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m finally settled a bit in MotionLab Berlin and am starting to learn how to use the CNC machine. My first project was a simple part for a drawer for our 1981 Hymer S550 campervan (a part that broke down). My second attempt at cutting something with the CNC machine. I was amazed that I already got the exact piece I wanted in the second try! Not bad for a rookie 😉   The drawer is working again! Next step: the woodwork for the new KNTRL9 Now that I considered myself an expert on CNC milling (ok, I didn’t really),...

Since I started trying to get the price of the new controller down, I noticed that development became a lot slower. It takes a long time to find a cheap and good supplier and when you have found one, it takes some time to get the quality exactly the way I want. Often I even have to change the design to match the capabilities of the factory, leading to even longer lead times. So last month I finally took the decision to move my stuff to a makerspace in Berlin called MotionLab (https://motionlab.berlin/en/). Here I will have access to a...

It has been silent from my side for a while. Besides the fact that I was sick for a few weeks (yes that one), I also needed a bit more time to process the failure of the campaign. The last few weeks I’ve been redesigning the KNTRL9, based on your feedback. I do think that it might have been a good thing for the campaign to fail. Although I’m certain the product was good but in real life not enough people were prepared to pay extra for a product that was made locally. Corona also was a reason for some...

The last two weeks I spent some time to take a step back and investigate what needs to be changed on the MIDI controller. I got a lot of responses on the survey and that gave me a clear image on what to change to make the KNTRL9 a success. I will share my findings here while I use this blog to write down my thoughts. Luckily, most people loved the controller but some things might make it even better. The following things will change: One more row of rotary knobs MIDI IN/OUT Lower price One more row of knobs...

Last Monday, I made one of the most difficult decisions in my life: cancel the crowdfunding or leave it running. The crowdfunding actually did great in the beginning and I’m proud of the amount I gathered and happy with all the support I got from a lot of people. On Monday however, with still 3 days to go, I was at 68%. Raising €9000,- in 3 days was, end sprint or not, impossible. Especially considering I only got one backer in the 2 days before. Although I’m a little bit sad that it didn’t work out, I’m mostly optimistic that...