Nope, no music associated with this post either. There is a followup post, where I talk about the TTS256.

I wrote this junky piece specifically because when I was looking for the answer I found a lot of wrong information.

I recently puchased a Voicebox shield based on the Speakjet from Sparkfun Electronics for an Arduino project. The Speakjet is an embedded chip that essentially does allophone voice synthesis. That means you can’t send it plain text like “this article sucks”, but you send it a stream of codes for the allophone (vocal sounds) to build up words.

A useful tool from Magnevation, the folks to make the Speakjet, is this Windows program called Phrase-A-Lator, which has a fairly decent dictionary of word-to-allophone translations, and has the ability to pump information directly at a speakjet connected to a PC via a serial port. That’s nice because you program the EEPROM with some phrases directly, and test out how your phrasing sounds. Then with Phrase-a-Lator you can convert the text/allophone string into the proper codes to be sent to the Speakjet chip, and use that in your Arduino code.

The alternative to this is to buy the TTS256 chip, which I neglected to do, which contains a dictionary of words-to-allophones. You can solder it directly onto the voicebox shield, and then can just pump regular english text at the chip and have it speak.

With the Voicebox Shield on the Arduino, the problem is that the Magnevation software can’t communicate directly with the chip, since the communication is to the Arduino itself. No problem, you just need a simple little host program on the Arduino to redirect information to the Speakjet.

The wrinkle in this is how the Magnevation software works. The Magnevation software opens and closes the serial port every time you send information down. With the way the default Arduino setup is, when the USB-Serial connection is opened up by the host, it institutes a chip reset, and your program restarts. Then, of course, it will likely miss all the actual serial information Phrase-A-Lator sends as the Arudino’s onboard program gets up and running.

If you try my program below, and every time you communicate with Phase-A-Lator and all the chip does is constantly spout “READY”, that means the board is being reset, and you need to disable the auto-reset.

Luckily, I wrote an entire huge article on how to disable the auto-reset once before.

The other thing to watch with Phase-a-Lator is to disable Flow Control, since there is no flow control. If you leave it enabled it will just hang the software.

Here’s the Arduino code. It’s really simple. It also actually works, at least for me, as opposed to lots of other sample code you can find to do this. It uses NewSoftSerial, because NewSoftSerial is the bomb.

If you don’t know how to copy and paste, you can download this tiny pde from here.

//
// A Dirty SpeakjetPassthrough program for the Arduino. 
// For testing the Arduino VoiceBox Shield from Sparkfun.com
// http://www.sparkfun.com/products/9799
// 
// This program lets you test your Speakjet VoiceBox Shield with 
// Magnavation's (maker of the Speakjet chip) Phrase-A-Lator test program. 
// http://www.magnevation.com/
// 
// Steven Cogswell, July 2011. 
// Includes probably five lines taken from the Sparkfun demo code. 
#include <NewSoftSerial.h>

#define txPin 2   // The pin for communicating to the Speakjet chip on the Arduino
#define RES  3   // The reset pin for the Speakjet. 

byte in;

// The NewSoftSerial object to talk to the Speakjet.  The Voice Shield doesn't have
// any communication back from the Speakjet chip, so all you need is Tx. 
NewSoftSerial speakjet(0,txPin);

void setup() 
{
  Serial.begin(9600);   // Serial communication with computer
  speakjet.begin(9600);   // Serial communication from arduino to Speakjet chip 

  //Set up a serial port to talk from Arduino to the SpeakJet module on pin 3.
  speakjet.begin(9600);    

  //Configure Reset line as an output
  pinMode(RES, OUTPUT);

  //All I/O pins are configured. Reset the SpeakJet module
  digitalWrite(RES, LOW);
  delay(100);
  digitalWrite(RES, HIGH);    // Doing this reset will make the chip say "Ready" 
  
  // This says "Try it now", generated from the PhrasALator and just pasting it in. add a 0 at the end to null-terminate the string. 
  char message[] = {20, 30, 21, 114, 22, 120, 23, 5, 8, 191, 7, 148, 155, 8, 129, 8, 191, 142, 163, 0};
  speakjet.print(message); 
}

void loop() {
  
  // Loop forever, read a byte from input and just push it to the Speakjet.    
  if (Serial.available()) {
    in=Serial.read(); 
    speakjet.print((char)in); 
  }
}

Here’s a couple of Phrase-A-Lator screenshots

When you have your phrase right, you can select “View Codes” to get the numerical allophone sequence and paste it into your Arduino code, as the program above does.

