It started like this quite long ago.
And, after months of regular juggling and struggling here is the result..
More details, bigger view and mouse over notes at my flickr page:
All comments and suggestions are welcome. Thank you.
Great layout…like all your fascinating projects 
Best Regards
Thanks. I would like to see my projects getting done, already.
Sometimes, I have feeling I just draw all the time. But more I draw less I work by hands. I guess. ;D
nice layout Sasha.
are those Halo Rings I see around the buttons and encoders/pots?
Thanks David. Not sure what is Halo rings but white circles are acrylic subpanel that holds pots. I would like to illuminate it if I have time to do it. It takes time if you want to do it right (not like Korg Zero! …beter) If not it still looks better than just plane black panel.
hi sasa
err it really pays off to do some art work (which i haven t done) amazing stuff. I was dropping by cause i ve read your blog on flickr and just wanted to warn you to check before hand connectivity issues with a usb sound card connected with a usb midi stream throguh a hub.Try to get a quality hub not the cheap stuff, multichannel soundcards need quite a bit of usb bandwidth and i had some problems with cheapo hubs, especially on windoz like dropsout and even disconnection.
cheers
simone
Thank you for warning me Simone. I bought USB 2 hub, so using few USB 1 devices with it shouldnt be a problem. Maya44 is USB 1 and USB MIDI interface is also v1. Anyway, I will try it extensively before integration, but I can always buy better hub. The one I bought wasnt cheapest but all I found seams pretty cheap. Up to 10EUR.
like it sasha it is your usual high standard
Sasha that is very nice indeed, and ive never seen a controller so dedicated to ableton before.
Do commercial controllers like this exist?
I honestly never seen one so suited to ableton.
Jeez man, better license the design if thats the case, i could easily see a company cloning it.
Thank you both. 
Do commercial controllers like this exist?
Unfortunately, they don`t. Big, serious manufacturers obviously dont want to design so dedicated controller for only one software as not all using Live, or Traktor. Making it universal they take widest target group and only specialization for specific software are lexan layouts.
Jeez man, better license the design if thats the case, i could easily see a company cloning it.
Let they steel it. If I am manufacturer I would take all precautions steps, but as a DIYer it makes not much sense. Maybe one day some of them sees my potentials and employ me. I like to think tat way
well first of all, great controller i actually would like to have if you interested to make kits or something ;D ;D
second, the LCD display is great choice ;D ;D
and, from my own POV, LEDs showing sounding volume of each channel should be moved closer to the buttons of these channels. Now, they are close to opposite channel buttons, altrough vertical lines separating each channel is coming straight down on them to intensify (can’t find the correct word : their dedication. i think this situation is confusing.
i assume this is tabletop version, and i’d love to see some typography on faceplate describing what kind of creature we’re upon to. ableton-custom–turbo-controller-live with signature of the name :
ive never seen a controller so dedicated to ableton before. Do commercial controllers like this exist?
Yes, one new controller exist and will be available next June for about 700$. The Vestax VCM-600.
http://www.djdeals.com/vestaxVCM600.htm
Pretty nice indeed but no encoder !!
well first of all, great controller i actually would like to have if you interested to make kits or something
Thank you Vlad. I could offer construction kit but I dont have plan to make all in one Wilbabeast style controller.
and, from my own POV, LEDs showing sounding volume of each channel should be moved closer to the buttons of these channels.
LED bars have nothing to do with buttons, if they are VU meters it could make sense.
Let me explain… You see, I`m right handed, and when I operate fader I cover the button area, where you wanted to put LED bar, with my hand so it is completely unuseful.
Ergonomics is most important factor of my every design. Having the LED bar left by the fader is very important and logical as it shows actual fader position in software and fader itsef is “snap to” and it want always be in same position as LED bar. So, having both LED bar and fader visible is very important.
After alot of combinations I found this placement very useful.
altrough vertical lines separating each channel is coming straight down on them to intensify (can’t find the correct word Roll Eyes their dedication. i think this situation is confusing.
