Figure 1:
Gray Mack and the Prototype Thereping

Figure 2:
Since we were planning on making a “band” of instruments, we decided the best approach would be to buy identical components. Subsequently we chose to purchase a “10 pack” of Parallax Homework boards. These are self-contained Basic Stamp 2 microcontrollers with a built in Breadboard and DB9 serial interface for programming. The Homework Boards are only sold in a ten or twenty piece pack, but this would give us enough units to have six instruments, one “master sync” clock and a few “spares” to use for experimentation and as backups in the event of a component failure. At quantity ten, the per-board price drops to only $40.00.

Figure 3:
The Parallax PING))) sensor uses ultrasonic sound waves to determine the  distance to an object and returns a value in milliseconds that is quite accurate. In addition it is very easy to use and connect since it  only requires three connections, 5v+, GND and a single TTL level pin for both sending and receiving data. The Parallax website offers the these units in a “five pack” so it was possible to leverage quantity purchase prices and buy two 5-packs of PING))) sensors to match the one ten pack of Homework boards. This brought the price per sensor down to about $20.00.

Figure 4:
Thereclock & Therepings w/Drum Set

Figure 5:
Thereclock Prototype

Figure 6:
Thereping Instrument Schematic

Figure 7:
Logic flowchart for Thereping

Figure 8:
Three Therepings

Figure 9:
Vern Graner and Mike Scioli work on Thereping Prototype

Figure 10:
The “Thereclock” Schematic

Figure 11:
Thereclock Finished and mounted.

Figure 12:
The Thereping rehearsal

Figure 13:
Nic Graner playing Thereping on the Pavilion

Figure 14:
Thereping Band ready to play in the parade!

Figure 15:
The author and his son playing at First Night Austin, December 31 2005