A new open source project will soon be available via the Crowd Supply website in the form of the portable Bluetooth midi piano built using Arduino and an ESP32. At its core the Hamster Mix project is a portable midi controller powered by Arduino that connects via Bluetooth over MIDI. Enabling you to control effects as well as play piano keys within 5 octaves the small board is equipped with twelve keys and offers the ability to switch up and down through octaves. Check out the video below for a quick overview of its features.
Hamster Mix Bluetooth Arduino open source midi piano
“Hamster Mix connects to Mac, Pc, and even mobile phones through Bluetooth. You can control any midi enabled music program such as Ableton, FL Studio, Reaper, and more. 2 additional buttons and 2 rotary controllers allow you to set custom effects. You can even use the keys as a Bluetooth track launcher instead of as a piano. You can control phone apps with MIDI support such as Ableton, Fl Studio, Korg’s iPolysix, and more. Use Hamster Mix to make music on the go with a device that fits in your pocket, meaning no wires and no bulky equipment.”
Hamster Mix specifications
- 12x dedicated buttons that function as piano “keys” (1 full octave)
- 2x buttons control switching up and down octaves
- 2x buttons control the potentiometers, allowing you to change the volume control
- 2x programmable rotary controllers
- 1x LED power indicator
- On/off switch
- Micro USB input
- The size of a hamster, meaning it fits in your pocket.
- Low power Bluetooth means it can last a long time on a single charge. For example, over 10 hours of battery life being charged from a 300 mAh LiPo battery
- Bluetooth allows connection of up to 7 different devices at once. Connect multiple devices to control multiple channels or build a full portable keyboard
- Works with iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows
Source: Hamster Mix pocket Bluetooth midi piano
