There’s no shortage of MIDI controllers out there, but finding one that matches your exact workflow is still a bit of a unicorn hunt. Tubbutec is taking a different route: instead of selling you a fixed box, they let you design your own controller from the ground up—and then build it for you. The Controller Designer is a web-based tool where you lay out everything: faders, knobs, buttons, LEDs, even the panel artwork. Think less “preset hardware” and more “modular control surface tailored to your setup.”
Design it like you actually use it
The Designer runs in your browser and gives you full control over layout and behavior. You can drop in up to 25 faders, 12 pots, and 8 buttons, tweak their MIDI behavior, assign ranges, and define how everything responds. LED colors and shapes are fully adjustable, and you can upload your own panel design for a full-color printed front. Pricing updates dynamically depending on how far you go with controls and features, which makes it easy to scale from a minimal utility box to a dense performance controller. What’s nice here is that you’re not locked in after ordering. You can reconfigure MIDI messages, LED feedback, and controller behavior later and push updates via MIDI. That adds a layer of longevity you don’t always get with hardware controllers.
Hardware that keeps it practical
This isn’t a DIY kit—it arrives fully assembled in a compact powder-coated metal case (14 x 11.5 x 1.8 cm). It’s small enough for tight setups but solid enough for real use, with rubber feet that actually keep it in place while riding faders one-handed. The front panel is made from FR4 material with printed graphics, and the LEDs shine through the panel itself. That means you’re not stuck with generic light pipes—you can define shapes and sizes, from tiny pinpoints to rounded rectangles. Faders have 20mm travel and built-in red LEDs that light up on movement. Pots use T18 shafts (so you can swap knobs if you’re picky), and buttons come in different colors, including multi-state options with up to five LEDs per button.
Layers = more control without more clutter
One of the more powerful features here is the layered architecture. You get up to four layers, which effectively multiplies your control surface. So those 25 faders? They can control up to 100 parameters across layers. Same goes for pots and buttons. Switching layers is instant via dedicated buttons, making it usable in performance or sound design sessions without menu diving.
MIDI flexibility (including the deep stuff)
This isn’t limited to basic MIDI CC. The controller supports pretty much everything, including SysEx, and lets you define value ranges, polarity, and even send multiple MIDI messages from a single control. Connectivity is flexible too. You get TRS-A MIDI I/O (with DIN adapters included), USB MIDI, and built-in routing. It can act as a MIDI hub between USB, DIN, and the controller itself—or even double as a USB-to-TRS MIDI interface. Power comes via USB, either from a host or a standard USB-C supply.
Workflow in the real world
Setup is straightforward: plug the MIDI out into your synth, or connect via USB to control plugins and DAWs. Incoming MIDI can be routed through the controller, which makes it useful as a central hub in smaller rigs. There’s also a “SEND ALL” function—hold the button for two seconds and it pushes the current state of all controls to your synth. Handy if you’ve ever had a patch jump unexpectedly because your hardware and software weren’t in sync.
Community presets and starting points
If building from scratch feels like too much, the Designer includes example projects—like synth-specific controllers—and community-made layouts. You can load them, tweak them, or order them as-is.
There are already designs floating around for gear like the Dreadbox Nymphes and Sequential SixTrak, plus Tubbutec’s own CeeS controller. It’s a nice way to shortcut the process or just see what’s possible.