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Micro-organ and drum-kit in a Tic Tac box
This tiny box will give you hours of fun composing your own tunes. You can vary the tune tempo and switch between a pentatonic and blues scale as well as producing a variety of percussion sounds.
Load up a different program and it will compose its own percussion rhythms(Tic Tac Beat Box) or play with half a dozen different musical scales (Tic Tac Scales). Another cool feature is no power switch - It will hibernate when it's not being used.
There are great musicians around . . . and then there's me with no musical talent at all, but even I can get some great sounding tunes out of this. Watch the video and have a listen to the MP3 files to get an idea of what this little marvel can do.
UPDATE - Two new programs added - Tic Tac Scales and Tic Tac Beat Box - See step 6
Couple more sound files added (better quality)
Modification for right-handed version added to step 4.
Percussion.mp3220 KBMoreBlues.mp3295 KBMinorPentatonic.mp3260 KBBluesScale.mp3189 KBGoodBlues.mp3170 KBFastBlues.mp3120 KBBeatBox New.mp3990 KBHungarian.mp3247 KBArabic.mp3228 KBChromatic.mp3237 KB
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Signing UpStep 1Parts and Tools Required
As well as standard workbench tools and soldering equipment, you will need :-
1 x PicAxe 08M or 08M2 microcontroller chip - see below
2 x 10K resistors - all are 1/4 or 1/8 W
1 x 330R resistor
1 x 22K resistor
1 x 560K resistor
1 x red LED
1 x 10K linear dual gang slide potentiometer (60mm).
2 x 1N4148 or similar diodes. Just about any small diode will do
1 x 0.1 uF capacitor (10V or more)
1 x 28mm x 4mm piezo sounder. This MUST be a low profile type or it won't fit
1 x PX28A 6V keyfob battery (4LR44 PX28A A544 L1325 equivalents)
1 x stereo 3.5mm jack socket
1 x jack plug for probe. This can be 2.5 or 3.5mm, mono or stereo
1 x stripboard 22 x 12 holes
1 x spring from a retractable pen
1 packet of TicTacs. Your choice of flavour
You'll also need a few bits of link wire and something to decorate it. I used the old Blue Peter favourite - sticky back plastic.
If you need to brush up on your soldering technique, there's an excellent guide HERE.
Most of my parts came from Maplin (UK), but Mouser or your friendly local on-line electronics store will have these in other parts of the globe. All the parts (including Tic Tacs and battery) shouldn't come to more that 10 pounds (16 dollars), but that may vary depending on where you are, and doesn't include p+p, or the programming lead (see below).
I've used a PicAxe 08M microcontroller which comes as a blank chip and needs to be programmed. To do this, you will need a programming lead and the free programming editor software. Both the PicAxe chip and the lead are available from Tech Supplies in the UK or see HERE for other countries. The 08m has been superseded by the 08m2 - Either will work.
Once you have the lead, you only need a PicAxe, two resistors and whatever sensors and output devices you choose to have a full PicAxe development kit which can program any of the PicAxe range, so you can design your own projects. I have an Instructable planned which will get you well on the way.
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Assuming you're in the US (I'm not), probably around $20 plus P&P, half of which will be the programming cable.
if i buy the picaxe 08m2 whats in the box (download cable, programming socket)
That will just be the chip - The other parts you'll have to buy separately. The programming circuit is the 3.5mm socket and two associated resistors shown on the diagram as the chip is programmed in circuit. You will also need the AXE027 programming lead which you can get from the same place as the PicAxe chip. The software (Programming Editor) is a free download from the Picaxe site.
Which one should I use?
Madbutler
I like pics more though (No offense, though.)
I was just about to make an order on Tech Supplies for the PicAxe chip, but then I realised that the link is broken for me. Is there any other website that sells them and will ship to the UK?
thanks,
Z
(Now, off to maplin!)
Are you using an old bookmark link? The site moved a few months ago.
Currect address is HERE.
They're shipping the 08M2 now which is a more powerful replacement for the 08M, but It should work in this circuit - Please let me know if it doesn't.
(I know there's a problem using the 08M2 with my Piecax project, but I'm working on resolving that.)
Does the 08M2 cost any more than the 08M? If the price is the same or similar I shall be giving it a try.
Z
Oh, and just to confirm, I only need the Chip and the cable right, not the CD disk or any of the things, correct? I don't want to make an order to find out that I am unable to program it.
Thanks!
I think the 08M2 is cheaper than the old 08M. The reason is that it's a custom masked item from Microchip (i.e. a component in itself) and not a standard PIC programmed by RevEd like the 08M was.
You only need the cable and chip - yes. The software you download from HERE. You'll need the Programming Editor and the AXE027 drivers. While you're ordering, get yourself another 08M2 and a proto-board too for playing about with. Also a battery box to power it. It's amazing how many things you can do with just that setup and using different sensors and output devices.
Nope, you'll have to make it yourself.
(If you're after something ready-built, there's always the Stylophone.)
I've got another project in development which generates an endless succession of this sort of tune (algorithmic music generation) and I may set it up as a ShoutCast station. I think the genre which best defines it is 'experimental'.
Thanks, and I'd bet money that it's a lot older than you are. I've been using it since the early 1980's (but had to change the bit a few times #;¬)
It doesn't matter - Connect the piezo either way around.
That only comes into play when you're using two or more speakers :- If you connect them different ways around then one is 'pushing' the air in one direction while the other is pushing in the other, so the pressure waves (sound) from each would tend to cancel out to some degree.
This is very noticeable with stereo loudspeakers if you connect them to the amplifier with one reversed. (It's called 'phase reversal'.)
Look at the 3rd picture in step 2 showing the back of the board. The socket is in the top right . The top 2 are linked and the bottom 2 are linked. The tracks connect to the rest of the circuit. Relate the top side photo to the bottom side and the circuit diagram to see where.
If you hover over the yellow boxes on the 4th picture on step 2 it shows the keyboard connections to the top track (+V), in the middle (to the IC pin 3) and bottom track (0V).
Could you make one into a keyboard?
(You appear to be having a little trouble with yours #;¬)