{"id":1693,"date":"2026-10-02T08:16:50","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T08:16:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jonnykoelbl.at\/?page_id=1693"},"modified":"2026-10-03T18:37:52","modified_gmt":"2026-10-03T18:37:52","slug":"grain-kalimba","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/jonnykoelbl.at\/en\/bastl\/grain-kalimba\/","title":{"rendered":"Grain Kalimba"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Bastl \u2014 electroacoustic instrument<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Grain Kalimba<\/em><\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t

A kalimba made of solid oak, played like a game controller \u2013 joystick, buttons and a motion sensor break its sound into a thousand tiny grains.<\/p>\n\t\t

\n \t\t\tFH Joanneum \u00b7 2023\/24<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\tOak \u00b7 CNC<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\tGranular synthesis<\/span>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n
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\n \t\t\t\"Grain\t\t\t\t\t

\u2191 Play me \u2013 tap the tines<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/section>\n

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What is the Grain Kalimba?<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t

A thumb piano with a built-in sound cloud.<\/em><\/h2>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n
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A pickup captures the metal tines, a small computer inside the body breaks the sound into tiny grains and puts it back together \u2013 into pads, loops and textures.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Everything is controlled right on the instrument, with a joystick, buttons and knobs. No laptop needed. Created as a project during my studies at FH Joanneum.<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n

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Listen<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Soundcheck<\/em><\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t

At first it sounds like a kalimba. Then it doesn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n

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\n \n \t\t\t\"Erster\t\t
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\n \t\t\t\u25b6<\/span>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n\t\t\tPlay video<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\tPlaying the video loads it from YouTube.<\/span>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n\n<\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n
\n \t\t\t2026<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t

An electroacoustic<\/em> instrument<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Plucked notes, sent live through the granular synthesizer: frozen, stretched and layered into soundscapes.<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t

More on YouTube \u2197<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/section>\n

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From design to instrument<\/em><\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\tin six steps<\/span>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n
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Design<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Sketches and 3D models in Fusion 360: how do you hold a kalimba that\u2019s also supposed to be a joystick?<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n

\n \t\t\t02<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Interface<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Control prototypes with TouchOSC<\/a> on a tablet: how many buttons does it need \u2013 and where do they go?<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n

\n \t\t\t03<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Prototype<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Schematic in Fritzing, then everything onto the breadboard: Teensy, buttons, LEDs and joystick in the first test.<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n

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Milling<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Body of solid walnut, milled on my CNC. The first one couldn\u2019t take the tension of the tines \u2013 the second one could.<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n

\n \t\t\t05<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Electronics<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Controls on top, underneath a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W<\/a>, sound card and power supply. Lots of soldering in very little space.<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n

\n \t\t\t06<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Software<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t

The code of Mutable Instruments Clouds<\/a>, compiled for Linux and built into Pure Data<\/a> \u2013 starts automatically on power-up.<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/section>\n

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\n \t\t\t\"Bedienungsanleitung\t<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t

User manual of the 2.0<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n

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The controls<\/em><\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\teverything in one hand<\/span>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n
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Joystick + 4 pads<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t

The pads choose what the joystick shapes \u2013 pitch, size, feedback and density, several at once if you like.<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n

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Preset<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Hold it and pick a playing mode with one of the pads: Granular, Looping, Stretch or Spectral.<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n

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Freeze<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Freezes the sound while you keep playing.<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n

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Position<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t

A slider chooses where in the sound buffer the grains start.<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n

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Dry \/ Wet<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Blends the real kalimba with the sound cloud.<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n

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Rotary knobs<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Encoders with LED rings for reverb and texture spread.<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n

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Volume<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t

A knob on top of the body.<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n

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Motion mode<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t

A built-in motion sensor turns the whole instrument into a joystick: X and Y come from the movement. To switch it on: hold Preset, briefly press Freeze.<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/section>\n

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Tech<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Under the hood<\/em><\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Two paths run through the instrument: one for the sound, one for the hands.<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n

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Sound<\/p>\n\t\t

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Kalimba<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Metal tines<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\u2192<\/span>\n\t\t

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Pickup<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Pickup mic<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\u2192<\/span>\n\t\t

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Sound card<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t

AudioInjector Zero<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\u2192<\/span>\n\t\t

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Pure Data + Clouds<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t

Control<\/p>\n\t\t

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Hands<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Joystick, buttons, sensor<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\u2192<\/span>\n\t\t

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BMC firmware<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Teensy<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\u2192<\/span>\n\t\t

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MIDI over USB<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Raspberry Pi<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t

I also tried a Bela board and a Raspberry Pi 4 with Pisound. One didn\u2019t like my patch, the other didn\u2019t fit in the body.<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n

\n \t\t\t\"Taster\t<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t

Pads & knobs of the 2.0<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/section>\n

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Workshopjournal<\/em><\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\tfrom the first sound test to the 2.0<\/span>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n
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\n \t\t\t\"Erster\t<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t

First sound test<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n

\n \t\t\t\"Elektronik-Prototyp\t<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t

On the breadboard<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n

\n \t\t\t\"CNC-Fr\u00e4se\t<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t

Milling on the CNC<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n

\n \t\t\t\"Rohes\t<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t

Blank after milling<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n

\n \t\t\t\"Grain\t<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t

With laser engraving<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n

\n \t\t\t\"Elektronik\t<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t

Electronics in the case<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/section>\n\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bastl \u2014 elektroakustisches Instrument Grain Kalimba Eine Kalimba aus massiver Eiche, gespielt wie ein Gamecontroller \u2013 Joystick, Taster und ein Bewegungssensor zerlegen ihren Klang in tausend kleine K\u00f6rner. FH Joanneum \u00b7 2023\/24 Eiche \u00b7 CNC Granular-Synthese \u2191 Spiel mich \u2013 tipp auf die Klangzungen Was ist die Grain Kalimba? Ein Daumenklavier mit eingebauter Klangwolke. Ein […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":1524,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1693","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonnykoelbl.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1693","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonnykoelbl.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonnykoelbl.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonnykoelbl.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonnykoelbl.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1693"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/jonnykoelbl.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1693\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2202,"href":"https:\/\/jonnykoelbl.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1693\/revisions\/2202"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonnykoelbl.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1524"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonnykoelbl.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1693"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}