Image Scanning Sequencer goes portable, turns light table doodles into creepy murmurs

Those MAKE kids sure love their Arduino, and today's creation has a fun musical bent. The Image Scanning Sequencer -- a portable followup to the similarly-dubbed Image Scanning Sequencer -- has a strip of photo cells that can trigger MIDI notes based on what they're picking up. The darkness of the detected "note" sets the velocity of the note, and the location sets the pitch. The Arduino sits in between, making all the magic happen. If this all sounds completely meaningless and pointless, you're probably right, but check out the video after a break for chance at making sense of it all. And simulated whale noises.

[Via MAKE, thanks Manny]

[Tiptup300 @ Nov 14th 2008 5:51AM]

I think I can safely assume that at least 95% of the world's population would start testing this by drawing a penis. Or at least 95% of the guys.

[jared @ Nov 14th 2008 7:59AM]

What sound would a penis make?

[LMM @ Nov 14th 2008 8:29AM]

The REAL question is: If a penis is drawn in a forest and no one's around to hear it, does it make a sound?

[absinthe party @ Nov 14th 2008 9:52AM]

... am I supposed to conduct with my penis?

[misterbrad @ Nov 14th 2008 12:51PM]

Only 8% of guys will draw a dick on it.

[mrmadcat @ Nov 14th 2008 7:27AM]

agh agh agh i never want to hear that again!!

[EMoShunz @ Nov 14th 2008 8:05AM]

if this is the answer, would the question be "what would late 60's psycodellica sound like with millennial technology?"

[Canoo @ Nov 14th 2008 8:33AM]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6Pbyg_kcEk

[Anthony @ Nov 14th 2008 1:11PM]

MOOOOAHHHHHHHH - dori

[kyle allen @ Nov 14th 2008 10:45PM]

awesome! its like a Ray Harryhowsen movie! i feel like some stop motion aliens or maby a skeliton with a sword should jump out and like... kill mighty joe young or something

[HOOPER @ Nov 14th 2008 11:21PM]

those noises scared the sh*t out of me