FX8 Magnetic KickTags Glow Labels - follow their development here!

ZenRigs Man

ZenRigs Man

Fractal Fanatic
Vendor
Hi folks, hope you're all well.

After the craziness that was the launch of the latest KickTags Magnetic Glow-in-the-Dark Modular Labelling System for the MFC, I'm now finally working on the designs and prototypes for labels specifically for the very cool looking FX8.

I'm going to chronicle what I get up to as I work on these including the design process, prototype builds, beta testing and more, right up to the launch of them. It's going to be interesting, as I don't own the board and am making them entirely based on sizing information and pictures!! What could possibly go wrong? :)

Although I'm already a good way through the process, I thought I'd share my own journey in making them for anyone that's interested, having been asked a lot via email for a good while now about when I'm going to release them and what they'll be.

I'll be posting in a duplicate thread over in the AX8 forum, as the labels will be the same for both devices.

Back soon :)

Sukh
 
Hey folks! Hope you're all doing well. Right! Here's an update on how things are going...

I released the latest generation of my KickTags labels in October, which was a re-launch of the modular system I devised when I first started KickTags in 2010, but in a much cooler and infinitely more robust way. First thing for me to ascertain was... will people like and want to use modular labels? The answer (proven by the fact that I sold 3 months' worth of prepared stock in a little over 12 hours) was a resounding 'YES'!

This was really important, as my plan with the modular system has been to make the various elements of a solution for one particular board or controller interchangeable with another, wherever possible. This way, if you have some KickTags for, say, an MFC-101 and then later end up getting an FX8, an AX8 or a Marshall amp and a footswitch for that, you would be able to re-use the text labels and tiles between all three. All you'd have to do is buy Surrounds designed specifically for your board and you'd be in business.

So the first thing to understand is 'how does the modular system work'? Well, it's all explained in this little video...



The materials and approach for my FX8 labels will 100% be following this design ethos. More updates later in the day...
 
So, with the plan to make the FX8 KickTags follow the same design ethos as the MFC ones (see previous post), I set about working out some sizing based on measurements sent to me by some good folks out there of their FX8's and from images I've seen, together with some information on how the right side function switches would work, from the kind folks at Fractal.

It became apparent very quickly that having a 'one size label' for all switches wouldn't work (for my designs and needs anyway), as there is less space available around the function switch labels (to the right of the board) compared to the other switches. Also, I realised that the silk-screening of the numbers against each switch would be visible, as they run alongside each switch and therefore couldn't be totally hidden by a magnetic label. Not such a big deal, but I'm somewhat OCD (as those on here who have followed my work!) will agree, so I needed to work out some designs that would hide the silk-screen numbers as much as possible without looking overly silly.

The function switches needed to be able to take 2 texts each, due to their multi-function capability. The modular system I have devised is perfect for this, as you'd simply need a Surround with 2 slots in it and then a number of text labels that would fit into them for you to choose from and slot in as you require for your setup. This way, you can mix things up quickly and easily, as you'd already have every possible permutation of labels available to you as your needs change.

So, I went about designing 3 different Surrounds for this board. One for the Function switches, one for the far left two switches and one for the rest. The Surrounds for the far left switches are slightly wider to the left than the other main switches, so they'll cover more of the silk-screen number to the left (1 and 5) and make it look uniform with the amount of silk screen numbering visible through the gaps between the other labels (told you I was OCD!!). Now, remember, this is all being done off of pictures and supplied measurements, so it could all go horribly wrong when I try them out on an actual board!!!!

Next up, some pictures....
 
Time for the next instalment!

As I mentioned in my last post in this thread, I went about designing 3 different size Surrounds for the three switch types as I see them. I wanted the design to be sleek, non-obtrusive yet functional. Essentially, the same design ethos as the MFC ones. Here's the mockup I made of the labels I wanted to prototype.

AX8%20and%20FX8%20preview_zpsjjsgcqps.jpg


The top Surround is for the far left (1 and 5) switches, and the one on the right is for the 3 function switches on the right of the board. The main surrounds will be available with or without cutouts for 'Tiles' (the design protos above have those cutouts). All labels will be made of the same solid laser-cut acrylic as the MFC labels, including magnetic backings with Neodymium magnets for extra magnetic grooviness, and will also be 4mm thick. Glow-in-the dark magnetic custom Text Labels and various design Tiles (just as for the MFC) will fit perfectly into the slots, allowing you to move things around and change up as you need.

