91 days later, here's a few pictures of my custom monome...

without the enclosure...
http://dnphipps.mailcan.com/CIMG0834_2.jpg

all cased up...
http://dnphipps.mailcan.com/CIMG0965_2.jpg

faceplate by K&M in colorado...
http://dnphipps.mailcan.com/CIMG0798_2.jpg

many many thanks to brian and the whole monome crew for all the support
and spare parts.

i've got a few spare parts myself:
128 of these switches
http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=G15660
(with a 8x8 button/led/diode eagle file ready to go)

...and several hundred extra feet of ribbon cable and machine screws.
the switches i would sell for $25 (with the eagle file its a real head
start on a true custom monome).  i'll mail anyone ribbon cable and
screws that mails me a envelope with return postage.  anybody
considering a custom monome, go for it...so much to learn, and so much
fun.

back to the music now,
dp

wow, thats real slick! very nice dp!

glorious. the case came out amazingly well. really nice work!

that's funny that you ordered from k&m. i just ordered two 16x16 protos 
from them. on the phone, he assured me that he just did "a really 
similar project."

let's see some video!

tehn wrote:

> let's see some video!

yes!!!!

It looks great as 8x16.

If you don't mind me asking, how much did it cost all up?

> If you don't mind me asking, how much did it cost all up?

logic boards (2) $166
buttons and pcbs $146
faceplate $182
wood for enclosure (1/8" walnut cut to order) $35
machine screws and ribbon cable $10

grand total: $536 (+ countless hours of time)

brian tells me there will be more button pads available soon...i really 
lucked out by getting some spare pcbs from brian.  when the buttons go 
up, the pcb layout will too...$99 will get 3 made from a place like 
pcbexpress.com.

the faceplate could have been cheaper if i used acrylic (by $100 or 
more)...i went with anodized aluminum.  i could have even chosen a 
color...but i like the aluminum/green led/walnut look myself.

all in all, a succesful adventure into DIY:)

that is soooooo cool!



very nice work!


wish i had the skills/time to put something like that together!

d-p wrote:
> 
>> If you don't mind me asking, how much did it cost all up?
> 
> logic boards (2) $166
> buttons and pcbs $146
> faceplate $182
> wood for enclosure (1/8" walnut cut to order) $35
> machine screws and ribbon cable $10

> brian tells me there will be more button pads available soon...i really 
> lucked out by getting some spare pcbs from brian.  when the buttons go up, the pcb layout will too...$99 will get 3 made from a place like pcbexpress.com.



So, you got the pcb boards and silicone buttons from Brian at Monome?  I 
have been trying to find a similar pcb board and all i could find is:
http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/categories.php?cPath=51_60

I did get my hands on a logic board, just waiting to see if parts become 
available sooner than later.  I want to build one so bad!!! This is 
sickest device i have ever seen cut and re-cut up breaks!!!  Frickin 
awesome!

> So, you got the pcb boards and silicone buttons from Brian at Monome?  I 
> have been trying to find a similar pcb board and all i could find is:
> http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/categories.php?cPath=51_60

beware, the pcb's from sparkfun lack diodes and therfore discreet button 
press detection, see brain's explanation here:

http://forum.monome.org/topic/527#new

also, the sparkfun pads are almost twice the size of the monome buttons, 
see a comparison here:

http://wiki.monome.org/view/40hLogicBoardCustomProjects

but don't despair, as soon as brian assembles his backorders, he's 
promised to make more button pads available (he's got extra).  no pcbs, 
though...but i'm sure he'll post the layout to go with the buttons.  you 
could send the layout over to a place like pcbexpress.com to get 2-3 
pcbs made for $100 or so.

if you do use monome buttons, you'll need a faceplate...the height of 
the buttons is such that it needs a the faceplate to stabilize them. 
give K&M a call, we're their new favorite customers;)

good luck
dp

> i've got a few spare parts myself:
> 128 of these switches
> http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=G15660
> (with a 8x8 button/led/diode eagle file ready to go)
> 

I am interested if you used these switches for your project? I bought a 
whole bunch of them, and also some tubing with the intention of building 
buttons out of them, but I found that the action was not exactly what I 
wanted.

Did you have any ideas about how you were going to get around that? I 
found some caps in the digikey book that looked like they might fit, but 
I don't imagine I could get them in a small enough quantity to make it 
financially viable.

I am also certainly interested in your leftovers, will be sending you a 
pm as soon as I can remember my password.

