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# present-company
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Ivan Reese

04/09/2022, 3:49 AM
I'm looking for hardware suggestions. I'd like something like a Stream Deck, but with knobs instead of buttons. Don't need a lot of knobs. Even just 1 nice one would be a lovely start. I've consider using one of my midi keyboards, but they take up so much space. I just want a small, nice-feeling hardware knob — or maybe a few knobs — that can sit just above my computer keyboard.
Something like the Logitech Craft, but just the knob, not the keyboard too.
Would love one (or 3) of these

SmartKnobs

, but I don't have the time to DIY.
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Ivan Reese

04/09/2022, 3:56 AM
Ah — Good thinking. Will have to see if it works with Mac. Hmm. https://github.com/andreasjhkarlsson/mac-dial
Xencelabs Quick Keys has a dial, but I can't tell if it's actually a continuous input or just a way to flip through sets of shortcuts. https://www.xencelabs.com/us/product/xencelabs-quick-keys-remote
The TourBox is like a game controller that sits on your desk. https://www.tourboxtech.com/
Someone made a Stream Deck with knobs and called it Loupedeck.. which is a little.. on the nose. https://loupedeck.com/products/
Here are some little modular pieces that you can assemble into a multi-control surface: https://monogramcc.com/shop/
Teenage Engineering have the Ortho Remote, which can be used as a MIDI controller over BLE: https://teenage.engineering/products/orthoremote
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Maikel

04/09/2022, 4:26 AM
What do you want to use it for exactly?
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Ivan Reese

04/09/2022, 4:44 AM
Yes, that Midi Fighter Twister looks good — but it has 4x more knobs that I think I'd ever need! But it definitely deserves to be included in this list :)
I'm just editing the next FoC podcast, a process that requires frequent adjustments to the
tempo
setting in Ableton Live, and I found myself wishing I had a physical knob that I could dedicate to this purpose.
I have ordered 2 of the Teenage Engineering knobs — not cheap, but they stand the best chance of being compatible without requiring a driver or custom software, they will be the most space-efficient, and I like that I'll be able to move them independently.
For the sake of completeness, I also wanted to post the Monome Arc: https://monome.org/docs/arc/
If anyone else knows of a good knob, by all means share it!
Ah, and of course there's the SpaceMouse — https://3dconnexion.com/us/product/spacemouse-pro/ — forgot about that one.
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Andrew F

04/09/2022, 5:45 AM
I have no justifiable need for the SpaceMouse but nevertheless instantly coveted it.
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Maikel

04/09/2022, 6:52 AM
I wonder if these kind of interfaces can be helpful in editing a node and wire ui.. a mouse/mousewheel and a keyboard feel a bit limited sometimes
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guitarvydas

04/09/2022, 8:47 AM
not quite what you asked for, but I am immediately reminded of trackball mice: https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=roller+ball+mouse&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
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Ivan Reese

04/09/2022, 2:23 PM
Yeah, hah. I was actually looking to see if there was some sort of mouse-like device that just had, like, one giant scroll wheel. Like a trackball, but limited to one axis.
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Jack Rusher

04/10/2022, 6:13 AM
I love these kinds of haptic interfaces! The Griffin PowerMate was the thing for this, but they discontinued it a couple of years ago. 😿 It looks like the TE and Monome ones are quite nice though. 🙂
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Ivan Reese

04/11/2022, 12:42 AM
Blast from the past! I believe I owned one of those in the early 00s. I never ended up using it, in any event. Here's hoping this new foray into accessorizing my computer with dials is a little more fruitful.
Here's another — literally called "Shuttle", like the jog/shuttle dial on old-school video editing consoles — marketed for video editors: https://www.contourdesign.com/product/shuttle/
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Jack Rusher

04/11/2022, 7:15 AM
Btw, I was in contact with the Loupedeck people last year because I really like the idea of having app-sensitive buttons and knobs that get switched out based on context. The device seems pretty cool, but the SDK for controlling it is 100% .NET. I wish they had just documented a control protocol over USB...
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