Have you ever considered getting a macropad but hesitated because you weren’t sure how much you would use it? Former Hackaday member, [Jeremy Cook], has now created and is selling the JC Pro Macro on Tindie. It is essentially a Pro Micro-based macro keypad featuring an OLED screen and a rotary encoder. In the following video, [Jeremy] demonstrates how he transformed it into a music-making device by incorporating a speaker and a small solenoid for percussion while still maintaining its original macropad functionality.
Initially, [Jeremy] planned to create a drum by using a servo to move a chopstick back and forth on a table resembling someone nervously tapping a pencil. When this approach didn’t yield the desired results, he switched to using a solenoid and designed a holder to keep it in place, which turned out to be a delightful solution. The drum’s operation is controlled through the rotary encoder – press to toggle the beat on or off and twist it to adjust the beats per minute (BPM).
To simplify the connection of the solenoid and speaker components, [Jeremy] had a small I²C helper board manufactured. The board includes an SVG connection and an alternate one where the power and ground pins are reversed if needed. If you’re intrigued by the JC Pro Macro, you can explore the different versions available on Tindie. However, you might want to consider waiting for version 2, which is set to launch on Kickstarter in October.
There are various methods of creating a macro keyboard, and here’s an interesting one that also supports gesture input.
Image Source: Hackaday
