The Nashesizer - Modular MIDI Controller - Lewis

Thought Id write up some notes on my initial thinking and research so far for the modular MIDI
controller aspect of the project before meeting with Gemma and Craig tonight.

James - look forward to hearing more about your promising early experiments too.

Feedback welcome.

I thought that Duplo would be a good way to test various layouts - this 12x16 pin board is
~25x19cm - a touch smaller then Gemmas current Akai MPK mini mkII. Also if we 3D print
enclosures for the various modules with this Duplo pin footprint we can create the options for
rearrangement Gemma is looking for. Well have to work out a flexible and robust electrical
connection system - but if we go with I2C then thats only 4 lines - PWR, GND, SCL and SDA per
module.

The Teensy 3.5/3.6 should be more than adequate to handle the module input, driving the LEDs (or
communicating with a dedicated LED driver), all the MIDI conversions and the MIDI USB to Mac
communication - and its compact enough to mount into a shallow base unit that the Duplo plate
then sits on.

For the prototypes well likely only build one module of each type - Im suggesting a motorised
slider, a rotary encoder, a joystick - and possibly a bank of buttons - although the first two would be
multifunctional - the joystick could move between Ableton tracks and the slider and encoder could
update with the current values of that track.
This Sparkfun Slide Pot - Motorized (10k Linear Taper) - 18.95 - https://www.proto-pic.co.uk/slide-
pot-motorized-10k-linear-taper.html?gclid=Cj0KEQjwk-jGBRCbxoPLld_bp-
IBEiQAgJaftbfgTfzLVqiyhb12SsYZWbw86YFFsPobpwDpRm4ZfNsaAn2v8P8HAQ
also has a capacitive touch line.

This Sparkfun RGB LED Bar Graph - 48 Segment $29.95 https://www.sparkfun.com/products/

14000 - despite the fact it requires control of 144 LEDs. We recommend some (possibly complex)
charlieplexing practices - would be a good visual accompaniment

This Sparkfun Rotary Encoder - 1024 P/R (Quadrature) - $39.95 - https://www.sparkfun.com/

products/11102 - though not cheap - has a high resolution and so with an accompanying button
could switch between very precise and coarse control. It also seems to be fairly chunky and robust
This NeoPixel Ring - 16 x WS2812 5050 RGB LED - $9.95 - https://www.sparkfun.com/products/
12664 - would provide a suitable visual accompaniment for the rotary encoder

This Sparkfun Arcade Joystick - Short Handle - $14.95 - https://www.sparkfun.com/products/9182 -

has a very rugged construction
I havent got very far on the ICs required to do the analogue to I2C communications.

This Broadcom HCTL-2022 - https://www.broadcom.com/products/motion-control-encoders/

integrated-circuits/decoder-ic/hctl-2022 - performs the quadrature decoder, counter, and bus
interface function - but its SPI not I2C

James, Mike - got any ideas here? Im open to suggestions.

Mike suggested we could use an ATTiny85 or similar 8-bit AVR RISC-based microcontroller.

Im keen to get on with ordering components asap - so any feedback on this shortlist - or
alternatives - would be appreciated.

As for an alternative to Gemmas current trackball I thought that the 3DConnexxion

SpaceNavigator 3D mouse - http://www.3dconnexion.co.uk/products/spacemouse/
spacenavigator.html or Kensington SlimBlade Trackball USB Mouse - https://www.kensington.com/
en/gb/4493/k72327eu/slimblade-trackball - would be worth testing - though theyre not cheap -
~136 & 148 respectively.

I though we could approach the manufacturers and ask if theyd support Gemma and the project by
providing test devices. We could then design and 3D-print suitable overlays to make them even
more accessible for Gemmas use.