3 ms·

A RP2040 Powered MIDI-Controlled Synth in CircuitPython

81 points by _Microft 3y ago

todbot 3y ago
Cool, thanks for posting this!
_Microft 3y ago
There is a great sounding demo at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-PbbWWDE6k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-PbbWWDE6k
- steve_adams_86 3y ago
  I'm absolutely floored that that's coming out of a QtPy. This model is $10 USD! I love desktop and mobile software, but the embedded world gets me so excited. Like, as excited as I'd get as a kid. I know I could do something very similar with python on my MacBook, or use existing tools on an iPad I already have, but something about doing awesome stuff with such limited and cheap tools gets me so pumped about it.
  - guenthert 3y ago
    > I'm absolutely floored that that's coming out of a QtPy Well a QtPy and a I2S DAC.
  - squarefoot 3y ago
    > This model is $10 USD! The Teensy is a bit more expensive but can do even more, but yeah, it's amazing what we can build with a few bucks worth of electronics these days. https://www.pjrc.com/teensy/ https://www.pjrc.com/teensy/ http://electrotechnique.cc/ http://electrotechnique.cc/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2674LdYW5I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2674LdYW5I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCA2L7CeWSE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCA2L7CeWSE
_benj 3y ago
This is very cool! I was playing the with RP2040 and since I had a digital piano and a logic analyzer in front of me I decided to take a look at the midi signals. It took about 10 mins to reverse engineer them, make the RP2040 listen to them and make a little buzzer buzz the appropriate frequency using the signal from MIDI. (TLDR, MIDI is just a simple uart and transmits a key press/depress, what key and what velocity) Really cool that you took this to an actual proper synth!
- _Microft 3y ago
  > Really cool that you took this to an actual proper synth! You're flattering me - but this is not a Show HN. Creator of this is "todbot" and you can find his blog at https://todbot.com/blog/ https://todbot.com/blog/
Jedd 3y ago
This is spectacular, and is now on my to-do list. There's a huge range of amazing projects like this out there. One of my favourite youtubers is Floyd Steinberg, who regularly does deep dives into h/w builds (rpi, teensy, picoadk, etc). Always inspiring, if a mildly depressing reminder there's only so many hours. https://www.youtube.com/@mr_floydst/videos https://www.youtube.com/@mr_floydst/videos
- _Microft 3y ago
  Have you heard about "PicoTouch" already? It's a MIDI keyboard with touch buttons, Raspi Pico powered, by the same creator as of this submission: https://github.com/todbot/picotouch https://github.com/todbot/picotouch Also "PicoStepSeq" with the following description from its Github page: "PicoStepSeq is an 8-step MIDI sequencer using a Raspberry Pi Pico, an I2C SSD1306 OLED display, a rotary encoder. and 8 "Step Switches". It outputs via USB MIDI and Serial MIDI via TRS-A 3.5mm.": https://github.com/todbot/picostepseq https://github.com/todbot/picostepseq
  - Jedd 3y ago
    I had not, so much thanks for the pointers!
- stavros 3y ago
  Floyd Steinberg? Of Floyd-Steinberg dithering fame?
  - Jedd 3y ago
    I think that Floyd-Steinberg was/were two people. This is one person. So, probably not. : )
    - stavros 3y ago
      It was indeed! I was afraid the joke would be too obscure :(

81 points by _Microft 3y ago

Cool, thanks for posting this!

There is a great sounding demo at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-PbbWWDE6k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-PbbWWDE6k

steve_adams_86 3y ago
I'm absolutely floored that that's coming out of a QtPy. This model is $10 USD! I love desktop and mobile software, but the embedded world gets me so excited. Like, as excited as I'd get as a kid. I know I could do something very similar with python on my MacBook, or use existing tools on an iPad I already have, but something about doing awesome stuff with such limited and cheap tools gets me so pumped about it.
- guenthert 3y ago
  > I'm absolutely floored that that's coming out of a QtPy Well a QtPy and a I2S DAC.
- squarefoot 3y ago
  > This model is $10 USD! The Teensy is a bit more expensive but can do even more, but yeah, it's amazing what we can build with a few bucks worth of electronics these days. https://www.pjrc.com/teensy/ https://www.pjrc.com/teensy/ http://electrotechnique.cc/ http://electrotechnique.cc/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2674LdYW5I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2674LdYW5I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCA2L7CeWSE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCA2L7CeWSE

_benj 3y ago

This is very cool! I was playing the with RP2040 and since I had a digital piano and a logic analyzer in front of me I decided to take a look at the midi signals. It took about 10 mins to reverse engineer them, make the RP2040 listen to them and make a little buzzer buzz the appropriate frequency using the signal from MIDI. (TLDR, MIDI is just a simple uart and transmits a key press/depress, what key and what velocity) Really cool that you took this to an actual proper synth!

_Microft 3y ago
> Really cool that you took this to an actual proper synth! You're flattering me - but this is not a Show HN. Creator of this is "todbot" and you can find his blog at https://todbot.com/blog/ https://todbot.com/blog/

Jedd 3y ago

This is spectacular, and is now on my to-do list. There's a huge range of amazing projects like this out there. One of my favourite youtubers is Floyd Steinberg, who regularly does deep dives into h/w builds (rpi, teensy, picoadk, etc). Always inspiring, if a mildly depressing reminder there's only so many hours. https://www.youtube.com/@mr_floydst/videos https://www.youtube.com/@mr_floydst/videos

_Microft 3y ago
Have you heard about "PicoTouch" already? It's a MIDI keyboard with touch buttons, Raspi Pico powered, by the same creator as of this submission: https://github.com/todbot/picotouch https://github.com/todbot/picotouch Also "PicoStepSeq" with the following description from its Github page: "PicoStepSeq is an 8-step MIDI sequencer using a Raspberry Pi Pico, an I2C SSD1306 OLED display, a rotary encoder. and 8 "Step Switches". It outputs via USB MIDI and Serial MIDI via TRS-A 3.5mm.": https://github.com/todbot/picostepseq https://github.com/todbot/picostepseq
- Jedd 3y ago
  I had not, so much thanks for the pointers!
stavros 3y ago
Floyd Steinberg? Of Floyd-Steinberg dithering fame?
- Jedd 3y ago
  I think that Floyd-Steinberg was/were two people. This is one person. So, probably not. : )
  - stavros 3y ago
    It was indeed! I was afraid the joke would be too obscure :(