Drumstel

Goal: Make a electrical drum from a WII drum-kit without making it impossible to use the drum-kit for WII games.

You can find many solutions when "destroying" your Wii-drum on internet, for example: http://www.instructables.com/id/Convert-Rockband-Controller-to-MIDI-Drums/

<update April 2021> During my internet-radio project I found the VS10x3 chips. After a wrong delivery (I received the VS1003 iso VS1053) I found out that the VS10x3 chips have also a Midi-synth, including the sounds for a drum.
So I decided to reopen this parked project and focussed on the final solution: a drum-kit which could be used with and without the WII and does not need a computer and/or SW.

 The setup chosen is the following:

In words:

Step 1: The signal from the WII-drum is (also) read by the Arduino

Step 2: The Arduino converts the signal to a Midi signal

Step 3: The Midi signal is send to a Midi-synth, for example the VS10x3

Step 4: The VS10x3 creates an audio drum-signal based on the midi information received

Step 5: A small local (class D) amplifier amplifies the signal in to a (local) speaker

This complete setup should fit in a small box connected to (or nearby) the WII drum.

Of course this setup can also be used with other input devices. For example you could make a drum-kit itself from some wood or cartons (for example using some piezo elements, see: <LINK>)

Ideally the Arduino created a Midi signal which could be directly coupled to the VS10x3. This would make my setup more (re)useable also for other instruments with a midi-output.

Sadly the pins needed for that were not layout on the VS10x3 board I received (see also picture from other people that had the same problem here: <LINK>).
So I followed Kevins approach that can be found on that link.

So let's connect an Arduino to the Wii-drum.

I used a simple nunchuck adapter, there a different versions available on the market.

  They have four connections:

Now check if the Arduino receives the correct signals.

I have created a simple example Arduino code, which can be found here.

Be carefull with inserting: look at the connector, one side there are 3 metal pins and on the other side 2 metal pins.

Below the OLD INFORMATION of Investigations done in January 2018

Step 1 - drum kit "alive"

Make sure that the WII drum kit is kept "alive" during playing.

There are a few options to do so:

1. Insert the wii-mote into the drum kit. And make sure the wii-controller is finding it and keeps it alive. Disadavantage is ofcourse that the wii-controller needs to be active as well.

2. Insert the wii-mote into the drum kit and use a bluetooth dongle in your PC. Now make a pairing between the PC and the wii-mote. While this was very easy in windows XP it became more complex in Windows 10. But with some google hits you will find still some options.
   • Insert Bluetooth dongle in PC and install drivers (automatic).
   • Press wii-mote buttons until bluetooth on PC is paired with wii-mote ("Nintento RVL-CNT-01")
     • Tip, see: http://wiibrew.org/wiki/Wiimote#Bluetooth_Pairing
   • Place wii-mote in drum-kit

3. Buy a wii-mote connector / wii-chuck connector (or destroy one of your wii-chucks). And just connect the Vcc=3V3 and the GND pins.
   • For example on AliExpress you can buy this connector for 0.50 Euro

 Note that option 3 above makes it impossible to hear the sounds at the same time as playing the wii.

Step 2 - Creation of a drum-sound

Now that the drum-kit is "alive" there are different ways to connect a drum sound.

The sound data can be transmitted via:

1. Use a PC (or raspberry PI)
   1. Midi-cable to USB. Just use the midi output on the drum-set.
   2. Use an Arduino to convert midi out signal to USB
   3. Send the Midi signal via bluetooth to the PC.
   4. Use the wii-mote connector for getting the data out. The wii-mote connector has a I2C interface to readout the midi-signals.
      • This can for example be done using an Arduino
2. Use a board that generates the sounds directly (so no PC is required)
   • For example an Arduino board that is already used to create the I2C signals is also connected to a speaker

Option 1.1 (easiest) - use MIDI cable:

Buy:

• Buy a midi-usb connection

Idea:

• Drumkit midi output is received on PC
• Software on PC is required to play midi notes.

Steps:

1. Connect drum-kit with Midi cable (USB to Midi) and install drivers (automatic).
   • Hit drum check LED on midi-cable (if present). If not lit; switch IN-OUT connections.
2. Test if any Midi signals are received by the computer
   • For example using: http://www.midiox.com/
3. Software to generate drum sounds, many programs. But I found easiest MIDI-OX

Option 1.2 (Midi to USB Arduino)

Idea:

• Use an Arduino to convert the Midi-output of the drum-kit into a USB data stream

This idea is more complex while results are comparible with option 1.1.

Not further described here. Information can be found on the internet.

Example without explanation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38j0YGXrKjg

Option 1.3 (Bluetooth) - use the bluetooth data channel:

Idea:

• Computer is used to translate midi to sound an keeps connection alive via Bluetooth.

Drum signals are received via bluetooth (hence no midi input required).

A good explanation from Winko can be found here.

Option 1.3 (I2C connection) - use the I2C connection on the chuck connector

Idea:

• Arduino reads out the drum registers via I2C connection and sends data via the USB cable to the computer.

Steps:

• Program Arduino such that it receives the I2C data of the drum kit
• Install on the PC the program Hairless or LoopBe
• Software to generate drum sounds, many programs. But I found easiest MIDI-OX

The I2C description of the Wii-drum interface can be found here.

The Arduino can read from address 0x52 six registers. Which contain:

Arduino receives midi signals via Midi-out on the wii-drum kit. Bits in register 5 will become 0 when color is hit.

I have created a simple example Arduino code, which can be found here.

Option 2 (stand-alone) - ultimo Arduino:

Idea:

• The Wii communicates with I2C with the Arduino (see also section 1.3)
• The Arduino generates audio sounds based on the drum pad hit

Notes:

• No computer needed, no Wii mote needed
• Without replacing hardware inside drum-kit, so yes it can still be used with a Wii; but not at the same time.

Buy:

• Arduino
• Speakers + amplifier to drive speakers
• Arduino wii-mote connector

Challenges:

• The Arduino needs to be able to store the sounds
• The Arduino needs to be able to play multiple sounds at the same time

Tests done:

• Can the Arduino when the drum-kit is hit produce a "simple"-sound without any delay? => TESTED => YES
• Can the Arduino run multiple WAV files at the same time from a SD card => TESTED on Mega. => Arduino mega with SD card was too slow to play two songs at the same time.
• Can the Arduino play WAV files from memory?

Option 2b (stand-alone) - ultimo RaspBerry Pi:

See option 2a. But now software running on the RaspBerry Pi will be used. This solution is at this moment not under futher investigation.

 Other options:

• Use the "wav trigger" board
  • Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUkcs_XL5x0
• ...