An Inexpensive DIY MIDI Wind Controller Synthesizer to Another
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pressure the sensor is seeing, it is easy to switch from one 2.4 The Advantages of the MIDI Port AIRduino: An Inexpensive DIY MIDI Wind Controller synthesizer to another. The AIRduino connects to the computer through a standard MIDI connector. While sending MIDI information out the Timothy Anderson USB port on the Arduino board seems to be popular with University of Montana other projects3, it has inherent downsides. In many cases, 32 Campus Drive special drivers have to be written to read the sent data.4 In Missoula, MT 59812 other situations, multiple pieces of software are needed to convert to usable MIDI data.5 However, by implementing a [email protected] MIDI port, the AIRduino requires no drivers or software. Instead, the AIRduino may be connected through an audio ABSTRACT 2. AIRDUINO: ABOUT THE CONTROLLER interface's MIDI port, or into a USB port from a MIDI to USB converter cable.6 This change allows the AIRduino to be The AIRduino is a hardware MIDI controller featuring a bi- plug-and-play compatible with any Windows or Mac system. directional breath pressure sensor that has the ability to 2.1 Arduino at the Heart of the System control different parameters by inhaling and exhaling through As the name AIRduino implies, the MIDI controller is built the sensor. The controller also features four videogame- around the Arduino Uno Microcontroller board. Because of 3. SUMMARY controller thumbsticks for addition expression, along with the relatively small price of the board, ease of hardware eight trimpots for extra versatility. Through these two unique At around ninety USD for all parts and materials, the implementation, and wealth of online resources, the Arduino types of sensors, the AIRduino allows the performer a AIRduino MIDI Controller is an affordable tool for any infrastructure was an obvious choice. At a price of thirty USD versatile and unique method of controlling his or her music. performer wanting distinctive, versatile instrument. By using at time of writing1, the board is an affordable microcontroller. This MIDI controller is easy to assemble from inexpensive the Arduino infrastructure and simple, inexpensive parts, it is Additionally, Arduino is easy to use in development, as no parts, and is open source in both code and circuitry my honest wish as its creator that the AIRduino allow soldering is required. Instead, the Arduino is equipped with schematics. performers easy access to new methods of expression. pin slots that wires can be inserted into. Because knowledge of complex circuitry isn't a prerequisite to working with the 4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Keywords Arduino, it becomes much more accessible to musicians interested in building a MIDI controller. The tutorials and Arduino, MIDI, Electronic Instrument, DIY, Breath Pressure I would like to acknowledge my professor, Charles Nichols, examples on Arduino.cc work to further bridge the gap of Sensor, Thumbsticks Figure 2. The AIRduino in use. In the current for supporting me on this project. I would also like to thank technical understanding required to construct a MIDI setup, the left hand can alter the trimpots and the people at Arduino Software for their excellent instrument. By having access to a plethora of tutorials on the 1. INTRODUCTION thumbsticks, while the right hand acts as a valve microcontroller. All photography for this article was taken by hardware and software involved, even those with little to open or close the air column, articulating Louis Habeck. I would also like to thank Nathaniel Shiftmore circuitry experience can easily find answers to any problem notes as a result. at Shiftmore.Blogspot.Com for the idea to use the MIDI to As both a musician and an avid computer programmer, I they might have while constructing their own AIRduino. USB cable. And finally, I would like to thank my father, for often see other musicians express confusion about their 2.3 Why Thumbsticks? all the support he has given me, and for the idea of the bi- electronic instruments. While they can easily accomplish 2.2 Bi-Directional Breath Pressure Sensor directional pressure gauge. tasks with their instruments, they seldom understand how As the creator, I was concerned that the AIRduino MIDI their hardware works. My goal through this project is to use controller be an expressive, versatile instrument. However, the Arduino microcontroller, some simple, cheap, and easy to 8. REFERENCES When I started working on this project, I was determined to this couldn't counteract the need to keep the individual use sensors, and one unconventional breath pressure sensor to create an interface that was simple and utilitarian, yet had components as inexpensive as possible. After the eight [1] enable musicians to easily build their own MIDI controllers, trimpots were implemented, the instrument still seemed Anderson, Alan, “Biomed Projects”, cbet Biomed some unique function that couldn't be found elsewhere in http://cbet- and