Build and customize your very own open-source button grid controller based on the Adafruit Trellis with the UNTZtrument kit HELLA UNTZtrument KIT! Designed by PaintYourDragon, this DIY kit comes with delicious translucent button pads, controller pads, diffused white LEDS and a custom laser cut enclosure. The result is a sturdy, BIG, and elegant but also super-hackable music or video (or something else???) controller device.

We designed this kit for ease of use and ultimate flexibility. All you need is an Arduino Leonardo, basic soldering tools and an afternoon. Once assembled and programmed with the Arduino IDE, this box turns into a USB MIDI device that works with any computer and has 128 buttons with controllable LEDs. Our default example program sends a MIDI Note On and Off message for each button press but with a little programming ingenuity you can send and receive any kind of MIDI command. Since its USB MIDI it can work instantly with just about all synth software. Don't like MIDI? The Leonardo can also emulate a USB keyboard or plain old USB serial.

Since it's Arduino-powered, adding more stuff like accelerometers, potentiometers, rotary encoders, etc. is straight-forward and uses existing libraries available on the Internets. If you want to add some knobs, rotary encoders or pots, check out the UNTZtrument accessory plate. You can swap either of the two sides of the HELLA UNTZtrument for up to 8 pots of twiddly goodness.

Each order comes with:

• Eight Trellis control PCBs
• Eight matching Trellis Elastomer button pads - 128 total buttons
• An LED pack of diffused white 3mm LEDs - 140 total LEDs, so you have a couple extra.
• Custom designed laser-cut enclosure, clear body and black top

You'll need to add: an Arduino Leonardo, some 22AWG solid core wire (better than stranded but stranded will also work in a pinch), soldering iron & solder, basic hand tools, and a micro USB cable.

Check out the assembly and usage tutorial for code, diagrams, instructions, files and more!