Arduino controller surface?

T

Treskalle

New member
Hey.

Done some research lately along with the interest for µcontrollers just came upon me. Been thinking.
Instead of spending around 1-2 000 $ (calculated from Norwegian Kroner wich a good surface costs here!) for a 8 track controller surface, I really think you could make a custom controller with just an Arduino, some LCD's and pots(might use rotary encoders and led rings as well), Just with some more buttons as well. I think just one Arduino could drive the LCD for 3-4 channels(with 1602 display) and the pots and fader on one channel. The transport along with other buttons could be used on one Arduino(depends on how many buttons you need). Anyone have experience with any of this? Yesterday I read about some that made a Alphatrack faderport and maked it work in Reaper. Would be cool if anyone done it or maybe it inspired someone?

So the question is what people think of this idea and maybe some ways to do it more specific. BTW if anyone want to really go for it, I think you would need some kind of extra memory (Eprom or SD or something). I really like the idea. You can get motorized faders as well. Wish I had the time and money to begin a project like that.. Share thougts! :)
 
I thought the same thing a while ago but approached it from the other side; Software.
Are you familiar with MAX/msp?

I wrote a patch in it that communicates fader info, solo, mute, record arm and transport to protools, masquerading as a mackie control.

With an arduino or some kind of midi interface out of a keyboard or something I would have been able to build my own control, but i did run into a hold up on the software side.

Also, I never worked out how to harness the info coming out of protools, so I don't know about using motorised faders or lcd displays.
I guess it wouldn't have to come from the daw, but could come from the patch itself?!
Haven't thought about it in a while, but all the patches are still sitting there.

I think at some point I will definitely build a little module with transport and a single fader.
It wont be motorised, but still, It'll be handy for dialing in automation.
 
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Well, you got me thinking and I rewrote my patch.

I now have two way communication.
IE, you hit solo track 1 in my patch, and it sends it to protools
AND the patch reads the fact that protools has a track solod and updates itself.


Means i can make a control surface with arduino now and have proper total recall motorised faders :)
and it'll recall solo/mute/fader status when I open an old session.

I've got buttons for bank left and transport.

Not going to bother with pan, or leds other than to indicate solo/mute/record arm.


The way i'm doing it means I'd have to build an app at the end and always have it open.
There are more elegant ways but they're over my head.
 
DIY Arduino controller

Steenamaroo said:
Well, you got me thinking and I rewrote my patch.

I now have two way communication.
IE, you hit solo track 1 in my patch, and it sends it to protools
AND the patch reads the fact that protools has a track solod and updates itself.


Means i can make a control surface with arduino now and have proper total recall motorised faders :)
and it'll recall solo/mute/fader status when I open an old session.

I've got buttons for bank left and transport.

Not going to bother with pan, or leds other than to indicate solo/mute/record arm.


The way i'm doing it means I'd have to build an app at the end and always have it open.
There are more elegant ways but they're over my head.
Click to expand...

How is it going with the project? did you make any controller so far? :)
I am SO interested in this. I have some Arduino knowledge and then have seen this:
hazelwoodsound. com/ motorized-faders-and-the-arduino (sorry for the link but i am not allowded to post links before 10 comments(?) )



and became SO excited about making a motorised faders controller for Ableton (or Logic)
 
Hey,
I never really got an understanding of the motorized faders that I found online.
It seemed a little over my head so I left the project behind.

I did have a fully working Max/Msp patch that gave me full PT9 control, but never made any hardware for it, I'm afraid.
It was a good fun project but I think in hindsight I'd just buy a pair of BCF2000s and desk mount them or something. lol.
 
My experience with DIY vs. buying gear is that it's the packaging that makes a difference. Sure, you can cobble together some microcontrollers, pots, and displays and get them to work. However, at some point you'll have to assemble them into usable control surface. All that metal work, especially cutting slots for faders, is a royal PITA, and will likely look terrible when you're finished. (Unless you or someone you know has access to and ability to use a CNC machining unit or laser cutter.

In my case, tube amps, it's borderline. If you're willing to spend the time in the name of a "hobby" then it's no so excessive as to be impractical. However, tube amps are pretty simple, with only some round holes that can be cut with a drill. Machining a control surface with slots and other non-round holes is a lot more complex, and the time spent on that aspect will far outweigh the time spent wiring and programming it. Time better spent recording and mixing, if you ask me.
 
Point taken, Rich, but I had set aside an old Behringer mixer as a donor.

That aside, my ultimate decision was along your lines.
Over my head and time better spend recording. ;)

I mounted 8 modules from a console in a mac pro case a while back though. Drilled out all the XLR/jack/switch holes etc.
I'm so glad I did. You could throw that thing down the stairs and it'd be fine.
 
Hey, I like idea about Arduino,
I used Arduino for few projects of mine and it is really stable and easy to use (cheep too).

I never made motorized faders but I did control potentiometers on my amp.
...



 
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