Hm, I haven’t compiled zynthin before so it will take me some time to setup dev environment first.
Thinking more about this vertical right side pots option, this are more suitable for bigger screens such as one on v5. I already tried to scatch something in inkscape for 4.3 screen and it doesn’t look nice. So probably I will invest some time in trying to update the code.
Thanks anyway for guidance !!!
Hi @stojos,
It’s nice to see Succes Cases is still alive !
The file linked by @jofemodo is in Python (like most of Zynthian UI code), wich is interpreted. No compilation needed. A simple text editor is enough.
Yes. You are right. You need at less 5 inch display, and we had to “overflow” the display height in the V5 design, but it looks nice.
Regards,
I received the V5 and assembled in about 40 minutes total time. The instructions are perfect. Just have to wrap my head around it and learn its limitations so I can help expand the functionality…
Hello Zynhian user,
As I have been doing electronics since I was very young and I have 30 years of GNU/Linux behind me :), and although I bought an official Zynthian V4, I had fun making a new one. What a pleasure to make a Zynthian and I searched the forum to get there :)! My assembly uses a Mcp23017, four encoders, four push buttons. The green LED indicates the presence of mains, the red LED is present to indicate that the RPI is off, and the blue LED to indicate incoming Midi Din traffic. I only use the 3.3 volts from the RPi to power the whole system (No other power supply, no 5v from the RPI, the power supply in the photo is not used). In the end, my assembly will have three five-pin Midi Din sockets, like in the V4 (in, out, thrue). The Audio in/out/headphone card is an audio injector. The touch screen is an FNK0078. The optocouplers are H11L1. I’m thinking of installing analog galvanometers on the box to look nice. The potentiometers present on the audio card, as well as the audio input/output plugs and the headphone jack, will be remote on the case. I am thinking of powering the Raspberry directly through the GPIO, like this, I will install a switch on the box to cut off the source when the red LED is off. I will add a final potentiometer for adjusting the volume of the headphone jack (unless this is possible by software). When I have finished installing my prototype and have it all installed in a case, I will post photographs again.
Have a nice week end 
Congratulations! Interesting choice going 3.3v. Does this mean you won’t power usb sockets on the pi or perhaps use a powered USB hub for those devices that can live off USB 5v supplies? I end up using a fair bit of USB kit like mice and such so it can be useful.
Now comes the issue of what box does it go in? The screen forces the design more than anything else as these are the most interesting devices to mount that require the most surgery to put in a case of some sort. And then you have the metal or plastic dilemma. Metal is great but can limit WiFi if that is important. Remember to get the USB, ethernet and hdmi sockets as accessible as you can. Trying to extend these within a case takes up no end of space. And also consider access to the ssd. Changing these can be a real PAIN, especially if you are working with an untested screen to ensure the machine is alive. Sometimes whilst playing at this level the only way in is via the Ethernet port, so it pays to have it accessible.
We will, of course, be expecting a sonic contribution when we see how it all ends up!
2 posts were split to a new topic: How to play audio files?
3 posts were split to a new topic: DIY zynthian with 2 x MCP23017
Here is my Nektar Impact (midi keyboard) my lcd touch display waveshare 10.1" inside an electric box (recycled), and Macro Keyboard 15key+3 knob (in reality the Macro Key has 3 programmable layers, so just pressing the layer changing button i can configure 45 Macro keys, and 9 knob, also the led colors are programmable, so the led change, with layer), and my hifiberry dac pro plus on my self made raspberry pi4 with Dac case).
The amplifier is a kenwood, and all works great…
I was looking to purchase this device for testing if knobs can be used as zynthian encoders.
Are the knobs on this device acting as encoders (rotate infinitely) or as a pot (rotate only one circle).
If they are acting as encoder, can you permanently configure knob from this device to act as zynthian encoder ? If yes, how did you do this ?
