Show HN: TheKnob – sound volume control knob made of concrete and RGB lights

Re:Show HN: TheKnob – sound volume control knob made of conc... by lukevp on Sunday June 07, 2020 @05:28PM (#23451004)

Thanks for sharing. They’re obviously inspired by that one from a materials point of view, but the technical implementation is far different. There are some major limitations on the YouTube one. First of all, it’s a potentiometer not a rotary encoder, so it has a start and a stop. Second, it is controlling an audio signal directly, not using a PC, so it is not usable in the same way. Audio would need to be routed through the knob. This wouldn’t work for a setup like mine that has balanced outs directly from a sound card to my monitors. I would want a digital control. I’m not sure why the YouTube video recommends a linear pot specifically either, an audio taper pot should be used which is logarithmic. The one in the OP also has a push button which opens up more functionality.

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Re:Show HN: TheKnob – sound volume control knob made of conc... by teemofeev on Monday June 08, 2020 @12:15PM (#23457888)

To avoid any confusion:

The concept of the knob made of concrete is fully inspired by DIY Perks. But we are added a lot of perks, like:

- Open-source Arduino-compatible firmware so you can add your functionalities and light effects;

- The audio is controlled with the HID library instead of potentiometer; spare time - There are one audio input and two outputs that can be switched with the hardware switch;

- Bonus option is you can use it as a scrolling knob;

- The audio lines are connected to the microcontroller and you can add light effects relative to the sound;

- It is 3d printed and we also added a 3d printable model of the mold for the concrete part;

Have a nice day ;)

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Re:Show HN: TheKnob – sound volume control knob made of conc... by aspenmayer on Monday June 08, 2020 @04:24PM (#23460366)

Wow! That’s amazing level of improvements!

I’m glad people share their inventions online in this open way. It helps us all get better ideas. I hope you didn’t think I was saying anything negative about your new improved version! It looks fantastic.

Thanks for the details and thank you for sharing.

[ Parent | on HN ]