We created a monophonic pitch detection system that records a sample directly from an instrument such as a guitar and converts it to MIDI format. Our embedded ARM software takes into account four characteristics for each note: duration, start time, pitch, and velocity. Before recording, the artist provides a song name, a time signature, a set BPM (beats per minute), and a playback instrument on our desktop Qt GUI. All of these settings are reflected in the final MIDI file, which can be used with any popular MIDI computer program.
After producing a working demonstration of Gatorscribe, we created a real-time vocal harmonizer that takes input from a singer through a microphone and layers the output with several pitch-shifted versions of their voice. The user has a desktop GUI interface that allows them to choose what notes in a set musical key they would like to shift their voice to. Also, they can use a MIDI-compliant musical device such as a keyboard to play notes that our embedded software will interpret as desired pitch shifts for their voice. The final effect sounds like a choir of the same singer harmonizing simultaneously.
Gatorscribe User Interface
We used the following technologies in some capacity during our development.
| Resource | Category |
|---|---|
| ARM | Microprocessor used for embedded code |
| Altium | PCB (Printed Circuit Board) Design Software |
| Qt Library | Desktop Python GUIs |
| MIDI | Digital music file structure |