How do you solve a problem like this?

You could consider making your own solution. Here at TechRoadie, we regularly cover the efforts of technology oriented musicians building their own devices. We publish a monthly MYO (Make-Your-Own) round-up that cover devices that were rolled out in the past month. Many of these prototype devices are based on a technology called Arduino.

What is Arduino?

According to Wikipedia, “Arduino is a physical computing platform based on a simple open hardware design for a single-board microcontroller, with embedded I/O support and a standard programming language.” It comes in several flavors, has an ecosystem of software and peripheral support, and is cheap. Arduino is largely based on the Atmel AVR microcontroller family and the supported hardware has been expanded through clones, outlined on the Wikipedia pages.

What about functionality, how do I write software for the thing?

That’s where the answer gets really interesting, especially for a software engineer. Arduino has an integrated development environment (IDE) that can be used to create projects that stand alone or projects that are tethered to a PC. The programming language looks a lot like C/C++. The IDE acts as a terminal emulator once the application is downloaded to the Arduino board. Of particular interest to electronic musicians is that Arduino boards can interface with Max/MSP, PureData, and SuperCollider. If you don’t know what that means, it’s cool, you can read all about them by following the Wikipedia links. We’re going to investigate as much as we can about PureData in a future installation on TechRoadie.

With the audio and MIDI interfaces offered above, you can use the Arduino as an input to the PC or as an output from those programs. So, you can accept gestural input from the input/output (I/O) ports of the Arduino and send them up the cable to PureData or Max. Starting sequences, triggering sounds, modifying signal processing parameters – all possible with the Arduino board and software.

This all sounds fantastically nerdy, so where do I start?

It’s recommended that you start with developing an understanding of all of the components of the system that you want to build. You’ll want to read the Wikipedia entry, visit the Arduino project website, and then plan your project. On Wikipedia, we know it’s the boring part, but the References and External Links sections of the page is crammed full of additional resources worth reading. When it comes time to buy components, there are many sites on the web that can help you. We recommend starting with the folks at MakerShed on their Arduino page. It really gives you a good idea of what configurations are available, resources for learning the basics, starter kits, I/O modules (including wireless transports), and more.

Here’s an example from over at MAKEzine: the Arduino MIDI Touchpad by Collin Cunningham:

What’s next and an invitation …

TechRoadie is planning to start an Arduino project soon. That said, we’re certain that we need to follow our own advice and learn about the options and software, then plan our project. We’ll be investigating and noting our plans here on the site. The invitation is for readers to contact us if they are interested in documenting their project in an article on TechRoadie.

The tools are out there that enable the average musician with a technical bent the opportunity to build the device of their dreams. From making simple control or switch boxes to having a physical interface drive a quad-core Mac or PC processing audio, they opportunity is there. Drop us a line and good luck!

The interest in this topic is built in on over-riding thought, that these sorts of innovations and design can eventually find their way into corporate R&D labs or more importantly (perhaps forgetting about corporations for the moment), they can find their way to commercialization. I think they’re great opportunities for those interested in technology to see how other inventors are thinking out of the box, solving problems, and developing new paradigms for electronic media devices.

First up this month is a Arduino platform that uses opto sensors, a CD-sized as a platform to hold paper “player” rolls, and the Arduino as a three note polyphonic synthesizer:

an arduino based three note polyphonic music box

John, the inventor has a lot of interesting maker projects, as well as Arduino and Atmel processor information and links on his website.

MAKE magazine subscriber Rich Bernett is in the process of creating a series of cigar-box instruments that are driven by small electric actuators. The cigar-boxes act as an audio chamber to amplify the sound (like the chamber in a guitar). Each instrument has a tuned guitar string that is plucked by an electric motor at various speeds. The actuators appear to be cut off cable ties! Very cool, and they have a unique sound – especially since the strings are plucked at higher rates than a human performer could pluck them.

String-box played via motors

All bow to the great Pete Edwards of Casper Electronics, who modified a Nintendo Entertainment System to become not only a unique sounding synthesizer, but a device that can generate bizarre video output that corresponds to the bleeps and bloops coming out of the box! There’s more on the project over at Make, too.

Tanner, over at Noystoise crafted this mono synth with quite a few adjustable parameters:

Tanner has a blog where he captures his adventures in MYO.

Finally, there’s a pretty slick guitar looper made made by a DIY’er. The control inputs are Arduino powered, but they control PureData, an Open Source music and multimedia project developed by the original author of Max, Miller Puckette.

Like I said, it was a busy month – there were another 5 or 6 projects that we couldn’t get to this month. Please post your comments in the comment section and keep giving us feedback about these round ups.

Here’s the LS-11 as it was unpacked from the FedEx box:

The main box is opened. The Recorder comes in one box and the accessories in another.