Next step was to see how these would look on a virtual board, before finalising the CAD drawings and getting prototypes made to try out on a real board. Picture of that one coming next!!
 
Next up... I laid out a graphic mockup on top of a picture I found of the board to see how they'd look (no expense spared here folks!! Did I mention, I own neither an AX8 or FX8?... but am on the waitlist with G66 for an AX8 :) )

Here's how it worked out. I've mocked up a board with sample labels and Tiles (an AX8 picture, same size as the FX8), to show how things would look when you put a set of labels together on the board. On the right of the board, I've shown the text inserts that will fit into the right-most F-switch Surrounds (which will be pre-printed as shown, due to the fact there are pre-defined functions they can have). All text labels will be glow in the dark and, as mentioned in the recent exchange with M@, a pack of 3 F-Switch Surrounds, together with all the text labels that will fit into them, will be available as a separate pack, independently of the main switch Surrounds and text labels. Here's my dodgy mockup!

Full%20AX8%20and%20FX8%20PREVIEW_zpsg7zkw2zg.jpg


Next step... finishing up with the CAD shenanigans and then off to prototyping... :)
 
Last edited:
Toadfish, that looks awesome! I did not expect the double label stacks for function switches. Now I have even more to think about how I can use these labels. Cheers!
 
Next instalment... the Prototypes!!!

I now have the prototype Surrounds made and here for me to assemble into labels, which I'll then send to a couple of friends to try out and see if my measurements were correct (remember, this has all been done off of supplied measurements and pictures!!). One kind chap (and a forum member), who is quite local to me, has even offered to loan me his FX8. Top banana!

Here they are, bathed in a sexy purple-y blue light on my workbench this morning. Ain't they pretty?

542DE418-AFD9-449D-91BD-CE9B3F9C0ADB_zpswhym0ikk.jpg


Next step, this weekend, is to make the magnetic backings, glow labels and some tiles, bung on some Neo's and then off they go to see if they fit or if I got the measurements horribly wrong ( in which case, I'm pretty sure I could use these as bottle openers or car window scrapers - hey! Now there's an idea!)

Next instalment later this weekend!
 
Copied from my post in the AX8 thread:

I like them, except for one thing and maybe you've already taken this into consideration....

With the X/Y function for each switch, having a single label like Phaser, Delay etc... may not be as helpful as two half size labels like:

OD/DIST, PHAS/VIBE, DDL/MEMMAN, 1/4/dot8th, BST1/BST2, SPRG/SHIM, etc... something that shows more accurately how X and Y are set.
 
Hi buddy.

It's something I have considered, but I'm genuinely not sure how this would work in practice, given that every preset allows different functions for each switch, which is shown in the display?

It would be possible to make a Surround that takes 2 text labels (there is space there), or you could get the 2 states on a single text label, as all texts are custom. What do you think?
 
Toadfish said:
Hi buddy.

It's something I have considered, but I'm genuinely not sure how this would work in practice, given that every preset allows different functions for each switch, which is shown in the display?

It would be possible to make a Surround that takes 2 text labels (there is space there), or you could get the 2 states on a single text label, as all texts are custom. What do you think?
Click to expand...

The current display on the FX8 shows only the block (DLY, RVB, DRV) so it's not very good.

The problem with getting 2 states on a single label is that you can't easily mix and match. That's why I suggested a bunch of 1/2 size text labels that you could put in the single text slot in any combination you need. Two would take up all the room and the magnets would hold them all together.

2 text lables may be a better solution, but I'd want to see a mockup first.

Thanks
 
DavidE said:
The current display on the FX8 shows only the block (DLY, RVB, DRV) so it's not very good.

The problem with getting 2 states on a single label is that you can't easily mix and match. That's why I suggested a bunch of 1/2 size text labels that you could put in the single text slot in any combination you need. Two would take up all the room and the magnets would hold them all together.

2 text lables may be a better solution, but I'd want to see a mockup first.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Having them next to each other would, in my opinion, look wrong. The text would have to be too small, meaning you lose readability at standing height (important for my aging eyes!), plus it would look too busy with text side by side.

The only viable way would be to have a Surround similar to the F-switch ones that can take 2 text labels, which is perfectly possible (it would be exactly the same, just wider).

If I get enough people requesting this, I can definitely get them made (probably not for the first batch though), so I'm happy to hear the thoughts of others. For ease of collation, I might do it as a poll later on. Thanks for your suggestion David!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom