Merge branch 'main' of https://git.woozle.org/neale/homepage

content/blog/2023/12-27-rock-band.md

@@ -7,13 +7,14 @@ tags:
 
 My project this winter break is to get our Wii copy of LEGO Rock Band some controllers again. We sold the original ones years ago because they were gigantic, so any replacements need to be small and easily stored.
 
-## Step one: Working Arduino controller
+## Step 1: Working Arduino controller
 
 Before any other work, I needed to make sure I could actually interface with the software.
-There's one really popular project
+Currently, the "santroller" is very popular:
-right now, 
+it requires some kind of binary desktop app to configure the firmware,
-with published source code,
+and although it's open source software, 
-but it requires some binary desktop app to configure the firmware.
+it's thousands of lines of code.
+
 I had a hunch I could find something simpler,
 and after a day of searching,
 I discovered 
@@ -21,11 +22,10 @@ I discovered
 doing exactly what I wanted.
 Following the instructions on that page,
 I was able to get my old Arduino Micro
-recognized as a guitar,
+recognized as a guitar.
-and utterly fail a level as
+By awkwardly grounding input pins with a wire,
-I attempted to ground the right pins
+I was able to slowly navigate the menus,
-with a bit of wire
+and I even managed to fail a song.
-to register button presses.
 
 I used an old 4-port USB hub
 I had lying around,
@@ -54,18 +54,31 @@ I already had M3 screws,
 which are used all the time in
 3D printed builds.
 
+Total cost of parts for two controllers,
+not counting 3D printed parts,
+is about $40.
 
-## Drum controller
 
-The first decision to make was
+## Step 3: Drum controller
-finger drumming vs hitting things
-with sticks: we decided sticks
-would be more fun.
 
-The second decision was
+There are a lot of options that could work as a drum controller,
-MIDI vs destructive conversion.
+including "finger drums" like the Akai MPD218,
-Conversion looked cheaper and easier,
+full drum kits like the Alesis Nitro Mesh,
-so we went that way.
+drum pads like the Alesis SamplePad,
+or options to build my own kit with piezos.
+
+A few factors went into the decision:
+
+1. We wanted something you hit with sticks.
+  Hitting things with sticks requires big movements,
+  which will result in funnier situations during the game.
+2. We wanted something that was easy to hook up.
+  The devices with MIDI output would require at least a translation device,
+  the USB MIDI devices would need the translation device to plug into power.
+  If possible, we want the "rock bands drums" to just plug in to the hub,
+  and that's all.
+3. Since nobody's built anything like this before,
+  we wanted to start cheap.
 
 I wound up buying a $26 children's 
 roll up drum mat.