Mike Cook’s Hexome is a hexagonal version of the open hardware monome music controller.

Why go hexagonal? Here’s what Cook has to say:

A Monome is a well known undedicated controller much used in music. Traditionally these are an arrangement of switches and lights in a rectangular grid. This imposes a certain restriction on the sorts of interaction the user can have with the controller.

In an attempt to explore other configurations I built the Hexome, a Monome with a hexagonal layout. This project has taken almost three years to come to fruition with other Monome projects like the Mini Monome and the Econo Monome acting as test beds for my ideas, I even had to construct my CNC miller to fabricate some parts, most notably the PCB. However, it was with the help of the Manchester Fab Lab, that I was finally able to get laser cut parts to allow the keys to be made.

The Hexome consists of an arduino processor, 16 bit port expander, and three multiplexed fully dimming TLC5940 LED drivers. Each switch is illuminated by an RGB LED allowing flexibility of display colours.

Cook has information on the Hexome and his other DIY music projects at his site.