A brief history

This project started as a prototype on breadboard while learning some basic music theory. Now it's a complete PCB with more inputs and some features that you can't get on a commercial MIDI controller.

First draft of the PCB

Where we are today

MIDI Controller

  • It has a 2 octave polyphonic keyboard

  • 8 drum buttons (programmable to transmit a MIDI CC or Note Number)

  • 7 regular potentiometers

  • 7 slide potentiometers

  • on-board thumbstick with external port for a full sized joystick or any other type of resistive (voltage divider) input

  • An actual 5 pin DIN connector to plug into synths or VSTs on PC with a USB to MIDI adapter

  • powered by an inexpensive switch mode adapter

  • MIDI over USB (power and connect to computer with Micro USB)

  • LCD with rotary encoder to navigate the user interface

  • 4 digit seven segment display for the continuous controller values, octave +/- or transpose by semitone

  • "Advanced keyboard modes" which are basically a lot of music theory programmed into the microcontroller's firmware that make playing in key, automatically generating chords, scales and modes easy

Prototype on breadboard
Prototype with development board