Introduction: Digital Synth VRA8-P for Arduino Uno
Made by ISGK Instruments
Concept
3 Voice Pseudo Polyphonic Synthesizer for Arduino Uno
Features
- 3 Voice Pseudo Polyphonic Synthesizer (Paraphonic Synthesizer), MIDI Sound Module
- Serial MIDI In (38400 bps), PWM Audio Out (Pin 6), PWM Rate: 62500 Hz
- Sampling Rate: 15625 Hz, Bit Depth: 8 bits
Demo Audio
VRA8 Series
- Digital Synth VRA8-M https://www.instructables.com/id/Digital-Synth-VRA8-M-for-Arduino-Uno/
- Digital Synth VRA8-X https://www.instructables.com/id/Digital-Synth-VRA8-X-for-Arduino-Uno/
Notes
- Exhibited in Maker Faire Tokyo 2016
Step 1: Wiring
Required Hardware
- A1: Arduino Uno
- U1: 3.5 mm Audio Jack
- R1: 150 ohm Resistor (or 140 ~ 160 ohm Resistor, e.g. 100 + 47 ohm Resistor)
- R2: 100 ohm Resistor
- C1: 100 nF Capacitor
- Wires
Wiring
- See the image
Step 2: Software Installation
- Download Source code and extract it.
- Download Hairless MIDI<->Serial Bridge and extract it.
- Download loopMIDI and install it.
Step 3: Start Synthesizer
Explanation for Windows
- Write DigitalSynthVRA8P.ino to Arduino Uno and quit Arduino IDE.
- CAUTION: Use Arduino IDE 1.6.8 or later.
- Start loopMIDI.
- Start hairless-midiserial.exe (Hairless MIDI<->Serial Bridge).
- Set [File] > [Preferences] > [Baud rate] to 38400 bps.
- Select Arduino Uno (COM*) on Serial Port.
- Select loopMIDI Port on MIDI In.
- Open vra8-p-ctrl.html (VRA8-P CTRL) with Google Chrome.
- Select loopMIDI Port on MIDI OUT.
- Select a MIDI controller on MIDI IN (if you have it).
- Click (or touch) the Software Keyboard, and you can hear the sound.
CAUTION
- Click sounds may occur when you connect the audio out to an amp/a speaker or reset the board
- Click sounds may occur when you change the controllers (especially AMP EG and FILTER CUTOFF)
- Low FILTER CUTOFF with high FILTER RESO can damage the speakers
- The Arduino PWM audio output is a unipolar LINE OUT
- Please connect this to a power amp/a headphone amp (not to a speaker/a headphone directly)
7 Comments
6 years ago
Digital Synth VRA8-Px (a variant of Digital Synth VRA8-P) was released.
Please check it.
https://www.instructables.com/id/Digital-Synth-VRA8...
6 years ago
Digital Synth VRA8-P 1.0.1 software was released today.
The stability was improved.
https://github.com/risgk/digital-synth-vra8-p/releases/tag/v1.0.1
6 years ago
Hello,
I've built a couple of your synths and they are great. I found your instructables while looking for an external synth to use in Ableton Live and a midi controller instead of using all internal sounds. I am very new to Arduino, and just have a couple of questions about your application. how do I go about controlling the voice/osc/filter etc? Should it be controlled by my midi controller or can I set up external potentiometers. I am routing the synth into ableton from a line in as an 'external instrument'. Any advice would be really appreciated. I really like the sounds of all three of the synths I've seen here.
Reply 6 years ago
I'm sorry to reply late. Thank you for using my synths! VRA8 series consume almost 100% of Arduino CPU power. So it is difficult to set up external potentiometers without program modifications. VRA8 series are controlled by MIDI Control Changes. So they are controlled by MIDI controllers. See [MIDI Implementation Charts]. VRA8 series are usually controlled by USB-Serial MIDI. See [Step 2] and [Step 3]. But [VRA8-* Control] is not required. A DAW app MIDI OUT should select [loopMIDI Port]. VRA8 series are possible to become USB MIDI Devices by mocoLUFA firmware, too:
https://github.com/kuwatay/mocolufa . I am not good at DAW and English. I'm sorry if the answer is not the one you expected.
7 years ago
Your synths are amazing. Thank you.
Reply 7 years ago
Your welcome! Thank you, too
7 years ago
Your synths are amazing. Thank you.