marvelous MI

Marvelous MI is a meta synth, of sorts. I built it to have a tiny synth that could be used with midi or control voltages. It runs the 1.2 version of Plaits, Rings and Braids MI docs and can freely switch between them. It was designed to speed up development of the arduino ports of Mutable Instruments modules I maintain arduinoMi. Most importantly, I wanted to play air harp with my spires Time of Flight controller ;)

Some audio samples.

Spires laser scale arp playing the rings module on marvelous ….

Spires laser scale arp playing the plaits module on marvelous ….

The korg volca modular playing with marvelous rings module via control voltages ….

A somewhat strange duo with the keep bleeping and marvelous playing a plaits FM organ.

Technical details

Marvelous uses an raspberry pi pico 2 (rp2350) in the form offered by Olimex (Bulgaria) This provides all 8 ADC pins since ALL rp2350 pins are broken out. There is a qwiik/stemma port to allow extending the device, as well as unpopulated pins you could hack.

The DAC used is a PCM5102a module, inexpensive but reliable. The midi in circuit is text book. The CV inputs are very simple resistor and diode clamp configurations. Nothing fancy, no buffers.

Open hardware and sales

I make limited numbers to offer for sale. It will set you back 99 Euro. Batteries not included :) If you are more comfortable with online stores, it’s available at https://tonetoys.etsy.com and at https://www.tindie.com/stores/poetaster/

Or build it yourself with the Open Sources which include fritzing files. You can use the fritzing or Gerber files to produce your own pcbs. If Gerbers are not there, I’m revising errors or improving something. That is also a sign you should not take the fritzing files to production. Look at tags/releases.