The "Black Pink Box" Project

written by Khakim Assidiqi on 11 September 2018

My first Arduino project to controlling 10-channel Relay using MIDI in this case I used Ableton Live 9.

Background

Last month I got a challenge to make stunning light/visual show with low budget that can sync with music and visual. The Goal is to controlling lighting such as incandescent bulb, or xmas light (fairy lit) using some MIDI software such as Ableton Live 9, FL Studio or other DAW. After surf the internet, I've found that dis thing can simply be done with just using DMX, but it's so expensive. So I used cheap clone $6 Arduino UNO to solve dis prob.

Hardware needed

• Arduino UNO
• 8+2 Channel Relay (https://bl.app.link/T9K1deSIsQ)
• 10 Contra Steker (https://kabelnym.com/shop/brand-series/broco-series/kontra-steker-hitam-broco-334n/)
• Wires
• Windows Laptop

Software needed

• Digital Audio Workstation (I recomend Ableton Live 9) (https://www.ableton.com/en/trial/)

Used for drawing lighting sequence, playing music and video

• Basic knowledge of using DAW (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QPQoZGAA88)

• Hariless MIDI<->Serial Bridge (http://projectgus.github.com/hairless-midiserial)

Used for converting MIDI Signal (come from Ableton) into Serial Signal (going to Arduino UNO)

• loopMIDI (https://www.tobias-erichsen.de/software/loopmidi.html)

Act as MIDI Interface, so you can select it as Interface on Ableton

• MatroskaSplitter (http://www.free-codecs.com/download/matroska_splitter.htm)

I don't really know, but you'll needed it to play a video

• Quicktime Player

Needed to play video, Ableton will ask to install this program.

• Arduino Software (IDE) (https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software)

For uploading script into Arduino

Schema

1. DAW (Ableon or FL Studio) [Inside Your Laptop]

First, our DAW playing the note sequence (C-2 = Bulb 1, C#-2 = Bulb 2, ... A-2 = Bulb 10) sending output as MIDI into loopMidi Adapter

2. loopMIDI [Inside Your Laptop]

Then, loopMIDI will continue the signal into the Hariless MIDI<->Serial Bridge, make sure loopMIDI switched on.

3. Hariless MIDI<->Serial Bridge [Inside Your Laptop]

Here where the magic happen, this app will convert your MIDI Signal into Serial Signal, so your Arduino UNO could understand what light should turned on/off.

4. Wires

Laptop |USB Type-A Male)-----------------------------(USB Type-B Male| Arduino UNO

5. Arduino UNO [Outside Laptop]

After receive Serial Signal, then Arduino UNO will running a program to send voltage to digital pin and trigger the 5V Relay

How to Use

1. Install Ableton, loopMIDI, Hariless MIDI<->Serial Bridge, MatroskaSplitter, Quicktime Player, Arduino Driver on your laptop
2. Load the Ableton Project file nammed lighting_test.als
3. Setup your Ableton adapter, goto Options->Preferences->MIDI Tab then select output into loopMIDI
4. Open and start loopMidi, make sure there is data received
5. Connect your Arduino and upload the Ableton_Arduino_Relay.ino form file_arduino folder into your Arduino. Maybe you'll need Arduino IDE in this process.
6. Open Hariless MIDI<->Serial Bridge and select Serial Port into your Arduino UNO, select MIDI In into loopMidi. Also make sure the green dots blinking
7. If you follow the step correctly, you'll hearing the Relay starting to clicking, good luck!

Result

Video

Coming Soon