Customisation is the name of the game with this clever MIDI controller. Greg Scarth finds out what tricks the N32B has up its sleeve.
Shik’s N32B v3 looks like the most simple MIDI controller you’ve ever seen. With 32 rotary knobs and a small LED segment display, this seems on the surface to be about as basic as it gets. We’ve all seen similar controllers before, so the Shik version must be more of the same, right? Very wrong. The N32B’s simple looks hide a deeply customisable controller with some deep and extremely clever options, including two-parameter macro control via a single knob, minimum and maximum values, plus inverted parameter directions.
The N32B grew out of a DIY project, originally conceived by the brand’s owner, a web developer by trade and also a musician. Combining those coding skills with the versatile Arduino platform, the original intention was to create a controller which would simplify the process of controlling software, making things more intuitive than using a mouse. The result was eventually released as a self-assembly kit, before finally evolving into a full, ready-assembled release. The v3 represents the latest iteration of the project.
The latest v3 revision shown here includes upgrades to both hardware and firmware when compared to previous N32B models, but we won’t assume any prior knowledge of the older examples. The unit itself is a simple and surprisingly light black aluminium closure, measuring 20.5 × 14 × 4.5 cm. On the top panel, the panel is adorned with an 8×4 grid of rubber knobs, each of which sits atop a 270-degree sweep rotary potentiometer. Around the back, MIDI in, out and zero-latency thru connections are provided over TRS type A (3.5 mm) sockets (one adapter is provided to convert to five-pin DIN). A USB C connection is provided for MIDI over USB and preset management via a web editor, as well as powering the device when used without a computer. All in all, the unit feels nicely made. The N32B isn’t as tough as something like a MIDI Fighter Twister but for studio use and careful live use it feels durable enough to stand up to the challenge.
What sets the N32B apart from other similar knob controllers is the depth of its customisation options. The web editor is the best place to start before hooking up to your software or hardware, allowing you to understand the options available: each of the 32 knobs can be set to different modes (control change, NRPN, program change, after touch, etc, each with its own associated parameters). Each controller can also be assigned its own MIDI channel, minimum and maximum values applied, and/or the direction of the parameter change inverted as appropriate. Each knob can be routed to USB, TRS or both, while the MIDI thru signal can also be routed in various different ways.
Visual feedback isn’t a strong point of the unit, but that’s clearly a design choice rather than an oversight. Instead of giving you extensive graphical displays and menus to scroll through, the buttons and display serve for simple functions: displaying value changes, switching between Global Channel or Preset selection mode, and sending snapshots via SysEx. Fundamentally, it feels like the key to success with the N32B lies in creating presets via the web editor. Three presets can be stored on board the unit, but the web editor effectively allows you to create unlimited custom presets and store them on your computer, loading to the hardware when required.
Practical applications are where the N32B really becomes interesting, and it’s worth considering just how many different ways you could set the unit up for both studio and live use. Map parameters to soft synths – or indeed hardware synths with sufficient MIDI control – and you can set up multiple macros to link and tweak parameters simultaneously. Map the vertical columns of knobs to a series of mixer channels in your DAW and you can use them to control things like levels, EQ, filters, panning and effects for a hands-on mixdown or live performance (particularly effective when using macros). You could also use it for non-musical purposes, via any software or hardware which can respond to MIDI. Stage lighting would be an convenient application, for instance, while Shik even suggest mapping controls to photo editing parameters in Adobe Lightroom using the MIDI2LR plugin.
At £283.99, the N32B isn’t the cheapest MIDI controller on the market – you can pick up a nice versatile controller like the Arturia MiniLab 3 for well under £100 – but what you’re paying for here is the boutique development of something quite unique. If you’re looking for something which can be customised to meet your specific MIDI control needs, the N32B could well be the answer.
Greg Scarth
More info/buy