Project Overview

Project Overview:

            The goal behind this project is to simultaneously produce two products within a given time of ten weeks. One of these objects being a musical spectrum analyzer while the other a magnetic resonance guitar. We will be working with small electromagnets which will constantly resonate a pair of guitar strings producing a constant sound unless interrupted. This will function and look very similar to a magnetic pickup on a guitar. The guitar in this case will function more like a violin or slide guitar than the actual pluck/strum style we have come to know. However, the guitar must also be autonomous meaning it must be able to play different notes without human interaction. To accomplish this task, a track with a slide bar will be installed and programmed to apply enough pressure to not mute the strings but be able to play simple bar chords which will run along a single track along the neck of the guitar. Depending on the song that it needs to be played, adjustments can be made to this track system to allow more complex chords to sound.

             Alongside this specific project, a very simple spectrum analyzer will be created to complement our animated instrument. Keep in mind this is only a side project to go along with the guitar. Through the use of a fpga circuit board and a programming environment,this task can be achieved. This circuit will be hooked up a microphone which will pick up the sound. This sound will be processed into multiple bar graphs and will be displayed via computer monitors or possibly a projector. Each week, a post describing our tasks will be uploaded along with any pictures and brief descriptions of what was learned and gained from the overall progress each week.