Learn to solder by making a way-cool, powerful music synthesizer, and learn how to make cool music, sound, (and noise!) with computer chips. (The fancy word for making sound with a computer chip is Digital Signal Processing.)

ArduTouch is an open hardware Arduino-compatible music synthesizer kit with a built-in Touch Keyboard, and with built-in speaker/amplifier. It is a really nice performing musical instrument.

This workshop is for total newbies to learn to solder.
This workshop is for total newbies to make their own ArduTouch music synthesizer.
This workshop is for total newbies to learn how to make music, sound (and noise!) with computer chips.
Attendees take their completed synthesizer home at the end of the workshop.

The ArduTouch comes pre-programmed with a way cool synthesizer. And I will show you how to re-program it with other way cool (and totally different) synthesizers.

For ages 10 - 100.

Taught by Mitch Altman

Optional: Bring your laptop, if you can.

Workshop Itinerary:
* Brief intro to music synthesis.
* Simple intro to Digital Signal Processing for total beginners to understand how to make sound (and noise!) with computer chips.
* Then we will learn to solder. Don't let this scare you! I've taught tens of thousands of people to solder, most of whom have never made anything before in their lives. It is actually a very easy skill to learn. It is also very useful.
* Then we will each make our own ArduTouch music synthesizer from a kit.
* Now that we each have our own working ArduTouch synthesizer, we will set up the free and open-source Arduino software on our laptops (if you bring one) -- Windows, Linux, and MacOS are all fine!
* Very brief intro to Arduino for re-programming your ArduTouch board with cool new sounds.
* Jam!

Materials costs:

The workshop is free, but if you would like to partake in the hands-on aspects of the workshop, Mitch will have ArduTouch kits for €35.
Optional: USB-Serial Cable for re-programming ArduTouch (and many other projects): 5 €.