Hello all! My name’s Evan, and I’m starting development on an idea I had a few years ago. The Synharmonium is (going to be) a microcontroller-based synthesizer with control elements based on the accordion and the Suzuki Omnichord, and an algorithm to solve the centuries old musical problem of versatile just intonation. Best case, this could have a huge impact on how western music is written and performed. Worst case, its a fun and easy synthesizer you can build at home.

But right now its not much more than an idea and a janky keyboard prototype. I am a student of computer engineering, and I have a non-zero amount of programming skill, but there’s still a lot of gaps that I just don’t have the experience needed to fill. I need someone who’s good at programming, familiar with open-source development, has some spare time, and finds this idea interesting, to help me get the software side of the instrument going. If you can become a major contributor, I’d love to have you, but if you can just hang out in the matrix room and answer questions from time to time that would help a lot.

  • stevestevesteve@lemmy.worldEnglish
    3·
    2 years ago

    I love the idea but I’m not sure how you’d choose which scale to use in real-time. I’ll be interested to see how it comes along

    • amminadabz@sh.itjust.worksOPEnglish
      2·
      2 years ago

      There are a few ways.

      • The tuning root can be played manually (aloud or just for tuning) on the bass keyboard

      • another open source algorithm whose name has left me can recognize chords in real time and my algorithm can tune based on that

      • players can write a midi tuning track ahead of time to play along with

  • underscore_@sopuli.xyzEnglish
    1·
    2 years ago

    Hey just took a look at the GitHub and I see one main.cpp so far are, you set on c++ or have you considered other languages such as rust?

    • amminadabz@sh.itjust.worksOPEnglish
      1·
      2 years ago

      C++ is the only language I have any experience with, and it’s a common enough choice for embedded development that i didnt see a need to learn a different language. If i had a programmer join who could work on the firmware and show me the ropes, id be willing to consider another language.