Want to compose your own melody or spin-offs of your favorite songs? Want to learn electronics and the language of computers? The TokyMusicBox will let you do all of the above.

The TokyLabs MusicBox is a simple weekend project using the Tokymaker to create a sheet-reading sound box. The Tokymaker will use light sensors to register a pattern of dark and light spots on a piece of paper. Depending on the location of the dark spots, it creates a binary code in which the Tokymaker will read and play a melody accordingly. This project will engage people to compose their own music & learn about electronics at the same time.

The level of complexity is 30% so that even children, with their parents, can realise this project at home.

Step 1: Materials

The only things needed are: the Tokymaker, a speaker, wires, LED strip, cardboard, 3 light sensors, papers, a marker and a box cutter. On our website people can easily download and print the template to build the music box and follow all the assembly instructions.

Step 2: Process

To create the melody you have to use a binary code to write the different notes that will be making up your melody.

You can choose between 1 and 8 notes. We suggest that you write and number them with low numbers corresponding to low notes and vice versa. Then, you will program in the binary code each note.After the coding is finished you will get to write your own music! Take a strip of paper (7.6cm-7.9cm wide) and draw lines to divide it up into thirds the long way (each section should be about 2.6cm wide). You can also print the music sheet from the template section. Label the columns 1, 2, and 3.

Make sure they line up with the light sensors of that input.

Lastly, color in dark spots on the paper to make notes, a ‘1’ in the binary is blank and a ‘0’ in the binary is a dark spot.