A Calculator-Like Drum Machine

While it may resemble that old translucent graphing calculator you used back in algebra class, this handheld device is actually a portable drum machine — complete with an LCD display and nine pad triggers.

Created by Hamood Nizwan and Gabriel Valencia, the gadget is equipped with an Arduino Mega along with an MPR121 Capacitive Touch Sensor, a 9V battery, a 3W speaker, and an SD card reader that allows for samples to be loaded and stored.

As you can see in the video, a button on top turns the machine on/off, while a potentiometer on the side controls the LCD’s brightness. Three white buttons right below the screen enable them to browse through samples and select their desired sound.

The idea is to build a drum machine using Arduino that would simulate drum sounds in the nine keys available in the panel. The drum machine will also have a display where the user can see the sample name that is being played each time, and a set of menu buttons to go through the list of samples available.

Want one of your own? You can find more on their build here.