Here’s a voice demo,

You can also visit this website, which has nothing to do with any of this.

And as usual, you need a picture of an Arduino in your post in order to be taken seriously.

Update: Do you not care about stories or electronics and just want to buy something that works? I bought one of these.

(There is no actual music associated with this post)

Literally thousands of years ago, I wanted to construct MIDI controllers to do musical stuff. Back then at the dawn of history assembling electronics to do even simple MIDI tasks was both expensive and a pain in the ass. I spent a lot of money on joining the IMA, getting spec sheets, and as usual did jack shit.

Luckily, as the centuries progressed, some smart folks came up with the standard Arduino microcontroller platform for doing physical computing. Also, some other smart people at Sparkfun made a pre-assembled optoisolated MIDI shield, to save me the trouble of prototyping one.

Although the arduino platform communicates over USB, to my knowledge without some severe hacking you can’t get the arduino USB to act like a MIDI-USB connection (ie – where the arduino is seen as a straight up MIDI device over the USB cable, like a modern keyboard or electronic drum pad). The Sparkfun shield has the familiar 5-pin DIN plug that all my MIDI stuff used to have back in the 80’s. For my music crap I use a Presonus Firestudio Mobile which very conveniently has a breakout on the back to hook up a 5-pin DIN MIDI connection and have it communicate over the Firestudio’s Firewire bus.

There were some rumblings that with the Arduino UNO platform that it would make developing USB-MIDI devices easier. This fellow known as “darren” has a project where he has firmware that enables this, but I haven’t tried it. I started this project long before the UNO was even available.

The part I really wanted this for was to make a Wah/Volume pedal controller that interfaced with Logic Pro. Logic comes with a lot of nice effects, but if you don’t have an outboard controller you’re stuck manipulating things with a mouse, and often that means adding effects after you’ve played the track. It can be hard to play guitar and use the mouse at the same time.

Since I wanted a wah-pedal interface, I got an m-audio EX-P pedal. It’s cheap, pretty basic, and isn’t much more than a cheap pedal that turns a potentiometer and has a 1/4″ output plug. The Sparkfun midi shield already has potentiometers hooked up to analog input channels A0 and A1, so I wired up the pedal to A2.

In the picture, the USB cable is just providing power. The MIDI cable runs to the Presonus Firestudio, and the the A2/5V/GND is wired to a 1/4″ jack which you can plug the pedal into. I’ve only tried this with the EX-P, but really any voltage control pedal should work the same.

With the hardware in place, all you need is some software written to the arduino board and you’re good to go. Since I’m feeling generous at the moment I’ll include my code I wrote to make all this work. It handles up to six inputs (although only three are enabled by default). It also has the ability on the fly to set the min/max position of the controller for each of the inputs. This is helpful if you’ve got a pedal or a potentiometer or whatever that swings a great distance and you get tired moving your foot that far. I wrote the software with the idea that I had no other hardware connected to it: more buttons and an LCD display would have been nice, but instead I kept it to just control via the shield’s three on-board switches and two LED’s. Hence there’s some sequences and modes you push the buttons in to program it, and the LED’s flash to let you know which mode you’re in. Most of the code is actually that.

The software is generic, in that it doesn’t have to control “Wah”, you can control any assignable midi parameter with it. Use it to control filter sweeps, or volumes, or mix levels or whatever you like. If you get ambitious you can build out a whole set of pedals and knobs and run it like your own little command and control center.

Normal operation:

• Short press of D4 turns MIDI output on and off (LED STAT1 lights on and off).

