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Building a full controller what would be the price?


dobz
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Hey guys,

I'm new here so go easy.

I'm interested in building from scratch a Controller for my DAW. I've built preamps and the like before so hopefully the building part wont be that bad. What i'm more interested in is the price.

I was wondering how much i should expect to pay to build a unit to these specs

33 faders 32 standard and 1 master.

Push buttons for solo, mute. Pan controls on every channel.

Display above every channel similar to what people are building for the Us-2400, something to display track name pan position and metering.

Controls on the side to change banks for the faders to control 64 channels in the DAW a play, pause, record button and maybe if possible a jog wheel or the like to move around in the DAW.

And if possible a plug in controller..

Cheers

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Hi and welcome,

please have a closer look at the ucapps site.

Then you'll have to decide which and how many MIDIboxes you'll need for your purpose.

After finding out this you can look to the single modules and count the prices.

I think, no one will do this homework for you.

To give you a step in the right direction:

(Depending on your host software...) you'll need :

- 4 x MIDIBox LC (to control 32 channels. Another one for a master fader)

greets

Doc

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Chris, welcome aboard. You see, you can use cheap buttons or expensive , or extra expensive. Same with faders, displays, enclosure, knobs. Modules itself are inexpensive, especially if you make your own. But If you are beginner i advise you to order some from SmashTV.

I can tell you it can easily cost more than 1000EUR but I think not much of us here payed more than few hundreds. If you want to build it to save some money than better chain few commercial motorized consoles. But if you have will, to make your own that satisfies your specific vision of perfect controller than start reading now. For start check the gallery to get some inspiration and see what people did by far and check the projects and you`ll know which suits you. If you have a problem just ask here on the forum, but as Doc said, no one will do homework for you.  ;) It is alot of info but things will start being clear to you eventually.  Good luck

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Cheers guys been slowly doing my research (only thought about doing this today).

I was originally looking at buying a second hand Tascam US-2400 but i think for the price i can build a unit thats twice the size with LCD's displays and better metering.

I run a small recording studio in Melbourne, Australis and working ITB can be a little boring so having a large DAW controller looks impressive for clients, and also helps me save time and energy.

After researching i think i will build a 40 fader unit with solo's mutes and and pan controls for each channel as well as all the added controls on the end.

I will let you know how i'm going over time and i'm sure I'll be asking for help a lot :)

It will be a slow build over the next few months as money becomes available. the one thing i will need to work out right now is how wide the unit will be as i'm also in the process of building a new studio desk that holds all my rack gear, monitors and patch bays....

Cheerios

Chris

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the one thing i will need to work out right now is how wide the unit will be as i'm also in the process of building a new studio desk that holds all my rack gear, monitors and patch bays....

... this is one thing that speaks for a custom made controller. Why should the fader space be 30, 35, 40mm?

About money:

Don't forget the price for Motorfaders: 33 x ~18€  :P

Machined FaderPanels: 3 to 4 (or more) x ~ 120 - 160€

In short: If you want a (almost) pro controller and want to safe money... forget it. As "Sasha" mentioned above: If you want YOUR controller... Good luck and have fun, it's a great place to spend time with thinking and pondering.

Greets, Roger

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Hi,

I was just interested in knowing if someone had done this build and after buying all the faders the casing etc. What there build cost came too.

Done it and even more. The costs are more than 1000EUR ;D

I didn't count it together (or maybe I'm just afraid of the result ...). It really depends on the used components and don't forget the frontpanel and the case ...

greets

Doc

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When i started with my MB64 box, i was concerned about the money.

Very soon i noticed that the build would take months, due to shipping times.

I live in Sweden and for me, ordering from Hongkong, America, Australia,

is cheaper. But then i have to wait up to 6 weeks!!!!, before receiving my order.

Also, sometimes the customs get a hold of my packages, and i have to pay fares. :'(

I decided that ordering all the parts over a few months, aint too bad.

The wallet gets..."refilled...by the end of every month :P

..suddently money weren't that important.

Don't give me wrong, i certainly try to get discounts on every order i make.

But sometimes i just know exactly what i want.

And if what i want is expensive, then it'll have to cost me.

Ordering from SmashTV was a real breeze for me.

All the prices are very very fair!

Remember, if the Midibox platform where a comercial project, then the prices would me much higher!!!

So the basic parts for whatever you're building wil be cheap in mine,

and probably many others opinion.

When it comes to the rest of it....

You said that you've built "preamps and the like" before, so you probably

allready have an idea' about what materials can cost.

The list can be very long or very short.

For me, the list has become looong.

What i love about all the MB projects is that they are modular like crazy.

I entered this world because of this fact: YOU can make a unit to YOU'R specifications.

YOU decide it's appearance and function! Isn't it lovely?  ;D

Even if it takes alot of time and money to build,

in the end, when you see your finished baby, fully working..

Doing everything you dreamed it would. Then it is definetly worth it.

"I love it when a plan comes together" - Hannibal fom The A-Team :P

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Very soon i noticed that the build would take months, due to shipping times.

