*NEW* Custom Master MIDI Foot Controller for Axe-Fx III

E

ed515

Member
Vendor
I am creating this new thread because I no longer consider this a DIY project due to the complicated nature of the build, and many of the original specs have changed. I have spent the last seven months and more $$$ than I have kept track of designing and iterating the advancement of a reliable PCB and hardware solution to support a MIDI based foot controller technologically above and beyond anything else currently available. If I only make one for myself...it will still be well worth it. However the greater good is always in my sights and if this technology can benefit others and if there is enough interest I can build out a batch of these systems. Firmware is currently in rapid development,

Hardware Specs:
32 bit micro-controller running at 120Mhz
Dedicated second micro-controller to handle the button events
SD Card slot for firmware updates and data storage
21 Foot switches
21 Color TFT displays
7" Touch screen display
On board SPI Flash 80Mb x 2; one of which is accessible over USB
USB port
Midi In/Thru/Midi Out
4 expression pedal inputs
WiFi enabled

There are poor images which do not do justice. More to come!
 

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Radix Lecti said:
Yeah, that looks pretty amazing!
What would the cost be for potential buyers?
Click to expand...
It is in working prototype stage now so I have not thought much about what it would cost for a completed unit. This whole thing started as a DIY/Kit project idea but has gone WAY past that initial thought. Cost of parts was not really a consideration as I just wanted the best parts I could get...therefore no concessions were made for quality of parts or cost. The enclosure is 3D printed with carbon fiber PLA which works fine for me; although extremely durable, I do not consider a carbon fiber/plastic enclosure road worthy. I would have to have enough interest to do additional research into having metal enclosures manufactured before I could narrow down an exact price but it would be in the price point area of existing similar units.
 
ed515 said:
I am creating this new thread because I no longer consider this a DIY project due to the complicated nature of the build, and many of the original specs have changed. I have spent the last seven months and more $$$ than I have kept track of designing and iterating the advancement of a reliable PCB and hardware solution to support a MIDI based foot controller technologically above and beyond anything else currently available. If I only make one for myself...it will still be well worth it. However the greater good is always in my sights and if this technology can benefit others and if there is enough interest I can build out a batch of these systems. Firmware is currently in rapid development,

Hardware Specs:
32 bit micro-controller running at 120Mhz
Dedicated second micro-controller to handle the button events
SD Card slot for firmware updates and data storage
21 Foot switches
21 Color TFT displays
7" Touch screen display
On board SPI Flash 80Mb x 2; one of which is accessible over USB
USB port
Midi In/Thru/Midi Out
4 expression pedal inputs
WiFi enabled

There are poor images which do not do justice. More to come!
Click to expand...
That's a lovely bit o' work, @ed515 ! And it highlights the enhanced readability of light characters against a dark background. Compare "Scene 3" to "Scene 4." The "Scene 4" text just jumps out at you. Though it's cool how you used that reversed color scheme to indicate the current scene.
 
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Now that the foundation is stable....im open to crowd sourcing ideas for the UIX(appearance and functionality) With simple firmware updates.
 
If you can beat the Gordius Little Giant with a version of similar size to theirs, you’ve got my attention. They stopped making theirs and I need to think long term but no one has come anywhere close to the LG in terms of capability/footprint ratio.
 
For this project
solo-act said:
If you can beat the Gordius Little Giant with a version of similar size to theirs, you’ve got my attention. They stopped making theirs and I need to think long term but no one has come anywhere close to the LG in terms of capability/footprint ratio.
Click to expand...
For this project size considerations were completely thrown out the window in favor of many readable screens and ease of use.

A version similar in size and layout to a gordius could be another project based off the same mainboard if there is enough interest.
 
Sweet! What are the dimensions? One row fewer would be ideal for me, but obviously different people have different size and button requirements.
 
Just curious about what the vertical and horizontal spacing of the buttons are?

That is a big area of concern for a lot of players, especially those with big feet and when you have more than 2 rows of switches.

I think the spacing on the FCs is really good. The MFC was not as good, and the Ground Control Pro was also prone to mis-steps.

You have some space at the top right. Have you considered adding some "expression knobs" there? I bet you could fit 3 nicely.
 
ed515 said:
A version similar in size and layout to a gordius could be another project based off the same mainboard if there is enough interest.
Click to expand...
Thanks! You have modular hardware that seems to be reconfigure-friendly. What would the dimensions be if you removed the bottom row and one column?

The Pedaltrain Classic 2 is a good representation of a popular compact pedalboard & hard case dimension.
https://pedaltrain.com/collections/classic/products/pt-cl2-tc IMO, a highly capable midi board compact enough to fit with 2 expression pedals in a PT2 footprint is useful for players wanting portable/light rigs. But most sacrifice functionality, which is why I ended up with the LG.

The benefits of being compact and inconspicuous extend beyond portability. This gig in a suite for CEO of a fast food company paid $500 for 1 hour. Incognito was the way to go and that gig alone justified the cost of an LG.
Screen Shot 2020-01-04 at 11.32.42 AM.png...or in a teepee for global hotel executives. Screen Shot 2020-01-04 at 11.43.23 AM.png

The same rig works in a large high-pressure scenario. I could drag a big pedalboard around, but if I can do the job with an elegant/light/compact rig that has massive capability, I'll do it.
Screen Shot 2020-01-04 at 11.45.47 AM.png

That said, a problem I've seen is people don't express interest in something they don't know is possible, so I'm guessing you won't get much unsolicited interest for a compact version. Even if a compact version is possible, everyone wants it to be plug and play, or have a "low friction" user interface that requires little effort to configure their rig. Editor interface design can solve that, but in general players may not perceive it's possible so again, you may not hear much interest as a result. Kind of like Steve Jobs said, people don't know they need something until you show it to them.
 
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unix-guy said:
Just curious about what the vertical and horizontal spacing of the buttons are?

That is a big area of concern for a lot of players, especially those with big feet and when you have more than 2 rows of switches.

I think the spacing on the FCs is really good. The MFC was not as good, and the Ground Control Pro was also prone to mis-steps.

You have some space at the top right. Have you considered adding some "expression knobs" there? I bet you could fit 3 nicely.
Click to expand...
WIth a touch screen knobs or sliders can be created for whatever or however many you want.
 
solo-act said:
Thanks! You have modular hardware that seems to be reconfigure-friendly. What would the dimensions be if you removed the bottom row and one column?

The Pedaltrain Classic 2 is a good representation of a popular compact pedalboard & hard case dimension.
https://pedaltrain.com/collections/classic/products/pt-cl2-tc IMO, a highly capable midi board compact enough to fit with 2 expression pedals in a PT2 footprint is useful for players wanting portable/light rigs. But most sacrifice functionality, which is why I ended up with the LG.

The benefits of being compact and inconspicuous extend beyond portability. This gig in a suite for CEO of a fast food company paid $500 for 1 hour. Incognito was the way to go and that gig along justified the cost of an LG.
View attachment 61847...or in a teepee for global hotel executives. View attachment 61848

The same rig works in a large high-pressure scenario. I could drag a big pedalboard around, but if I can do the job with an elegant/light/compact rig that has massive capability, I'll do it.
View attachment 61849

That said, a big problem I've seen regarding product interest/demand is people don't express interest in something they don't know is possible, so I'm guessing you won't get much unsolicited interest for a compact version. Even if a compact version is possible, everyone wants it to be plug and play, or have a "low friction" user interface that requires little effort to configure their rig. Editor interface design can solve that, but in general players may not perceive it's possible so again, you may not hear much interest as a result. Kind of like Steve Jobs said, people don't know they need something until you show it to them.
Click to expand...
Ill admit...I'm kind of stuck in option paralysis since this could go so many directions...i am focused on the hardware aspect...but the firmware is still open although I do need one of these for myself as an AXE III controller...that will probably be my initial focus. This could also be an open hardware platform for an open source community to do with as they please.
 
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