Press a button, Play a Sound

August 13, 2011 8:43 PM

What am I looking for and does it exist? I'm working on art project and I need to create a soundboard. The MP3 Trigger comes close. Here's what I need

* SD card slot
* The ability to flash write capability
* Needs input with real time audio processing
* Output to speakers/amps/headphones
* 9-18 triggers
* Plays mp3 at least 192Kbps

I briefly looked at an adriano with mp3 wave shield but still doesn't come close.

Anyone have ideas? Device has to be small.

posted by bleucube to media & arts (6 answers total)

I can't offer anything to help your quest but I can thank you for pointing to the MP3 Trigger which is something I needed without even knowing I needed it.
posted by bz at 8:59 PM on August 13, 2011

a Dr Sample or similar phrase sampler.
posted by tremspeed at 9:14 PM on August 13, 2011

I'm looking at making something very similar - minus the real-time audio processing bit - and the Arduino+MP3 Shield combo is what I'm looking at. Can I ask why it wouldn't work in your case?

(Also, that MP3 Trigger doohickey is brilliant - thanks for linking it!)
posted by The Shiny Thing at 11:08 PM on August 13, 2011

The "input with real time audio processing" requirement is the bit I'd imagine the Arduino's 8-bit microcontroller would have a problem with, The Shiny Thing. Some of the ARM-based Arduino clones might be up to it, just, but it needs a fair bit of grunt.
posted by scruss at 5:46 AM on August 14, 2011

@bz your welcome :)
@Tremspeed - too big, too costly,
@ The Shiny Thing - maybe we can discuss our project in email and help eachother?
@scruss - Yep that's what I discovered too can't handle it.

Maybe I can ake out the real time audio processing and offload that somewhere else.... but I would defintely need a 1/8 input and output jack
posted by bleucube at 7:40 AM on August 14, 2011

Drop me a memail anytime - more than happy to help if there's anything I can pitch in with!

Farming out the audio processing somehow might be the way to go, if you've got room in the box for a tiny-PC of some description. Something like a plug computer might be a starting point - they're pretty powerful these days, for something the size of a wall wart; if you need to go even smaller again, a Gumstix machine might be worth looking at.
posted by The Shiny Thing at 9:08 AM on August 14, 2011