You just said one type of midi controller. A type that every single manufacture has made and is making. Don't we have enough midi keyboards?

 

We're so advanced in technology that users can even build their own midi controllers. Anyone who has a very good idea and can implement it will surely find a few fans. I would rather put my energy and time into music instead of wasting all that power on handicrafts. However, there are people who have an idea and they pursue it and sometimes they are very successful and sometimes they fail. The best thing to do is to post the blueprints on the Internet free of charge for others.

The People Who Created the DIY MIDI Revolution
www.midi.org/midi-articles/the-people-who-created-the-diy-midi-revolution

 

Last edited: Jan 1, 2022

so you are basically asking "how can make a business of out something i dont know much about"?

i dont know much about it either, but i can try to give half an answer.

you can have everything manufactured by factories for you, and they will tell you what file formats they will accept - it is only a matter of price.

a small series of a custom sized metal cases will be quite expensive because it would involve everything from lasercutting, drilling, bending, deburring. the price difference between a series of 100 compared to a series of 100,000 is enourmous. for only 100 the base price will be multiple times higher than the cost for actual manufacturing. (you probably know that from printing something on paper)

unless you are a locksmith yourself you would use aluminum for the prototype, this is the only metal we laymen can halfway weld and drill holes into.

for DIY type of project i would suggest to use foil for the finishing, as painting or coating is expensive and difficult. a good and stretchable foil - such as you´d use for cars. one of its major "features" is that you can easily replace it if it is getting old or otherwise corrupts (including for customer-owned units) i have no idea how to print something on it though.

external PSUs suck. custom PSUs require certification, which is a matter of USD 200,000+ and takes years.
you can avoid both by putting a prebuilt external PSU into your units case. even wellknown synthesizer manufactures have been doing exactly that.

most people want either USB or DIN MIDI. if you offer only one of them, 50% of the market are gone.

 

Looks like everyone in here builds and sells midi controllers by himself.
So much knowledge. But everyone has it's own preferably cool and non chalon knowledge.

 

Ok: there is a misunderstanding, I thought this thread was: "What is the midi controller we need but is not on the market yet?"
It could have been an interesting brainstorming for new ideas.
Instead the OP is just: "I have no talent but I want to get rich with the electronics business: please explain to me how to do it"

 

(If I did everything right, all should be available in the US )

Raw material is simple (plastic) :
https://www.amazon.com/Plastic-Polypropylene-Pellets-Injection-Molding/dp/B081K9NF41

or for a 3D Printer
https://www.amazon.com/OVERTURE-Fil...41042463&s=industrial&sr=1-3&ts_id=6066129011

Metal:
steel sheets are also a very common for housing and can be done by everyone with a little knowledge of cutting and
welding
https://www.amazon.com/M-D-Hobby-Cr...3?keywords=steel+sheet&qid=1641041706&sr=8-23
(Aluminum )
for CNC something like this
https://www.amazon.com/ALUMINUM-Sol...ords=aluminum+block+for&qid=1641041791&sr=8-4

and for a more screwed housing, this would be a good start :
https://www.amazon.com/Online-Metal...keywords=aluminum+sheet&qid=1641041752&sr=8-9 (for surface would this be ok )
but for a bottom plate
https://www.amazon.com/Aluminium-Th...eywords=aluminum+sheet&qid=1641043386&sr=8-10 (for the stability )

Clearly here it's a question of the Price and the quality of the product you want to deliver
also you have to choose how strong it has to be (on steel and alu I would go for something between 0.1-0.4 inches )

Yes to schematics
For that, a Programme like FreeCAD will work
For the companie I linked before, the 3D files have to be IGS, STP and XT.
https://prototechasia.com/en/small-series-plastic-parts

(Simple steps here
1. Make a ruff sketch on Paper
2. Make your 3D model from the paper in FreeCAD or an similar program with the supported format (Best here is to save it in every Format there is for compatibility ) )
3. Send it to different prototyping service to see where you can get the best offer.

A different way would be :
build your own Injection Molding Machine

 

When we watch talent shows...

[1] we are entertained when real talent shows up - fair enough.

[2] we are also entertained when people with no talent show up, but in these cases, the essential entertaining ingredient is that the performer has no idea at all about all the essential skills they are missing.
We marvel at how they are so confident, so ill-equipped, and so clueless, all at the same time.
The gulf between fantasy and reality is just mesmerising.

But it's not just talent shows - the same game works in business too!
It's why the vast majority of startups are simply doomed from the outset.

In fact it works everywhere. I myself am thinking of 'giving it a go' in brain surgery.
I've seen a few youtube videos, I reckon I know what a brain looks like, so how hard can it be?

Can anyone give me any hints and tips before I take the next steps?

 

Last edited: Jan 1, 2022

You strike me as a very sad person who has achieved nothing with their life.

Go ahead, keep hating on other people for trying to learn new things. Keep giving yourself an excuse not to try anything hard and keep sitting on that couch stuffing your face with cheetos. Success isn't for everybody anyways...

 

If you want people to help you, do not start by insulting them...

 

The member I'm assuming you're referring to had no intention of helping me, so I will do as I wish.

 

He does not want to help me so I want to insult him.
This is great again.

 

Just buy an under desk keyboard tray, then you have more space. That's the simplest solution.

 

This guy tried it ...

https://forums.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=237950

 

That is a good idea, but not always possible with some types of desks.

 

If it's a desk with no space in the middle to sit at/put legs or chair under, then you could use a stand to raise the MIDI keyboard up and sit the keyboard underneath, or have the keyboard to one side with a dedicated stand. Although, a desk with out space to put your legs under (which you would need for a keyboard tray) is not a very comfortable set up and one most people wouldn't use long-term.

A QWERTY keyboard with a MIDI keyboard attachment could be a good idea, if it doesn't already exist. You can also use an actual regular QWERTY keyboard as a controller, which I sometimes do to get some MIDI drums in quickly.

 

It's probably not going to work out for you because you have no creative sense and have proven in this thread to not be a self starter and instead are relying on others answers to extremely basic questions that with a few minutes of searching you could have found out by yourself, ie, sourcing of knobs, etc. The beauty of creation lies in tangential thought. There were so many good ideas provided that you just trashed instead of them perking up your ears and triggering new ideas or asking yourself questions that would propel you forward and on to a prototype. Where's the light?

...and don't forget about the cost of screening graphics onto whatever form you're constructing. The cost of artwork, layout of graphics and printing can be significant. And also your logo is very important. You'll need someone to design that too.

Flex, bend, breathe, repeat.

 

Wow, that is a lot of assumptions for a single post. Did it ever occur to you that I did search for those questions first and finding the information I need wasn't as easy and straightforward as you apparently think it is? Because that would have been a much smarter assumption.

 

The reason that I quoted your post last in my own was because based on the information that you provided never said anything about what you have researched and didn't want to be accused of assumption. "This is what I have found so far" never was part of the thread that I responded to. In addition, ripping into members throwing out ideas to help you is not a good look.

Absolutely everyone that I know that have started successful businesses of any kind of course have picked the brain of others, myself included, though, your attitude precludes my feeling that your endeavor could be a success based on your behavior

 

Designing ergonomic MIDI controllers could fill a niche in the market, especially for producers looking to optimize desk space. While MIDI tech isn't the hardest to implement, physical design, ergonomics, and manufacturing are crucial. You'd need to focus on user-friendly layouts and comfortable reach, which could involve prototyping with 3D printing to refine the design. Once that's done, collaborating with electronics manufacturers for assembly and materials is key. If you’re serious about it, researching market demand and testing prototypes with real users will help ensure your idea stands out in a crowded space.