KIT AVAILABLE !!! All In One v2.7 PCB Kit to sell !!!

[dmitri]

One note. MegaDrum is not for profit project. Selling kits just to cover expenses is one thing. Selling assembled/soldered MegaDrum kit and charging for labour - another thing. I would think I would have not liked this.

[Synthex]

Synthex - Come up with a COMPLETE kit that includes all of the necessary components. I mean EVERYTHING. Small metal 1/2 rack chassis that could be stuck in a standard 1/2 rack tray or get a rack ear screwed to it, all of the inputs, LCD, buttons, the works. An entire, complete kit 22 or 32 input kit with everything. Well, minus the labor to solder it all together, of course. Then we can open a box and have all components and instructions there and just have to do the actual assembly.

Once you start considering that and actually selling them successfully I'll then try to talk you into considering doing all the soldering, too, and shipping a completed unit that's usable out of the box. That will satisfy all potential users that don't want to be bothered doing it themselves. And I would think that would be a much more purchased product than any of the partial or even full kits.

MegaDrum is a non-commercial project. It's a DIY (Do It Yourself) project.
I spent a lot of time and a lot of money on this design to provide you the best.
I built with my own money all PCBs, and I sell kits just to cover expenses ...
Kits are available to enable a large number of people to BUILD the Megadrum !
I spend a lot of time (as Dmitri) to monitor and support the comunity of this website ...

Then, Gastric, if you can not make a few welds and if you can not choose your own rack, I can not do anything for you ...

[gastric]

I never used the word "profit". I'm simply suggesting a more robust/complete kit would further increase the accessibility of the project to more users. Clearly your current partial kits proves that. Obviously the more you do for the potential users the less DYI it becomes. However, there seems to be a strong desire here to gain more users. I'm just providing my suggestions to further that goal.

Here's another DYI project to use as an example. I'm assuming there's "profit" involved here but the kits are complete. http://www.gearslutz.com/board/new-prod ... p-kit.html

Regarding the racks themselves there's a wide variety to choose from. Dmitri's initial link provided the example product which had the necessary product keywords. The issue is there's very few blank rack cases but a zillion for computers. I've sourced some US based resellers that can provide chassis in a variety of formats, though some are completely bare which just means installing some standouts/studs. They start around $40 US so it's pricey just to get a sweet rack build. I'm likely to build the entire thing, except the enclosure, myself including the PCB all thanks to this very interesting project. Who would have guess you can just use a marker or printer to then acid etch PCBs? I didn't 4 weeks ago.

Keep up the good work. Again, I'm just providing my thoughts and opinions as how you can further increase your user base.

[dmitri]

increase the accessibility of the project to more users

And in doing so achieve what (taking in account it will require labour)?

[ignotus]

However, there seems to be a strong desire here to gain more users

Is that an end in itself? What for? Anyone buying a pre-built kit would do so because they "can't be bothered" - so what use will those people be to the project when something has to get tested or changed? What are you going to do if a 2-cent capacitor eventually blows? Send your kit back to Synthex? MegaDrum works out as a cheap and effective alternative if you build it yourself. You definitely wouldn't catch me building you a full kit for $150, you must be joking!! And if someone were to build them (probably at quite a higher price), they'd have to deal with eventual claims ("this or that won't work anymore...") related to stuff the "customers" (because that's what they'd be) should be able to fix themselves. I think a kit containing all parts so you can solder them together yourself is the closest you'll get to what you're asking for...

[ArthuroB]

Hi, I'm new here and I don't speak (understand) very well English (I'm French) but I got try to say somethings... with my friend Google's translator.
At 1st : CONGRATULATION this project seems the best over the web.
There is a great team for big project.
But I have too my fisrt question about it.

I don't understand that:

Here is a small explanation on the modularity of the PCB.

PCB v2.7 Color3p.jpg

If you do not need the MIDI connection : do not mount the brown part.
If you do not need the USB connection : do not mount the green part.

Synthex

The Megadrum have not sounds, I do'nt understand why anyone "don't need theses parts. Is it possible ?

In case of anyone speak French (Sorry but it is more simple for me):

Tout d'abord, je vous félicite tous pour ce fantastique travail.
J'ai découvert ce forum hier et je n'ai pas résisté à la tentation de m'y inscrire.
Ma curiosité me pousse à tenter de comprendre le principe de ce montage mais mon faible niveau d'Anglais me rend la tache très compliquée dès lors qu'il s'agit de termes techniques.
J'espère que vous ne m'en voudrez pas de m'exprimer en Français (en espèrant que quelqu'un saura me lire)

Je crois bien traduire ceci:

Here is a small explanation on the modularity of the PCB.

PCB v2.7 Color3p.jpg

If you do not need the MIDI connection : do not mount the brown part.
If you do not need the USB connection : do not mount the green part.

Synthex

Mais j'ai du mal a comprendre l'intêret de réaliser ce montage si on ne connecte pas ces deux parties du montage

D'autre part, j'ai bien visualisé l'image du kit, mais pas vraiment le concept intégral. Aussi, afin de savoir dans quoi je me lancerais en réalisant un tel montage j'aimerais que vous me corrigiez:
Si je comprend bien... tout ce qui manque au kit pour finaliser le montage serait:
-Un afficheur LCD
-Des fiches Jack (ou RCA)
-Des cables Jack
-Une alimentation externe
-Un cable Midi
--Des cables USB
-Un boitier
et Les Pads
Est-ce que je me trompe

Merci et encore une fois Félicitations

[InAVat]

Here's my attempt at using an english-to-french translator, in addition to my very poor highschool-level french.

Certains n'ont pas besoin de LCD parce que le Megadrum peut être configuré sur le PC avec USB.
Certains n'ont pas besoin de source de l'électricité parce que l'USB porte l'électricité
Certains n'ont pas besoin de Raccordement du MIDI parce que le Megadrum peut envoyer des signaux au PC par l'intermédiaire de l'USB
Certains n'ont pas besoin de Raccordement du USB parce que le Megadrum peut envoyer des signaux au PC par l'intermédiaire du MIDI

Mais vous avez besoin d'USB ou de LCD pour configurer le megadrum

[ArthuroB]

Oooh
Great Great
For your 1rst post, it is a very good post (for me)
Finally, I can only use the USB to send the midi for PC ?!
Thank you, (and very good French)

[ArthuroB]

Just one another Thing...

Certains n'ont pas besoin de source de l'électricité parce que l'USB porte l'électricité

The MegaDrum don't need external Power Supply?
Sorry if this question seems stupid but I'm not sure...

[Synthex]

Bonjour ArthuroB,

Merci pour tes compliments.
Je suis aussi français.
Je vais te répondre en francais, mais il est conseillé d'écrire en Anglais sur le Forum, pour pouvoir partager avec tous.
( I'll meet you in French for the first time, but English is better to share with everyone )

Tu n'as pas besoin d'alimentation externe pour ce kit, l'alimentation du port USB suffit.

Tout ce qui manque au kit pour finaliser le montage est :
- Un afficheur LCD
- Un boitier
- Des fiches Jack (ou RCA)
- Des cables Jack
- Un cable USB
... et les pads

Concernant la modularité du PCB, InAVat a bien répondu à la question.
On peut soit n'utiliser que l'USB, soit n'utiliser que le MIDI, ou les deux.

A bientôt
Synthex