SpiralMusic_Teensy
A hardware device for visualizing music in a spiral. Uses a teensy with audio sheild, and WS2812 pixels for display.
For a python only PC version see here: https://github.com/mechatronicsguy/SpiralMusic_python
Who is this software for?
Anyone (like me) that likes music, but becomes confused by the notation.
e.g. Take this picture: Are these three different chords, or are they actually the same chord, but voiced in three different ways?
I could stare at it for a couple of minutes and still not be 100% sure.
But after seeing this I could tell immediately that they are the same:
Features:
- Simple hardware & low cost
- Synthesis is entirely onboard, does not use PC sound
- Teensy hooks up to PC as a generic MIDI output device, and will play and visualize any data the PC sends to it.
- Teensy also has an internal USB host port. This is setup to accepts Standard MIDI devices, such as keyboards, any notes played are visualized and heard
- Both MIDI host and MIDI slave work in tandem. You can play a file from the computer and play along on your keyboard.
Features of the visualizing method:
- You can see an entire orchestra "Cooperating" to make a chord, wtihout having to read 6 sets of sheet music.
- Makes it extremely easy to see transpositions (just rotations)
- Melodic inversion is just a mirror flip
- Notes played stay visible for a time as a 'histogram'. Key signature can be inferred from this
- Different instruments (midi channels) are different colours. Can see contributions of each instrument to the whole
All chords have very simple and recognizable shapes, regardless of key:
Spiral.video.compressed.v02.mp4
(Full video here: https://youtu.be/7xVirr0APKk )
Can also work for non-spiral layouts (e.g. Euler's Tonnetz, Accordion, Jancko, etc.) :
More videos with examples here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3ucHiadx2w