Programming mode operation:

• Long press of D4 puts things into programming mode: LED STAT 1 flashes a number of times indicating which analog input channel you’re adjusting (one flash, two flashes, three flashes, etc). Long press of D4 leaves programming mode
• With the analog input channel selected above, use D3 to set the minimum position for controller. Push D3, LED STAT 2 flashes. Move the controller to the point you want to be called minimum, and push D3 again.
• With the analog input channel selected above, use D2 to set the maximum position for controller. Push D2, LED STAT 2 flashes (different rate than for D3). Move the controller to the point you want to be called maximum, and push D2 again.

Since nobody reads, you can download the code here or download it from github. It uses one external library, Bounce, for debouncing buttons. You’ll have to install that too. It’s not hard, and makes debouncing buttons a lot cleaner in your code. I based the initial version of this off code by “Tubedogg” and if you search hard you can probably find one or two lines from it still in there. If you don’t like the coding style of the code which I have given you for free, well that’s just too bad, isn’t it?

The code has a ‘debug mode’ where if you compile with “DEBUG” defined (see code) that it will spit verbose human-readable information out the serial (nee USB) port for debugging. For actual use you need to undef DEBUG and recompile, to make it use the proper MIDI data rate and message format.

A long time ago, I did up a quick demo just to see it work. You get points if you identify the riff.

but here’s one of the project using the actual pedal and software:

For the exceptionally lazy who can’t read, here’s the source code. Same thing as what’s in the file you can download above.

#include <Bounce.h>
//
// Sparkfun Midi shield as midi controller for footpedals and maybe other things.
//
// Steven Cogswell   steven.cogswell@gmail.com
// May 2011
//
// Sparkfun midi shield:  http://www.sparkfun.com/products/9595
// Some code and concept by Tubedogg 12/2006; fabian at tubedogg.de  http://www.arduino.cc/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1165833586
// Uses the "Bounce" library by Thomas Ouellet Fredericks  http://arduino.cc/playground/Code/Bounce

// Rember to have the Sparkfun midi shield Run/Prog switch in the appropriate position.  

// The analog potentiometers on the Sparkfun board A0/A1 give 0-127 midi for full range.   You can change defaults with the
// midiAnalogMax[]/midiAnalogMin[] Arrays below. 

// The three Sparkfun pushbuttons D2/D3/D4 are used to control modes.  This would have been easier with more buttons, but
// this way you don't have to add any mods to the board.
//
// Pushing D4 quickly (< 1000 ms) will turn the midi output on/off.  When it's off, move the controllers all you want,
// they won't output a midi value.
// Pushing D4 and holding for > 1000 ms will put things into the "Programming mode", in which you can set min/max positions for
// the various midi inputs.
// When in programming mode, the LED STAT 1 (the red one) will flash a number of times corresponding with the midi input
// you're changing (1 flash for on A0, 2 flashes for A1, 3 flashes for A2, etc, up to the max number of channels defined).
// Push D4 quickly (< 1000 ms) to increment which midi channel you're changing.  When you reach the last channel it starts over
// again with the first.
// When in programming mode:
// Push D3 - LED STAT 2 flashes, move pedal to minimum position and push D3 again.  Min value is stored
// Push D2 - LED STAT 2 flashes (faster), move pedal to maximum position and push D4 again.  Max value is stored.
// This can be useful for pedals - like mine, where you really want the pedal to be "0" at the bottom of the range.  If you set
// the min input position to be before the end of travel, you're pretty guaranteed to get min value at end of travel.  Also good
// if you get tired pushing the pedal all the way to the top, I suppose.
// To leave programming mode, push D4 and hold for > 1000 ms.  LED STAT 1 (the red one) will stop flashing.
//
// The arduino's LED (on the arduino board, not the sparkfun board) will flash when sending a midi message.  You can't see that
// LED very well, but hey it's there.  Lets you confirm your inputs are actually being sent.  

// Defining DEBUG will make the code spit out the "midi' messages in a human-readable format at 9600bps for
// convenience of debugging.  Otherwise it's 31250 bps.
//
#define DEBUG 1
#undef DEBUG     // Comment this line out to use 'debug' mode. 

