Please note the materials below are for v1 Gecho (made in 2018 and earlier).

The new v2 model does not need the app as it can be programmed directly via MIDI or using micro-SD card.

Accompanying App for Gecho (Win32)

Download the latest app here

Drivers: You will need to install the drivers (unless you used a specific Arduino boards before). Please follow the instructions here.

Application: Get the self-extracting exe or zip archive

Once installed and running, the app can download all necessary firmware updates for you and flash them into your board.

This is how the app looks like. Yes, it's a photo of the board! But certain areas are clickable: all six buttons (they do what real buttons do), USB connector (opens text input for commands), LEDs on keyboard (rolls out a piano-style keyboard), ON/OFF switch too (guess what it does :)

Source Code

I plan to release the code of this app in the same "open-source" way like Gecho's firmware. You can learn how to:

• communicate with a microcontroller via virtual COM port over USB (or a normal COM port as well, if different connection is used, it's the same on software level).
• create Windows applications that look like *anything* - are of arbitrary shape, and can even change their shape while running
• add elements (e.g. controls or indicators) programatically, let them react to mouse events and change colour dynamically - perhaps all those piano keys were not added there using the BCB's visual editor! ;)
• implement basic communication protocol to send commands to your own hardware (it can also work via Bluetooth for example)

It's programmed in Borland C++ Builder, but parts of it can be re-used in different environment, as it is standard, portable code.

Demo

In this demo you can see how a new song is programmed into Gecho using this app.

This is all in very basic stage of development, a work in progress - more functionality will be added - such as changing tempo, delay length, different "sounds" for melody voice...

Shapeshifter App

It's not clear to see in the video, but in expanded form it looks like this. Also, the keys change colour slightly on mouse over and to a deeper shade when clicked.

Download

You can now find the beta-version of the app under the For Gechologists tab. It might not work straight away, any feedback is welcome!