Gizmo

Gizmo is the codename for an open source MIDI utility device which targets the Arduino Uno or Mega. It can do at least this:

Applications Full-featured Arpeggiator

Full-featured General-Purpose Step Sequencer

Full-featured Drum Machine-style Step Sequencer

Small Note Recorder

Capable MIDI Gauge or Monitor

Small two-button, two-pot MIDI Controller

8-stage Loopable Control Envelope and Random/S&H LFO

Keyboard Splitter

Thru facility with Channel Merging, Chord Memory, Debouncing, Multichannel Note Distribution, Channel Blocking, and Note Replication

Measure and Beat Counter

MIDI NRPN/CC/Sysex Converters for Blofeld, Matrix 1000, Microsampler, and TX81Z Capabilities MIDI In and Out

NRPN, CC, and by-Note Control of Gizmo

Swing

Bypass

Additional control via joysticks and other pots

Tempo and Note Speed

MIDI Clock Control, Filtering, and Division

Click Tracks

Transposition and Volume Modulation

Storage for 10 Arpeggios and 2 (Uno) or 9 (Mega) Sequences / Recordings

Other Projects

Flow, a fully-modular, polyphonic, additive software synthesizer. Edisyn, a patch editor toolkit with sophisticated exploration tools. Computational Music Synthesis, an open-content book on building software synthesizers.

Demos

The Uno can contain a single application from the above list. The Mega can hold all of them at once (get a Mega!). I have not tested Gizmo's capabilities on other Arduino platforms, though I know that other people have.Gizmo's LED display is rock-solid, steady bright red. But in these videos it looks like flickery, junky yellow due to the camera. :-( Annoying. Note: these demos were of Version 1: there have been improvements since.

Introduction and Arpeggiator Step Sequencer MIDI Gauge, Controller, and Note Recorder

Obtaining Gizmo

Github Repository

Manual (in PDF)

Gizmo relies on the esteemed Forty Seven Effects MIDI Library, though you should install the version of the library which comes in Gizmo's repository.

Assembling Gizmo

To assemble Gizmo, you just need an Arduino Uno or Mega (if you want to develop, or have all of Gizmo available at one time, definitely get a Mega), a SparkFun MIDI Shield , an Adafruit 16x8 LED Matrix Backpack (they come in various colors, shapes, and sizes -- I use 1.2" round amber red), and some wire. And you'll do a bit of soldering.

In my current configuration, I use an Arduino Mega, a small breadboard to atttach the LED Matrix, and an acrylic mounting plate for the Mega and the breadboard. Enclosures John Pierce build a beautiful enclosure for Gizmo in wood. Click on the pictures below for larger versions



Damian Raistrick wrote in with pictures of his elegant custom enclosure for Gizmo. Check it out!



GearSlutz user Saint Gillis passed along his enclosure too!





Simon Davis shows off a gorgeous picture of his acrylic enclosure:





And now for the coup de grâce. GearSlutz user PatMaximum has provided photographs of his Five-Gizmo monster. They're all headless versions controlled remotely over MIDI.







Development Ideas

I'm making Gizmo available in the hopes that people will do fun things with it. Ideas I've had include porting it to the E-licktronic MIDI shield family , extending the interface to include the 16x8 Unztrument or even just the Trellis Keypad , upgrading to an OLED (though it may be too slow), attaching a synthesizer shield , and of course making a decent case for this thing.

If you're thinking of doing development for the Gizmo, you should do it on an Arduino Mega. At present Gizmo takes up all but just a few bytes of the Arduino Uno's memory: there's no space left to code.

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