ActuatorOrchestra
@acutatororchestra.bsky.social
I'm making an army of musical instrument playing robots. Here's how it's going. This project will involve lots of 3D printing and electronics.
Look what I found at the Milwaukee German Fest!
August 5, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Look what I found at the Milwaukee German Fest!
This platformio code runs on top of freertos, but I cannot get it to execute synchronously. I send web socket commands every 500ms but it has a rhythm problem. #platformio
July 8, 2025 at 9:15 PM
This platformio code runs on top of freertos, but I cannot get it to execute synchronously. I send web socket commands every 500ms but it has a rhythm problem. #platformio
A solution to the stripping out problem with often-adjusted screws. Why didn’t anybody remind me of these earlier? #3dprinting
July 8, 2025 at 12:51 PM
A solution to the stripping out problem with often-adjusted screws. Why didn’t anybody remind me of these earlier? #3dprinting
Added a bit of civility to the servo wiring. And a fancy toggle switch too!
July 2, 2025 at 1:58 AM
Added a bit of civility to the servo wiring. And a fancy toggle switch too!
updated the UI a bit. Now i can make it make terrible sounds even faster.
June 18, 2025 at 11:48 PM
updated the UI a bit. Now i can make it make terrible sounds even faster.
A few pics from the "on-neck" (vs "on-rail") method for attaching to the fret. Originally, brass rails spanned the whole neck to hold these structures, but now I'm trying to just sort of attach to the neck itself. After failures, I combined the servo clip with the bracket. #3DPrinting #maker
June 17, 2025 at 10:12 PM
A few pics from the "on-neck" (vs "on-rail") method for attaching to the fret. Originally, brass rails spanned the whole neck to hold these structures, but now I'm trying to just sort of attach to the neck itself. After failures, I combined the servo clip with the bracket. #3DPrinting #maker
Got a working fret beam! Those two barrels are rotating through the 16 combinations of string presses, with a strum in between. You can hear the notes change, and are probably critical of my tuning. It’s not about the tuning yet. #3dprinting #maker #ukulele #adafruit
June 17, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Got a working fret beam! Those two barrels are rotating through the 16 combinations of string presses, with a strum in between. You can hear the notes change, and are probably critical of my tuning. It’s not about the tuning yet. #3dprinting #maker #ukulele #adafruit
I couldn't make all 4 strings work with the small diameter + the string depth. The slots overlap.
So, the new idea is just have 2 independent barrels per fret, each with it's own servo, and 4 combos. It'll double the servo count and complicate the controls, but it will cleanly depress springs.
So, the new idea is just have 2 independent barrels per fret, each with it's own servo, and 4 combos. It'll double the servo count and complicate the controls, but it will cleanly depress springs.
June 13, 2025 at 6:28 PM
I couldn't make all 4 strings work with the small diameter + the string depth. The slots overlap.
So, the new idea is just have 2 independent barrels per fret, each with it's own servo, and 4 combos. It'll double the servo count and complicate the controls, but it will cleanly depress springs.
So, the new idea is just have 2 independent barrels per fret, each with it's own servo, and 4 combos. It'll double the servo count and complicate the controls, but it will cleanly depress springs.
Here's some experiments with the geometry. One of the fatal issues so far is that the diameter is limited by fret size and the smallest slots are too big and blur into each other. I either need shallower slots or larger diameter, both of which are impossible due to the size of the uke.
June 13, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Here's some experiments with the geometry. One of the fatal issues so far is that the diameter is limited by fret size and the smallest slots are too big and blur into each other. I either need shallower slots or larger diameter, both of which are impossible due to the size of the uke.
This is a barrel fret depressor. The idea is that there are 16 (4strings^2) positions representing every combination of 4 string depressions possible, laid out in a Grey Code pattern. It has issues...
June 13, 2025 at 12:52 PM
This is a barrel fret depressor. The idea is that there are 16 (4strings^2) positions representing every combination of 4 string depressions possible, laid out in a Grey Code pattern. It has issues...
