How do I make an instrument with a Makey Makey and SoundPlant? 

To design an instrument with a Makey Makey, you will want to use a music application. There are many different ways to do this. 

Think About:

• How can I design an instrument or interface using the Makey Makey?
• How can I use SoundPlant with a Makey Makey to make an instrument?

Get Started:

Connecting a Music Application to Makey Makey

Once the Makey Makey is set up you can use it to trigger the letter, arrow, and space bar keys. You will need to set up a music application to connect the letter key with sound or musical content.

What is SoundPlant?

• Soundplant turns your computer keyboard (or Makey Makey) into a sound trigger and playable instrument.
• You can drag sound files onto a virtual set of computer keyboard keys that will then let you trigger the keys. 

Step 1: Set Up SoundPlant to Work with your Makey Makey

1. Set up your Makey Makey to trigger keys (review if needed)
2. Attach conductive objects to the Makey Makey (review if needed)
3. Plug your Makey Makey into your computer with the micro USB cable
4. Make sure you use the “earth” connection when you touching the conductive objects so you have a complete circuit
5. Download SoundPlant
6. Install Sound Plant on your computer and then open it to use it
7. Watch the following explanation of how to use Soundplant with a Makey Makey:

Step 2: Create an Instrument by selecting sounds and playing them with the Makey Makey

Choose one of the following 2 options to include sounds in SoundPlant for using with your Makey Makey

Option 1: Download sounds to your computer using freesounds.org

• Download the sounds to a folder that you will remember
• Edit the files if you like
• Drag the files onto the SoundPlant keyboard keys that you can trigger with the Makey Makey (review which keys you can use)

Option 2: Record and include your own sounds

• Record some sounds into your computer using a DAW
  • Check out the CITME Resource Site for Using Digital Audio Worksations (DAWs) for help with recording sound to your computer
• Make sure you save the files of your recorded sounds in a folder that you will remember
• Edit the files of your recorded sounds if you like
• Drag the files onto the SoundPlant keyboard to keys that you can trigger with the Makey Makey (review which keys you can use)

1.  Once you have SoundPlant set up with the Makey Makey and able to trigger sounds, try creating some music

Next Steps

Return to the mini-playlist: How do I make an instrument with a Makey Makey and music application to share what you learned.