Ottopot - High Resolution Midi Controller

Tutorial | Mar 12, 2025

In this video, I introduce the Ottopot, a homemade MIDI controller created by one of my Patreons, Gero. The device features 14-bit resolution potentiometers with LED rings for precise control, offering a unique one-to-one mapping experience. If you're interested, you can build it yourself using the materials listed on Gero's website, or potentially get one made by him if he's available.

You can watch the Video on Youtube

• support me on Patreon
• Ottopot Website: https://gerotakke.de/ottopot/
• Ottopot Controller Script

Summary #

Maybe you don't watch the video, here are some important takeaways:

Hey folks, in this video, I'm excited to introduce you to a unique device called the Ottopot, which was ingeniously crafted by one of my Patreons, Gero. He decided to take on the challenge of creating his own MIDI controller by assembling parts, and I must say, it's quite impressive. Despite being a homemade project, it exudes a professional look and feel.

The Ottopot's housing is 3D printed, with a sleek and smooth plastic finish that feels very professional. It features eight knobs, which are infinite potentiometers, each surrounded by LED rings. These LED rings are not just for show; they serve a practical purpose by displaying the current value of the parameter you are adjusting. This feature comes in handy when switching between different devices, as it allows you to see the current value instantly. The infinite potentiometers further aid in adjusting values seamlessly when switching between different devices or parameters.

On Gero's website, you can see that the Ottopot was designed with higher resolution in mind. Unlike typical MIDI controllers that offer 128 possible values (7-bit), this controller utilizes 14-bit resolution by sending two CC messages in quick succession. This effectively enhances the resolution, offering finer control over your MIDI adjustments.

Another innovative feature is the Ottopot’s one-to-one mapping. Normally, MIDI controllers can sometimes feel disconnected, where a small change on the controller might result in a significant change in the software. However, the Ottopot ensures a direct correlation between what you dial in and what the software outputs.

Setting it up was straightforward. Once I unpackaged the Ottopot and connected it via USB, Bitwig Studio immediately recognized it as a new device. After downloading the necessary controller script, it worked seamlessly. In the background, you can see a grid patch running, and the controller is already mapped to the remote control panel, which is a default feature in Bitwig Studio. This allows for real-time control of parameters like output volume and others, with immediate feedback from the LED rings.

Creating new mappings is also straightforward. You can easily map controls like the attack and decay of an envelope, and changes made are reflected in both the software and the LED feedback on the controller. This interactivity extends to creating new devices, such as an EQ Plus, and utilizing its pre-defined remote controls simply by selecting the device you wish to manipulate.

The Ottopot’s simplicity is part of its charm. With no display and a focus on functionality, it remains an affordable project that you can build yourself. The website provides all the materials needed and instructions for assembly, making it an intriguing project for those who enjoy DIY electronics.

Personally, I'm not patient enough to assemble a device myself, but for those of you who are, this could be an exciting weekend project. You can even reach out to Gero if you prefer a pre-assembled version, though mass production might not be feasible at this point. Perhaps a Kickstarter campaign in the future could bring this to a larger audience, but for now, it remains a boutique project.

In conclusion, I wanted to showcase this project because it represents innovation and creativity, especially from within my Patreon community. It works great, looks professional, and serves its purpose effectively. I hope you find it as interesting as I do. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, and if you enjoyed the video, don't forget to give it a thumbs up and subscribe. Thanks for watching, and I'll see you in the next video. Bye!

Transcription #

This is what im talking about in this video. The text is transcribed by AI, so it might not be perfect. If you find any mistakes, please let me know.
You can also click on the timestamps to jump to the right part of the video, which should be helpful.

