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Slim / narrow 4-8 knob rotary mixer.
I’m after a slim / narrow 4-8 knob rotary midi controller, similar to the Parks Tool one, without the price tag. All I need is the controller to be able to adjust parameters, nothing else. I have a Korg NanoPad2 and Akai LPD8, but need more knobs.
https://www.parkstool.com/products/parks-custom-encoders-8-4-midi-plug-21348
Or is there a simple DIY method? I don’t have any electronics building skills though. Just needs to be USB C.
Comments
I don't know of anything else that is this slim, but this might help:
https://www.musiconerd.com/diy-midi-controller-workshop/
Thanks.
Has one used an M5 Stack encoder? Looks like it’d do the job, just not sure how hard it would be to connect / map.
https://shop.m5stack.com/products/8-encoder-unit-stm32f030
Those look great, and the price is phenominal.
i2C is really easy to wire up to micro controllers, particularly those that have a stemma QT plug. Programming ... depends on if there are any libraries available for the task.
For that price, I think I'm gonna have to try one.
Awesome product! Superb way to slip in a control surface for a Zoia or something hardware.... But how do you get USB C to play nice? Also, of course, with my iPad would be cool: using a Behringer UMC404HD right now.
Anyone have thoughts?
This one talks I2C, not USB. You can use a Raspberry Pico, write some code and add wires to make is a USB or Bluetooth MIDI device.
Also note that there are 2 versions available: One with 8 encoders and one with 8 potentiometers. Which one to choose depends on what you want to control.
As mentioned, it would need to be hooked up to a microcontroller. I like to use some of the ones from Adafruit that have an Stemma QT connector that makes it so you don't have to do any soldering for i2C. They have ones that can do BLE Midi and USB, and generally Adafruit supplies pretty decent Arduino libraries and often good example tutorials.
Still, you have to dive into the whole world of micro controller programming. Not everyone's cup of tea.
I talked myself out of trying this one. I have a ridiculous pile of DIY controllers I never use. I always think I'll use them, but I never do.
Take a look at some of the offerings on Tindie and Etsy. Both have midi controllers many are DIY or small batch built.
This blog seems to make it look fairly easy?
https://robertoostenveld.nl/low-cost-8-channel-midi-controller/
Great find! Note that this is written for the potentiometer version, not the encoder version.
What would be the difference between building with potentiometers and encoders if I was making something to just be able to adjust parameters in Loopy, like gain or balance?
The coding would be quite different. Potentiometers put out a range of values that you would read and convert to absolute midi values (0-127). Encoders send pulses that you would convert to repeated midi values for positive and negative movement.
Loopy can handle either type of midi output, absolute or relative, so no problem on that end.
Absolute controls (potentiometers) have the drawback that you can get jumps in the control. Say your potentiometer is at 25%, but you load a project where what you want to control is at 75%. Normally you would get a jump down to 25% when you start to move the potentiometer. Loopy does have Pick Up mode though. With that, nothing would happen as you turn the potentiometer until it was at 75% and "picked up" the control.
Relative encoders can be nice because you're only ever telling Loopy to turn a control up or down, not telling it exactly what to set something to. That means you don't get jumps when you turn a control.
Confusing enough?
Well it’s confused me enough to consider just getting rid of my Korg Nanokontrol and buying an Akai Minimix.
If your Nanokontrol works the way you want and you just need more knobs then yes.
If these things had a MIDI out I'd have several. Just an 1/8" thing with a dongle would be fine.
I mean, someone has to wise up and realize there is a slew of effects pedals and machines without enough knobs to control them without menu diving, or menu cliff diving.... Zoia being a perfect example.
At that price for the module, it would be profitable for someone to make such a thing DIY and sell them on Etsy or something. The problem with DIY controllers has always been that by the time you buy all the components, you're close to the cost of a production unit.
It would be kind of fun to design an iPad stand with one or two of these built-in to the base.
Definitely a market for it, especially with the accessibility of 3D printing.
I’d love to make stuff like this, but I have zero free time and / or skills.