DynaMixer

Dynamixer

Inspiration

When testing out the Dynamixel, we were inspired by how different RPM created different sounds, and wanted to experiment with creating music from motors.

How we built it

Arduino, LCD, joystick, Dynamixel, OpenRB-150, stepper motors

Challenges we ran into

We tried to directly amplify the sounds produced for live music by connecting electret mics directly onto the motors. We built working pre-amplification and speaker circuits—however; the internal oscillation (?) of the electret mics caused by their FETs created a large periodic signal that overtook all detected small signals. Therefore, all amplified signals were also these large periodic oscillations. In the time we had, we were unable to fix this issue baseline issue with the mic-ing process, and substituted with a dynamic microphone for demonstration purposes.