James Pero

Tech

Watch this YouTuber transform a ‘Twister’ mat into a MIDI controller

Contorting your extremely stiff pandemic bod into uncomfortable shapes now has its own soundtrack.

Twister is a party game that you probably don’t bust out often, whether because of painfully awkward teenage memories or fear that your present pandemic body might actually crumble at the seams trying to wiggle your left foot to blue.

But what if Twister were more than just yoga for adolescent trauma? What if it were yoga for adolescent trauma that also made music?

If that’s something that interests you, YouTuber Guy Dupont, who brought us hacks like this iPod that can stream Spotify, has you covered.

In a recent video, Dupont breaks down how he turned a regular Twister mat into a MIDI controller capable of converting inputs from the game (i.e. left-hand on red) into preset MIDI arpeggiations or individual notes.

With help from code designed by Dupont, those inputs are then dubbed over some preset drums to make something akin to a personal Twister soundtrack, if such a thing can exist.

Build-wise, Dupont managed to keep the MIDI Twister mat relatively simple, using force-sensitive resistors, some wiring, a cheap-ish microcontroller, and a few digital converters.

When a player presses their foot or hand onto a circle, it triggers a pre-programmed MIDI sound, and when that appendage is removed, the sound stops.

The Twister transformation is also somewhat similar to another project Dupont helped with in the past that converted a Dance Dance Revolution rig into a launchpad for drums and other sounds, albeit on a much smaller scale.

Proximity on YouTube

Duponts results are something akin to those piano mats you used as a kid, though obviously in a Twister format, so you can reap all the benefits of playing a full-body electric piano with the added benefit of all the blood leaving your brain.

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Though musical Twister isn’t currently a thing you can buy, the good news is Dupont’s own DIY version seems to be pretty straightforward (no soldering!), so if you’re really itching to use one of these at home, his video should act as a nice template for how to make it happen.

Though, you might want to make sure you stretch first.

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