Finished MB_NG / Mackie Control Clone

MIDIbox NG
1

Hi,

 

I´d like to present my newest built. Today I finished a preliminary *.NGC file to get it to work like I want it to, so I´m officially announcing it finished  :sorcerer: .

 

This is supposed to act as a Mackie Control Clone, but I tried to keep the designation of the design as wide open as possible to use it for other purposes as well. There are still some issues I have to work out (mostly related to the SSD1306 displays), but as for now it´s usable as it is.

 

Here you go:

 

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It features:

 

9 Penny&Giles motorfaders (8 track faders + 1 master fader)

14 Encoders

2 jog dials with different caps (one with pimples and one with a finger hole)

70 multi-purpose buttons

18 SSD1306 displays

customised fonts and icons

 

Inside are:

 

1 LPC17 core

2 MF_NG modules

1 DOUT module

4 DIN modules

 

This Midibox is powered by a simple Wall adapter with 14V  2A.

 

I didn´t print any labels onto the front panel. There are some color-coded buttons for the most needed functions (track select + shift and modifier buttons).

The purpose of all other buttons can be indicated by a label printed on one of the SSD1306 displays. This ensures that I can change the function (and the apropriate label) of almost every button without worrying about any labels/indication leds/front panel positions.

 

The  frontpanel is made by Schaeffer, the case is made out of beech tree.

 

 

I will provide a more detailed documentation in the wiki soon.

 

 

Many thanks to TK and to the very helpful community, without which I would have never come this far.

 

 

my regards

2

now that is sexy.

 

These kind of project just make me eager again to start a project myself… Ohhh the time…

3

Hi, Thanks for the compliment.

 

Well, regarding the time… With all the “normal” everyday background (familiy, job,…), once I had all the parts, it took me about 4 weeks to put it together, another 2 months to fight bugs and mistakes I built in (I was a little too eager and impatient at the start…) and maybe another 2 months to create the necessary scripts (.ngc, .ngl and .ngr) and fonts/icons to get it to work like that.

Of course a lot more time went into the research of the Midibox concept, hardware and software knowledge and figuring out what I wanted in the first place. I´ve been around here for the last 6 years, that´s when I started to build my first cardboard midiboxes. I had to get a break when my lovely daughter was born to take care of more important issues, but from time to time I was sneaking away from that to continue my Midibox research.

 

Of course without that much in the background, on top of mine I was a college student until 3 months ago, I would say it doesn´t take more than 6 months to research the Theory and to build some simple boxes to experiment.

 

I think the hardest part in all this is to get started…

 

my regards

4

Where did you buy the ssd1306’s?

5

I got them on ebay from a chinese dealer for ~ 9$ a piece plus gratis shipment.

 

my regards

6

small update:

 

more pics are available on my wiki site now here.

7

Hi John,

 

Very nice build!!

I have my first 8 SSD1306 displays working. I am now ready to add 8 more off of J28. Could you please help me with a schematic of the shift register circuit?

 

 

Thanks in Advance

 

KUI

8

Hi KUI,

 

 

a schematic for one shift register can be found here. You could also use a regular DOUT module. Actually I recommend using a full DOUT module (4 shift registers). Because of a problem with my ssd1306 displays I was forced to skip every second shift register pin, so I have only 4 displays per shift register.

 

http://discourse.midibox.org/t/topic/17712

 

my regards

9

Hi John,

From the LPC17 core on j28 does SDA connect to S1 on the din module?

I assume MCLK goes to RC?

 

Thanks

 

KUI

10

The connections are:

 

j28 (lpc)       j1 (dout)

 

VS                VS

VD                VD

SDA             SO

SC               SC

WS              RC

 

MCLK is not connected. You can use the same kind of ribbon cable you use for DIN and DOUT modules at j8/9.

 

my regards

 

 

P.S.: Oh my… I just realised: In my last post I put in a link to a DIN shift register schematic, not a DOUT shift register schematic. I´m so sorry… :hmm: . I hope you didn´t waste a lot of time and resources because of that. I will correct that immediately.

Again, I´m terribly sorry.

11

It’s all good:)

 

KUI