BigFuckingBadge: Kat's Midi Synth

Description

At DC26, Erin suggested to me that we build our own badge. Then we joked about making it really, really big. Super fucking big, on no budget, limited resources, and no time. Total actual dev and assembly time: 2.5 months... 0_o The badge is as big as we could make it and still fit it in my DIY reflow oven. It's a MIDI player with a built-in MIDI controller reading from a flash chip with ~45 pre-loaded songs, and, of course, some RGB LEDs, and a few capacitive touch pads for buttons. The MCUs are ATTINY412, use to see what could be squeezed out of the little bastards. The badge is silly for the sake of being silly, with some fun electronics included. For those who find the badge, further instructions are on our website at www.BigFuckingBadge.com

Details

We really started way to late on this project but in the end, it really turned out great.

Will people like it? IDK. We do. Should we have made it? Probably not.

More details will be added soon, along with the circuit and board design to GITHUB.

And, once I edit down some of the other videos for size reasons, I'll add those too. For now, this was just a first attempt at a badge, with silly proportions, a bit of electronics to make it interesting, sound to make it stand out (a.k.a. annoying), some APA201c LEDs because, well, you have to, a nod to hackability, a few Easter eggs, no budget, rushed circuit artwork (I'm so embarrassed), and crappy code (I'm so ashamed).

This project is dedicated to my daughter, Katerina, who was born just as I started working on this thing.

BTW. For those who find the badge, we do have a website (that we will eventually complete) at www.BigFuckingBadge.com

Files

IMG_20190725_210132.jpg

JPEG Image - 2.55 MB - 08/05/2019 at 14:25

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Portable Network Graphics (PNG) - 78.00 kB - 08/05/2019 at 14:25

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IMG_20190801_205851.jpg

JPEG Image - 2.73 MB - 08/05/2019 at 14:25

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IMG_20190801_192614.jpg

JPEG Image - 3.08 MB - 08/05/2019 at 14:25

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IMG_20190801_215426.jpg

JPEG Image - 3.04 MB - 08/05/2019 at 14:25

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Project Logs

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Details Added!

hexum064 • 07/26/2019 at 04:47 • 2 comments

Ok, added a video. Also added the board/schematics GITHUB link.

Discussions

Zef wrote 04/03/2025 at 06:02

I know this is an old project but are the gerbers, BOM and code for this available? I have an urge to build it for some reason. :D

Are you sure? yes | no

hexum064 wrote 04/03/2025 at 15:19

It was the first project and we (I) didn't really have the word "organized" in my vocabulary yet. So the project files are all over the place. I'll try to put them together in some meaningful way but if you don't hear back from me here in a few days, message me again.

Are you sure? yes | no

Zef wrote 04/11/2025 at 02:09

Thank you so much. I really appreciate you trying to get the files together for me.

Are you sure? yes | no

John Jones wrote 08/11/2019 at 22:27

What songs were on this? There was one I hadn't heard in awhile and can't remember the name of

Are you sure? yes | no

hexum064 wrote 08/12/2019 at 16:34

I'll probably regret this some how but: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Rv13SqunJogyPc2AvGRTQAmBo0R5GG7k?usp=sharing

Are you sure? yes | no

liath wrote 08/19/2019 at 18:59

Thanks! It was the Metroid theme I was looking for. Idk how I forgot it lol

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hexum064 wrote 07/27/2019 at 04:45

@Ken Yap Not well known, but the T.S. in T.S. Eliot ACTUALLY stood for Tardar Sauce.

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Ken Yap wrote 07/27/2019 at 05:27

😺👍

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Ken Yap wrote 07/26/2019 at 05:38

Hahaha, Grumpy Cat. RIP. She was just a regular cat but with underbite and feline dwarfism that made her look that way.

Are you sure? yes | no

hexum064 wrote 07/26/2019 at 13:52

I think her real name was adorable too. She was a sweet cat and I will miss her on the same level as any pet owner, even if I only knew here from pictures and videos.

Are you sure? yes | no

Ken Yap wrote 07/27/2019 at 02:20

Ah but T.S. Eliot will tell you that a cat has "The name that no human research can discover—but THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess." (Sorry, in those days Eliot was not gender correct.)

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BigFuckingBadge: Kat's Midi Synth

Description

Details