By making use of affordable, easy-to-obtain parts, the MeeBlip is tailored to be both functional and easily hackable. We’re not using hard-to-source parts that could interfere with modifying the design or building your own hardware. We’ve also selected a design that makes it easy to make the MeeBlip musically useful.

For those of you who like gory technical details, the MeeBlip includes:

• Virtual analog monosynth running on an Atmega32A microcontroller at 16 MHz
• Dual digital oscillators with filter, LFO, ADSR envelope, FM (Frequency Modulation) and distortion
• 2-pole resonant low pass filter in software (with high-pass mode)
• DDS (“Direct Digital Synthesizer“) oscillator waveforms (sawtooth / square / noise) at 40 kHz sample rate
• Dual 8-bit weighted DAC audio output (approximates a 16-bit parallel DAC)
• 8 potentiometers for continuous input (bank shift function allows two parameters per pot)
• 16 software-defined parameter switches
• 4-pole active lowpass anti-aliasing filter
• Opto-isolated MIDI input
• 9VDC power connection (wall wart connection optional on DIY kits; standard on Quick Build model)

The DIY board version adds:

• Sockets for 1/4″ or 1/8″ audio output jacks
• Sockets for 5VDC USB or 9VDC power jacks
• On-board headers for external switches, potentiometers/sliders, MIDI jack, 5V or 9V power, audio jacks.

Of course, you don’t necessarily need to know what all those things are to play a MeeBlip. And if you’re curious to learn what they are, the MeeBlip isn’t a bad place to do that.