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MB-SEQ V3/V4 Control Surface PCB and matching case


Wilba

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Wilba remember that i can get Retex cases with only 5% VAT when i am in the Canary Islands, dunno if it is worth with the shipping ... tell me if i should get some infos..

Retex do make some nice rack-mountable enclosures, but nothing that suits a desktop version.

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This thread is turning into a bit of a blog, so people can just post whatever comments they like from now on (even if it's not specific to arranging a bulk order of cases).

For people who are interested, I've got quotes from Protocase for the case - they make great cases, and are willing to help design and produce a custom case, and the 50+ quantity quote is excellent - $103 each! However, that price is excluding setup costs. The cost of making the prototype is $425, plus total setup costs of $250, so $675 just for the prototype.

So... if there are 50 orders for the same case after they've seen the prototype, then I would ask that these orders include a $10 contribution towards the cost to make the prototype and the setup fees... people pay $113 each to reduce my prototype's cost from $675 to $175 and so I get to benefit from the bulk order retroactively  ;D

These figures are rough estimates... the cost of the case might increase a little bit because I haven't included the mounting L-bracket for the ports at the back... and there's shipping to consider too. I'm thinking the best way to distribute these cases is to split the order into three shipments to people willing to distribute them within their geographical region - i.e. one for U.S./Canada, one for Europe and one for Australia/New Zealand/Asia.

PCBs are a lot cheaper and easier to ship - I see no reason why I can't run a bulk order for these, pack and ship them flat like the MB-6582 PCBs, at a very cheap shipping price (like ~$6 worldwide). I don't have quotes yet but I'm guessing around $40-$50 each.

I know talking about all this is a bit of a tease, but I decided recently that opening the idea up for discussion now is better than waiting. People can see what's happening and there will be more time for people to see this thread and decide they're interested, so by the time the prototype is finished, there might already be enough people ready to join a bulk order for the case, PCB and other parts. The whole MB-6582 phenomenon sort of took me by surprise and while bulk orders for the parts were well organised, the timing of them sort of sucked... in retrospect, there was no reason we couldn't have arranged bulk orders for encoders, knobs, switches, LCDs, PT-10 cases and panels at the same time as the PCBs.

So I should make clear now:

SmashTV has absolutely nothing to do with this MB-SEQ project - Do not expect him to be stocking MB-SEQ CS PCBs/parts kits, or ultracore PCBs/parts kits now or in the future. At most, he might be generous and sell you MIDIbox module kits without PCBs. Any PM or email to SmashTV relating to this project will result in being banned for any and all bulk orders associated with this project.

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I would certainly be interested in the possibility of a bulk order for the control surface PCB. Seeing as how you've mentioned that the PCB was originally designed with a 3U rack in mind (and similar to TK's control surface design), is it safe to assume that a design using the PCB in a rack mount enclosure could utilize the same Schaeffer files as TK provides (aside from the additional button row of course) or would other less obvious modifications need to be made to accomodate the PCB?

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...then I would ask that these orders include a $10 contribution towards the cost to make the prototype and the setup fees... people pay $113 each to reduce my prototype's cost from $675 to $175 and so I get to benefit from the bulk order retroactively  ;D

...

yo, sounds great!  but i think we should pay enough to cover the proto completely...

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Wilba, I know you didn't want this thread to turn into a design committee, but I thought I'd throw this out there. Since there will soon be nice USB modules available would there be enough room to include this in your current design? USB connectivity would be a really nice addition to the sequencer imho.

Thanks,

Luke

edit: also, I would like to be put on the list for two including the enclosure, instead of one.

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Hey wilba! I also know you didn't want this thread to turn into a design committee, but what about lasers will it have those??? How about a built in toaster? Oh I know, how about a button that will make it play itself. Actually I jest. Please dont become the SEQ nazi and ban me for a year ;)

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Wilba, I know you didn't want this thread to turn into a design committee, but I thought I'd throw this out there. Since there will soon be nice USB modules available would there be enough room to include this in your current design? USB connectivity would be a really nice addition to the sequencer imho.

It has crossed my mind to do this, but I thought it wasn't that useful a feature. What advantages are there in having the USB MIDI module built-in?

There's already going to be 10 MIDI sockets at the back (for 5 MIDI In, 5 MIDI Out) so it matches what the ultracore can do. I'm laying out a PCB for just the ports and I guess it's possible to add a USB socket which you could connect to the GM5 module, but then what?  Do you wire the USB MIDI module in parallel with the MIDI In/Out sockets going into the ultracore? Surely the most flexible solution would be to just put the GM5 module in its own separate box and connect this to the MB-SEQ via the MIDI In/Out sockets, that way it could be used to drive other MIDI devices as well.

The other alternative is using the "expansion port" at the back (I'll stick in a DB25 connector) so you can expose whatever other internals you like through that connector - i.e. connections to a USB socket, connections to the AOUT header on the Core, etc. You can hack and splice whatever cables and sockets you like without having to complicate the rear panel's cutouts, or force people to buy sockets just to fill empty holes, etc. (OK, I'm forcing people to do this with a DB25 connector, but they're cheap and easy to find).

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That's a very clever idea!

Yeah, but I can't take credit for it, I stole the idea from this guy's MIDIbox ;)

481496473_e495a4b824.jpg

This "expansion port" is essential - how else are you going to connect the 64 Button/Duo-LED extension? ;)

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The other alternative is using the "expansion port" at the back (I'll stick in a DB25 connector) so you can expose whatever other internals you like through that connector - i.e. connections to a USB socket, connections to the AOUT header on the Core, etc.

I think this is the best solution. Stryde for me I simply do not like sequencing midi on a computer. Although I do like to process midi in Reaktor. So for me with the controllers I use it would save me from taking another midi interface with me, but the more I think about it the more I realize that it's a pretty personal/specific use case. So the expansion port is perfect.

Luke

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