A MIDI music visualizer (like in Close Encounters) with Raspberry Pi Pico and MicroPython #RaspberryPi @diyelectromusic
Kevin blogs at Simple DIY Electronic Music Projects a very nice project using a Pimoroni Unicorn Pack for the Raspberry Pi Pico to visualize MIDI music. The software is programmed in MicroPython (Pimoroni’s version with drivers built in).
The code makes use of my SimpleMIDIDecoder (details here) which makes acting on MIDI notes relatively straight forward. I’ve also include a “thru” function to allow notes to be played through the visualiser on to a sound module of some sort.
I’ve mapped MIDI notes onto pixels on the Unicorn display on an octave per row basis. This means there are four unused pixels on each row. To work out the (x,y) coordinates that corresponds to a MIDI note, I’ve included a midi2pixel routine
This so much reminds me of the fun of the scene in the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat and our Discord!
Python for Microcontrollers – Adafruit Daily — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: The latest on Raspberry Pi RP2350-E9, Bluetooth 6, 4,000 Stars and more! #CircuitPython #Python #micropython @ThePSF @Raspberry_Pi
EYE on NPI – Adafruit Daily — EYE on NPI Maxim’s Himalaya uSLIC Step-Down Power Module #EyeOnNPI @maximintegrated @digikey
