Shore Pine Sound Systems Launches Its Python-Powered Tulip Creative Computer for Just $59
Powered by an Espressif ESP32, this distraction-free device targets creatives looking to make Python-powered projects on the go.
Shore Pine Sound Systems has launched its Tulip Creative Computer to general availability, targeting musicians, writers, programmers, and other creatives looking for a distraction-free environment — powered by Python running on an Espressif ESP32 microcontroller.
"It’s a very cheap and open portable device for making things, that boots right into a Python programming language prompt over a 7" touchscreen display," co-creator Brian Whitman, of Shore Pine Sound Systems, explains. "It's got a very good analog (Juno-6, SH-101, etc) and FM-style (DX7) music synthesis engine built in, built from scratch by my dear friend Dan Ellis and myself, that you can control every oscillator and parameter of in code. It also can be used to make games, animations, or just write. We ship it with a text editor, drum machine, Juno-6 patch editor, some example games, and a Tulip-only BBS where you can share messages and programs."
Whitman unveiled the Tulip a year ago, promising a distraction-free environment for musicians, writers, and programmers by hosting its dedicated MicroPython-based software on an Espressif ESP32 microcontroller — meaning there's no opportunity to quickly switch away from your project to catch up on some videos or scroll social media.
The finalized Tulip design, which like its prototype predecessors is open hardware running open source software, is built around an Espressif ESP32-S3 microcontroller mounted behind a 7" full-color 1024×600 touchscreen. There's a jack for stereo audio, MIDI in and out, a Grove-style I2C connector for external hardware, and a USB port for a keyboard.
Two official expansions bring more functionality to bear: a two-channel digital to analog converter (DAC), of which four can be installed "with some light modification" for eight channels total; and the Alles, an adapter for wireless speaker control expandable up to 30 channels.
It's clear audio has been a focus in the Tulip's development. The on-board synthesizer, AMY, offers support for up to 120 oscillators, stereo sound, filters, reverb, chorus, frequency modulation, samples, polyphony, and multi-timbral operation — and all patches and music can be written in pure Python, Shore Pine promises. The display, too, is Python-programmable, with support for user interface development using the LVGL library.
"I’ve been working on Tulip for a couple of years, over a few hardware iterations. This all-in-one launch version of Tulip was designed with the help of our friends Makerfabs, who also manufacture it," Whitman explains. "It's my hope that lots of people get a Tulip and join us to make Tulip even better, by contributing apps, or giving us feedback, or showing off cool stuff you've made. Everything in Tulip is open source, from the hardware design to the apps and firmware and DSP [Digital Signal Processor]."
The Tulip Computer is available to order through the official website now at $59, which Shore Pine says is "the cost of parts and manufacturing […] with a tiny fee added on to support future development." Those who'd prefer to build their own will find source code and instructions on building your own on GitHub, under the permissive MIT license, along with a hardware-agnostic simulator.