# NeoTrellis M4 Arpeggiator Synth ## Overview https://youtu.be/vF7AwP0l3es Wikipedia [defines arpeggio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arpeggio) as such: > An arpeggio is a type of broken chord, in which the notes that compose a chord are played or sung in a rising or descending order. An arpeggio may also span more than one octave. We're using the term **arpeggiator** a bit loosely here, basically this project turns your **NeoTrellis M4** into a little lo-fi synth (or MIDI controller) that plays a sequence of notes with each button press. Each note of the sequence is positioned in relation to the original note pressed, and displayed on the NeoTrellis by lightning up its respective button on the grid.  All the available notes on the grid are taken from a particular musical **mode**  (similar to a scale), which means pretty much anything you play will sound good. All together, this makes for an unusually fun and visually compelling musical experience - which I affectionately refer to as "Arpy". You can either have the NeoTrellis M4 generate the audio itself, or have it send out MIDI messages to control another synth over USB MIDI such as on your computer or tablet Here's what you'll need … ## Parts Used ### Adafruit NeoTrellis M4 with Enclosure and Buttons Kit Pack [Adafruit NeoTrellis M4 with Enclosure and Buttons Kit Pack](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4020) So you've got a cool/witty name for your band, a Soundcloud account, [a 3D-printed Daft Punk helmet](https://learn.adafruit.com/3d-printed-daft-punk-helmet-with-bluetooth)... so what could be missing from your road to stardom? The **NeoTrellis M4 Kit...** Out of Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4020) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4020/guides) ![Demo Video of Hands pressing buttons on lit up NeoTrellis M4.](https://cdn-shop.adafruit.com/product-videos/640x480/4020-00.jpg) ### USB cable - USB A to Micro-B [USB cable - USB A to Micro-B](https://www.adafruit.com/product/592) This here is your standard A to micro-B USB cable, for USB 1.1 or 2.0. Perfect for connecting a PC to your Metro, Feather, Raspberry Pi or other dev-board or microcontroller Approximately 3 feet / 1 meter long In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/592) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/592/guides) ![USB cable - USB A to Micro-B - 3 foot long](https://cdn-shop.adafruit.com/640x480/592-01.jpg) ### 3.5mm Male/Male Stereo Cable [3.5mm Male/Male Stereo Cable](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2698) Seamlessly transmit high-quality stereo audio with this  **3.5mm Male/Male Stereo Cable. ** Ideal for "passing the AUX cord," or connecting audio devices such as smartphones, tablets, MP3 players, car stereos, portable speakers or any other... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2698) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/2698/guides) ![Black audio cable with 3.5mm audio jacks wrapped like a bow tie.](https://cdn-shop.adafruit.com/640x480/2698-01.jpg) If you don't have a pair of powered speakers, these will work well … ### USB Powered Speakers [USB Powered Speakers](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1363) Add some extra boom to your audio project with these powered loudspeakers. We sampled half a dozen different models to find ones with a good frequency response, so you'll get quality audio output for music playback. Simply connect the standard 3.5mm stereo plug into your Raspberry Pi model... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1363) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/1363/guides) ![Two square-ish USB Powered Speakers](https://cdn-shop.adafruit.com/640x480/1363-07.jpg) # NeoTrellis M4 Arpeggiator Synth ## Firmware Upload ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/066/214/medium800/projects_neotrellis-back.jpg?1542667129) In order to make it simple to get up and running  **with**   **no programming required** , we've created a drag-and-drop firmware you can use. If you're just getting started with your NeoTrellis M4, there is lots more info [here in the main Learn Guide!](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-neotrellis-m4/overview) Warning: ## Download First, download the firmware file linked in the button below and save it to your computer hard drive somewhere you'll be able to find it, such as your  **Downloads**  folder. [TM4ARPY.UF2](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/066/226/original/TM4ARPY.UF2?1542671499) ## Install Firmware Plug your NeoTrellis M4 into your computer with a good quality, data capable  **USB**  cable. Your NeoTrellis will start up, and you'll see a purple indicator light on the back side. Now, we'll put the NeoTrellis into **bootloader** mode. In this mode it will appear as a USB drive on your computer and will be ready to receive a new **.uf2** firmware file. Use a thin, **pointed object** such as a headphone plug to **double-click** the **reset button** on the back side of the board. Once you have double-clicked the reset button, the indicator LED will turn **green**. You'll notice a new USB drive appear on your computer named  **TRELM4BOOT** , this is the bootloader USB storage built right into the NeoTrellis. It is now ready to receive the firmware file. ## Drag & Drop Now, drag the  **TM4ARPY.UF2**  file onto the  **TRELM4BOOT**  drive. The file will copy over in a few seconds and then the NeoTrellis will automatically restart itself (you'll see the  **TRELM4BOOT**  drive disappear, don't worry, this is normal!). The status LED will return to purple, indicating regular operation mode. Primary: Congratulations, you've updated the firmware and you're ready to play! # NeoTrellis M4 Arpeggiator Synth ## Use It ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/066/019/medium800/projects_nm4a-plug-in-audio.jpg?1542352269) Connect your NeoTrellis to a **powered speaker** using the built in 3.5mm stereo jack and