiometers, a MIDI link and an optional indicator LED. This documents the build process continuing where the previous project left off. Warning! I strongly recommend using an old or second hand … Continue reading Arduino MIDI VS1003 Shield – Part 2 →

Arduino MIDI VS1003 Shield

I've put together a simple shield to hold my VS1003 modules. This documents the build process so far. In the next part, I'll add some potentiometers for control. Warning! I strongly recommend using an old or second hand keyboard for your MIDI experiments. I am not responsible for any damage to expensive instruments! These are the … Continue reading Arduino MIDI VS1003 Shield →

Arduino MIDI Mux Step Sequencer – Part 2

By way of completing this initial look at multiplexing potentiometers, this is how I used a Sparkfun 16 port multiplexer in my Arduino MIDI Step Sequencer. https://youtu.be/MiPyJrPlmVs Warning! I strongly recommend using an old or second hand keyboard for your MIDI experiments. I am not responsible for any damage to expensive instruments! These are the key Arduino … Continue reading Arduino MIDI Mux Step Sequencer – Part 2 →

Arduino MIDI Mux Step Sequencer

If you keep using single IO ports of the Arduino for your controls you reach the limits pretty quickly. In terms of analog IO that is six inputs for an Uno and eight for a Nano. The solution is relatively straightforward however, use a multiplexer. This project inserts a 74HC4051 eight port multiplexer into the Arduino … Continue reading Arduino MIDI Mux Step Sequencer →