Hi guys
Time for a long awaited update.
First of: THANK YOU for all of the 134 votes so far.
And keep them coming, you will not be ignored.
The voting shows an interesting diversification: the options are evenly spread out over what everybody wants or needs. It looks like a pathway towards a modular system.
Besides MIDI, I am also very much interested in other types of controllers: DAW control, plugin control, synth control, VSTi control, even Photoshop / Da Vinci Resolve / Premiere .. and my personal favorite: Studio monitor control. So the
modular aspect wins again. Glad to have that confirmed.
Realistically speaking: just going for MIDI control can not end successfully from an economical point of view. And even if it would work out, and we could put out that simple 8 channel fader controller with optional joystick .. Support would eventually decline given the low overhead a product like this, on this small a scale, would provide. IF there is an overhead, that is. And there would be yet another non-standard box on our desktop .. that requires yet another USB connection .. and another piece of custom software .. No, let's think big and solve this once and for all.
Thinking big means that the project is no longer doable with a small team btw. So I am on the lookout for the talent and funding to realize this.
Enough words; I have embedded an early prototype design of the modular controller in my Dunshield Superdesk, some pictures attached. The rendition of the controller IS JUST A DRAFT, it serves as an illustration of concept.
What you are seeing is 2 fader modules - 4 long throw faders each, complete with display (YES) - and a CS 80 inspired module. The levers on the latter work just like on a Yamaha CS 80; it is refreshing to control data with levers like this, and they have a musical feel. The colors of the fader caps and buttons are just a random pick, ideally these should be of your own choice.
I am putting together a video of the CONTROLLER STANDARD that I have been working on. It is to be an open standard, anyone can join .. all for free .. so this would be like what the Eurorack standard is for synthesizers, or the 500 series standard for audio processing gear. The standard uses Eurorack rails as horizontal unit, and 5 rackunits as vertical measure. Stay tuned for the details.
Emanuel
/Dunshield
www.dunshield.com