Was trying to figure out how to convey this earlier. I’m interested in this project as much as the next person, but “whipping together” a Kickstarter for an already in-depth project is asking a lot.
If any of you are 100% confident that a Kickstarter will work, you make a Kickstarter and you build the product. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I hadn’t seen this till just now. very nice! Great idea. looks super clean. throw that in a cool little box, and I would think you’ve got a hit 
Hey everyone,
It sure is nice to see interest in this project. Like someone said above, in my opinion crowd funding is only a good option once I know I am able to commit to delivering this, which right now is not a thing I can do.
Please remember that there is more to this than just completing the prototype - making multiple units involves testing each one, packaging, shipping, dealing with support, dealing with potential issues that come up, FCC certification if this sees any meaningful demand, etc. It is a significant amount of work to do in my spare time. I had more free time when I started this project, but things changed and this is a busy period for me.
Some people have reached out to me privately so maybe I will manage to find someone to collaborate with. I agree it would be a shame to throw away the work that was already done.
Cheers
Another thing we could do is create a large fund for Elektron (or someone else) to grab if they want to built this.
If this pot gets big enough it sends of a big signal to Elektron and seen by the rest of the world.
Create it with strict rules that the money can only be used for a breakout box and people can pull their money back if nothing comes out of it. If it’s done correct than I’m happy to throw a couple hundred in there.
At the end of the day the more publicity this gets the more change we’ll see this becoming a reality.
Building something that works for you privately and releasing a hardware product are very very different things. When your PCB works and you are happy with it, you have done less than 50% of the development work. Getting the PCB to where you can deliver it freely to customers is a pita, making sure the small differences in the electronic parts don’t mess up others. Making sure the software is working with everything people might expect.
That’s just the development.
You could skip all that and make PCB and code open source, but you can be sure that it doesn’t take long and a company somehow had „the same idea“ and release it as a software and you have to either accept it or fight against it paying lawyers 
Than you hit the market. You produce units, people will not pay, send back, discuss. Some countries customs might make problems no one expected. People needing support. Elektron Updates Protokoll Breaking stuff the unit uses, so people complaining until new firmware is released.
That is nothing you want to do as a side project and I bet, most people don’t want to do as a business!
I can totally understand, not making it public until there is some cooperation going on that you and others are totally fine with.
That all is the reason btw, why I don’t post about my music related Hobby projects at all.
EQ to each of the four synthesizer channels on my Digitone.
This would be a must-have upgrade for my Digitone.
I would like an enclosure, personally. Even plywood
I would have thought this project is an ideal candidate for a kickstarter.
incredible work! Well done!!!
There’s a reason why bounties are limited to security flaws, not a one-sided demand for a company to… offer modding services when they don’t currently want to
Exactly!
In 2010 I developed a full modular analog DJ mixer system. A 4 or 6 channel version where every single function (EQ (3 way, 4 way, parametric), dynamics, aux sends, effects, input stages, long/short/rotary faders, balance knobs, meter…) could be arranged by the customer. Just buy the modules you like to have. From a simplified rotary mixer with only volume knobs per channel to a huge system with everything you can imagine in a per channel basis. Allways extendible and alterable, open for many function more to invent. All connected via special DSub connectors (or maybe later in a case with a fixed bus connector inside…).
Since 2010 the prototype device lies in my basement. Sounding great but stays untouched ever since. Just because oft the reasons you mentioned.
Now I have a kid and a wife that is not able to bring much money into the family. I need a stable job and I have to renovate the old house we’re living in. Have no workshop ATM. Times change. I can totally understand that this fantastic project is paused.
I’m afraid this project stopped instead of paused.
We all are short on time and It’s sad seeing so many projects getting started and once they’re almost done getting dropped because of the reasons mentioned above. Meaning you either need to push it hard or you’ll be wasting years of time and money on unfinished projects.
Some crowdfunding projects have taken years and yes few people did get angry (myself included) but usually because promises were made that weren’t kept. You have to be very clear about the project when you’re using other peoples money. Personally I don’t care if this project takes another 2/3 years, as long as things are clearly communicated.
Those how do finish their projects are those who really believe their product simply needs to be on the market and won’t be stopped by anyone. Ask anyone who has put their products on the market. (there enough on this forum alone)
I think the reason why we’re seeing so many unfinished projects simply is the existance of the internet. 25 years ago, there we’re also many people not finishing projects. We just didn’t get to know them.
And I also disagree on the missing motivation to finish projects. Sometimes conditions simply don’t allow to finish things.
Or to say it another way: Sometimes you just have a more important project. This could personally also be a family.
Which is basically what I was implying. Priorities change and the motivation drops to a low point.
Some are willing to sacrifice a lot if not everything to get it done though. Reaching the top is the hardest thing to do otherwise most of us would be up there already.
Here is an other option, just as a proposal, a scribbled out idea…
Rather than a Kickstarter on this, i think a more sensible option, if @eranrund really has no further intention with this and would be open to this idea, would be for approximately one hundred people to each put in $300 or so in escrow, details to be determined, and buy the design, the pcb, bom, software, specs, docs, the todo list, and other info, and the rights.
So let’s say $30,000 ( or some such number, i pulled this out of the air ), which should help eranrund, and then that group of investors can decide what they want to do later.
They could make this project open source, and like publish it on github. Or they could have an agreement between themselves to share the data. Or they could make some agreement to complete a development.
A third party, could be found to manufacture 10-30 protoboards for some moderate amount of money, how many ever people were committed to further development.
First question to @eranrund is: Would you be willing to selling on the development of this ?
[ There is a project on Kickstarter right now for the Profree 4 ( thread link ), that is similar in idea, where for $771 you get to buy a design into open source, and get a few bare PCBs. Hopefully though that design will be a little more finished. ]
Everyone who is interested in this project should perhaps check out Overwitch.
I personally haven’t tried it, but I’m assuming a person could install Overwitch on a headless Raspberry Pi fitted with an 8 channel audio splitter.
Dude that is amazing !!
That’s great I am dreaming about something like that for months if not for years!!!
This seems like a dead topic, unfortunately. Would love a breakout box like this. There are a number of instruments our there that will output multiple channels of audio over USB. But, most of the options for actually using that functionality are clunky at best. I know I would much rather be able to track those channels traditionally.
If someone were able to get this idea into a class compliant, plug and play device… It’s what a lot of people have been wanting/needing. It’s something that’s talked about a lot in the MPC communities as well.
I suggested it to elektron a while back. I wasn’t exactly expecting them to get on it immediately after my email, but the suggestion is nevertheless relayed directly to them by now.
I don’t know, but - even though this isn’t the exact same thing - maybe a breakout solution is conflicting with overbridge from their perspective?
Honestly I bet there’s some merit to that statement (competing product with overbridge). Any hardware opportunity to split out is ultimately going to be some sort of computer with some sort of firmware installed on it, even if it doesn’t feel like it. Yes it’d be nice to have dedicated hardware that does this… but yeah, a computer and overbridge does it right now.