Anyone designed a PCB for a midi controller / mixer channel strip?

[intellijel]

My quest to find a digital mixer that has analog style interface (e.g. lot's of knobs for eq and aux sends) that can be used as a midi controller is not turning up any good options.

So the next step is to build my own with ucapps stuff. I think the smartest way to do this is to design a midi controller channel strip onto a PCB that would be vertically mounted. This would mean that all the pushbuttons, pots and fader would be right angled but then they could all be on one pcb and their heights adjusted properly to fit with the front panel.

The design probably work with a Midibox 64 configuration with a certain number of pcb modules (channels) supported per midbox core.

Maybe it would be good to have three separate pcbs:

1. channel strip (looks like a mixer:  fader, mute/solo, 4 pots for eq with sweepable mid, 1 pot pan, 2 aux sends). This would total 8 pots so a single midibox core would support 8 channels of this module. It would also be good to have some DAW controls too like a launch/stop clip button for ableton users.`

2. synth control strip (mixture of knobs and buttons and status leds but still a volume fader, mute/solo buttons.

3. master section strip (for aux returns etc.) This could possibly be the synth strip as well.

Users can make their own master volume pot or any other additional controls.

If the pcbs are designed to be connected with ribbon connectors and possibly have the DIN/AIN/DOUT modules integrated into them then the build time for these would be very quick.

I don't think these would be too complicated to do but I do not have any experience making PCBs. Has anyone already built something like this that is ready to go? (i.e. willing to share their pcb designs so I can get some boards made)

Something we could collaborate on as a group to get bulk pricing for the pcbs?

[lylehaze]

I'm not sure if you are designing a mixer or a control surface.

I believe the MB64 or 64E would lend itself well to the control surface, and you could configure that to match any digital mixer you like, as long as it accepts MIDI messages.

If you are actually designing a digital mixer, I think that pic chips are probably a bit underpowered for the job.

Some fool around here was talking about designing a solid state analog mixer with digital controls and no pots or mechanical parts. I believe he went insane before the project was finished.

Circuit board design is something that a lot of us have learned around here. I'm not the best, but I have managed to get a few working designs out. Many people start with the free version of Eagle.Eagle is only free as long as the board is small, no more than two layers, and it's not for profit. Others use.. umm, protel, I think (I'm not sure).

Have Fun,

LyleHaze

[stryd_one]

Many people start with the free version of Eagle.Eagle is only free as long as the board is small, no more than two layers, and it's not for profit. Others use.. umm,

... Kicad ;)

[nILS]

...Protel/Altium Designer, Pads, Diptrace (comes with a freeware version as well), Osmond PCB (mac only iirc), Rimu PCB,...

[intellijel]

I should clarify that yes indeed I am trying to design midi controller modules not an actual mixer. I just want the layout to look like a mixer.

The mb64 is definitely what I would expect to use for the brains per limited set of modules (e.g. one core supports a max of 4 modules).

[lylehaze]

I'd say the most difficult part would be choosing the parts..

When you build a panel, you get to wire everything as needed back to the modules. If you want to use a PCB for that, you run the risk of making the PCBs useless if one of the parts you use becomes unavailable.

Including DIN and DOUTs should be workable, many here have done the same for their projects.

On the bright side, it's easier now than ever to get high quality PCBs made for a hobbyists budget.

Do you plan on building a prototype first to make sure you have the features and wiring all worked out before committing to circuit boards?

Have Fun,

LyleHaze

[matoz]

Hello,

A friend of me have done this soft to draw PCB: http://www.midibox.org/forum/index.php/topic,13099.msg111857.html#msg111857

regards

[stryd_one]

...Protel/Altium Designer

Even more expensive than eagle  :( The only people using it around here are thieves (yes, I'm talkin to you, hypocrite!).

I don't know anyone around here using any of the following... Or do you use them all, nilly? (It wouldn't surprise me with teh amount of boards you push out!)

Pads

Win only, crippleware 'eval' version, and just when I thought crippleware couldn't get worse...... they ask for personal details before you can get it.

Diptrace (comes with a freeware version as well)

Win only, and that's not freeware, it's shareware, no matter what the page says - freeware is not time limited to 30 days.

Osmond PCB (mac only iirc).

Mac only, crippleware.

Rimu PCB,...

Win only, crippleware... but the full version is cheap.

Seeing a pattern? :D

There are lots of good reasons I bump kicad so often though... I was just listing the one I use;

gEDA is also very well featured and free (as in, really free, not some other crap that calls itself free) and there are a few more that are fully free... I tried them all (and even the ones that are nonfree) fairly extensively before settling on kicad. I used to use protel (now altium) at an old job and love it to bits, and eagle is really nice too... It's like trying to choose your favourite flavour of icecream... Maybe that's why you chose them all, nils? :D

[nILS]

Erm no. I just listed some options to consider.

[nILS]

Oh and btw:

Win only, and that's not freeware, it's shareware, no matter what the page says - freeware is not time limited to 30 days.

You're wrong. There is a freeware version. The 30-day version is a test version of the full featured version.

[stryd_one]

Sorry that was a lotta pages to visit, I guess I mangled the info :)

Anyway, it's still not freeware, it's crippleware:

DipTrace 2.0 Freeware

All programs and all libraries. 250 pins limit, non-profit use only.

Edit: At least it fits the pattern now :D