I will give a proper run down once prototype is built but this is essentially my wish list:
3* groups of 8 rotary encoders,
On desk lights, ether in the backlighting or around the edge or something, but the main thing is that will be artnet addressable, so you can ether send colours to it from resolume or you can receive the colours and levels from lighting desk, ether scan or artnet (I found a code libary that does both).
I have also been testing different types of buttons and keyboard keys, I think I actually want to use keyboard switches, so that users can change and adapt the response of keys/buttons. Also using a standard part means that it is easy to fix/replace.
These switches typically come in packs of 45, from $5-hundrads of dollars a pack, so vj can choose really the quality of switches they want to use.
https://www.rtings.com/keyboard/learn/m ... l-switches
I am in the middle of designing a show and I went to two different midi controllers that were arrays of buttons and nether are now compatible with my mac, which has really impressed the need to keep the device working on standard signals, Midi, osc, ect
Faders:
Probably more then anything else the number of faders will depend on the budget, the wiring is all there on board for them and is same as the rotary encoders, but faders are 10 * the price of rotary encoders. I want a good high quality cross fader at bottom of board for A/B mixing (slaming), but interms of number of level faders, for layer and Audio ect, I'm not sure if they are worth the cost and space, if you can have 4 rotary encoders in space of a single fader. So I am thinking of just 2 or 4 vertical faders.
This is definitely a strech goal I also would like to include a small audio interface with audio in and out, mainly because macs no longer have a line in interface If you need to get a click track or you want a copy of the audio to control effects, you need to use an external audio device. So it makes it easier only having to have one device. In its raw form this costs about $17 so if doesn't end up getting priced into the board, I would like to make it an easy add-on.
I have been VJing for 20 years and have done clubs, festivals, national and international touring with acts, worked with Symphony Orchestras, theatre troups, DJs, bands, ballet companies, ect
And I am drawing on my experiences to try and make the controller that would have been useful in all these different settings.
$150 is a cheap price point yes, but I want it to be accessible to everyone. I want to aim for a profit margin around the 10% mark, though I do have a commerce degree and understand there are a lot of metrics in working out margin.
It might creap up to $200, but I'll give a firmer number once prototype is done, this is currently on hiatus while designing formentioned show, but I have also been taking a lot of notes for controller while working on this show.
I would also like to get any opinions about features you are anyone else thinks the controller should have. As the users of resolume are so numerous and I have enough hubris to suggest that I know what ever VJ in every situation might want.
To be clear I'm not an electronics designer by trade, But I spent the last year learning how to build and program adrino(well I started on Raspberry Pi).
Also let's be real the VJ community isn't the size of say the DJ community where a company can sell products to millions of people.
I want to try and keep my hardware as open as possible so people can change and adapt, so maybe I could do a module system for faders.