I live in Sweden and for me, ordering from Hongkong, America, Australia,

is cheaper. But then i have to wait up to 6 weeks!!!!, before receiving my order.

Also, sometimes the customs get a hold of my packages, and i have to pay fares. :'(

I noticed much of western people rarely go out of your house for parts when building something. They often wait for few cheap parts, that every shop stocks, to appear at the door and keeping the project on hold just because of that. On one hand it is OK as you don`t lose the time hunting it, but for some cases it is better and quicker to go to real shopping and harvest what you need so you can have it built before postman arrives. Ordering cheaper parts China or elswere is OK, but waiting for few missing resistors to come from your favorite online shop so you can finish the project sounds strange to me. Is it laziness or way of living (from chair)?

I read on other forums people are ordering parts several times for one project from online shop because every time they realized some are not right or footprint or some other reason. I think it is hard to get from first all bits you need to make something.

If the pin spacing or packing is critical I take the PCB with me so I can test part it in shop. I manage to tour few shops and find right part, and find it easier than browsing the shop with parts with no picture and just datasheets for download.

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I noticed much of western people rarely go out of your house for parts when building something. They often wait for few cheap parts, that every shop stocks, to appear at the door and keeping the project on hold just because of that. On one hand it is OK as you don`t lose the time hunting it, but for some cases it is better and quicker to go to real shopping and harvest what you need so you can have it built before postman arrives. Ordering cheaper parts China or elswere is OK, but waiting for few missing resistors to come from your favorite online shop so you can finish the project sounds strange to me. Is it laziness or way of living (from chair)?

I read on other forums people are ordering parts several times for one project from online shop because every time they realized some are not right or footprint or some other reason. I think it is hard to get from first all bits you need to make something.

If the pin spacing or packing is critical I take the PCB with me so I can test part it in shop. I manage to tour few shops and find right part, and find it easier than browsing the shop with parts with no picture and just datasheets for download.

First of all, personally, im not lazy :)

In sweden electronic parts are EXPENSIVE.

HongKong provides much lower prices.

For instance. Ordering a 100 unit's of regular flip-switches in Sweden, from the biggest supplier,

would cost me about 164 U$D's, without shipping!!!.

When ordering the exact same switches from HongKong i got such a good price including shipping,

that 100 units cost me about 74 U$D's.

The price speaks for itself. :)

Testing parts in shops?

By my experience, i have never had the chance to test parts in a shop.

Not the same service system over here.

And iv'e never had to wait for a "few missing resistors".

When i started in the DIY buisness i made shure i had all the "basic electronic parts" at home.

I ordered BIG packs of resistors, 1% and 5%'s.

And if i run out, i'll just lift my arse from the chair and go buy em. ;)

Also, i live in a small town..

You have to keep in mind, Sweden is a very small country with a population of 9,1 million inhabitants.

The country is small, the demand for electronic components is smaller compared to America for instance.

In my town, there are no component supplier.

I have to go to the neighbouring town.

And that shop is even more expensive (small supplier).

Buying a 100 units of regular flip-switches would come down to about 246 U$D's

Catch my drift?..  :o

And lastly.

I cannot speak for other "westeners", but i certainly "go outside my house".

If i didn't, i wouldn't be able to go to work, meet my friends, party, eat and shop for grocerys....

you know...live my life.

Im sorry, but i couln't help to take your reply as a poke in my eye :)

<edit>

Of course i have to add, orders from HongKong might sometimes end up at customs.

But even if i have to pay fares, in the end the price is still lower, than ordering from domestic supplyers.

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For instance. Ordering a 100 unit's of regular flip-switches in Sweden, from the biggest supplier,

would cost me about 164 U$D's, without shipping!!!.

When ordering the exact same switches from HongKong i got such a good price including shipping,

that 100 units cost me about 74 U$D's.

The price speaks for itself. Smiley

Sure, that is what I said... "Ordering cheaper parts China or elswere is OK, but waiting for few missing resistors to come from your favorite online shop so you can finish the project sounds strange to me."

I cannot speak for other "westeners", but i certainly "go outside my house".

If i didn't, i wouldn't be able to go to work, meet my friends, party, eat and shop for grocerys....

you know...live my life.

:) I didn`t meant in general, i meant shopping for parts.

Im sorry, but i couln't help to take your reply as a poke in my eye Smiley

It has nothing to do with you.  I was curious, as I noticed that everything form a chair as a way of living for more, and more people and that is not very good. I`m not satisfied by time I spend going out myself but I`m trying.  ;)

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True, "chair living" is a fact nowadays, more and more people get caught in it.

Not a very good way to live life.

Problem is, it's too comfortable to order stuff in front of the computer.

And the fact that it's cheaper is a big issue.

When it comes to hunting for parts by the way..

Last week i saw this famlily moving.

I overheard them talking about throwing away an old organ.

They didn't have a place for it at their new location.

So i sneaked into the conversation, and got out of there with an old Hammond.

I have no idea what happened to it.

The circuitry was burned and it looked like scrap on the outside.

But after some salvaging a have 11 fully functional drawbars among other stuff :)

People throw away usefull stuff all the time.

Just have to know when and where ;)

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