assemblyworker Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Anyone here tried putting different switches in MIDI controllers. I've got a Livid Brain Jr which I've used on a couple of projects but these have just involved using piezo or pressure pad type transducers. I'm starting a new project and want to control MIDI CC with light sensors. I'm sure it is possible as essentially it's another variable voltage transistor (correct me if I'm wrong!). My knowledge of electronics is pretty limited, although I'm reading up on things more. Does anyone know of a good starting point? I've asked at the Livid forums as well as searched online but have been yet to find anything with light controllers. Just a heap of stuff about using MIDI to control lighting. Any help greatly appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doppelkorn Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 When I was into hobby electronics I used to read Hackaday and MAKE blog. They would link off to other sites frequently as well. Afrotech was a really good one. There's also Instructables but you have to find the content yourself. This was pre-social media so maybe that scene's all changed now. I also have a couple of books but none on MIDI tinkering. MAKE don't appear to do one but I've just noticed this one http://www.makershed.com/Make_Analog_Synthesizers_p/9781449345228.htm MUST NOT BUY!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Symatic Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 i have no idea how to make it happen, but i reckon light sensors will work. the roland sp 555 uses an infra red beam so you can do theramin type stuff on it http://www.roland.co.uk/products/details/902 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assemblyworker Posted June 24, 2014 Author Share Posted June 24, 2014 Cheers for the input peeps.... Yeah seen some interesting stuff on Instructables, will give those other links a look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest petesasqwax Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 http://www.makershed.com/Make_Analog_Synthesizers_p/9781449345228.htm Ah shit, that looks awesome. My friend Carlo built his own synth using parts he managed to appropriate from the university he got his engineering degree from. I need to start small, though - probably on some custom guitar pedal style stuff - but I never find the time to do it as I always end up making music instead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rasteri Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 You can buy infrared sensors that vary their output voltage relative to how close an object is to them. They look pretty easy to use. Two examples :Fairchild QRD1114 - http://www.mouser.com/ds/2/149/QRD1114-192054.pdfSharp GP2D12 - http://www.sharpsma.com/webfm_send/1203 The Sharp looks particularly simple : Just hook the red wire to 5vDC, the black wire to ground, and the yellow wire up to one of the Analog Ins of the Livid Brain and you're sorted (ignore the BX24 stuff). Here's it's voltage vs. object distance graph : 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Symatic Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 rasteri - please can you build me a hoverboard. you seem to understand science. thanks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assemblyworker Posted June 24, 2014 Author Share Posted June 24, 2014 Nice one Rasteri! That's just the kind of info I was after, many thanks. Could be interesting to control filters/amplitude/sample loops with distance! Any idea how I could get a light sensor to be sensitive to a particular frequency? As a side note, just copped an Arduino UNO. Once I have something interesting built I'll update.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rasteri Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Any idea how I could get a light sensor to be sensitive to a particular frequency? I'm not sure what you mean. As in, frequency of light? Or are you planning to move your hand up and down like a sine wave or something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assemblyworker Posted June 24, 2014 Author Share Posted June 24, 2014 Frequency of light, for example the trigger would work when a red light was flashed but only a red light, if a green light were flashed, another trigger would opperate. As a side note, it already looks like the Arduino was a good buy, it works with Max MSP (which I already have) and there seems to be way more info online, I've not had a reply on the Livid site.... Tomorrow looks like I'll have made a paper piano, a nice little step forwards! Ideally I think having both working together would give me the most options, perhaps Arduino/Max doing more of the synth stuff and then controls activated in Live by the Livid Brain etc. With the infrared sensors I could turn the room into an additive synthesiser!! Things look like they could be getting interesting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motosega Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 i've done a few things like this with arduino, its all dead simple. you just call analogRead() for your analog pin where the sensor is attatched, scale it how you want with simple maths, then send it to the serial port as a correctly formated midi message. you probably want to debounce switches and send messages only when the sensor changes, but you'll get there in a few days. this tutorial tells you everything you need to know to send noteon messages via old fashioned midi cables:http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/Midi?from=Tutorial.MIDI with an arduino UNO you also have the option of turning it into a usb midi device.http://www.instructables.com/id/Turn-your-Arduino-Uno-into-an-USB-HID-Mididevice/ if you can't be bothered with programing it yourself, you can just use the firmata fiirmware to connect it to max/MSP and do your scaling/sending messages stuff there.http://playground.arduino.cc/Interfacing/MaxMSP building a midi controller with arduino is really simple, it was the seccond thing i did with my first arduino after making an led flash. at the end of the day nearly all midi controllers are just a microcontroller in a box with some sensors /switches/pots attatched.Have Fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rasteri Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Frequency of light, for example the trigger would work when a red light was flashed but only a red light, if a green light were flashed, another trigger would opperate. Sure, just have one sensor for each colour with a coloured filter over each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottie(the)goonie Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 As a side note, just copped an Arduino UNO. Once I have something interesting built I'll update.... An Arduino Mount is a nice thing to have when you're prototyping stuffs with a breadboard. Otherwise, the USB cable tends to flop the board around when you're uploading from your laptop. Maybe you've had that experience already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motosega Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 As a side note, just copped an Arduino UNO. Once I have something interesting built I'll update.... An Arduino Mount is a nice thing to have when you're prototyping stuffs with a breadboard. Otherwise, the USB cable tends to flop the board around when you're uploading from your laptop. Maybe you've had that experience already. wow such bling! i normaly just cover the bottom of the arduino with electrical tape to avoid shorting it on random stuff on my desk. i have protosheilds as well, which have a little breadboard on them, you can buy them on ebay for next to nothing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assemblyworker Posted June 26, 2014 Author Share Posted June 26, 2014 Update.... I have an LED that turns on..... Then it turns off... THEN IT TURNS ON AGAIN!!! Won't be long before I get a call from NASA IMO. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rasteri Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 OMG pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assemblyworker Posted June 26, 2014 Author Share Posted June 26, 2014 I would but I think at this stage I want to keep things under wraps, there's a lot of snakes out there and this kind of technology in the wrong hands could be dangerous.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motosega Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 Update.... I have an LED that turns on..... Then it turns off... THEN IT TURNS ON AGAIN!!! Won't be long before I get a call from NASA IMO.wow, i'd totally buy one of these! are you thinking of putting it into production? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottie(the)goonie Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 Update.... I have an LED that turns on..... Then it turns off... THEN IT TURNS ON AGAIN!!! Won't be long before I get a call from NASA IMO. GODLIKE engineering ability Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assemblyworker Posted July 2, 2014 Author Share Posted July 2, 2014 I've painted a drum machine.... https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=570004779787691&set=vb.100003345216638&type=2&theater Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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