start pressing some buttons. Press multiple buttons at the same time to create interesting combinations. Note that if 3 or more buttons are pressed at the same time, some distortion will occur on the output signal. https://youtu.be/vF7AwP0l3es ## Alternate patterns For the purposes of expressive experimentation, below are two alternate **.UF2 files** which use **different note patterns**. Choose **one** and load it onto the NeoTrellis [just like you did with the previous UF2](https://learn.adafruit.com/neotrellis-arpeggiator-synth/program-it?preview_token=yzkbDJZbNylCJpqX3FQGaw#install-firmware-2-5). Remember to double-click the **reset** button to enter firmware mode! [TM4ARPY-SYNTH-CROSS.UF2](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/066/223/original/TM4ARPY-SYNTH-CROSS.UF2?1542671409) [TM4ARPY-SYNTH-DIPPER.UF2](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/066/224/original/TM4ARPY-SYNTH-DIPPER.UF2?1542671418) ## MIDI Output ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/066/215/medium800/projects_midi-output.jpg?1542669293 Trellis seen as MIDI device in Ableton Live) Arpy can also send  **MIDI data over USB** , so you can use **software synthesizers** to generate sound from your computer. To use it, download the MIDI enabled UF2 file below, and upload it to your NeoTrellis just as before. [TM4ARPY-MIDI-TSHAPE.UF2](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/066/222/original/TM4ARPY-MIDI-TSHAPE.UF2?1542671287) Once the NeoTrellis has restarted with the new firmware, connect your NeoTrellis M4 to your computer via USB and open your preferred music software, such as **Garageband** , **Logic** , **Ableton Live** , etc. The NeoTrellis should appear as a MIDI input device, just like a MIDI keyboard. ## Advanced Mode - Customize it in the Arduino IDE Advanced users can customize the arpeggiator  **parameters** by editing the [source code](https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_NeoTrellisM4/tree/master/examples/arpeggiator_synth) in **Arduino IDE**. To do so, you'll need the [Arduino IDE installed on your computer,](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-neotrellis-m4/setup) along with the libraries specified [here in the NeoTrellis M4 guide](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-neotrellis-m4/arduino-libraries#install-libraries-8-2). Project code is available [here on GitHub](https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_NeoTrellisM4/tree/master/examples/arpeggiator_synth), with the most common customizable parameters located in the `settings.h` file. ## Featured Products ### Adafruit NeoTrellis M4 with Enclosure and Buttons Kit Pack [Adafruit NeoTrellis M4 with Enclosure and Buttons Kit Pack](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4020) So you've got a cool/witty name for your band, a Soundcloud account, [a 3D-printed Daft Punk helmet](https://learn.adafruit.com/3d-printed-daft-punk-helmet-with-bluetooth)... so what could be missing from your road to stardom? The **NeoTrellis M4 Kit...** Out of Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4020) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4020/guides) ### USB cable - USB A to Micro-B [USB cable - USB A to Micro-B](https://www.adafruit.com/product/592) This here is your standard A to micro-B USB cable, for USB 1.1 or 2.0. Perfect for connecting a PC to your Metro, Feather, Raspberry Pi or other dev-board or microcontroller Approximately 3 feet / 1 meter long In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/592) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/592/guides) ### 3.5mm Male/Male Stereo Cable [3.5mm Male/Male Stereo Cable](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2698) Seamlessly transmit high-quality stereo audio with this  **3.5mm Male/Male Stereo Cable. ** Ideal for "passing the AUX cord," or connecting audio devices such as smartphones, tablets, MP3 players, car stereos, portable speakers or any other... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2698) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/2698/guides) ### USB Powered Speakers [USB Powered Speakers](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1363) Add some extra boom to your audio project with these powered loudspeakers. We sampled half a dozen different models to find ones with a good frequency response, so you'll get quality audio output for music playback. Simply connect the standard 3.5mm stereo plug into your Raspberry Pi model... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1363) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/1363/guides) ## Related Guides - [NeoTrellis M4 Animated Dice Roller](https://learn.adafruit.com/neotrellis-dice.md) - [Neotrellis M4 Live Launcher](https://learn.adafruit.com/neotrellis-live-launcher.md) - [What is Web MIDI & BLE MIDI?](https://learn.adafruit.com/web-ble-midi.md) - [NeoTrellis M4 Noisy Grains of Sand](https://learn.adafruit.com/neotrellism4sand.md) - [Launch Deck Trellis M4](https://learn.adafruit.com/launch-deck-trellis-m4.md) - [Star Trek Soundboard with NeoTrellis](https://learn.adafruit.com/star-trek-sound-board-with-neotrellism4.md) - [Christmas Soundboard with NeoTrellis M4](https://learn.adafruit.com/xmas-sound-board.md) - [NeoTrellis M4 Memory Game](https://learn.adafruit.com/neotrellis-m4-memory-game.md) - [Adafruit NeoTrellis M4 Express](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-neotrellis-m4.md) - [Trellis M4 Expressive MIDI Controller](https://learn.adafruit.com/trellis-m4-midi-keypad-and-tilt-controller.md) - [NeoTrellis M4 Bumper](https://learn.adafruit.com/neotrellis-m4-bumper.md) - [NeoTrellis Light Painting](https://learn.adafruit.com/neotrellis-light-painting.md) - [ABC Soundboards with NeoTrellis](https://learn.adafruit.com/abc-soundboards-with-neotrellis.md) - [Trellis M4 Synth Design Tool](https://learn.adafruit.com/synthesizer-design-tool.md) - [Trellis M4 Beat Sequencers](https://learn.adafruit.com/trellis-m4-beat-sequencer.md)