// LED outputs and switch inputs
#define LEDarduino 13  // LED on Arduino itself.
#define LED1  6    // Note Sparkfun MIDI shield LED's are lit when "LOW" rather than "HIGH" (active low);
#define LED2  7
#define D2  2     // Pushbuttons on Sparkfun MIDI Shield.  Buttons are HIGH when not pressed and LOW when pressed.
#define D3  3
#define D4  4

// Parameters for debouncing the D2/D3/D4 button, uses the "Bounce" Library by Thomas Ouellet Fredericks
#define debounceDelay 50     // 50 ms is kind of long, but who cares?
Bounce D2bounce = Bounce(D2, debounceDelay);
Bounce D3bounce = Bounce(D3, debounceDelay);
Bounce D4bounce = Bounce(D4, debounceDelay);

// select number of desired analog inputs (max 6)
// The Sparkfun midi shield by default has potentiometers wired to A0 and A1.  In my case I have an m-audio pedal wired
// into A2.   Note this counts from 0, so "input_no = 2" means 0,1,2 are actively being read.
int input_no = 2;

// Midi parameters
// These arrays are defined up to 6 because that's how many analog inputs the arduino has.   If you specify input_no as less
// than six then you just have unused parameters.  It was easier to leave it like this than to try and save five or six bytes of storage. 

// define variables for the controller data
int AnalogValue[6] = {
  0,0,0,0,0,0};    

// define the "lastValue" variables
int lastAnalogValue[6] = {
  0,0,0,0,0,0};

// select the midi Controller Number for each input
int midiCCselect[6] = {
  1,2,3,4,5,6};

// select threshold for each analog input
int thresh[6] = {
  -1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1};  

// Note that for Min/Max values, the analog potentiometers on the Sparkfun board are wired "backwards" from what I
// expect when turning them.  The values are set such that turning the knob clockwise increases the midi value.
// These can always be reprogrammed "on the fly" with the D4 programming mode.   You can use these to set defaults
// if you're consistent with your controllers' inputs. 

// Analog value for "0" Midi value
int midiAnalogMin[6] = {
  1024,1024,0,0,0,0};

// Analog value for Max Midi Value
int midiAnalogMax[6] = {
  0,0,1024,1024,1024,1024};

long theMillis;    // Stores current millis() time on an execution through the main loop(). 

int isOn = false;             // Midi on/off boolean
int inSetMinMode = false;     // in programming mode for setting the minimum boolean
int inSetMaxMode = false;     // in programming mode for setting the maximum boolean
int maxFlashRate = 100;       // Flash rate for LED STAT2 when inSetMaxMode (ms)
int minFlashRate = 200;       // Flash rate for LED STAT2 when inSetMinMode (ms)
long maxFlashMillis =0;       // time counter for flash rate for inSetMaxMode LED STAT 2
long minFlashMillis =0;       // time counter for flash rate for inSetMinMode LED STAT 2
int maxFlash = HIGH;          // State of LED STAT 2 when inSetMaxMode (toggles HIGH/LOW)
int minFlash = HIGH;          // State of LED STAT 2 when inSetMaxMode (toggles HIGH/LOW)

int setProgModeTime = 1000;   // Amount of time to hold D4 to put things into Programming Mode (setting min/max's)
long setProgModeD4;           // time counter for measuring time D4 held
int inProgMode = false;       // Programming mode or not boolean
int progInput = 0;            // Current midi analog input channel we are setting min/max mode for
int progFlashCount = 0;       // Counter for number of flashes for LED STAT 1 when in programming mode (indicates midi input being programmed)
int progToggle = HIGH;        // State of LED STAT 1 when programming (HIGH/LOW toggle)
long progFlashRate = 100;     // Flash rate for LED STAT2 when in programming mode (ms)
long progFlashPrev = 0;       // time counter for flash rate when in programming mode for LED STAT 1

// The Arduino setup.
void setup() {
  // Set LED's to outputs
  pinMode(LEDarduino, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(LED1,OUTPUT);
  pinMode(LED2,OUTPUT);
  // Set Switches to inputs
  pinMode(D2,INPUT);
  digitalWrite(D2,HIGH);  // Activate internal pullup resistor
  pinMode(D3,INPUT);
  digitalWrite(D3,HIGH);  // Activate internal pullup resistor
  pinMode(D4,INPUT);
  digitalWrite(D4,HIGH);  // Activate internal pullup resistor
  //  Set MIDI baud rate:
#ifndef DEBUG
  Serial.begin(31250);   // Actual Midi rate
#endif

