If you’re up for a challenge – and willing to wade through a pile of BOMs – this Instructables build of a modular macropad might be for you.
The Ocreeb MK2 is the second version of creator Salim Benbouziyane’s (Instructables user salimbenbouz) 12-key macropad. Its latest iteration leverages a custom magnetic connector system that allows users to add modules such as faders and dials that seem well suited to audiovisual applications.
Building the Ocreeb MK2 is a commitment. You’ll need to 3D print enclosures and keycaps (Benbouziyane recommends using resin, but says FDM is also possible, albeit with post-processing), solder connectors and components, fasten PCBs, glue magnets into place with a 3D printable jig, fit and secure a small OLED screen – the list goes on.
That said, the keypad’s Instructables page offers an extensive step-by-step guide, with a 20-minute video offering interested users a glimpse at what they’re in for, as well as some insight into the MK2’s improvements and changes from the original Ocreeb.
In all, you’re looking at an 11-step process that begins with 3D printing the setup’s enclosures and ends with uploading firmware to the macropad. The final product is a beauty, however, with several users that have attempted and succeeded in building their own attesting to the Ocreeb’s high quality in the project’s comment section.
For more details, check out the Ocreeb MK2’s Instructables page, where you’ll find the step-by-step guide, build video, all the BOMs you’ll need, and more. Or, if you want something just slightly simpler, check out the original (non-modular) Ocreeb.
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License: The text of "This Macro Keyboard is Modular, and You Can Build It Yourself" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.