Wow… the Harmonica soundspretty good with Sfizz! I am waiting to get specs on the JamBoxx to see if it supports draw/blow. I am not sure if it does. The DM-48 does but man it’s expensive.
Maybe it will be a DIY Winter project. A midi blues harp with a bidirectional breath sensor for each hole. Maybe use an ESP386 to control it ? An oled/menu to select the key to play in. Start with a Diatonic Scale BluesHarp ? It’s got to be cheaper than $800.00 USD (DM-48 sells for that) wow.
Here’s She Got The Katie
Now I need to experiment with audio /fx to get that Blues Harp sound
The Jamboxx website says you can “sip or puff” and the flow is controllable. A standard MPX5010 sensor will detect pressures above and below ambient, so it should work for that duty. The problem is that they are not small, so putting multiple sensors inside an instrument would be tricky. The Jamboxx seems to get around this by moving the mouthpiece, so they need only one sensor (but multiple switches).
As far as the controller is concerned the ESP32 (I assume you mean) can’t be a USB MIDI gadget, so you’d have to use either BLE MIDI or DIN MIDI. The Teensy series can be USB MIDI gadgets, but they have no Bluetooth.
I reported on an experiment with a cheap sensor and an 8 bit ATmega32U4 Arduino board with built in USB MIDI capabilities. The 40 kpa sensor requires a bit of force, probably not sensitive enough for a side tap sensor. I found similar blow and draw ranges though sensitivity is not a perfect match. Here’s a detailed article on the sensor board.
I since obtained a 10 kpa sensor that I grafted onto the board (haven’t got around to smoke test the wiring)
10 kph sensor (requiring a bridge amp) $2.09 + $1.46
Something new is a stacked sensor/bridge amp assembly, it may well use the same HX710B interface chip as the 40 kpa board, a couple sellers have a 5 kpa version that looks promising. (The bridged amplifier chip is on the bottom)
5 kph sensor in tiny piggyback bridge amp
1pcs XGZP6847 0~5KPa pressure sensor transmitter module 0.5-4.5V US $8.53 + $2.00 (the XGZP6847 comes in different sensitivity ranges)
The long pins are 1/10" apart
Another more compact processor option for USB or perhaps DIN MIDI, the SAMD21 based Seeed Studio XIAO or Adafruit QT PY said to be pin for pin compatible (About .8" long)
QT PI has added reset button and 2mb flash pads and a dedicated I2C connector (My go-to boards for compact projects)
Thanks! I’m experimenting with AudioFX now with the harmonica sound font to get a real blues sound. Here’s a snippet of what I have so far:
I’m still adjusting it, but man it’s getting there! My goal is have the Zynthian become a backup band in the box to jam with. Drums, bass, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, keyboards and lead instrument… EWI sax or Harmonica.
Here’s “She Caught The Katy - Take 2” .
A added Audio-FX to the Hohner harmonica… With a physical harmonica you do the same thing, play through an amp with the proper microphone, add some depth and reverb… and you get
something like this