#ifdef DEBUG
  Serial.begin(9600);  // More convenient for debugging over USB
#endif 

  // A brief little flash of the STAT1/STAT2 LED's to let us know it's booted and ready to go
  digitalWrite(LED1,LOW);    // Turns on the status LED's
  digitalWrite(LED2,LOW);
  delay(50);
  digitalWrite(LED1,HIGH);   // Turns off the status LED's
  digitalWrite(LED2,HIGH);
#ifdef DEBUG
  Serial.println("START");
#endif
}

// main program loop
void loop() {

  int toggle=HIGH; 

  int input = LOW;
  int analog = 0; 

  theMillis = millis();   // Current millis setting for comparing debouncing and led flashing times. 

  //--- D2 ----------------------------------------------
  // Pushing D2 will put the unit into "Set Maximum position" mode, LED1 will flash, you set the controller to
  // position for max value, push D2 again, and that position is recorded as the max controller output position.
  D2bounce.update();
  input=D2bounce.read(); 

  if (input == LOW && D2bounce.fallingEdge()) {    // D2 has just been pushed on this cycle.
    if (inProgMode == true) {
      if (inSetMaxMode == false)   {
        inSetMaxMode = true;
#ifdef DEBUG
        Serial.println("Setting Max mode Started");
#endif
      }
      else  {
        inSetMaxMode = false;
        midiAnalogMax[progInput] = analogRead(progInput);

#ifdef DEBUG
        Serial.print("Input ");
        Serial.print(progInput);
        Serial.print(" Max is now");
        Serial.println(midiAnalogMax[progInput]);
#endif 

        digitalWrite(LED1,HIGH);  // Turn off LED
      }
    }
  }

  // Handles the flashing of the LED during inSetMaxMode
  if (inSetMaxMode == true)  {
    if (theMillis - maxFlashMillis > maxFlashRate) {
      if (maxFlash == HIGH)
        maxFlash = LOW;
      else
        maxFlash = HIGH; 

      maxFlashMillis = theMillis;
    }
    digitalWrite(LED1,maxFlash);
  }
  //--- End of D2 Handler -------------------------------

  //--- D3 ----------------------------------------------
  // Pushing D3 will put the unit into "Set Minimum position" mode, LED1 will flash, you set the controller to
  // position for min value, push D3 again, and that position is recorded as the min controller output position.
  D3bounce.update();
  input=D3bounce.read(); 

  if (input == LOW && D3bounce.fallingEdge()) { 

    if (inProgMode == true) {
      if (inSetMinMode == false)   {
        inSetMinMode = true; 

#ifdef DEBUG
        Serial.println("Setting Min mode Started");
#endif 

      }
      else     {
        inSetMinMode = false;
        midiAnalogMin[progInput] = analogRead(progInput);

#ifdef DEBUG
        Serial.print("Input ");
        Serial.print(progInput);
        Serial.print(" Min is now");
        Serial.println(midiAnalogMin[progInput]);
#endif

        digitalWrite(LED1,HIGH);  // Turn off LED
      }
    }
  }

  // Handles the flashing of the LED during inSetMaxMode
  if (inSetMinMode == true)  {
    if (theMillis - minFlashMillis > minFlashRate) {
      if (minFlash == HIGH)
        minFlash = LOW;
      else
        minFlash = HIGH; 

      minFlashMillis = theMillis;
    }
    digitalWrite(LED1,minFlash);
  }
  //--- End of D3 Handler -------------------------------