learn about the controller's structure in the process. lacking. It was then that the thumbsticks were added. Since Projects, Retrieved January, 2012, MIDI controllers. However, since my main instrument is biomedprojects.blogspot.com/2011/03/strain-gauges- they have the unique feature of resetting to their centered Saxophone, the first few ideas for this project looked similar are-used-in-all-sorts-of.html to the Electronic Wind Instrument (EWI) by AKAI2. In order position when not being manipulated, they added a unique to distinguish the AIRduino from this well-established performance option to the MIDI controller. As an additional [2] Arduino Software, “Arduino – Midi”, Retrieved counterpart, the AIRduino was equipped with a specialized layer of control, a switch on the back of the AIRduino allows January, 2012, http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/Midi breath pressure sensor that is able to read both positive and the performer to switch between two preset controls. When negative pressures. What this means to performers is that the the switch is up, the thumbstick reads its X and Y position [3] Hinton Instruments,”MIDI Protocol Guide”,hinton- pressure sensor sends one MIDI continuous controller for and sends out the two states as individual MIDI Continuous instruments.co.uk, Retrieved January, 2012, blowing through the device, and a different one for inhaling. Controllers. However, if the switch is flipped, the data are http://hinton- By using two MIDI continuous controllers, new possibilities broken into four individual controllers, corresponding to up, instruments.co.uk/reference/midi/protocol/index.htm open up for the electronic musician. By linking inhaling and down, left, and right. In this way, the thumbsticks can provide exhaling to the volume of two synthesizers in a Digital Audio more nuanced control over a MIDI instrument, and reset all 3 http://www.arduino.cc/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl? the controls to zero when not being manipulated. num=1161023163/0, for a long discussion on the subject. Figure 1. A top-down view of the AIRduino. Workstation (DAW), it is easy to add dynamics to an otherwise static line of music. Additionally, by changing the 4 http://www.arduino.cc/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.plnum=1222793835 The four thumbsticks each send MIDI data 5 http://spikenzielabs.com/SpikenzieLabs/Serial_MIDI.html based on their current X and Y positions, and 6 http://www.amazon.com/Input-Output-Cable-Converter- return to the center when not being 1 http://www.sparkfun.com/products/10356 Notebook/dp/B001HPL8B2/ref=sr_1_3? manipulated. 2 http://www.akaipro.com/ewiusb ie=UTF8&s=miscellaneous&qid=1259723275&sr=8-3 _420 _421 pressure the sensor is seeing, it is easy to switch from one 2.4 The Advantages of the MIDI Port AIRduino: An Inexpensive DIY MIDI Wind Controller synthesizer to another. The AIRduino connects to the computer through a standard MIDI connector. While sending MIDI information out the Timothy Anderson USB port on the Arduino board seems to be popular with University of Montana other projects3, it has inherent downsides. In many cases, 32 Campus Drive special drivers have to be written to read the sent data.4 In Missoula, MT 59812 other situations, multiple pieces of software are needed to convert to usable MIDI data.5 However, by implementing a [email protected] MIDI port, the AIRduino requires no drivers or software. Instead, the AIRduino may be connected through an audio ABSTRACT 2. AIRDUINO: ABOUT THE CONTROLLER interface's MIDI port, or into a USB port from a MIDI to USB converter cable.6 This change allows the AIRduino to be The AIRduino is a hardware MIDI controller featuring a bi- plug-and-play compatible with any Windows or Mac system. directional breath pressure sensor that has the ability to 2.1 Arduino at the Heart of the System control different parameters by inhaling and exhaling through As the name AIRduino implies, the MIDI controller is built the sensor. The controller also features four videogame- around the Arduino Uno Microcontroller board. Because of 3. SUMMARY controller thumbsticks for addition expression, along with the relatively small price of the board, ease of hardware eight trimpots for extra versatility. Through these two unique At around ninety USD for all parts and materials, the implementation, and wealth of online resources, the Arduino types of sensors, the AIRduino allows the performer a AIRduino MIDI Controller is an affordable tool for any infrastructure was an obvious choice. At a price of thirty USD versatile and unique method of controlling his or her music. performer wanting distinctive, versatile instrument. By using at time of writing1, the board is an affordable microcontroller. This MIDI controller is easy to assemble from inexpensive the Arduino infrastructure and simple, inexpensive parts, it is Additionally, Arduino is easy to use in development, as no parts, and is open source in both code and circuitry my honest wish as its creator that the AIRduino allow soldering is required.