Here’s a shot with all of the goodies shipped with a base Olympus LS-11 – case, wrist strap, connection cables, manual, quick start guide, warranty case, Cubase LE software and quick start guide, 2 x AA batteries for instant gratification, windcreens for the microphones, and the LS-11 itself.

Here’s a show showing the windscreens installed (there is a plastic fitting inside each windscreen that provides a satisfying “click” when placed over the microphones), and the LS-11′s relative size to a pair of AA batteries.

I used the included case to create a “go bag” for the LS-11, essentially adding a tiny tripod (in case on left) that I purchase a couple of years ago in Japan.

Here’s the unit with the tripod installed. I will experiment with placing a rubber isolation layer between the tripod and LS-11, to see if a difference can be determined when handling and low frequency rumble from the environment are present.

That’s it for now! The experiments start this week. I plan to do several environmental recordings, so spoken word recordings via interviews at CEDIA, and instrumental flute rehearsal recordings.

What is Arduino? According to the website, “Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. It’s intended for artists, designers, hobbyists, and anyone interested in creating interactive objects or environments.” Software can be added to the project boards via the downloadable development environment. The programs generated in that environment can connect to Flash, Processing, and important for musicians, MaxMSP. Theoretically you could develop modules that interact with Max that can control the rest of your music making set up.

Now, not everything we review in this session of the MYO Round-up will be Arduino based, but as a MYO technology trend, Arduino is definitely a hot item. So, let’s take a look at what was announced and discovered in July and August.

First up is a non-Arduino design. An electric homemade kalimba, with extra bassy sound characteristics.

Second up is a Record and Playback library for AdaFruit WaveShield.

While this isn’t a quick, inexpensive means to get to an iPod, this solution can play any uncompressed 22KHz, 16bit, mono WAV files of any size, making it suitable for background music, spoken word, or sound effect playback. So, a battery of these would make an awesome haunted house, provide voice-overs at art galleries, or play a looping soundtrack in waiting room. There’s a demo video showing it’s capabilities as well.

Finally, for this post, an Arduino controls a Morley Big Muff Pi in ways never done before – using a wavetable look up to control the amount of distortion. By using ramp, sine, and square waves generated on the Arduino to sweep the amount of distortion, you can a dynamic distortion that you probably haven’t heard before. The idea is rockin’ – but could use more controls, like speed and depth in addition to the waveform change.

The Sony physically is shorter and wider (around 4.5 inches x 2.5 inches) than the Olympus (around 5.25 inches x 1.75 inches). Both units feature interesting industrial design, the Olympus team opting for clear definition on the condenser microphones. The displays are virtually identical, featuring VU meters, transport state, record time and battery status.

Here is a side-by-side feature comparison:

My initial thoughts: I don’t want a wired remote. Recording time is paramount to me. The Olympus wins given battery life, fully size SD compatibility, and recording time. The Olympus also has an optional “Windjammer” windscreen, camera tripod mounting compatibility, and several microphone options. I couldn’t find data on the options for the Sony.

That said, I’m concerned (and have inquiries into Olympus) about the lack of a recording limiter. I could not find anything in the specification sheet nor on the website the talks about this. This feature could make the product difficult to use when a quick capture opportunity presents itself. I’d have to have a whole recording be distorted. The literature does mention an automatic level control, but that can compromise recording quality, as it changes the level of the entire recording, not just the peaks like a limiter.

Update: I have spoken with a Product Manager at Olympus about limiting and auto-level options on the LS-11 and confirmed that the device features both. The limiter has both an “auto” and “manual” setting, adjustable by the recording level dial on the side of the recorder.

As far as I understand it, however, neither product is complete. The both will ship this Fall. I’m going to make every attempt to get both units for evaluation and review.

I can’t wait to sell my MiniDisk recorder and get my hands on one of these devices!

PS: I will hopefully be getting a demo unit of the Olympus device sometime soon. Plan on seeing demos and applications on TechRoadie!

Welcome to TechRoadie.

I’ve had 20+ years of experience delving deep into hardware and software development for audio products – both consumer and professional. I continue to monitor new technologies and wanted to create venue for sharing my insights into this corner of the consumer marketplace.

I suppose I should get official and state TechRoadie’s Mission Statement:

TechRoadie’s Mission is to monitor and report on technologies and trends related to professional and consumer audio and multimedia products and devices. In particular, TechRoadie will focus on Embedded Software Development & Tools (including Signal Processing), Hardware Components (both groundbreaking and commodity), and Breakthrough Innovations in the market space.

A bit long winded, but there it is.

I suppose I should also state that:

I reserve the right to re-direct this mission at any time, but I can’t forsee doing that too often, and it shouldn’t diverge that much from the original mission.

I’d start a new blog if it were that different.

Please join us as we examine consumer electronics technologies. I look forward to building an active community in the comments sections – so feel free!