Doepfer We Wheel Electronic

The Doepfer We wheel is a MIDI controller interpreter - basically it takes resistance or switch values/states in from a potentiometer, fader or switch and converts them to MIDI messages. This was purchased for the building of a prototype for a Make Magazine 'Maker Faire' event. Speedy fabrication of the prototype was essential, and the Doepfer We did not disappoint.

It comes as a raw circuit board in a box with some associated cabling and a PSU. The normal static-sensitive precautions need to be observed as there are CMOS chips on the board - so use your grounding wrist strap and don't be that guy/gal! I put mine in a metal case mounted on some PCB risers and machined access holes for the PSU, MIDI and MIDI Activity LED. I was using my We to interpret the messages from a joystick controller - and the time-consuming part was fabricating this controller. The We was set up and issuing MIDI messages in about 3 minutes - far faster than using an Arduino or a PIC if you just want MIDI in a hurry, reliability and no fuss! The controller and Doepfer We were treated roughly all day by patrons at the fair and neither failed once. I have incorporated it into my live rig as a controller.

So the Doepfer We gives you a high-quality MIDI controller in a bulletproof format. It is easy to configure and set-up and does not fail.

Easy to understand and to mount. Easy to choose presets by jumpers. Well done. Good quality built. Only thing I would not have expected is that while this device accepts custom ROMs, Doepfer does not longer make them for a logic price. They stated that the product was designed some years ago and they do not longer have the ability to program a ROM, without charging you for an expensive private order price, which makes no sense for this device. So if you are about buying it take this into account. Either you live with the factory presets (they cover most common applications) or you look at the Pocket Electronics from the same manufacturer. This last one is more expensive, but it supports user programming under Windows OS.

Ce petit module est une aubaine pour celui qui veut ajouter des connexions de pédales de volume (c'est mon cas) ou autres contrôleurs. Je peux piloter indépendamment les volumes des upper 1, 2 et 3 sur mon korg PA4x et celui d'un expandeur ou autre clavier par exemple.

Le montage dans une boite en plastique n'est pas évident à cause de la connectique (fiches Midi et alimentation) qui est trop en retrait par rapport au circuit électronique. Ce n'est pas rédhibitoire pour autant. La programmation se fait avec des petits ponts, ce n'est pas compliqué. Cependant celui gérant la polarité de la pédale de sustain gêne la connexion de la fiche n°4.

Bref, je suis tout de même très heureux d'avoir pu trouver un tel petit module qui laisse entrevoir beaucoup de possibilités par exemple sur un clavier maître limité en connectique de contrôleurs (volume, sustain, modulation, etc...).

Doepfer propose de programmer une eprom avec les spécificités de votre choix pour 37¤ port compris, un peu cher mais ça a le mérite d'être possible. Merci.