  //--- D4 ----------------------------------------------
  // Pushing D4 enables midi control on/off and enter/leaving programming mode
  D4bounce.update();
  input=D4bounce.read(); 

  if (input == LOW && D4bounce.fallingEdge()) {   // Button has just been pushed on this scan, start counting time in setProgModeD4
    setProgModeD4 = theMillis;
  }

  if (input == HIGH && D4bounce.risingEdge() && (theMillis - setProgModeD4 > setProgModeTime) ) {   // A Release after long press has happened
    if (inProgMode == true) {
#ifdef DEBUG
      Serial.println("Leaving Prog Mode");
#endif
      inProgMode= false;
    }
    else {
#ifdef DEBUG
      Serial.println("Entering Prog mode");
#endif
      inProgMode = true;
      progInput = 0;       // Start programming with first channel every time
    }
  }

  if (input == HIGH && D4bounce.risingEdge() && (theMillis - setProgModeD4 < setProgModeTime)) {   // A Release after short press has happened
    if (inProgMode == true) {
      progInput++;    // select next midi input for programming
      if (progInput > input_no) progInput=0;     // wrap around if at last analog input
#ifdef DEBUG
      Serial.print("Prog channel ");
      Serial.println(progInput);
#endif

    }
    else {   // Not inProgMode, just turn midi on and off 

      if (isOn == false)   {
        isOn = true;
#ifdef DEBUG
        Serial.println("Midi control ON");
#endif
        digitalWrite(LED2,LOW);
      }
      else     {
        isOn = false; 

#ifdef DEBUG
        Serial.println("Midi Control OFF");
#endif
        digitalWrite(LED2,HIGH);
      }
    }
  }

  // Handles the flashing of the STAT1 LED when in programming mode.  Flashes a number of times
  // based on what channel is currently being programmed, then a pause, then starts again.
  if (inProgMode == true)  {
    if (theMillis - progFlashPrev > progFlashRate)  {
      progFlashPrev = theMillis;
      if (progToggle == HIGH)  {
        progToggle=LOW;
        progFlashCount++;
      }
      else {
        progToggle=HIGH;
      }

      // with the 2*input_no, then there will always be a series of "blank" states at the end of the
      // flashing sequence where the LED does not flash, so humans can tell when the "number of flashes indicates what channel"
      // sequence is starting and stopping.
      if (progFlashCount > 2*input_no) progFlashCount=0;
      if (progFlashCount <= progInput) {
        digitalWrite(LED2,progToggle);
      }
      else {
        digitalWrite(LED2,HIGH);     // HIGH is "not lit"
      }

    }    

  }

  //--- End of D4 Handler -------------------------------  

  //---- Midi Loop ------------

  if (isOn==true) {    // Only send midi messages if enabled
    for(int i=0;i<=input_no;i++){
      input = analogRead(i);
      // Using "map()" is a lot more convenient than writing a lot of if() blocks and math.    http://www.arduino.cc/en/Reference/Map
      // It also very conveniently works if you "flip" the min/max positions (ie - you like the knobs or pedals to work in the opposite
      // direction for increasing value and have used the programming mode to set min higher than max)
      AnalogValue[i] = map(input, midiAnalogMin[i],midiAnalogMax[i],0,127);
      // Constrain guarantees 0 <= midi <= 127 values are sent  http://www.arduino.cc/en/Reference/Constrain
      AnalogValue[i] = constrain(AnalogValue[i],0,127);
      // check if value is greater than defined threshold (good for resistive touchpads etc)
      if ( AnalogValue [i]>thresh[i] ) {
        // check if analog input has changed, don't spam output if controller value hasn't changed.
        // Noisy midi inputs are a pain.
        if ( AnalogValue[i] != lastAnalogValue[i] ) {
          digitalWrite(LEDarduino,HIGH);                     // light up LED to let you know we're sending data
          midiCC(0xB0, midiCCselect[i], AnalogValue[i]);
          digitalWrite(LEDarduino,LOW);
          lastAnalogValue[i] = AnalogValue[i];
        }
      }

    }
  }
  //---- Midi Loop ------------

}  // loop() ends

// This function sends a Midi CC.
void midiCC(char CC_data, char c_num, char c_val){

#ifndef DEBUG
  Serial.print(CC_data, BYTE);
  Serial.print(c_num, BYTE);
  Serial.print(c_val, BYTE);
#endif 

#ifdef DEBUG
  Serial.print("MIDI: ");
  Serial.print(CC_data, HEX);
  Serial.print(" ");
  Serial.print(c_num, DEC);
  Serial.print(" ");
  Serial.println(c_val, DEC);
#endif

}

If you don’t like it, well too bad.