hack: record and playback buttons

Creating Buttons for Record and Looping Playback on your Keytar!

Introduction

Record and playback buttons let you capture your music and hear it again! Some keyboards even let you layer sounds, so you can play along with what you’ve already recorded.

The Keytar app has the functionality to record notes that you play on your Keytar and then play them back in a loop enabling you to be your own band during your big solo! The catch is that the functionality is mapped to the W and A keys on the back of your Makey Makey.

This hack walks you through creating simple record and play buttons on your Keytar so you don't need to use your computer keyboard!

Hack Details

Time: 30 Minutes

Difficulty: EASY

Adult Supervision: Minimal

Tool Requirements: Basic (Craft)

Modification Warning

This hack could permanently modify your Retro Joystick! Please keep that in mind as you work.

Tools and Materials

This hack requires some basic craft tools and supplies for you to be successful! You can find most of them at home or in a desk drawer. We do list a few materials that could make your project a bit easier, but they are strictly optional.

Required Tools

Scissors

Required Materials

Completed Keytar with Makey Makey
Conductive Fabric Tape
Non-Conductive Tape (Scotch / Masking)
White Connector Wires
Brass Paper Fasteners

Set up EARTH

Stick a line of conductive tape along the neck of the keytar. Make sure to stick this new line of conductive tape to the EARTH tape that you made for the keys.

Swap out the Fasteners

Replace the colorful fasteners with brass fasteners. The brass fasteners are conductive and can hook up to the Makey Makey to become the buttons PLAY and RECORD! Note: The colorful fasteners have paint covering the metal and are therefore not conductive.

Note that we used the two fasteners at the top near the neck of the keytar. You do not necessarily need to use these exact ones. You can choose, but note that you will need to design your own tape circuit in the coming steps!

Insulate the EARTH tape

On the back of your keytar, near the brass fasteners, cover the EARTH tape with a piece of regular tape from home. This keeps it from touching any conductive tape you place on top, so your circuit works properly.

Prepare the wires

Attach a strip of conductive tape to the back of each brass fastener and run it down toward the Makey Makey so it’s ready to connect.

Be sure to take care to bridge over the masking (non-conductive) tape and not touch the EARTH beneath it with the tape you just laid down!

Connect the Wires

Using a small piece of conductive tape, stick a white connector wire to the end of each conductive tape strip.

Connect the Wires to the Keypresses

On the Makey Makey header, stick the free ends of the wires into the W and the A.

W - Press and hold to record a sound loop

A - Play or stop a recorded loop

Note: W and A work together - you can’t use one without the other.

Tape the Wires Down

If needed, stick a small piece of tape over the wires to hold them securely in place.

Connect to the Keytar App

Make sure your Makey Makey is plugged into your device and navigate to makeymakey.com/keytar.

Experiment with Recording and Looping!

Make sure your keytar is connected to the MakeyMakey Keytar App and try out your new Record and Playback buttons. For the buttons to work, you will need to be touching the EARTH line at the same time.

Try recording a background tune! Press and hold the W button and EARTH at the same time. Meanwhile, play a few notes with the keys. Release the W button and Press the A button (while holding EARTH) to play back the notes. The A button is like an ON/OFF switch, so you don’t need to hold it down. Press it once to start playback. Press it again to turn off playback. Now you have some background tunes to riff on!

Troubleshooting Tips

Button not responding! Be sure that you are holding onto EARTH with your free hand and then pressing the button!

Still not responding! Check your connections at the brass fasteners and the wires plugging into the Makey Makey to make sure they haven't come lose.

Constant Keypress!? Your button circuits are shorted out! Check closesly in the location of the tape bridge between EARTH and the two key tape circuits. They are probably touching! Pull up the tape from the button circuits and replace them so they are not coming in contact with EARTH

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