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GrooveAxe - Mini Drum Machine

by nmcclana on February 12, 2009

Table of Contents

intro: GrooveAxe - Mini Drum Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Parts list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

How to Play It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

How it Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

step 1: IC Socket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

step 2: Wire Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

step 3: Resistors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

step 4: Capacitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

step 5: LED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

step 6: Switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

step 7: Battery Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

step 8: Speaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

step 9: Fit The PICAxe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

step 10: Test it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Advertisements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

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Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

http://www.instructables.com/id/GrooveAxe_Mini_Drum_Machine/
intro: GrooveAxe - Mini Drum Machine
Percussion in your pocket. Feel the tiny boom! With your GrooveAxe, the beats will always be with you, so you'll never feel lonely again.

The GrooveAxe was designed by Brian McNamara.

You can get the kit from Gadget Gangster. It comes with everything and is pre-programmed. But, if you'd like to gather the parts yourself, you'll need the following.

Parts list
Resistors, 1 each of : 1k, 3.3k, 100k
3 x 10k Resistors & 2x 330 Resistors
Gadget Gangster project board (half board)
10 uF Cap
8 Pin Dip Socket
3xAA battery holder (and batteries)
5x Tactile Switches
Micro Speaker
22Ga Hookup wire
Green LED
And a programmed PICaxe 08M. You can get the Source Code off Gadget Gangster

You'll also need a soldering iron, solder, and wire cutters.

Here's a little video demonstration

Video

How to Play It
The GrooveAxe is a basic rhythm machine that plays a loop of 4 different LoFi drum noises. When you turn the unit on you can start pressing the four corner buttons,
which will make sounds. When the unit loops around, it will keep playing the sounds in the order you pressed them over and over. You can keep building up the pattern
by pressing more and more buttons. Apart from the sound buttons, the button in the middle at the left controls the tempo. By tapping this switch twice at the speed you
want the pattern to play you can set the tempo.

How it Works
The GrooveAxe is based around the Picaxe 08M micro-controller. The 4 different sounds are played using the four outside switches (S2 to S5). When a switch is
pressed, it puts a resistor of a unique value into a voltage divider that produces a voltage proportional to the resistor value. The voltage is sensed by the ADC (analog to
digital converter) on pin 6 of the Picaxe and is converted into one of 5 values in the program (4 for sounds and 1 for tempo). The sound command is then used to output
the correct sound to the speaker. Once a sound is play it is stored in memory so that it can be replayed when the pattern is played next. When the tempo switch is
pressed twice it sets a variable used by a pause command in the main pattern loop.

http://www.instructables.com/id/GrooveAxe_Mini_Drum_Machine/
step 1: IC Socket
Place the 8pin IC Socket on the top side of the PCB, with pin 1 on G16 of the PCB and pin 8 on J16 of the PCB. Solder into place.

Image Notes
1. G16
2. J16

step 2: Wire Links

Solder the wire links to the top side of the board
at coordinates:

A20 to Q20
B4 to B5
B9 to B10
B14 to B15
D18 to F18
E16 to F16
E21 to M21
i11 to J11
K11 to K18
L16 to Q16
P4 to P6
P9 to P11

http://www.instructables.com/id/GrooveAxe_Mini_Drum_Machine/
 Image Notes
1. B4 - B5
2. P4 - P6
3. P9-P11
4. k11-k18
5. L16 - Q16
6. A20-Q20
7. E21 - M21
8. D18 - F18
9. E16 - F16
10. B14-B15
11. B9-B10
12. i11-J11

step 3: Resistors
Resistors:
Place the resistors on the top of the PCB at the
following coordinates:

R1; C10 to I10 330R

R2; I6 to O6 1K
R3; C5 to I5 3.3K
R4; I9 to O9 10K
R5; C15 to I15 100K
R6; A17 to F17 10K
R7; D19 to E19 330R
R8; L18 to Q18 10K

http://www.instructables.com/id/GrooveAxe_Mini_Drum_Machine/
 Image Notes
1. c10 - i10 (330)
2. i6 - o6 (1K)
3. C5 - i5 (3.3K)
4. i9 - o9 (10K)
5. L18 - Q18 (10K)
6. A17 - F17 (10K)
7. d19 - e19 (330)
8. C15 - i15 (100K)

step 4: Capacitor
Solder the 10uF Capacitor to the top side of the PCB, with the positive leg at L19 and the negative leg at N19.

http://www.instructables.com/id/GrooveAxe_Mini_Drum_Machine/
 Image Notes
1. L19 (Pos) - N19 (Neg)

step 5: LED
Fit the LED to the top side of the PCB with the positive leg (long) at B19 and the negative leg (short) at B18. Solder in place.

Image Notes
1. B19 (Long) - B18 (Short)

step 6: Switches
Place the switches on the top of the PCB at the following coordinates, and Solder in place.

SW1; C6, E6, C9 and E9

SW2; M1, O1, M4 and O4
SW3; C1, E1, C4 and E4
SW4; M11, O11, M14 and O14
SW5; C11, E11, C14 and E14

http://www.instructables.com/id/GrooveAxe_Mini_Drum_Machine/
 Image Notes
1. M1 - o1 - M4 - o4
2. C1 - E1 - C4 - E4
3. C11 - E11 - C14 - E14
4. M11 - o11 - M14 - o14
5. C6 - E6 - C9 - E9

step 7: Battery Box

Solder the Red wire on the battery box to M22 on the top side of the PCB. Solder the Black wire to Q22 on the top side of the PCB.

Image Notes
1. Q22
2. M22
http://www.instructables.com/id/GrooveAxe_Mini_Drum_Machine/
step 8: Speaker
Cut 2 pieces of wire about 2 long, strip both ends and solder one end of each wire to each terminal of the speaker. Solder the two wires to P19 and Q19 on the top side of
the PCB.

Bend the wires to place the speaker in the place were you want it.

step 9: Fit The PICAxe

Fit the Picaxe to 08M to the 8pin IC socket on the PCB.

step 10: Test it

Fit the 3AA size batteries to the battery box. Turn the GrooveAxe on and check for sounds by pressing each of the four sound buttons (S2 to S5). To check the tempo
function press the Tempo button (S1) twice to set the tempo you want.

That's it! If you buy this kit on Gadget Gangster, the PICaxe will come pre-programmed. there's also a PDF with schematic to download and the source code.

http://www.instructables.com/id/GrooveAxe_Mini_Drum_Machine/
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Comments
6 comments Add Comment

kwiknkrafty says: Mar 3, 2009. 10:38 PM REPLY

this is too cool.

any way to play it through an amp?

nmcclana says: Mar 4, 2009. 4:52 PM REPLY

Yeah, it's pretty easy, instead of connecting the speaker, route to the RCA jack;

Instead of running the wire to P19, go to J23

The other wire should go to I23.

If you buy the kit and add a note during checkout, I'm sure you'll get an RCA jack.

thepelton says: Feb 15, 2009. 12:15 PM REPLY

Fascinating machine! In the video, it appeared that all the action was being done on the four outside keys, and the one in the center wasn't even touched.
What does it do?

thepelton says: Feb 15, 2009. 12:17 PM REPLY

Oops, I just realized after reading the directions that there were only four switches to begin with. I saw a black thing in between two switches, and
assumed it was another switch. My bad. 8>)>

Excelsior!

nmcclana says: Feb 15, 2009. 1:13 PM REPLY

No - there are 5 keys! The key in the middle sets the length of the pattern. Push it once to start the timer. Push again to stop it. What I do is make the
tempo really slow, do a complex pattern and then reset the the tempo. Here's a sample (wma)

thepelton says: Feb 15, 2009. 8:53 PM REPLY

Oh, OK.

http://www.instructables.com/id/GrooveAxe_Mini_Drum_Machine/