Ota'mod'tone MIDI Instrument

It's like an Otamatone, but uses a 150mm SoftPot and 32U4 microcontroller to output MIDI signals.

It uses a slide/snap-fit design, so there's no need to break out the M3 screws.

The provided code covers a two-octave C-Major scale (C4→C6). Feel free to customize it. (It's using A3 as its analog input pin).

At the moment, the 15 frets alternative cover isn't lining up perfectly with the arduino ‘map()’ function's translated values. I plan on experimenting a little more with getting these to be more precise.

Since the potentiometer is continuous and MIDI notes are not, be aware that there might be some signal weirdness in the regions between notes. (This is what the fret cover is trying to solve).

Also note that the models in the images have been slightly altered and the models uploaded here differ slightly (notably the wire ‘guide’ has increased in length).

Parts:
-1x 150mm SoftPot (Not a ThinPot)
-1x tiny breadboard (~35x47x9mm)
-1x 10K resistor
-3x Wires
-1x 32U4-based Arduino Microcontroller (currently using 3rd-party Pro Micro)
-1x Micro USB Cable
-1x USB A to USB C Converter
-1x Android device that can run FluidSynth

Currently brainstorming ways to make the instrument more tactile, shift octaves, or control the velocity of the notes. (Maybe a force-sensitive resistor or linear potentiometer attached to the side?). You could even have a button for toggling which scale/key is active. Perhaps a Teensy 4.1 plus an audio shield could make the entire thing a self-contained synth! Feature creep!

Printed in matte PLA.

The .step files are available upon request.