Sound synthesizer and drum sequencer with midi interface

Mitja Cerkvenik (2012) Sound synthesizer and drum sequencer with midi interface. EngD thesis.

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Abstract

Electronic music has gained popularity in the last decades. Most of it is produced with computer software applications because they are more accessible than synthesizers. The user interface of music applications does not allow such rapid instrument management as the hardware version. A common solution is the use of a MIDI controller which is a physical user interface that can manage sounds on the computer connected with a MIDI cable. In this thesis we are focusing on sound synthesis and sequencing of sounds in a rhythm through a physical user interface. A synthesizer with a MIDI input and a sequencer was designed and built. Melodies can be played through the MIDI input and the sound can be modulated through potentiometers. Rhythmic sounds can also be manipulated through potentiometers. A sequencer is the part of the system which handles the input of a rhythmic pattern and its playback. It consists of switches through which the pattern is imported and LEDs that show the entered rhythm. The aim of this work was to explore the possibility of sound synthesis. This goal was achieved using the Arduino development board. It provides a PWM output which in conjunction with a suitable low pass filter can be used as a D/A converter. In the end a fully functional synthesizer prototype with a MIDI input and a sequencer was built.

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