[sdiy] KNOB EMERGENCY....can anyone help?

[dan snazelle]

Thanks guys for all the responses


I have been spending the last few days scouring ali-baba, trade-key and a coupe others.

most of these places have a few leads but as usual much of the problem is in the language barrier and the lead times. if all goes well my boxes will be done by
mid april and that isnt much time to foster a new relationship and get the colors matched.

but i will figure something out

Sorry to invade this space with my manufacturing questions...maybe we need a MDIY list.

It sure seems like everyone I know who does manufacturing in the synth world (or any) runs into problems like these from time to time
and it would be great if we could compile a database for any synth person who needs custom stuff or needs a source for something obscure. 



One of the reasons we HAD to pick paint BEFORE knobs is due to the cost and range of paint. My boxes have TWO different powdercoats per box.

I knew beforehand just what colors i wanted BUT not every shade of every color is available unless you have someone like tiger drylac make a custom color for you( which means you have to buy a lot of it) or use a two stage paint (Which would have meant four stages which adds to time and cost.

So...I had to spend a lot of time to find the colors I had envisioned.  I had to see samples from three or four different paint houses and I think in the end I may have confused some people.

just finding the right lime green took forever (you'd think lime green would be easy to source)

so in the end, it just seemed easier to have the knobs made second, since they were going to make them to match the color samples i gave them (which had already been ordered as paint)


but yes, the pcb was made to fit the box. the box dimensions were determined long, long, ago as the control layout came before the board.




sure makes me miss the proto-typing stage ;)  






On Mar 16, 2010, at 6:24 AM, Paul Perry wrote:

> My advice to budding manufacturers:
> Buy the knobs first.
> Then make the boxes.
> Then, go for the PCBs.. because it is a LOT easier to make the box match the knob,
> and the PCB fit the box, than the other way around...
> 
> This is what makes DIY fun, and manufacturing NOTfun..
> 
> paul perry Melbourne Australia
> 
>> Especially if someone has synesthesia. I can't bear to look at some
>> hardware, it's just too ugly. 
> .. that should be SYNTHesia, surely??
> An argument for 'blind' listening tests, if ever I heard one.
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