SPIN is a gorgeous and imaginative AI synthesizer

In the event you’re heard the pop music emanating from any latest actuality TV present, you received’t be shocked to study that AI is completely able to producing tunes on demand. It received’t substitute true artistry any time quickly, however AI music matches the entire technical standards. However typing a immediate is boring, which is why Arvind Sanjeev constructed this attractive and imaginative AI synthesizer known as SPIN.

SPIN is gorgeous and appears like a cross between a turntable and a drum machine. These visible cues trace at its operate. The consumer can press buttons on the right-side pad to outline musical traits, which then kind a immediate for a language mannequin known as MusicGen. That synthesizes music based on the chosen traits, like “comfortable” and “lo-fi.” The music then begins enjoying and the consumer can management its pace and course utilizing the document on the turntable — even scratching like a DJ if they need.

A Raspberry Pi 4 Mannequin B runs MusicGen, however it receives inputs via an Arduino Mega 2560 linked to the buttons. There are additionally dials to set tune length and BPM (beats per minute), in addition to management knobs.

The turntable is a Numark PT-01, however the vinyl is a particular dummy document that solely accommodates a time code observe. The sound from that then feeds via the audio driver again to the Raspberry Pi, the place it’s decoded to regulate the playback of the synthesized music. 

SPIN is actually beautiful to have a look at and its performance is sort of fascinating, however Sanjeev’s actual motivation was to boost consciousness concerning the ethics of AI-generated artwork and the unique human-made artwork it’s skilled on.