Sensor ReTouch Makes "Anything" MIDI Input

If you're looking for an easy way to turn a wide variety of objects into MIDI inputs, Giuseppe Sicurella has just the thing for you: Sensor ReTouch, an interactive instrument. Hardware-wise, the setup requires little more than an Arduino Uno, a PC, a half-dozen 1M ohm resistors, an alligator clips for easy attachment to your newly-musical object.

The device takes advantage of all six Arduino Uno analog input pins in order to connect up to six different devices as inputs, which can be water-filled cups, vegetables, metal, and more. Alligator clips are directly connected to the analog pins, along with the new input objects, and are also connected to ground through a 1M ohm resistor.

Touches are sensed by the Arduino as capacitive inputs, which are passed along to the PC as MIDI signals. Other boards could be used as well, and presumably the system inputs could be expanded with more capable devices like the Arduino Mega.

On the PC side, Hairless MIDI serial bridge software is used to work with USB signals. These are transformed into actual sounds by a music production software like Ableton Live or Fuity Loops, and played on a speaker.

Code for the Sensor ReTouch can found in the Sicurella's post, and this easy capacitive sensing system could have uses well beyond musical creation. Check it out being demonstrated in the video below; the pencil drawing around the 1:15 mark is especially interesting.