Synthesizer Prototype

Designed in SolidWorks, this wooden laser cut and painted synthesizer uses 25 mechanical keys (matrix handwired), 5 effects knobs, 2 octave buttons, 1 pitch-bending joystick, sound selection screen and knobs, and speakers. All mechanical components are wired to a Raspberry Pi Pico to use as a Midi Controller, and then plugged into a Raspberry Pi 3 which runs the software. It can be operated by plugging it into the wall or on the go with a USB battery pack.

This version still needs some additions including speaker grills, the holes for the octave buttons, the push button selection rotary, and some refinements of the wiring.

I have always wanted to design a synthesizer, but the task seemed daunting at first. This first prototype is a proof of concept and an opportunity to refine the sound, controls, and test usability before moving on to a version 2. The version 2 will be smaller, hopefully by using a custom made PCB.