Hack Midi Mask – The Story | Handmade MIDI Controllers

Every project has a beginning — a moment when an idea meets the first component, the first line of code, the first mistake worth making. HackPad started in March 2020, during the early days of lockdown, with a simple question: what if I built my own MIDI controller?

What followed was over three years of prototyping, soldering, redesigning PCBs, writing and rewriting firmware, and gradually turning a rough handmade box into a polished, fully-featured instrument. And once HackPad found its form, new questions emerged — what if the pads were faders? What if it was all knobs? What if it was all encoders? That’s how a single project became a family.

This is the story of Hack Midi Mask — told through photos, videos, and the dates that marked each step forward.

2020 · March 19 — The first prototype

It all started here. The very first prototype of HackPad was born — rough, experimental, and full of potential. The goal was simple: prove that a 4×4 pad grid could send MIDI signals via Arduino. No enclosure, no display, just raw electronics and curiosity.

2020 · March 24–27 — Box design & first code

With the basic electronics working, it was time to think about the physical form. Over four intense days, the first enclosure design took shape alongside the initial firmware. The two had to evolve together — every mechanical decision affected the code, and every feature in the code demanded space inside the box.

2020 · April 1 — Box assembled

The first complete enclosure came together. Seeing all the pieces fit — even imperfectly — was one of those milestone moments that makes a project feel real.

2020 · April 13 — Arduino Bar

The first public appearance. HackPad was brought to the Arduino Bar event — a community gathering for makers and electronics enthusiasts.

Arduino Bar – interview at 30:08

After the first prototype phase, HackPad took a long pause — but the idea never left. By late 2022, it came back stronger, this time with a proper PCB design.

2022 · November 20 — First PCB design

2022 · November 30 — PCB v1 arrives

2022 · December 7 — Assembling PCB v1

2022 · December 12–13 — PCB v2

2022 · December 30 — Chord Finder

One of HackPad’s most distinctive features: the Chord Finder lights up the correct notes for any of 50 scales — making HackPad not just a controller, but a learning tool.

2023 · January 15 — New PCB design

2023 · February 25 — MIDI output lighting

2023 · April 16 — Analog MIDI output on PCB

A family grows

HackPad proved the concept. Once the core platform was solid — Arduino Pro Micro, OLED interface, EEPROM configuration, TRS MIDI output — a natural question followed: what else could be built on it?

The answer was a family of controllers, each sharing the same philosophy of full customizability directly from the device, but with a completely different physical interface. HackFad — 4 slide faders + 5 pots. HackPot — 17 rotary pots. HackRot — all encoders.

MakerFaire Rome

HackMidiMask took to the stage at MakerFaire Rome in 2016 and 2017 — one of the world’s largest maker events. Showing the projects to thousands of visitors were key moments in the evolution of the whole project.