The Ondestrak

Step 3 My Project

With this project I sought to produce an easy-to-make, cheap, digital controller inspired by the Ondes Martenot. Like the Ondes, I wanted the controller to give continuous and fluid pitch adjustments, a deep volume control, and offer a range of timbres.

All of the materials needed for this project are a Gametrak video game controller, a copy of the programming environment Max/MSP (found at Cycling '74), and a few sundry pieces available at any hardware store.

I really want to stress the simplicity of this project. I have as much knowledge of electrical engineering and programming " as a novice in a nunnery," so this is all within your grasp. The hardest that this project gets is a bit of soldering and hack-saw manipulation, which, trust me, you are capable of.

I sought to build a controller which mimicked a true musical instrument. By that I mean that I wanted the user to be able to alter the instrument's pitch, volume and timbre, and for the instrument to go silent when not being interfaced by the musician. I'm also interested in the way that the Ondes captures gestures with both the ribbon in the right hand and the volume button, or "touch d'intensite" in the left. I wanted all 3 aspects of my instrument's sound to be manipulated by the gestures in one hand.