You made it to:
http://createdigitalmusic.com/

Greate interview and read.

tehn wrote:

> that's funny that you ordered from k&m. i just ordered two 16x16 protos 


Does K&M have a website?? I tried searching but no luck!  Am I blind?


Meoff

Just out of curiosity, do you have an idea how you're mainly going to 
use it?

> Does K&M have a website?? I tried searching but no luck!  Am I blind?


couldn't find a website either, but here's their profile on mfg.com, 
with contact information:

http://www.mfgquote.com/profiles/K-&-M-Machining-LLC-135879.html

michael is a really nice guy.  anodizing is done in another shop for 
$45, love to see a color anodized job (coice of 10 colors i think)

Just out of curiosity, do you have an idea how you're mainly going to
use it?

i've remapped all of my live performance tracks in ableton to the 8x16, 
splitting loops into segments of 16 using follow actions and the 
monogrid chucK app.  trigger mode=repeat, quantization 1/32 for per 
segment rolls.  chucklife has given me a lot of source material to go 
through and create songs around (i run chucklife on one half and 
monogrid on the other, arming and recording clips as i go). and its only 
been a week...maybe video soon?

dp

d-p wrote:
> i've remapped all of my live performance tracks in ableton to the 8x16, 
> splitting loops into segments of 16 using follow actions and the 
> monogrid chucK app.  trigger mode=repeat, quantization 1/32 for per 
> segment rolls.  chucklife has given me a lot of source material to go 
> through and create songs around (i run chucklife on one half and 
> monogrid on the other, arming and recording clips as i go). and its only 
> been a week...maybe video soon?
> 
> dp

What are you using Chucklife with?

Guest wrote:
> tehn wrote:
> 
>> that's funny that you ordered from k&m. i just ordered two 16x16 protos 
> 
> 
> Does K&M have a website?? I tried searching but no luck!  Am I blind?
> 
> 
> Meoff

I also found some guys in LA that can cut the faceplates.  My cousin is 
a special effects artist in Hollywood and he knows all kind machine 
guys.  I sent him the schematic, and the guys said know prob, except to 
do one would be $200-300!  If there are a bunch of DIYs out there who 
want the original 8X8 face plate design, let me know.  The more we order 
at once the cheaper the faceplate.  Would be cool to order 10 or more, 
maybe bring the cost down to under $100, have to see what the demand 
is!!


Meoff

they're based in germany, and the app on their site is windows only so i 
haven't tried it, but these guy look ideal for doing 
faceplate-type-stuff - take a look:

http://www.schaeffer-ag.de/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=205

anyone know anything about them? i was just doing some research on 
making my own controller (either doepfer or midibox)

stephen wrote:
> they're based in germany, and the app on their site is windows only so i 
> haven't tried it, but these guy look ideal for doing 
> faceplate-type-stuff - take a look:
> 
> http://www.schaeffer-ag.de/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=205
> 
> anyone know anything about them? i was just doing some research on 
> making my own controller (either doepfer or midibox)

if you're in the u.s., check out emachineshop.com.  pc only as well, but 
their free cad software gives a running total of the part as you draw 
and pick materials.  they have several fabrication methods available, 
depending on the job.

for a u.s. based faceplate-only service, with free pc-only software, 
there is:

http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/

dp

awesome project! i have a 40h and a spare logic board, and i'm 
considering building an 8x16. do you still have spare ribbons and 
screws? also, would you consider posting the drawings for the faceplate, 
assembly and enclosure online?

best regards,
helge

i do have tons of cable and screws left, send me a message and i'll 
reply with my address.  if you mail me a self-addressed envelope (medium 
sized) with return postage already stamped, i'll send it back to you 
with ribbon and screws.  also, if you send it with a cd of your music, 
i'll send it back with a cd of mine.  if we were old school bootleg 
cassette collectors, this would be a b+p:)

let me dig up those drawings...brian posted the 40h faceplate to the 
wiki.  i opened it up in illustrator and made my changes, just a little 
copy/paste job, squared the corners, etc.  at one point it had 8 
through-holes for knobs at the end of each row.

the assembly is well documented on the 40h page:
http://monome.org/40h/process/
i just followed the pictures.

i rendered my enclosure in google sketchup6 (free cad).  i can make an 
exploded view, its just a simple walnut box.

good luck...need more 2x40h people..its got its own setup quirks but i 
sure do like 16 step sequencing.
cheers
dp

finally i have all the items on order for my very own 2 x 40h. leds,
keykits, logic boards and frontpanel are all on their merry way to me. I
will also put in an accelerometer, and an infrared proximity sensor. i
cant wait to start building the thing.