I wouldnt say confusing, but they are definetelly braking the separation. I did few designs with a line left from the LED bar but I decided this simpler look I like more. You know, Im strugling with my military straight, perfectly symmetrical designing. I think I make this controler looks straight enough and just a bit freestlyle in same time.
i assume this is tabletop version
Yes, I never design rack units. They simple dont fit me.
i’m curious why you try to make it that ultra-compact. i have to admit that when i first started my live controller projects i tended to pack everything on a very small space, but now things have dramatically changed.
i mean - it depends ond what music you are playing - but anyway i cannot believe that it will be comfortable to use such a knob packed space. and i could i magine that it’s nearly impossible to quickly use a send to some delay and turn it back down in one move…
at the moment i have 3cm space betwenn my knobs in every direction. and still (okay i have 1cm knobs so they are quite big) it seems it would be nice to have a bit more space.
i’m curious why you try to make it that ultra-compact.
First, I wouldn`t say it is ultra-compact. The dimensions are 563x253.
The reason for compacting is very simple. I live in shitty country where I cannot afford to buy myself a car. So, I think… if I need to drag some gear with me, I better make it compact. Music is my hoby, I`m not famous musician nor DJ who is earning money out of it and who has payed transportation expenses.
i mean - it depends ond what music you are playing - but anyway i cannot believe that it will be comfortable to use such a knob packed space. and i could i magine that it’s nearly impossible to quickly use a send to some delay and turn it back down in one move…
I printed out this mockup file and put on top knob samples Prof sent me, and I can say it is not unconformable as it looks. The knobs (Re`an P670) are 11.5mm in diameter and just skirt is 16mm, so they have 15mm clearance around each knob. I find it pretty good. My fingers are really not that fat.
I have studied your pictures and really like your design, my compliments!
I can see why some people think you’ve got little space around the pots. I do agree a litlle with them. But I guess, you will get used to it in no time. The intuitive layout makes working with this controller really efficient.
The knobs I’m using are 20 mm in diameter and have a clearance of + 20 mm. So you can imagine I would strike it as a bit narrow
I am really interested in the progress of your project!
I have studied your pictures and really like your design, my compliments!
Thank you Rob
I can see why some people think you’ve got little space around the pots. I do agree a little with them. But I guess, you will get used to it in no time. The intuitive layout makes working with this controller really efficient.
I think it is intuitive too, but my intuition might differs from others.
The reason for thinking there is not much space must be increased by optical illusion that is created by knob skirt.
I feel so stupid! :-[
After reading what Cimo said in this post http://www.midibox.org/forum/index.php/topic,10465.msg79256.html#msg79256
I realized my long and detailed planing, drawing and making few test PCBs are wrong.
I tested group function just with few encoders and not with buttons and I thought buttons are also affected by groups. So my bottom row of very important multi function buttons is useless now. :( Its Ableton Live function meant to be changed by rightmost (group select) buttons “C” and “D”
So, If I use those A/B/C/D buttons to change MIDI channel instead of bank, as Cimo sugested as a workaround, will it effect MIDI channel change of current group or no matter what group is selected. I`m little bit confused with that meta event.
Having buttons organized in some kind of groups is more important to me than having grouped encoders as I already have dedicated pots for important controls.
All suggestions very much appreciated. Thank you.
As you can see in that topic, I’m kinda searching for the same thing too. I would like to have the buttons on the encoders grouped together with the encoders. I don’t know how to make a workaround yet..
But is it possible to shift the midi channel af a selected range of buttons using a bank shift command? so in this bank ald your dedicated control ( pots and faders) are all on channel 1 for instance and the other control on a different channel?
hey
it s not always so nice to be proved right!
just a hint or two: in my box i decided to mount a MBLC and MB64E that gives me a bit of more flexibility, and the automapping of the LC will ease the whole setting process.
A 2 cores solution could be useful in your case cause you could assign 1 core to the “fixed” parameters: start, stop, lcd, fixed function buttons, etc and another core to the “banked” parameter where you could use the midi channel swapping
Best thing would be coding your own app in C but i see your box is quite sophisticated and it could take a bit to do that.
EDIT: to make it clear: in a MB64E the group function affects only the encoders, the Meta event to change the channel will affect the whole box.
In a MBLC you have a GPC mode to have all controls sending normal MIDI data and a 2 layers function to double all the buttons/encoders
simone