Open Source Desktop Synthesizer
Benjamin Miller, Mouser Electronics
Summary
The desktop synthesizer uses an Intel Arduino 101 to turn a small box and some conductive strips into a musical instrument.
The musically-inclined and the technologically-minded both share a penchant for creative expression. A good number of engineers are musicians, and there are a wealth of do-it-yourself musical instruments all over the internet. Musical instruments are awesome, but they can be expensive. When I first learned about open-source hardware, I immediately got the idea to make an instrument.
Inside the desktop synthesizer - Intel Arduino 101, custom circuit board, and dual Adafruit MPR121s
When I hear digital electronics and music in the same sentence, I think of synthesizers. The analog synthesizers of the 70s and the digital ones from the 80s onward use electronics to make music unreproducible by acoustic instruments. They often use the piano keyboard, which is one of the most universal interfaces in the music world. With the power of a microcontroller and a few simple components, I realized that I could make my own quirky and customizable synthesizer that anyone could play. This project uses the Intel Arduino 101 as my microprocessor and a couple of Adafruit MPR121 Capacitive Touch Sensor breakout boards.