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Music and Electronics — Parallax Forums

Music and Electronics

John A. ZoidbergJohn A. Zoidberg Posts: 514
edited 2012-10-24 23:09 in General Discussion
I'm sure here some of you are at least exposed to a musical instrument, like a piano or a guitar. I have many years of classical guitar experience and now training for some jazz guitar as well.

For me, when I got my first microcontroller kit, the thing I wanted to do most is making the microcontroller to make music. Yes, and I did, by starting out with square waves, then 'graduated' to PM and wavetable synthesis.

I'm sure anyone who played music instruments are automatically very curious about making music in the microcontroller when they learn how to write the programs inside.

Comments

  • davejamesdavejames Posts: 4,047
    edited 2012-10-23 22:26
    ...hmmmmmmmmmmmm - making music with a uController, not so much. But using them in musical-oriented applications, yup!
  • lanternfishlanternfish Posts: 366
    edited 2012-10-23 23:15
    There are plenty of prop based music projects around. The one that twaeks my interest the most is OpenStomp
  • MicksterMickster Posts: 2,721
    edited 2012-10-24 07:33
    Guitarist of 35 years and a fan of the Propeller (no pun intended). I have always moved with the times but got suckered in to the BS of big name guitars and amps etc.
    Today I am 100% amp modelling. I use Guitar Rig 5 by Native Instruments, Amplitube by IK multimedia and Revalver, now by Peavey.
    I use Ableton Live on a 100% solid-state system for live performance. A prop could never handle this.

    Regards,

    Mickster
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2012-10-24 07:41
    Hello,
    Of late I have been learning PropForth. The big advantage with a version of Forth in a music project is that you can compose and test as you go along. It is more in turn with the creative processes of music (pardon the pun).

    You would have to start out by creating a set of Forth words for the musical scale over several octaves, and set of words for the particular duration of notes. But once you have those input, you could pretty much transcribe at least a melody line without too much trouble.
  • Ahle2Ahle2 Posts: 1,179
    edited 2012-10-24 08:46
    Music on a MCU, no kidding?!
    ;)
  • HumanoidoHumanoido Posts: 5,770
    edited 2012-10-24 08:49
    John A. Zoidberg wrote: »
    I'm sure here some of you are at least exposed to a musical instrument, like a piano or a guitar. I have many years of classical guitar experience and now training for some jazz guitar as well.

    For me, when I got my first microcontroller kit, the thing I wanted to do most is making the microcontroller to make music. Yes, and I did, by starting out with square waves, then 'graduated' to PM and wavetable synthesis.

    I'm sure anyone who played music instruments are automatically very curious about making music in the microcontroller when they learn how to write the programs inside.

    I play guitar, uke, etc. and have projects that incorporate the Parallax microprocessor into these instruments to help shape, modify, and create music. I'm interested in sound changers and electrifying instruments to mod their performances. Some of the most interesting projects fit between the musical instrument and amp.
  • Ahle2Ahle2 Posts: 1,179
    edited 2012-10-24 08:52
    A Propeller and a single cog is all you need the make SWEEEET music at high quality.

  • Peter KG6LSEPeter KG6LSE Posts: 1,383
    edited 2012-10-24 09:02
    get a Prop and a Ardiono to arguue ..... TADA you have DubStep
  • Tracy AllenTracy Allen Posts: 6,664
    edited 2012-10-24 09:20
    A music/art project that involves the propeller is currently on display in a gallery/shop in the Mission district in San Francisco, for a few weeks. (Go Giants!!!) This is for release of an indie album called Pink Thunder by Michael Zapruder (who's long been a music curator at Pandora). My son Mark did the electronics, and he and his wife are also on the credits for music, bass and voice. The propeller is a wav file player with start and stop buttons, and it is embedded in the base of the art pieces made from found objects. A visitor can pick up the headphones and listen to the accompanying song from the album. Michael calls these objects PORTMANTEAUS. There are a couple of pictures, links and audio at his web site. MichaelZapruder.com.

    I'm amazed at what people have done with music and the Prop. Seven monks, retronitus, open stomp, efx-tex AP16, fancy filters for plucked instruments, and on and on.
  • prof_brainoprof_braino Posts: 4,313
    edited 2012-10-24 22:04
    Seven Monks.... I would like a prop apps that sings "Pie jesu domine,... dona eis requiem" like in Holy Grail. With the boards.
  • davejamesdavejames Posts: 4,047
    edited 2012-10-24 23:09
    lanternfish wrote: »
    There are plenty of prop based music projects around. The one that twaeks my interest the most is OpenStomp

    Have you played with it? I agree - it's an interesting concept.
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