Spires - laser scale arp synth with midi out

Name: Spires - laser scale arp synth with midi out
SKU: 38720
Price: 90.00 USD
Availability: InStock

Spires is a miniature synth made of pcbs, an arduino, a TOF distance sensor and a digital function generator.

Designed by Poetaster's Tonetoys in Germany

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$90.00

On A Break

Spires is a miniature synth made of pcbs, an arduino, a TOF distance sensor and a digital function generator.

What? Spires is a scale synth using time of flight sensors to drive one or more digital oscillators. The processor used is an arduino nano compatible LGTBF328P. Spires uses a time of flight laser to …

What?

Spires is a scale synth using time of flight sensors to drive one or more digital oscillators. The processor used is an arduino nano compatible LGTBF328P. Spires uses a time of flight laser to measure the distance to your hand. It plays all manner of scales at the wave of a hand. And it outputs midi so you can rock out on your other gear.

Volume can be controlled with the light sensitive LDR (top left). This allows tremello/vibrato effects. And it can be turned off, too :)

Banks and programs are changed with the button encoder (top right). Feedback from the LED.

Spires was made to be portable. It has a 4AA battery holder as a base. It can also be powered by USB-C. And programmed! It's all open source.

The default program reproduces the western modes. Holding the encoder button depressed and turning chooses a mode, in the traditional order Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolodian, Aeolian, Locrian. Pressing the encoder button in this program changes the root, from C to B. So you can play all the modes in any key. The other banks: 1. ragas 2. various historical europeans 3. some more exotics (geographical as well as cultural) 4. pentatonics from diverse cultures 5. hexatonics

So well over 120 different kinds of scales to play with ;) As I add them, the firmware can be updated. The update can be done in a web browser and requires no programming knowledge or extra software (chrome only, any OS).

For example audio / video, please have a look at the website. If you want to DIY, have a look at the design files and gerbers at github.

Why did you make it?

Well, I wanted a small portable means to riff on scales while playing other gear at the same time.

What makes it special?

There is at least one device that's similar, but none that are as small and simple :)

USA

Important! message to buyers in the United States of America. The current administration in the US of A have seen fit to set Tariffs that may amount to 40 % of the price of the article. Nominal rate is 5.4%, which is ok. I can't afford to raise prices while trying to get an automated system (duty paid with shippers) running. That means, ordering from me means you may be charged up to 40% of the cost of the article by the State. Please do NOT order from the US of A unless you are prepared to pay the postal service / gov't there after paying here. I thank you very much for your support to date. Americans have been great customers, supporters and friends. Trump & co. not so much, I guess.