Videos

DIY MIDI Organ - first tryout

Posted by Elmar Zeilhofer on August 15, 2012 at 8:35pm

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pipes, pvc, organ, midi, klangbox

No, not a cbg... At the Metalab, a hacker space in Vienna, we tinker around a MIDI Organ. This vid shows the first tryout of a 16 tones-module, another 16 tones will follow.Solenoids: hand wound, 2200 turns, ~0.5A at 12V, a nail with permanent magnets on the top and bottom, rubber valve cut from a broken bike tire, the green LEDs are fueled by the inductive kickback :)Pipes: PVC tubes 20mm diameter, lowest note: B (plugged)Wind chest: plastic food storage boxWind supply: still an issue, at the moment a 12V air pumpElectronics: MIDI signal to Arduino to Shift Registers to MOSFETs to solenoidsArduino source code: https://bitbucket.org/wizard23/arduinomidiconroller/Built at Metalab, Vienna http://metalab.at

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Comments

smilingdog1 January 2, 2014 at 8:32pm

Ha ha, I have several projects started and put on hold, seems to always be another one pop up to inspire me.
Elmar Zeilhofer January 2, 2014 at 1:23pm

Thanks for the advice! Does that mean that i could use a vacuum cleaner torun the pipes? Unfirtunately, this project has never made it to the finish line.
smilingdog1 January 2, 2014 at 12:56pm

I know this is old post. You can try vacuum pump draw as well as air blower to gain similar effect across reed. You are pulling the air instead of pushing it. At one time I rebuilt antique player pianos and they work off same principals as pump organs.

What you have there is fascinating!
the anonymous pick August 16, 2012 at 5:58pm

dam !
Elmar Zeilhofer August 16, 2012 at 8:25am

thx bros, the hardest work was try out and thinkkk how it would work. Now comes the next module of 16 notes; meanwhile the computer guy is trying to make an automatic MIDI-file player for the organ. And I intend to find a better use for the pressure regulator ;-)
James August 16, 2012 at 7:34am

im starting to understand, why those flat pups sound so awesome !!! thats a cool project you have there
Diglydog August 16, 2012 at 3:20am

Amazing - it takes DIY instruments to a new level. That's quite an unusual pressure regulator on the left !!