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How do touch pads work? How can we create a touch controlled synthesizer on the Daisy Seed microcontroller using Arduino and C++?
The Simple kit has 80 footprints for knobs, switches and sockets. You can design and build your own unique layout within a couple of hours. And, we're using the Daisy Seed microcontroller, which allows lots of sound design flexibility. It's so immediate, you'll have a sounding instrument in the first workshop day!
This package includes our complete Simple Synth DIY kit and access to our beginners video course - Introduction to Synth Programming on the Daisy Seed. If you want to build your own instruments, this is the perfect place to start. The course will take you through, from scratch, all the way to programming your own MiniMoog style subtractive synthesizer!
The Simple Synth DIY kit is a package full of components and two electronic boards, designed specifically for synthesizers.
The small board (Simple Fix) allows you to quickly get started and program your first synth. The large one allows you to design your very own standalone (or Eurorack) instrument. The boards are modular, so you can choose where to put knobs, faders, switches and jacks. Make it your own, and learn synthesis, programming and design skills along the way!
Simple is 21cm wide (42HP in Eurorack terms) and 11cm tall (3HP in Eurorack terms). It's a perfect size for a standalone instruments. but can also be used as a monstrous 42HP Eurorack module.
The Simple board has 80 modular sockets (footprints) where you can stick potentiometers, switches, jacks and even faders. You can connect various microcontrollers on it Daisy Seed (included), Teensy and Arduino Nano.
Included in the kit is the Simple Fix is a tiny electronic board, designed for the Daisy Seed, Teensy and Arduino Nano microcontrollers. Perfect for programming quick sketches and playing in small setups.
On the left of the board you'll find 4 modular sockets (footprints) that can hold potentiometers, trimmers, switches and jacks. On the right you'll find two additional footprints. These are normally used for audio in and out, but they can also be used for controls like the ones on the right. At the bottom right there is a small prototyping board for connecting additional circuits if needed (for example, a touch sensor (also included in this kit).
The video course - Introduction to Synth Programming on the Daisy Seed, is the perfect place for artists and musicians to get started with synth design and programming. Below is one of the lessons in the course, to give you an indication to the content and quality.
Check out the Simple Synth Manual to learn about synth design, soldering, synthesis techniques and more. This document is constantly being updated with more resources for you to learn from.
Let’s make a touch controlled synth with an arpeggiator. Using the MPR121 touch sensor to trigger notes. Working with Arduino and C++ classes to structure our code and design a professional touch synthesizer.
Case study: a simple touch controlled synthesizer
We'll design an arpeggiator and program a touch interface. We’ll be able to play different note sequences, change scale, arpeggiator modes, randomization, tempo, note length and latch control.
Programming the MPR121 touch sensor
How do we connect a touch sensor like the MPR121 to the Daisy Seed microcontroller? How do we program it as a controller for our synthesizer?
The Arpeggiator
In an early workshop we learned how to design and program an arpeggiator. In this workshop, we'll expand this project and add touch control capabilities.
Organizing the program code into modules/classes and communicating between them.
As the complexity of an instrument grows we use classes to organize and structure our code. As always, we will learn some C++ tricks for writing better programs.
All you need is a computer. If you have the Daisy Seed you can install the toolchain on your machine beforehand. You can also check out the code we will be working with on this Github page.
Vlad is software engineer with over 15 years of experience. Designing software for mobile devices by day and quirky sound machines by night. Vlad is the engineer behind the Spotykach generative looper we have released at Superbooth 2023.
We will be using the synth DIY kits below during the workshop. These are not mandatory, but they make your life easier. They also allow you to build more instruments and follow other workshops in the future.
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