Dublin Maker Music/Synth Podcast
Tags: dublinmaker, maker, electronics, synth
Published: 2020-08-28 15:28:09

It was certainly great listening to the banter on synth music of classic music from Series 1 Episode 7 of The Dublin Maker Podcast with Joe Timoney interviewed by Tomas Ward.

👉 https://www.buzzsprout.com/1168589/episodes/5223970

And it got me really excited. I’m interested in this area but I’m not great at making music, or into the synth scene like my other half who has over half the office converted to a synth music making studio. I do like making music through software though. So let’s delve into various areas I’m interested in and cool things I’ve come across and maybe it might interest you as well. Or you might have other references, instruments, equipment, electronics, videos to share.

## Software
For those curious on making your own electronic music, there’s a fair few synth apps out there for your devices like Ableton app for iOS.

Especially since lockdown due to Covid-19, Korg and Ableton released cheap/free synth apps for those who want to make music on their mobile devices.

👉 https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/16/21181915/synth-apps-free-moog-korg-kaossilator-minimoog-model-d-coronavirus

### Sonic Pi
If you are a software person like me, check out Sonic Pi, it is a software live coding music synth. It’s created by Sam Aaron, free and accessible for young and old. From musicians, educators, artists, young people as well as coders.

👉 [Sonic Pi - The Live Coding Music Synth for Everyone](https://sonic-pi.net/)
{% youtube OLLwG_SN8oo %}

We are also getting into live coding, where artists change code in a live performance from in-person events to streaming online. Here’s one from Sam he streamed his live coding performance recently:
{% youtube Xj7rGq2sd_s %}

As well as this performance with a singer-songwriter:
{% youtube oDHumac84aw %}

Live coding is also a genre and one particular type is “Algorave”, it’s focus is on “human making and dancing to music.

👉 https://algorave.com/about/

### ORCA
If you want something a little bit different, check out ORCA:
“This application is not a synthesizer, but a flexible livecoding environment capable of sending MIDI, OSC & UDP to your audio/visual interfaces, like Ableton, Renoise, VCV Rack or SuperCollider.”

{% github hundredrabbits/Orca %}

{% youtube RaI_TuISSJE %}
{% youtube ktcWOLeWP-g %}

Here’s examples of live coding with ORCA in action:
{% youtube R-a7SZYCKDI %}
{% youtube f0o-oZSTDAs %}
{% youtube 1L5vJ99Gvf0 %}

## DIY Electronics
### Makey Makey
If you haven’t heard of the Makey Makey, it’s a great way to interact with your computer with conductive objects and materials. There’s projects out there on hooking up your fruit to play the piano to making a floor piano, or event synth stairs!
👉 [How to make your own floor piano instructions](https://makeymakey.com/blogs/how-to-instructions/super-easy-floor-piano)
{% youtube _5IH2Jt0q_o %}
{% youtube PhEzCoJL2Qg %}

I didn’t even know there’s conductive filament for 3D printing till I came across this video of 3D printing their own conductive synth music controller with Makey Makey: 
{% youtube GFQtro-cvS4 %}

I really like this Makey Makes Balloon installation, sounds so relaxing: 
{% youtube 6gTGVq28qiM %}

But this Custom-Built MIDI DanTyBa is amazing! So the world is your oyster when it comes to music and simple electronics like the Makey Makey. 
{% youtube rOWqjzBBixE %}

### BBC micro:bit
Another bit of electronics I want to show you is the BBC micro:bit, the first time I saw this presented was at a software conference in Florence: 
{% youtube JVaF6uZuSIU %}

Remember I mentioned ORCA, well, someone has put micro:bit and ORCA together as a synth:
{% youtube JGgORGSD79M %}

This interactive exhibit which didn’t get shown in the museum because of (I presume, the pandemic), is using micro:bit to make a drum robot. Here’s the video of how it’s made and how it all works:
{% youtube hv1QC-EiDy0 %}

And from the same guy, he made a micro:bit orchestra!
{% youtube 5tX93t7jCbQ %}

### Adafruit’s Circuit Playground Express
I like Adafruit’s Circuit Playground Express, they’ve so many sensors, LEDs, touch capacitive sensors, teeny speaker and more. You can use Scratch, MakeCode, Edublocks, Arduino or CircuitPython to code your CPX. 
* [Overview | Scratch 3 Walkthrough and Demo | Adafruit Learning System](https://learn.adafruit.com/guide-to-scratch-3)
* [Overview | Using EduBlocks with Circuit Playground Express | Adafruit Learning System](https://learn.adafruit.com/using-edublocks-with-circuit-playground-express)
* [MakeCode | Adafruit Circuit Playground Express | Adafruit Learning System](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-circuit-playground-express/makecode)
* [What is CircuitPython? | Adafruit Circuit Playground Express | Adafruit Learning System](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-circuit-playground-express/what-is-circuitpython)
* [Arduino | Adafruit Circuit Playground Express | Adafruit Learning System](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-circuit-playground-express/arduino)

