This demo video, via Livid Instruments, demonstrates how you can use their Brain Jr. MIDI micro controller to create your own custom MIDI controller.
The Brain Jr provides a compact device for connecting sensors, switches, LEDs, and more. A single USB connection powers Brain Jr. and provides driverless, class-compliant MIDI communication to your computer.
Features:
- 16 digital connections (switches, buttons, etc.)
- 16 analog connection (faders, potentiometers, sensors)
- 16 LED connections (monochrome and RGB)
- USB connectivity
- Class compliant, no drivers needed
The Brain Jr. is available for $49 at the Livid site. See the Livid Wiki for technical details.
This is so needed. Finally the shackles of big box midi controllers will be broken. Freedom. Awesome music comes my soon.
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cool !!!! Price is 49$ and….shipping cost (to France) are 129$
total : 178$
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I emailed them and they’ve fixed it now.
$8 shipping – thats more like it!!
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Yes exactly the same to shipping to UK too. It’s a shame looks like a great little device. I was expecting more like $5 for shipping. You could fit it in an A5 envelope for christ sake!
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shipping+insurance surely adds quite a bit….but 129$ is a joke….
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I should point out that 30 euro will net you an arduino, for which there are very capable MIDI libraries that make building a basic controller very easy. I get that a lot of musicians don’t want to mess with code, but you get an incredible amount of flexibility designing a controller line by line.
I’m glad to see livid putting some engineers to work though
And the PIC microcontrollers don’t get the love they deserve. Hope they manage to work out their shipping situation.
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Livid need a UK/EU Distributor !!!!
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Open source?
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teensy teensy
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Sorry about the shipping rates – we just moved to a new store, and I guess those are all messed up! We’re working on a fix. The shipping to UK/France will definitely NOT be $129!
Regarding Arduino: sure, you can build a MIDI controller with Arduino, but it will definitely take more time for most people. Is a lot of time worth $10?
Open Source: no.
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Thanks for fixing that so quickly. Order on the way!
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This looks like a good alternative for those looking for something a little more DIY (or not happy with the shipping). I’m gonna start on one in the next couple of weeks.
http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Framework-For-Making-Affordable-Stylish-Modula/?ALLSTEPS
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How fast is the response time? In other words, what is the typical latency between analog sensor, potentiometer, switch and the MIDI being received by the computer. Can you give that in ms?
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@Stub: the latency on All the livid products are FAST. I myself have a device built with a brain, I cant tell you what the ms is, but i’d assume its a single digit number.
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Thanks, Kelly. That’s good to know. I’m thinking about making some kind of a breath sensor and want it to be more snappy than other products that are out there.
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bloody marvelous, very exciting stuff!
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eventually i will be working on a controller project, and eventually i will buy one of these!
is it possible to make a button trigger a light and also trigger a midi channel? probably a dumb question but how would you do it, split the ground and wiper?
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I would like to use this to build a box of 20 knobs, but I see that this only supports 16. Is there a way to link these? I’d like to save money by using this if possible.
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They’ve got a ‘Sr’ version with more connectivity too.
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I know, but it’s $140 more than the Jr, and that’s a lot for me at the moment. It would be cheaper for me to use two of the Jrs and build a little USB hub inside the box for both. At least that’s what I’m seeing on the site, the Brain V2. I would at least like to be able to bridge 2 of the Jrs together.
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I was just wondering. Since I submitted my brain jr. Show and tell before the deadline then never heard anything back from you. What did you think… The video on YouTube was
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