The Ekano is a DIY Midi controller with six buttons and a four-line LCD-display. It can be used to add some footswitches to any device (amp modelers, amplifiers, digital audio workstations, plugins,...) that has a MIDI in.

DIY doesn't mean lack of features: The Ekano is based on Arduino, an easy-to-learn programming language. The software is provided open source and can be modified very, very easily. 

The Ekano is made of easy-to-get components like stomps, connections jacks, nuts and bolts and so on. 

Building the Ekano requires access to a 3D-printer for the enclosure and some small parts. Even if you go with a metal enclosure (drill templates can be downloaded or a pre-configured enclosure can be ordered from Tayda), you still need to 3D-print the small parts. 

The Ekano has been designed as an contoller for the Line 6 HX Stomp to provide six additional buttons for preset and snapshot selections, FX block bypass or parameter control, to name a few. It comes preconfigured with a few banks, so you can us it with your HX Stomp right after the build. 

This being said, the Ekano is based on an Arduino and thus can be programmed to work as a generic Midi Controller for any device such as other amp modellers, synthesizers or digital audio workstations (DAW).

Building the Ekano requires some skills and tools, including soldering and 3D-printing. Optional skills are metal working and programming.

If your guitar rig doesn't look like a spaceship, you will most likely never ask for more than what the Ekano can do: Preset, snapshot, FX block and parameter control, change footswitch modes on the HX Stomp, control HX Stomp's looper, activate its tuner or completely bypass the HX Stomp.

Still not enough stomps? Four of the six stomps on the Ekano can send alternative commands when you press and hold them. Switch on your virtual tube screamer with a short press. Toggle (!) its volume setting between two values with a subsequent long press, if you need an extra boost for the upcoming solo...

The total costs for the materials needed to build the Ekano are estimated to be 50 USD. For that, you get a solid working controller and some free lessons in 3D-Printing, soldering and programming 😀. The metal enclosure versions will be a bit more pricey, but still cheap.

It is worth mentioning, that commercial solutions can offer more functionality, like web interfaces for programming or additional ports for expression pedals, stomps or Midi in, which some users might require. These controllers also come with a price tag.