I am only aware that you can permanently assign a key from keyboard to act as plus or minus of a certain zynthian encoder. Maybe this device can be configured to send appropriate key character when knob is turned left and another character when turned right. In this case they could be used as encoders.
It looks a great deal like the little macro board i’ve got, and assuming it’s the same one, then those encoders are infinite, and simply send out a key press for each direction (the one i have uses via for configuration, which also makes it nice and easy to work with) The one i have is a Winry315, which does have a slightly different physical layout, but otherwise is very similar.
The knobs acting like a keyboard (encoder), so if you program it on rotating left like Tempo - and rotating right like Tempo + every time you turn left (infinitely), the knob pass to zynthian a minus sequence (like if you Hit minus key on your keyboard), so if you turn clockwise the knob it can pass + (like hitting + simbol on your keyboard).
Another function is that every knob can also be pressed (like rotary encoder) so on every knob you can program 3 different keys of keyboard, for me this function is very useful to set “Tempo” pressing the knob, opening screen Tempo, and when I turn left (anticlockwise) the “Tempo 120bpm value” decrease 1 time, per rotation, and when I turn it right (clockwise) it increase 1 time per rotation.
This encoder is very useful, in combination with Zynthian, but I cannot find in Zynthian Binds UI the option to increase or decrease volume…
It’s not a problem because I have a touchscreen display, and I have mapped the volume control also on my midi keyboard…
I found another good thing online (Aliexpress), the stickers for my 15+3 macro keyboard, i will post a photograph.
Ps: you can also program by pressing knob the “Tempo Tap…”
Pps: the macrokey picture posted below, was powered off, …but when turned on the led are on, and it’s fantastic…to see all the leds on (like in my first picture).
Ppps: this chinese “macrokey” works like the best keyboard (better than Logitech, Trust, or every other brand). Its very useful also to play games…you can use in portrait or landscape mode (because keycaps are exchangeable, and you can set it in 4 different positions, up down, left, right)…
Yes…
Hi @stojos and @giandeejay
I have purchased and received some days ago a similar device from AliExpress, very likely from the same vendor, or someone who is distributing the same stuff, since the switches look identical.
My model has four encoders and 12 keys, and today I was able to find a workflow for mapping it to the Zynth, replicating almost exactly the user interface of the official V5.
I discovered by trial and error that configuring this programmable keyboard is a matter of double mapping.
First, you use a far from perfect but usable mapping app for Win and Mac, assigning equivalent keyboard actions via USB to the behaviour of the keys and rotary encoders (minus, plus and press). Then, you assign the virtual keyboard actions of the keypad to the Zynthian functions, through key-binding in webconf.
Overall it works like a charm, and it even recognises short, long and bold press!
That is great. So we can use really this device to simulate V5 buttons and encoders.
I have ordered one set of black stickers for a keyboard with the same label design as V5. I am suppose to get them tomorrow so I will report back . I will be able to post you guys some if they are any good.
Hm, labels that I got printed by external vendor are no good. I was expecting them to be printed on black plastic, but they are printed on a paper with a little bit plastic on top. I could do this on my laser printer.
Does anyone know a company for printing custom keyboard labels?
3D print the buttons?
Did not mean to 3d print. Just to print plastic sticker. I don’t think that any consumer 3d printer can print such a detail required for v5 labels.
Thinking about this for a long time I am amazed how @jofemodo managed to find company to laser cut and make the v5 case as well as to make rubber buttons exactly as per design.
The whole button if attached to the cherry RGB MX Switches would allow you a reasonably easily installed switch with the colour changing capabilities of the zynthian mechanism. I imagine someone could produce sets of 3D printed caps zynth switches with lighitng cutouts reasonably easily and it saves a lot of mucking around if you can assemble a PCB to mount the switches on.
I don’t know how the RGB LEds are controlled on these,. IN a perfect world it would be a WS2813 protocol as used on the zynth but I Doubt that’s the case. This may suit somebodies particular build.
