The union of electronics and music has produced some truly incredible things over the decades. Whether it’s the iconic riff of a guitar solo, or the slick beats of modern EDM, music and makers were made for each other. For the burgeoning musicians out there, or those who just like to make crazy instruments, the Musical Instrument Challenge is here!
The challenge runs from August 27th to October 8th. To enter, you’ll need to build a module, interface, or even a full instrument that takes modern music to the next level. Of course, you’ll want to make some music with it to showcase what your creation can do.
Now, keep in mind, this is still an engineering challenge, so it doesn’t need to rival Mozart or anything. To enter, simply submit your project here. If you need some inspiration, check out some examples below of what Tindarians have been doing already.
A Few Pieces of Musical Maker Inspiration
If you’re in need of some ideas from fellow makers, check out these projects straight from your fellow Tindarians:
MIDI Biodata Sonification Device v2.1
This device is based on the MIDI Sprout by DataGarden. It samples pulse widths and identifies fluctuations to generate Midi notes and control messages.
It has the same galvanic conductance sensing circuitry as the device it was inspired by, but it also comes with a 3D-printed case, menu with button, polarity-safe power connector, built-in fuse, and control-voltage output already installed.
Mini Atari Punk Console Kit
This is a stepped tone generator that produces sounds much like the ones you remember from the days of the ATARI. Retro is always in, which is why we’ve featured this unique device on the blog before.
It’s fairly easy to assemble and offers a great way to introduce soldering to any skill level. Once assembled, you just need a 9v pp3 battery, and you’re ready to go.
Once you turn on the mini APC, you can adjust the two knobs to control both pitch and depth of the tones. The audio out can be a 3.5mm pair of headphones, a 3.5mm mixer or speaker, and even a small 8 ohm speaker if you have one handy.
Now that you’ve seen a few examples, it’s time to let your imagination run wild. There’s still plenty of time to enter, so don’t hesitate to submit your own musical masterpiece!
