D.R.U.M.: Digital Rhythmic Utility Modules

Drum machines are a common tool used by modern musicians to produce drum patterns in songs we hear every day. For artists making their own music without access to the space for a drum kit or the skill to play one, a drum machine can be one of the best alternatives. Unfortunately, these machines lack the variety and variability in sound that a real percussionist can produce. To solve this issue, the team has designed and constructed a drum machine capable of a more realistic sound. Starting in the Fall of 2022, Mark Vaughn, Zachary Baldwin, and I created this project in completion of the final capstone project for Electrical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University. First a preliminary model with a base controller and one drum module, the bass drum, was built. The following semester, the team continued work updating the base controller and bass drum and creating a snare drum module.