selig wrote: ↑06 Nov 2017
Also maybe a numeric key pad would be handy if it can be incorporated into the Remote code - would be nice to be able to enter bar numbers for location etc. (if possible).
My plan was to have the USB device (the control surface) be composite--meaning it can look like multiple USB device types to the computer it's connected to, even though it's a single USB cable. In this situation I'd make it a USB-MIDI device
and a USB-HID (human interface device). HIDs look like keyboard or mice to the computer host. This should allow us to mix and match control surface elements (numeric keypad, single buttons for "save", etc)--especially when some will be sending MIDI or Remote messages, and others may simply be sending keyboard key commands.
selig wrote: ↑06 Nov 2017
OK, two things at work here:
1-Chassis size, which need to be able to handle the biggest module (EQ), and small enough to handle the total power requirements for your power supply.
2-module size, which needs to be able to fit into the chassis but also needs to accommodate your largest imagined control - in this case I would think it would be an LED ring (which I previously mentioned).
I look at knob size, button size, and LED ring size to determine the final size, as well as other console standards. I would not worry about a 64 channel console being too big - anyone wanting a 64 channel console will very likely have the space for such a behemoth! What's more important is ergonomics and the SSL form factor, which is 1.625 inches wide, with 13" wide buckets of 8 modules. So this throws a curve since that dimension is between the ones we've considered to date! I think it will be up to the parts we are able to source, especially encoders and especially LED rings, which need to be small enough to fit (obviously!) and may be the deciding factor in the end!
Totally agree. I mean, if we're going to move away from 500 series widths (which I'm totally okay with), then might as well adopt the SSL width. 13" wide for a bucket of 8 feels a lot better than 14" to me. I have not evaluated LED ring layouts yet, but they should fit alright. Some I found when I did just a
bit of searching are coming in at 1" wide max. At this size, you could likely stagger the controls like the dynamics section of the Reason mixer, with LED rings, within 1.625" I'd think.
selig wrote: ↑06 Nov 2017
Also, we need to factor in the faders, which probably need their own form factor. Assuming a 100mm (4") fader, plus Mute/Solo and Pan knobs, you'll need at least 6" if not 7", which is what you originally designed! SO maybe keep that size for faders? Not to mention a master section, which may be something that could fit in the fader section or in the main section.
Right! I mean, if we need to have two sizes of chassis (a 4u high and a 6u high), we can do it--it's just a much bigger hassle from a manufacturing, inventory, and logistics standpoint. I'd almost rather just settle on 6u and have a nice wrist-rest for the remaining units on the fader chassis.
Also, I was creepin' on the ALPS fader datasheets, and they require 10V for their motors. That kinda sucks, b/c it changes up the power supply issues even more. However, I think it's better to spec a higher voltage power supply and just use LDO regulators on the modules to get 3.3V or whatever--that will then allow for higher voltage requirement items to be supported within the system. You know, like OLEDs and LCDs...
(See below!)
selig wrote: ↑06 Nov 2017
I'd love to have each bank have an increasing angle, with the faders flat, the first bank around 15°, the second 30° etc. Is a LCD or OLED display going to be possible (vertically mounted at the top of the controller, like the SSL Duality or similar), or is that a pipe dream on my part?
Yes! I am about to go to bed so too tired to whip up a drawing, but I was thinking we'll just create a few different angles of brackets to attach one chassis to another. I'm ripping this idea directly off of
this wonderful example of an expandable, modular setup (except instead of one large bracket, you'd have separate brackets that only join two chassis together). I was thinking 0°, 12°, and, say 78°, so you could get flat faders, an angled EQ/dynamics, and a vertical meter bridge or whatever. Add more 0° brackets between two chassis if you want to extend any section at the same angle.
And yes, if we stick with 6u tall chassis, you can have
10" LCDs across the entire top of your controller. What those screens show (and who's making them), is totally up to the community--but that would certainly be possible with this setup as far as I can tell--especially since we're bumping up the power supply requirements to 12V from 5V. Most of those screens require 9-12V AFAIK.
Another nice thing about the 12V bump is that there are a
lot of
power supplies out there that provide 12V @ ~7A (some really cheap, some nicer), because it's a common size for laptops and for LED strings. So sourcing them shouldn't be a problem.
Refining refining!
-Allison