A demonstration of the "tunable" rails on the bridge. Springs push up on the rails, and screws push down on the rails, and this lets me adjust the pick height perfectly. I'll need to print a much thicker cap for those screws. #3Dprinting #ukulele #adafruit
June 12, 2025 at 10:50 PM
A demonstration of the "tunable" rails on the bridge. Springs push up on the rails, and screws push down on the rails, and this lets me adjust the pick height perfectly. I'll need to print a much thicker cap for those screws. #3Dprinting #ukulele #adafruit
While the metal u-joints are great, as feared the 4.6->5mm ID difference meant a poor fit. Plus the plastic shaft got very quickly damaged by the set screw. So, all new metal servos.
June 12, 2025 at 9:47 PM
While the metal u-joints are great, as feared the 4.6->5mm ID difference meant a poor fit. Plus the plastic shaft got very quickly damaged by the set screw. So, all new metal servos.
Now we come to it. How to mount something, mechanically, to the head. In a generalized way. Without screwing into the instrument. A head mounted structure will allow for rails between the head and bridge for future designs.
June 12, 2025 at 2:25 AM
Now we come to it. How to mount something, mechanically, to the head. In a generalized way. Without screwing into the instrument. A head mounted structure will allow for rails between the head and bridge for future designs.
I tried to print springs within the slots, but the detail was just way too small, quickly broke and, worst of all, were terrible springs.
June 11, 2025 at 5:03 PM
I tried to print springs within the slots, but the detail was just way too small, quickly broke and, worst of all, were terrible springs.
An inspired way to adjust the pick height. As this thing works, the picks either wear out or move around so a method was necessary to allow for easy adjustments. The slots are now spring-loaded and a top screw pushes down the rail, and therefore pick, to the perfect height.
June 11, 2025 at 5:02 PM
An inspired way to adjust the pick height. As this thing works, the picks either wear out or move around so a method was necessary to allow for easy adjustments. The slots are now spring-loaded and a top screw pushes down the rail, and therefore pick, to the perfect height.
June 11, 2025 at 2:54 AM
So, #3Dprinting couplers will never work. They're just too small to be structural. So I went with these metal u-joints which work very well so far, and also let you swivel up the rails for adjustments. However, the ID at the servo is 5mm, vs 4.6mm so it's not absolutely perfect. #maker
June 10, 2025 at 8:59 PM
So, #3Dprinting couplers will never work. They're just too small to be structural. So I went with these metal u-joints which work very well so far, and also let you swivel up the rails for adjustments. However, the ID at the servo is 5mm, vs 4.6mm so it's not absolutely perfect. #maker
Look at this pluckin’ thing.
It’s a mess but it’s mechanically able to play a note. #3dprinting #adafruit
It’s a mess but it’s mechanically able to play a note. #3dprinting #adafruit
June 8, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Look at this pluckin’ thing.
It’s a mess but it’s mechanically able to play a note. #3dprinting #adafruit
It’s a mess but it’s mechanically able to play a note. #3dprinting #adafruit
While I wait for more electronics to arrive, I thought I'd mess around with filigree on the bridge plate. Looks kind of neat. Also, the servobridge has a wiring harness to contain the servo wires. #3DPrinting
June 4, 2025 at 3:42 PM
While I wait for more electronics to arrive, I thought I'd mess around with filigree on the bridge plate. Looks kind of neat. Also, the servobridge has a wiring harness to contain the servo wires. #3DPrinting
Updated yet again with a version that uses the rail itself as the hinge.
June 2, 2025 at 10:57 AM
Updated yet again with a version that uses the rail itself as the hinge.
If 10 revisions of the Pick Clip weren't enough, here's revision 11. Instead of flexing plastic to be the hinge, i decided to let the brass rail itself be a hinge, so this version is in two pieces, held fast by the brass rail itself.
It binds to the rail better, and is overall slimmer #3DPrinting
It binds to the rail better, and is overall slimmer #3DPrinting
June 2, 2025 at 10:52 AM
If 10 revisions of the Pick Clip weren't enough, here's revision 11. Instead of flexing plastic to be the hinge, i decided to let the brass rail itself be a hinge, so this version is in two pieces, held fast by the brass rail itself.
It binds to the rail better, and is overall slimmer #3DPrinting
It binds to the rail better, and is overall slimmer #3DPrinting