Since the release of our Builder series of do-it-yourself parts and components, we’ve seen a lot of talk from users about custom layouts and a lot of really great designs come our way. We have had a lot of people asking how to get started, perhaps somewhat intimidated by the idea of getting a bunch of parts and having to solder them up. One of the great things about the Builder components is that they let you focus on design rather than engineering, so with that in mind, we are having a “Design Your Controller” contest.

The grand prize winner of the contest will receive all the Livid parts necessary to build your controller. This includes all of our, boards, components, and an enclosure. We will even cut the wood body and faceplate, and give you what you need to put it together. Three runner ups will receive $100 worth of Builder merchandise from lividshop.com

Your design can be a simple as a sketch on a napkin, to a full blown CAD design. While a full 3 dimensional rendering isn’t necessary, it may increase your chances of winning, unless of course you have HR Giger drawing skills. You are limited to the builder series of parts, but if you can source out other knobs or controls and know how they are wired, we will consider it.

For full details go to the contest page here.

Last week we introduced the Ohm64 customizer. This simple web-based Flash application lets you style and customize your own Ohm64 with over 100 different combinations. Custom finishes have been something we have been doing for a while, and you can see some of our past efforts in our St. Ohm64 and Diablo Block, Halloween Editions, and many of the custom finishes we have created for artists in the past. We’ve always thought of our hardware as “instruments,” and an important difference between instrument and “control surface,” is that an instrument accommodates different styles and use. We obviously back that up with technology, but, since style is something that is of high importance to us (and probably you if you are reading this), we have spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to make controller customization as part of our assembly line (see the “meet your makers” blog post to see  the people making your controllers”).

We are really happy to now offer you the ability to create your own Ohm64 design in real-time, and order it directly from our shop. The Customizer lets you design, preview, and order a custom Ohm64 and have it made-to-order and shipped in just ten days. Custom options include multiple color body finishes, LED colors, and faceplate colors. Since we make everything in-house, we have the ability to customize, create, and build everything under one roof, which is rare for an electronic music hardware product. The customizer allows you to stylize and design your Ohm64, and order it direct from Austin, Texas. As an introductory offer and a way for us to test the process, each custom element is only, $10. Find your style, and customize yours right now using the Ohm64 real-time designer.