So now you can make your own synth and there’s lots of projects to get ideas from following projects:-

*  [Circuit Playground Express USB MIDI Controller and Synthesizer | Adafruit Learning System](https://learn.adafruit.com/cpx-midi-controller)
* [Circuit Playground Musical Glove | Adafruit Learning System](https://learn.adafruit.com/cpx-musical-glove)
* [CLUE BLE MIDI Glove | Adafruit Learning System](https://learn.adafruit.com/clue-midi-glove)

{% youtube GFQtro-cvS4 %}

And below, the Adafruit Circuit Playground Express (CPX) board running CircuitPython 4.0.0 beta2 using the capacitive touch pads as a MIDI (over USB) keyboard to control a Korg Volca Bass.
{% youtube fPF5rbQEn-8 %}

I recently got an Adafruit CLUE and came across this cool project that would be interesting for those who are playing around or getting into electronics as well as into Synth music. In this project, you have CLUE interact with a synth app on iOS/MacOS. 
{% youtube X1cI5xkjVC8 %}

### Raspberry Pi
Another microcontroller that you can use to make your own midi-controller to make synth music, the following extension is very handy to make incredible sounds with your Raspberry Pi.
👉 See Patchbox OS and ModeP at https://blokas.io/

There's lots of projects out there with people building their own midi-controllers, synths, and more. Here's a couple to get you started checking out more projects with Pis.

{% youtube bM7NN-fiMXs %}
{% youtube _nBK8sAl9nw %}

# How about off the shelf stuff?
If you don’t feel like making your own electronics, there’s lots of products out there, you most likely have to order online.

But before we move on to these products, Nintendo released Labo a couple of years back and I came across this video while researching for this post, and this blew my mind, you can make your own wave forms and start making your own sick beats and waves on the Labo piano and record it.
{% youtube 2n6jDBSeso0 %}

## Chiptunes
I’ve always had a sweet spot for chiptunes, ever since I heard a live performance outside a convention centre when I was in Seattle back in 2008 for a games convention. It was so ad-hoc and so much fun! I found this video on YouTube: 
{% youtube xWw6o19bWj4 %}

There’s been a small chiptune community in Ireland, and I even organised a chiptune event up in Derry a few years after that. But one of the more well knowned one is Chipzel, she’s from Northern Ireland and I was lucky to attend one of her sets at an Irish Indies Christmas party. Here’s a sample of her final set I found: 
{% youtube ZS8kn6iS3tE %}
👉  [Chipzel has spent a decade making incredible music with Game Boys - The Verge](https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/19/18484887/chipzel-game-boy-music-chiptune-interview)

And I want to share this one with you a dual Game Boy chiptune keyar! I kid you not, check it out at https://blog.arduino.cc/2019/04/16/the-blade-is-dual-game-boy-chiptune-keytar/
{% youtube OLfdU11aaps %}

Now on to some intro consumer electronics.

A cheap way in - [Arturia - Overview](https://www.arturia.com/keystep/overview)- As you get into it, you can hook it up to Euroracks.

{% youtube R-wgalzK9Gc %}

## Modular Synths / Midi Controllers
There's the other end, which is the pricey high-end Euroracks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurorack
These are modular synths and as I mentioned, quite expensive as you build up your collection, but if you are serious into modular synths, this would be something to check out. Easier to show you through vides (thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/micktwomey">Micktwomey</a> for sharing).

Intro video on modular synths:
{% youtube cWslSTTkiFU %}

How to put together a Eurorack:
{% youtube Ta0l8KqTrb8 %}

A vid explaining a small setup:
{% youtube 4jCCzpWBsFs %}

### Back to entry level midi controllers
* [Launchpad Mini | Novation](https://novationmusic.com/en/launch/launchpad-mini) - comes with Ableton Lite
{% youtube 7fUuUhw9YP0 %}
{% youtube q0IPvVcjq2U %}

Also check out Teenage Engineering's Pocket Operator, they are cheap and you can make high quality sounds on the go. You can even hook them up and sync & jam.

{% youtube w6V4tazMAX8 %}

👉 https://teenage.engineering/products/po

# Finally...
I want to wrap with this one heck of an amazing project by LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER, The 1000 Oscillator Megadrone, this is going to be opened to the public and controlled by the public! You should check out his other fantastical musical electronic projects on Youtube, from Furby organs, using keyboard to control a RC car,  chiptune gameboy synth, a modular synth to play Super Mario and more…! 😆
{% youtube c3wk9WWTfNs %}