Stepper noise is usually something to be silenced, but this project flips the problem around: a custom enclosed machine that performs a tune while running. The G-code converts the notes of the Super Mario Bros. theme into motor frequencies, and the steppers then sound through their own resonant vibrations. The Randoms 719 wanted the music as loud as possible, and the outcome came out loud with great high notes.
The pipeline behind it is worth studying. It is built on midislicer, with the maker starting from a favorite MIDI file. Not every song survives the conversion; a ton of MIDI files went through testing before ones that worked well were found. The tracks also had to be split between the motors before the result was decent, and to my eye that step is the clever part of the whole approach. On the motion side, microsteps were set to 4 and acceleration went to 15K, while interpolation and stealthchop were both switched off.
The machine itself looks sharp. Purple anodized aluminum extrusions form the frame, closed in with transparent side panels, and the printed brackets and structural parts show up in bright blue, magenta and cyan. A blue shroud wraps the toolhead, the bed sits flat and square, and threaded lead screws run vertically on the left and right.
One thing left open: the internal electronics, the mainboard and the specific printer model are all unclear. That leaves some curiosity about what is under the panels, though the audible result stands on its own.
Project by The Randoms 719. Watch it on their YouTube channel: