The build: from concept to kit

MAK Synth went through four hardware prototypes. Each one reworked the electronics, the layout, the enclosure, or the way it is used. These are the main stages along the way.

A CAD concept render of a larger synthesizer with a full keyboard, wooden end panels, a screen, and labeled sections for envelopes, effects, and filters.

Stage 01

Early concept renders

An early concept explored a larger layout with a full keyboard, a screen, and dedicated sections for envelopes, effects, and filters. Renders like this set the direction before any hardware existed.

A Fusion 360 CAD model of the synthesizer with a decorated front panel, keyboard, and screen.

Stage 02

CAD modeling

The enclosure, control layout, and on-screen interface were modeled in CAD. Working in 3D made it possible to place every knob, key, and label, and to check the design before anything was printed.

Three red 3D-printed MAK Synth enclosures on a workbench, with a circuit board, an Arduino Uno, a soldering iron, and white keycaps.

Stage 03

Prototyping and assembly

3D-printed enclosures and the control board came together on the bench. Printing the parts made it quick to test component placement, assembly, and fit, and to revise the design between versions.

A green MAK Synth printed circuit board with a row of twelve buttons and a labeled pin header, reading an educational kit to learn sound synthesis and electronics.

Stage 04

The circuit board

A custom printed circuit board carries the buttons and the header that connects to the Arduino. This is the step that turns a breadboard prototype into something that can be built as a kit.

A finished white MAK Synth controller with labeled knobs for attack, decay, sustain, release, cutoff, and resonance, and a twelve-key keyboard.

Stage 05

The finished kit

The current MAK Synth: a compact controller with twelve keys and six knobs, running the SuperCollider sound engine with live visualizers. Read more about the goals behind it on the about page.

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