Image: Bitbutter, CC BY 3.0 — via Wikimedia Commons
Arduinome
| Category | Electronic (open-source MIDI controller) |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | USA |
| Classification | MIDI controller, open hardware |
| Wikipedia | en.wikipedia.org |
| Wikidata | Q15106149 |
Overview
The Arduinome is an open-source do-it-yourself clone of the Monome grid controller, built around an Arduino microcontroller. It carries an 8×8 or 16×16 grid of backlit silicone buttons that report presses to a host computer over USB and accept LED commands in return, allowing software running on the host to use the grid as a flexible, application-defined control surface for music, lighting, or visualisation.
Origin & History
The Monome was launched in 2006 as a small-batch handmade controller and quickly developed an enthusiastic community around its open serial protocol. The Arduinome project, led by Owen Vallis and Jordan Hochenbaum, replicated that protocol on Arduino hardware so that builders could construct compatible grids themselves. The project published full schematics, firmware, and parts lists, and many community-built versions appeared between 2008 and the mid-2010s. The wider ecosystem of grid software — sequencers, synthesisers, live-coding patches — works with both Monome and Arduinome hardware.
How It’s Played
The performer connects the controller to a computer running compatible software — for example, monome-aware Max/MSP patches, SuperCollider scripts, or dedicated grid sequencers — and plays by pressing buttons on the grid. Because each button can also be lit independently, software can use the grid as a step sequencer, an arpeggiator, a sample launcher, a melodic instrument, or any custom interface the user designs.
Cultural Significance
The Arduinome is part of the broader maker-music movement of the late 2000s and early 2010s that combined open hardware, open software, and grass-roots performance practice. It demonstrated that a high-quality bespoke controller could be built at home with off-the-shelf components and is often cited as an early example of community-supported open music hardware.
Related Instruments
- Audiocubes – contemporary tangible MIDI controller
- Kaoss Pad – earlier hands-on controller-effects
- Notron – hardware sequencer contrast
- Roland SP-404 – contemporary pad sampler
- Stylophone – simple electronic instrument heritage
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Arduinome a synthesizer?
No — it is a controller that drives external software or hardware.
Is it sold commercially?
It is fundamentally a DIY project; small builders have sold finished units at various points.
Is it compatible with Monome software?
Yes — it implements the Monome serial protocol.