Arcade buttons for foot controller

[spazmatron]

I'm in the process of making a foot controller with a lot of buttons for triggering clips in Ableton.  I've searched and searched for the appropriate buttons.  I'm going to have around 100 or so buttons, so I have to balance cost with function.

I was considering arcade buttons.  Does anyone have any thoughts on this?  I'm not going to be stomping on them, just tapping them.  I know Smash has arcade experience, since he's not a very busy guy, maybe he could respond on this. (just kidding about the "not busy part"!)

If this will work, what should I look for in an arcade button? (brand,etc.)

Thanks for your thoughts

[MRE]

I have a lot of experiance with arcade buttons.

The best ones to go for are the classic arcade ones. 1 inch round colored plastic.

The clear illuminated buttons have a tendency to crack quickly.

As for price, you are SOL there, as they are not really cheap. Sometimes you can get bulk buttons but for the most part, they are a few bucks a piece. At a hundred buttons, thats going to get expensive FAST.

I dont really see why you would need one hundred buttons on a foot controller, so I am assuming you ment 10?  ;)

Anyway, these are the toughest buttons I have worked with:

http://www.happcontrols.com/pushbuttons/5896xxl.htm

Happs full selection of buttons is here:

http://www.happcontrols.com/pushbuttons/pushbuttons.htm

Like I said, the clear caps on the illuminated ones (some of them are colored) tend to crack.. but if you are nice to them they should last a while. Obviously, the large dome ones are the most susceptable to cracking.

[docbrown]

Get them in bulk, like this ones: http://www.x-arcade.com/arcade_buttons.shtml

They include the buttons and the microswitches..

Hope this helps.. ;)

[smashtv]

Hi guys

Coin op buttons can be decent for cheap floor switches, but beware that if they drink a soda they like to bind and stick.  Most can be completely disassembled for cleaning though.  ;)

Best

Smash

[MRE]

they dont handle beer much either.

hah!

[spazmatron]

Thanks for the help guys.  I was looking at the X-Arcade buttons at 20 for $20.  I like the Happ buttons because of the domed tops and the different colors, but they also cost about twice as much.  Yes I really want about 100 or so.  This could mean a difference of $100 or more for the Happ buttons.  Does anyone know how the cheaper buttons compare?  I would rather spend $200 once, than spend $100 just to turn around and spend $200 anyway because my cheaper buttons broke. However if they'll work, the X-arcade buttons would difinitely fit my budget better.

Oh and all of my electronics are on a strict diet of brown ales and cheesecake.

Thanks again for the advice.

[Sinnsyk]

Why would you want 100 buttons in the first place? If you use ableton, there are many ways to trigger clips, and a 100 button solution aint the best option ;) try an encoder and 10 channel buttons, that should work perfect. You can control up to 10 channels and with the encoder you browse the one you need...

[stryd_one]

You might need pretty nimble toes for the encoder on a footswitch ;)

Still, you could have patch shift buttons... One Up, One Down, Five Up, Five Down, etc.... Four buttons could save a lot of others.

If it's going to be a foot controller then the buttons need to be as far apart as your foot is wide, with a bit of room to spare, so 100 of those would be a controller so wide you'd have to take a walk to get to the other end. Not sure how you plan on working that? Maybe it's for more than one person?

[Sinnsyk]

Stryd_one has a point. Perhaps it's a floorboard for an entire orgestra?  ;)

How about, 2 x 5 buttons, and at the most right or lef, 2 buttons for clip up-down. I don't know how fast you need to trigger clips and if you a monitor to see the clip u are triggering, but this could work.

In ableton you can tell your clips to select the next one you need, to trigger that one. Perhaps that's an idea. I don't know how you trigger them. Perhaps, if you explain, someone can tell you the best solution or at least help with it.

As stryd_one said, 100 buttons will need a HUGE case, much money, lot's of soldering, more than 1 core, etc etc etc. So, not the best option  :P

[docbrown]

Does anyone know how the cheaper buttons compare?  I would rather spend $200 once, than spend $100 just to turn around and spend $200 anyway because my cheaper buttons broke. However if they'll work, the X-arcade buttons would difinitely fit my budget better.

The buttons that I have used so far from X-arcade is still working. But then again, I hardly use my Street Fighter game that much anymore :(  Since my new thing now is MIDIBOX stuff ;D

[MRE]

mechanically they are the same as any others, so I would guess that they are just as tough.. Its only a matter of no color choices.

They got them in huge bulks and can thus make the price low, dont think it has anything to do with quality really.

A rotory encoder could be turned on its side, and rather large.. placed on the side of the box and perhaps made from a 4 or 5 inch wheel, so as to be rolled with the foot.