MIDI Glockenspiel

[rosavitormd]

Great project. Congratulations. I'd like to know where I can buy the driver you used in this project, LM18293, I looked for many online stores and I didn't find it.

[Mike73Cook]

@rosavitormd You can use the ULN2803 to drive the solenoids, the chip I used is, I think, now obsolete.

[DeathMetalRatte]

WAIT!! so glockenspiel means glockenspiel in english too? awesome! its like kindergarten!

[calhemp]

hi mike, what a wonderfull toy adapt. when i see this video, i will try to do the same, follow your instructables,but what kind of solenoids you use.

searching on google i found this.

solenoid 44a

are the same?.

thanks in advance, it will be a entertaiment for my try to do this, in my first project with arduino.

[MimzySongs]

so cool =D

[Nanovirus5995]

Aww. So cute

[samymag]

nice i want it now!! have u heard detektivbyrån? they should get one of these.

[weevil76]

maybe just a parts list and schematics?

[weevil76]

Great work! You should make a few more and sell them.

I think Highly Liquid also sells a premade midi kit that would have eliminated the arduino.

[Mike73Cook]

Thanks:-

If you eliminate the Arduino you only have to replace it with something else and the atmega168 chip is quite cheap. Problem with selling it is that the solenoids make it too expensive. Also I am too busy on new things to find the time to make money.

[VJFranzK]

nice wrok

[sadaf25]

How do you connect it to the computer? Ive been trying to connect a few pressure sensors but I have no idea how to build the circuit to connect to the computer.

[Mike73Cook]

It uses MIDI, a digital way of controlling musical instruments and is basically a serial interface. If you computer has not got a MIDI out socket on it there are many USB to MIDI converters that are very cheap. Most music software can produce a MIDI output.

[trainguy111]

Can you make more robots?

[Mike73Cook]

Yes I am making another sort of playing robot at the moment but it will be a few months before it will be finished as it is a much bigger project.

[qwerfderf]

hi. nice contraption! can this thing play in poly? and how fast does it go? idd like to see this controlled in realtime with a keyboard

[Mike73Cook]

Yes it plays poly. It takes about 0.05 second to play a note. Yes I have played it with a keyboard it feels strange.

[heythatsmyvideo]

I love it! :D

[organfairy]

It should be possible to use small electric motors instead. I work in the toy industry and I can say for shure that whenever it is possible to use a small motor it is done simply because solenoids are very expensive. Toy motors from china can be as cheap as 5 motors for one 1 (one) US$.

In fact I am working on my own motor based glockenspiel at the moment in my spare time. I will put a video of it up later.

[organfairy]

And now I have done it. See my video response.

[Mike73Cook]

Yer I work in consumer electronics so I know how low prices can get if you buy in real bulk. However, I also know how much it would take to bankroll that sort of thing not to mention the time. Anyway it's open source so if any one wants to commercialise it that's fine by me.

[gorillabuilder]

it cost YOU 200$ i dont think it would cost nearly that much for a legit manufacturer to make it buying parts wholesale. think of how much it would cost YOU to make an MPC2000...ya know? You should shop that thing! great job.

[tigerstickfigure]

Could you make lights to accompany the solenoid hits? It might look cool and dramatic!

[Mike73Cook]

Yes that's a good idea, I might just try that.

Thanks

[fripp13]

Nice Glass tunes also!

[sistinewonder]

I would buy one if it was a full 45+ glockenspiel!

[deejayteewax]

INSANE! Get that shit on the market!!!

[Mike73Cook]

Well it did cost me around $200 for all the parts that's without the cost of putting it together so I am not sure there is much of a market.

[fatblckchick]

keep working on it I see some of those that go for like 3000 you could be set

[alcurb]

Very nice! What's the next step, crecendo / diminuendo, polyphonics?

[Mike73Cook]

It already does polyphonies, I just don't use it on the sound track. Volume control is probably more difficult. As gravity is the restoring force it has to go fast to overcome it in the first place. This means it is a fixed strike.