Whistle Synth Pi

July 8th, 2021
music, tech, whistling
I made my whistle-controlled synthesizer into a stand-alone device:

Melody example:

Bass example:

Playing bass by singing falsetto:

It consists of:

  • Raspberry Pi 3 computer ($35)
  • Case ($7)
  • USB sound card ($8)
  • Keypad ($10)
  • 3.5mm to 1/4" cable ($4)
  • XLR to 3.5mm cable ($7)

It also needs a micro SD card, power (2A, USB), and a microphone. I'm using ones I already had, but it doesn't need anything fancy. If you wanted to make a special-purpose device, I think you could get the materials down below $20; there is nothing especially expensive here, and I'm not using most of the features of the Pi.

The code is open source: github.

Referenced in:

Comment via: facebook, lesswrong, substack

Recent posts on blogs I like:

On AI writing in 2026

I use AI to write a little bit: I ask it for high level feedback on blog post drafts, make mechanical edits, and sometimes use it to brainstorm options for wording at a paragraph level. It’s unusual that I accept its wording or changes without modificatio…

via Home April 16, 2026

Some considerations on whether my job is evil

I. On an average weekend, only 1 in 20 Americans go to a party.

via Thing of Things April 14, 2026

Microfictions

A few microfictions, very much inspired by Quiet Pine Trees. I hope to add more over time. No LLMs.

via Evan Fields March 27, 2026

more     (via openring)