[00:00:00] Hey folks, welcome back to another video.
[00:00:03] The dates about this device here called the Ottopot and it's made by one of my Patrons
[00:00:08] called Gero and he thought maybe I just put some parts together and create my own MIDI
[00:00:14] controller.
[00:00:15] I mean, why not?
[00:00:16] So you have to see, this is completely homemade.
[00:00:20] This is not a professional product, even though I think it looks like it.
[00:00:25] So the housing is 3D printed, so this is plastic, but it has a really nice, rainy finish to
[00:00:33] it.
[00:00:34] It feels very nice, very professional.
[00:00:36] We have eight knobs here, eight infinite potentiometers with LED rings so you can see
[00:00:45] the current value of the parameter and it helps you later when you switch between different
[00:00:49] devices, you can see the current value of this device instantaneously.
[00:00:54] And also having infinite potentiometers helps, of course, then with changing the values or
[00:01:01] changing the devices, having different values for different parameters.
[00:01:08] So the idea for this controller was, I show you this here on the website, this is the
[00:01:14] website here.
[00:01:16] So the first idea was, you wanted to use actually more resolution for these knobs, right?
[00:01:23] Normally you have 128 possible values you can dial in with MIDI controllers, which is
[00:01:29] a 7-bit, but this controller uses 14-bit resolution controllers or resolution potentiometers
[00:01:38] and it does this by using or sending two CC messages in quick succession, which helps
[00:01:46] basically of increasing the resolution of a normal MIDI controller.
[00:01:53] And you can read this up here if you want to.
[00:01:55] And the other idea was to use here a one-to-one mapping.
[00:02:00] And usually when you have like a real synthesizer, the mapping is one-to-one.
[00:02:06] So what you dial in on your controller or on your knob is actually what you get.
[00:02:11] But usually with usual MIDI controllers, that's not how it is.
[00:02:16] You dial in maybe a small change here.
[00:02:20] But on the software side, you have like a big change.
[00:02:23] So this is then the disconnect, right?
[00:02:27] So this was the idea of the one-to-one mapping.
[00:02:30] And also having high resolution potentiometers dial in values more precise.
[00:02:38] And in my opinion, it feels really nice to use.
[00:02:42] It was also out of the box working.
[00:02:44] So I just unpackaged this here and connected it to my USB.
[00:02:52] And Pitwick said, instantaneously, hey, there's a new device, right?
[00:02:56] And I just downloaded the controller script for this.
[00:03:00] And it just worked.
[00:03:01] So you can see in the background, I have a grid patch running.
[00:03:06] And usually the controller is already mapped to this remote control panel here, which is
[00:03:14] the case for all MIDI controllers, I guess, in Pitwick Studio.
[00:03:18] But you can now control your the output volume already, right?
[00:03:22] You can see this.
[00:03:23] And you also can see the one-to-one mapping.
[00:03:26] So I just dial in here a small value change.
[00:03:28] And you can also see the small value change with the knob here.
[00:03:32] So we can also change the value on the software.
[00:03:35] And we have a feedback here with the LED ring on the controller itself, which is dope.
[00:03:41] We can also set up here a new remote mapping.
[00:03:44] So let's say we want to control here the attack and the decay of this envelope.
[00:03:52] So now we can change this here and also change this in here.
[00:04:04] Maybe set up here the folding and maybe the skew here.
[00:04:18] Then we can create your new device, let's say an EQ plus.
[00:04:22] And the EQ plus itself has already some remote controls here defined, which is the gain of
[00:04:31] certain bands.
[00:04:33] You can see this is already mapped to the controller because the EQ plus is the currently
[00:04:38] focused device.
[00:04:40] And so we can now dial in here.
[00:04:43] EQ changes.
[00:04:44] And if you want to go back to the pulley grid, we just have to select it here.
[00:04:51] And then we can dial in again all the parameters of the pulley grid.
[00:05:02] Back to the EQ plus, right, it works straightforward.
[00:05:11] You select the device and then you have all the eight knobs already mapped to the remote
[00:05:19] controls.
[00:05:20] So pretty straightforward.
[00:05:21] We can also go to different track here and then we have this mapped, right, or we can
[00:05:27] go back to the pulley grid and we have this already mapped or this mapped.
[00:05:42] So I really like the idea of this because it's very simple, there is no display.
[00:05:48] It's not expensive.
[00:05:49] You can build it yourself.
[00:05:52] And it has some advanced features.
[00:05:54] So if you want to maybe give him a visit on the website, maybe send him some money.
[00:06:00] I have no idea.
[00:06:01] Write him something.
[00:06:02] But you can also build it for yourself because on the website here is down there.
[00:06:09] You can buy all the materials and then just assemble it for yourself if you want to.
[00:06:16] It's very interesting to be honest.
[00:06:20] It's not something for me.
[00:06:21] I'm not patient enough to actually assemble a device or, you know, do this all myself.
[00:06:30] I'm not patient enough.
[00:06:32] But maybe you are and you need another interesting weekend project.
[00:06:36] This is maybe something for you.
[00:06:38] I'll leave you the link in the description below.
[00:06:42] Like I said, maybe if you talk to him, maybe send him money, maybe he want to do it for
[00:06:46] you if he has time to do it, and then you can just buy one.
[00:06:52] What I don't think he can mass produce this maybe with Kickstarter later this year.
[00:06:58] I have no idea.
[00:06:59] So this is just an interesting project I want to show you because he's one of my petrians.
[00:07:08] This is what I want to give back, right?
[00:07:10] It's an interesting project.
[00:07:12] I think it works great.
[00:07:13] It looks great.
[00:07:14] Let's also hear a small little branding there.
[00:07:23] It's very lightweight.
[00:07:24] It looks professional and it works.
[00:07:27] So why not show it on a video, right?
[00:07:30] Let me know what you think in the description below, leave a thumbs up, leave a subscription,
[00:07:37] and I see you in the next video.
[00:07:38] Thanks for watching.
[00:07:39] Bye.
[00:07:39] [MUSIC PLAYING]
[00:07:43] (gentle music)