LibraryMakers - Create interactive environments with MaKey MaKey and Soundplant

Create interactive environments with MaKey MaKey and Soundplant

Intro

Would you like to create an interactive space in your library, school or indeed any public space? This recipe shows you how to use MaKey MaKey and Soundplant to change your familiar environment into a magical interactive playground.

Soundplant

What you need

MaKey MaKey (including Mini-B USB cable)
Male to male jumper wires
Alligator clip
Soundplant software
Computer (any Windows or Mac of the past 8 years will do, but for optimal performance a multicore processor and 4GB RAM is recommended)
Various conductive objects
6 Sound files - Sound/music files of any format and size
Speakers (optional)

How

Connect MaKey MaKey into your computer using USB cable. Plug the small side of USB cable into MaKey Makey and the big side into your computer. (If your computer asks you to install the drivers, simply click cancel or close the window.)
Open this link on your browser http://soundplant.org/ to access and download the Soundplant software.
Open Soundplant. Make sure it is open on your screen all the time.
Drag and drop your sound files onto the keyboard keys you would like to use on Soundplant. In this case we assign individual sounds onto keys W; A; S; D; F; G.
Connect to Earth - Now you can connect one end of an alligator clip to the bottom of MaKey MaKey which is marked as “Earth”.
Connect to Yourself - Then you hold the other end of the alligator clip (the metal part) between your fingers, and now you become “grounded”.
Connect MaKey MaKey to various conductive objects - If you want your objects to become your keyboard keys, you connect them to your MaKey MaKey with the help of jumper wires. On the back left side of MaKey MaKey you find six letters W; A; S; D; F; G. Connect each of them with male to male jumper wires to your selected conductive objects.