DivingBoard: Home-made Synth Controller

US Avoid menu diving and have fast MIDI fun 28/02/24

Sometimes menu diving can really affect the flow of a synth or drum machine - which is why Oliver Hagen has created the DivingBoard. It's designed for easy editing of parameters and straightforward adding of new parameters - the latter is made much easier, with a way to avoid even SEEING complex MIDI messages, using a unique Learning mode. I'm sure we all have a synth which we love to hate because of it's complex architecture - I'm looking at you Yamaha FB-01!

What it is:
A homemade MIDI controller aiming to solve the lack of parameter accessibility on the Roland JD-Xi synthesiser. It differs from other solutions I've seen in that customisability and potential ease-of-use are greater, and general use with a range of synthesisers is possible, rather than just with the JD-Xi.

A little more info:

It's capable of changing parameters using both CC and Sysex MIDI messages.

The choice of editable parameters is user-set and easy to change.

It can be programmed without the user needing to see or understand a single MIDI message- and without connecting the device to a computer.

Material cost can be minimised at the moment to £60-£70. [1]

It's a work in progress [2], currently existing as a functional prototype in regular use.

See the full details here: https://penguinatron.github.io/DivingBoard.html

More form Oliver Hagen here: https://www.youtube.com/@myHorribleMusic

About the author [midierror]: midierror makes nifty Max For Live devices, innovative music hardware, award winning sample packs and hosts a podcast speaking to people in the music world.