midinun-uno

Use your Wii Nunchuk's accelerometer and joystick as a MIDI controller for your DAW, using Arduino UNO or Nano. (Both original and OEM nunchuks will work.)

Connect nunchuk to arduino

First of all you have to modify the nunchuk so it can connect to arduino with ease, but you can implement any connection you like.

• Disassemble the nunchuk plug

  Just unscrew and remove the plastics https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mGgTGFGz2FJIF2qDlXDSn_Pbg-U6LwbP/view?usp=sharing

• Cut the nunchuk plug

  You have to be careful when you cut the plug because you have to leave a bit of cable on the plug so you can recognize the colors later as you connect it to arduino https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mrbmE_CRcV2hLByeLcvtbhF2u1vbB4vF/view?usp=sharing

• Solder classic header pins to nunchuk

  You only need 4 out of nunchuk's 5 cables. Specifically you need the cables in position 1,3,4 and 6 https://drive.google.com/file/d/19P9fyTnkYa96uxpV5z21OEeV9g-0wqVK/view?usp=sharing Use male pins for classic headers and solder them color by color with the nunchuk's exposed cables https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mi1AaBxKj4iAN5-v_ls14wkiqmwjNLV8/view?usp=sharing

Then you have to connect the nunchuk to the arduino.

Cable Color	Plug Position	Arduino Pin
White	6	A5
Yellow	1	A4
Green	3	3.3v
Red	4	GND

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mG5OvNKQgYk-enxVBwAeopp7cNtc--WO/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/19P9fyTnkYa96uxpV5z21OEeV9g-0wqVK/view?usp=sharing

Now you have the nunchuk connected to the arduino

Setup arduino libraries

The code uses 2 libraries.

• Nunchuk.h (https://github.com/infusion/Fritzing/tree/master/Nunchuk)
• arduino_midi_library v4.3.1 (https://github.com/FortySevenEffects/arduino_midi_library/tree/4.3.1/src) You have to install arduino_midi_library using Tools->Manage Libraries... in the Arduino IDE. Be sure to use the correct version

Upload the code to arduino

Now we are ready to read the nunchuk's sensors and send MIDI control change commands

Serial to MIDI

Because Arduino UNO doesn't support MIDI over USB connection we have to use a middleware software named The Hairless MIDI, which converts MIDI commands from the serial port (arduino usb) and transmits them to a virtual MIDI device.

Just download and install the software:

https://projectgus.github.io/hairless-midiserial/

Virtual MIDI Device (for your DAW)

Another software we will need is a virtual MIDI device which will be recognised and "visible" from your DAW so that you can use it as a MIDI remote control source.

The DAW will recognize it as a normal MIDI device.

There are many applications for this use but in this case we will use loopMIDI.

Just download and install the software:

https://www.tobias-erichsen.de/software/loopmidi.html

Orchestrate the software

• Make sure arduino is connected to the PC and that the nunchuk is properly connected to the arduino.
• Run loopMIDI. There should be a default virtual MIDI device so we will use this one (loopMIDI Port).
• Run The HairlessMIDI. Choose your arduino com port on the left side and on the right side choose loopMIDI Port as MIDI Out.
• Open your DAW and in your preferences choose the virtual MIDI device loopMIDI Port.

Usage Instructions

Using your DAW's learn function you can map any parameter to any of the nunchuk's 5 channels, joystick X-Y, accelerator X-Y-Z.

System Modes

The system has 2 modes, Play and Setup. When you boot the arduino, the system is in the Play mode.

To enter Setup mode press and hold button C, then hold Z and the push the joystick Y axis to the end. The onboard led should blink slowly 5 times

To exit Setup mode press and hold button C, then hold Z and the pull the joystick Y axis to the end. The onboard led should blink quickly 5 times

Setup Mode

• Bring your DAW in learning mode and choose a parameter to map.
• You can choose which nunchuk channel to assign by using button Z, which cycles through all available channels.
• For each channel chosen, the led blinks accordingly.
• To assign the selected channel to the DAW's parameter press button C.

Nunchuk Channel	Times Led Blinks
Joystick X (initial)	1
Joystick Y	2
Accelerator X	3
Accelerator Y	4
Accelerator Z	5

Play Mode

By Holding the C button the system starts to send the MIDI control change commands to your DAW through the virtual MIDI device.

If you leave the C button every control change command stops.

By default the accelerometer channels are ignored. You can cycle through the channels you want to play with using button Z.

The led will blink accordingly.

Accelerator Channel	Times Led Blinks
Off (default)	1
X	2
Y	3
Z	4
XYZ	5