Sasha

Damn it. Last time I checked the pots and grayhill stock was pretty low too. So, we might be missing even more parts again. It really is neverending story.

Great project! Congratulations! Are you planning to support LCD? I know there are already LCD plugins but they are missing playlist browsing. It would bee cool if you can integrate LCD in your project so using monitor would not be necessary. Very useful for music servers or PC based mp3 players people build in their cars. :)

Looking good! ;)

This is just insane. Was is because it is challange for you to use vero or what? All congratulations!

Don`t you worry. I don`t think anybody thought you`ll runaway. :) You already did a good job with those LCDs, and I`m sure you are respectable ;)

Maaan... that is beautiful work!!! :D ...so many configuration possibilities! 8) Thank you very much for this great work.

Not sure what you mean... How do you position it for soldering? Do you have some picture? It is pretty easy to align pins to plastic holder and just slide pins trough hole. Once it`s soldered, plastic can be removed, but there is no point doing it.

After I etch the PCBs I always wash it with abrasive detergent, but this time I had one extra step. I used PCB protective spray - Plastik 70, and I love it! :) It is fairly inexpensive and can even be soldered trough it as solder melt the spray on soldering spot. I will use it from now on for all my DIY PCBs ;)

No, I didn`t removed it. You can clearly see it on this image.

Thanks, but I don`t post work in progress pics on flikr anymore as I don`t have pro account. I already delete some photos to free some space. :(

Soldering headers backwards was great discovery for me! I`m not sure from whom I stole that idea, but it is great. :)

Thank you.

Here are some news... I soldered all pots. I tried to do it as best and neat as I can mostly inspired by LX work. I can say, it really pays off. It is not just aesthetics, it is very easy to see what goes where. At the end of the flat cable i put DIL connectors so I muct use one of those beautiful smashTV PCBs. I just need to find a way to get those. ::) I put 2nd level sub-panel over the pots for extra strength and to support the modules. I`m planing to stack 2 modules which will add a little more hight but will free alot of room for other modules and hopefully midi mixer too. It is always a challenge to have all the controls in same level on top panel so it takes alot of sub leveling. Planing this is worst part of designing for me. Only to get pots and encoder knobs aligned at top and to hide bolts I needed to add encoder sub-panel so if I run screw from common hole I`m creating leveling problem on other places. So, I needed to create acrylic spacers, glue the regular spacers and also glue the small washer at top to fine tune it for button PCBs. It is alot of extra work, but there was no way to solve the problem other way. OK, If I did bit more testing I can avoid using those washers and make illuminated buttons 0.5mm higher but there is a 20 % tolerance on acrylic thickness so I could ended using those washers anyway. More multi leveling... ::) This is the buttons PCB and LEDs in place. Caps will be mounted just before mounting to the panel. These LEDs are just great... 4.8mm high, bright wide angle... perfect for my buttons. But wide angle created another problem to my dense packed buttons - light leaking. I will probably be forced to create light blockades and maybe even painted sub-panel black because of this.

Richest always pay last. ;D

Shouldn`t this batch be finished by 20.04. Or I mixed something? What is current batch status?

I also said the subpanel need to be made out of 2mm acrylic. That want reach the components (pots and buttons) and when needed (around wave switch) I left proper square opening. Overall thinkness is 3.5mm. If you browse some x0x pics on ladyada website you will see there is plenty of space between PCB and panel.

I already said... subpanel want increase the panel hight as it will be bit smaller than panel. At least that is the idea. I`m 90% sure it will be no problem with it.

As I said before, I will probably offer custom buttons for x0x once I finish everything and when I can test the assembly. They must be different from these to match x0x specific construction.

I`m able. But, until now I didn`t do it for profit and I cannot do that way anymore. I don`t have my own laser, nor enough material to do it on demand, so getting it done takes quite some effort, not to mention craziest custom control in the whole world and all those special declarations I need to provide just to ship it to people. But, if you really like to have some special buttons and you are willing to pay for it, than I can do it for some profit.

No, it`s wasn`t teasing. I just find your examples ugly, and posted these as they have more in common to the subject than "M" and rising star ;D Well, I don`t even know which revision of illuminated buttons it is, but I can say I`m very satisfied now both with it`s look and esppecially with its lego-like asembling. Very fast and easy to make. No need to glue it to the button as it sits right on top of the 6x6 button. :)

Kart, here are some better examples 8) Well, it is not Rowmark, but local company acrylic. These buttons are pretty row... not even cleaned well. I just give it a quick paint fill and took this pics.

All their materials are mat so they looks good in dark or in light. I used their Texture material. It is extremely durable plastics for outdoor use. Other materials seams pretty durable too. They also have brushed aluminum emulation that looks pretty good too. You can check the http://www.rowmark.com/ for more info.

I have visited Rowmark meterial suplier and my laserman yesterday. Unfortunately, none of Rowmark materials are suitable for panel as they are to flexible. I was hoping some other type will be less flexible but all seams the same. But there is a solution. We can make sandwich out of Rowmark lasercut/engaved panel and 2mm acrylic subpanel. When glued together they will be strong enough. Subpanel need to be bit smaller so panel want stick out of the case! Rowmark laserable materials are coming in various colors, so few colour/texture options might be possible. I already prepared the subpanel drawing, and I`ll go to laserman soon again to make one sandwich and test this idea. After it I will know the exact price. He offered me to get all the material trough his company so It will make things easier for me as Rowmark supplier sells only to business accounts.

I never built one but that don`t sounds healthy to me. :-\

Improvement is always good excuse. ;) Good luck!