hackable electronic saxophone with mechanical keys and raspberry pi plays soulful music

haxophone plays the sax sounds with mechanical keys

Porto-based maker Javier Cardona of Cardona Bits creates Haxophone, a hackable electronic saxophone with mechanical keys and a Raspberry Pi HAT that can produce almost the same sound as a real saxophone. The hackable saxophone features custom ergonomics, key switches, and note mappings, to name a few. As this is open hardware, users have the freedom to modify key layouts or incorporate LEDs into the board, enabling them to craft a personalized musical instrument to their liking.

The mechanical keys of the hackable electronic saxophone are similar to the ones found in keyboards. Since they are hot-swappable keys, the instrumentalist can place their custom ones which may help them remember which key to press during their rehearsals or performances. The Haxophone also allows modifying sounds and adding features like beats or LEDs using the Rust language. Javier Cardona says that playing the electronic saxophone needs no coding, so it can also be adaptable to beginners or those who may not know how to code in a program.

images by Javier Cardona / Cardona Bits

Raspberry pi for the hackable electronic saxophone

Javier Cardona installs a Raspberry Pi HAT (or Hardware Attached on Top) to his hackable electronic saxophone with mechanical keys for single-board computers. The keyboard layout on Haxophone then mirrors that of the real musical instrument. His playful version also features a neck compatible with regular saxophone mouthpieces and a pressure sensor for airflow detection.

Even if Haxophone looks a bit bare, it is equipped with a built-in audio amplifier to ensure quality sound and a 3.5mm mini-jack to connect it to headphones or external amplifiers. In case the instrumentalist needs to repair Haxophone, they can simply 3D print the replacement parts, including the thumb rest, using the provided models that Javier Cardona uploaded on the instrument’s open-source repository.

As of publishing the story, the hackable electronic saxophone with mechanical keys hits the online campaign, and Javier Cardona states that the budget-friendly and portable Haxophone has a tag of 200 USD. The first batch is expected to go out in February 2024.

rear view of Haxophone