I really appreciate all the interest and feedback on these. I've been building electronic music projects since I was a kid, and I'm also into doing minor wood and finish repair work on my other hobby - guitars (well, basses actually - my primary instrument). This project has been kind of an interesting extention of both disciplines, and it has been fun developing my skills with woodworking. Luckily I still have all my fingers and haven't poked an eye out yet...
I didn't really intend or expect to be building these ribbons, outside of a few for my own wants/needs. It just started as one of those things where if you buy the materials to build one, you have enough to build a dozen. Like a lot of you, I just wanted a simple CV ribbon to use with my analogs. My earlier versions were built completely from scratch using resistive tape in epoxy-sealed elements. I've now switched over to pre-fabricated resistive elements (much like the Doepfer uses). Since I'm just a guy building these ten-or-so at a time, I've been able to adapt my design to incorporate people's feedback, and also do some custom work - like dual tandem ribbons, and special finishes (like whitewash, ebony, natural, etc...).
You can do a lot with a simple CV ribbon, but the real magic is in the interface - like that of the Doepfer R2M, Kurzweil Expressionmate, or Scott Stites' *incredible* "Appendage" ribbon interface for modular synths (look this up on electro-music.com if you haven't already seen it - absolutely brilliant!).
I'd love to be able to offer just a simple, low-cost adjunct box for my (even simpler) controller that would provide gate or trigger info, sample and hold of last note played, and maybe some other features too. This would give the hardwired analog synth players (like me) some additional options. I've been getting geared up to do software based PCB layout, and this will be a focus for me in 2009. I've really enjoyed building and continually refining these controllers, and meeting (well - "meeting" in the virtual sense, anyway
) a ton of cool people along the way, and I plan to keep at it for some time to come.Thanks again for your interest in my humble controller, and I hope you all have a happy new year!
Without getting all formal, I think a year on materials/defects would be fair. I would never want to leave anybody in the lurch on something that I built, so if one were to fail I'd do everything in my power to fix it and make it right. And just like my Ebay auctions - if somebody bought one and found it is not a good fit for them, I'd take it back and honor a refund on it.
