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Arp Of Darkness / Nocturne Alchemy 3U FAQ
I've received a lot of amazing feedback on the Arp Of Darkness and nothing short of a metric ton of "You should do X" ideas, which are all awesome and greatly appreciated! The one question that I answer the most, though, is:
"Why can't you redesign the faceplate to make a 3U version of this module?"
The short and oversimplified answer is:
Because I would be happy to, but I am a company of one who is currently focused on developing more free firmware for the Nocturne Alchemy Platform, to give away to the people who bought one, so they can use the module in many different ways and with many different firmwares.
The longer, more detailed answer is:
Because it's not just a simple faceplate redesign. The module has a very comfortable and playable layout that was designed to make it intuitive and natural to perform on. The control board PCB under the faceplate, as well as the CPU board, would need to be redesigned, moving in the potentiometer, 10-pin power header, and both 3.5mm TS jacks into the keyboard button area (see image), which may also encroach on the mounting stand-offs (by around 16mm or so).
This could be done, but not without a significant redesign of the module. If done cheaply or without a proper design strategy, it may compromise playability by squeezing the keyboard buttons closer together, not to mention how hard it is to ergonomically play a keyboard with both hands in a vertical layout (but admittedly, that's a personal performance preference that may not be shared by all).
"So there's no hope of a 3U version?" - NEVER SAY NEVER:
There is one way that might make a 3U version feasible for those who want it, but it would require enough people interested in a 3U version to justify the investment of additional time and money into redesigning, prototyping, testing, and third-party manufacturing it. If proof of demand is there, I would be happy to launch a Kickstarter campaign to fund the project. All I would need to see is a "show of hands" as to how many people would be willing to buy a 3U version. Please fill out the form on this page. If I get 50 inquiries via that method, I will happily launch a Kickstarter campaign to fund a 3U version of the Nocturne Alchemy Platform and notify all who submitted a request. Thanks so much for your feedback and interest! Cheers!
-Sean at FlatSix Modular
-Sean at FlatSix Modular
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