Building your own midi controller

SteveDon · 15-02-2009 07:59PM #1

Ive been looking up this topic on the internet and im very intrigued but its a bit daunting considering i have no background in anything like this, just wondering if anyone has tried it before and what was your experience?

Progger · 15-02-2009 08:50PM

I dont know much about the subject either but am very interested in it also. I do know sven vath uses his home made midi controller for some of his live gigs.

PaulBrewer · 15-02-2009 09:08PM

Do either of you have any background in electronics at all?

fabbydabby · 15-02-2009 09:11PM

Would you really need one? You could butcher an existing controller for parts if you needed to.

red_ice · 15-02-2009 09:15PM

PaulBrewer wrote: »

Do either of you have any background in electronics at all?

shh!! They have it figured out, let them go at it. Keep me updated pls :pac:

PaulBrewer · 15-02-2009 10:17PM

red_ice wrote: »

shh!! They have it figured out, let them go at it. Keep me updated pls :pac:

Would you really need one? You could butcher an existing controller for parts if you needed to.

Sound On Sound has a lot to answer for ...:o

madtheory · 16-02-2009 12:20AM

You're looking for something that'll turn voltages and switches into MIDI. The best thing I've found is the Doepfer Wheel Electronics Box. Only €40, but you have to pay direct to their bank account (like most german companies). I use it for a breath controller interface. But you can plug in anything you like, and assign to a MIDI cc number.

Check out Thomas Dolby's live rig. He bought a bunch of old oscillators and other cool looking electronics gear, and installed something the Doepfer in them.

ogy · 16-02-2009 01:00AM

maybe a kit like the monome one would be cool?

http://monome.org/40h/kit

PaulBrewer · 16-02-2009 01:57AM

ogy wrote: »

maybe a kit like the monome one would be cool?

http://monome.org/40h/kit

How bonkers are the vids on their site!?

jimi_t · 16-02-2009 11:16AM

Monome is the schnizz, but a little too esoteric for myself - I prefer a more tactile set up.

Have a gander at midibox or one of the THOUSANDS of ableton controller projects custom built over at make or CDM or wherever else google brings you - even the big boys like monolake build their own stuff.

(That said, with the APC40 coming out in April do you really feel you need to build something?)

studiorat · 17-02-2009 06:51PM

To do this you really need to get into an application called Max MSP. It allows you to take any controller information (motion sensors etc) and convert it into a midi value. Another program like this is Pure Data and available free, it's pretty much the same as Max and would be a good learning platform.

http://www.uchobby.com/index.php/make-controller-kit/ Something like this will connect to the computer. You can also try a company called Arduino who make controller devices suitable for this use.

Here's a nice article on how to circuit bend a games controller into a Midi device using Pure Data. http://www.randomfunction.com/?q=node/66

madtheory · 17-02-2009 07:19PM

IMO that's the great thing about the Doepfer. You don't need MAX or PD.

studiorat · 18-02-2009 12:46PM

madtheory wrote: »

IMO that's the great thing about the Doepfer. You don't need MAX or PD.

Tis true. That's a good point and a nice looking piece of kit. I really like the look of the 16 way continuous controller board (Dial Electronic).

Though I think with using software it would make it easier to control the parameters, give them a limit, and adjust the rate of change of values. Would you agree?

Also considering Ableton now have a set-up where you can use Max patches I think that would be a good direction in the long run.

madtheory · 18-02-2009 08:22PM

studiorat wrote: »

Though I think with using software it would make it easier to control the parameters, give them a limit, and adjust the rate of change of values. Would you agree?

Absolutely! I was primarily drawn to it because I wanted a breath controller, and felt MAX was OTT for this particular app.

Ableton with MAX/ MSP is a bloody brilliant idea.

studiorat · 18-02-2009 08:38PM

Breath Controller!!!
I thought you said breast controller there.
My bad...:D

madtheory · 18-02-2009 08:45PM

Ya, so I'll be blowing in to a plastic tube and dribbling spit in order to create a more expressive performance

Building your own midi controller

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