A MIDI controller for your drawing tablet
Strum your synth
with a pen.
Sketchatone lets you use a drawing tablet a bit like a guitar. Move your pen across virtual strings to play chords on your synth or in your DAW.
MIDI controller software for macOS & Raspberry Pi
How it works
Choose a chord.
Strum across the tablet.
Each time your pen crosses a virtual string, Sketchatone sends a MIDI note. Your synth or DAW makes the sound. Move slowly to pick out notes, or sweep across for a full strum.
Strum with your pen.
Choose how many strings to use, then drag your pen across them. Pressure, tilt, and position can control how loud the notes are, how long they last, and how much they bend.
More about strummingSet your chord.
Use a tablet button, a computer keyboard, or a MIDI keyboard. Choose a single chord or move through a progression.
Ways to change chordsUse your own synth.
Send MIDI to your synth or DAW from a computer or Raspberry Pi. A guitar, harp, or plucked synth patch is a good place to start.
Connect a synth or DAWPut together your setup.
Keep the tablet on your desk or beside a MIDI keyboard. If you're up for some DIY, you can mount it with a Raspberry Pi, add a strap, and wear it like a guitar.
Setup ideasAbout the project
A side project
by Ben Farrell.
I'm a keyboard player trying my best but my favorite music has some sort of strumming guitar. So, also being also a UX nerd, I set out to see if I could recreate without actually having to learn to play a guitar. Maybe this wasn't the most efficient way to tackle this problem, but I certainly had fun.
Start with a supported drawing tablet, a computer, and a MIDI synth or DAW to send to. Thanks to the OpenTabletDriver project, most drawing tablets are supported (but be skeptical, I don't have hard facts to back up that claim)
More about the project & some demosWant to try it?
Here's how
to play.
Read the playing guide
You'll need a supported tablet, a computer, and a synth or DAW.