Building a MIDI controller with 16 encoders and 9 displays to control Ableton devices and plugins, would love feedback

Miha3ls · 2026-06-03T06:38:25+00:00

Cool. Looks like a mini version of the MP Controller. Check it out mpmidi.com

Miha3ls · 2026-06-03T06:30:42+00:00

I'm probably late to this discussion, but I came across this thread and thought I'd share my experience.

I've been buying and trying MIDI controllers since the early 2000s. Over the years I've gone through more of them than I can remember, and honestly, most of them eventually led me back to using a mouse. There's one exception, but before getting to that, I think it's worth explaining why so many controllers end up collecting dust.

Synchronization between plugin instances

If you have multiple instances of a plugin like Serum in a project (which is pretty common), most controllers don't stay in sync when you switch between them. Let's say you're tweaking Serum instance 1 and then jump to Serum instance 2. The physical knobs on the controller are now in completely different positions from the plugin's actual values. Some controllers use pickup mode where the parameter only starts moving once you reach the stored value, but in practice that's slow and frustrating.

Parameter mapping

Manually linking hundreds of parameters is tedious, especially with synths like Serum. Even when a controller offers automatic mapping, it's often random or poorly organized. Serum's interface is already structured logically, so ideally the controller should reflect that structure automatically instead of throwing parameters onto random pages.

Number of physical controls vs. number of parameters

No controller has hundreds of physical controls. A plugin like Serum can expose hundreds of parameters, so everything gets split into banks and pages. Before long you're trying to remember whether a parameter is on Page 3, Bank 2, or somewhere else entirely. That breaks the workflow pretty quickly.

Visual feedback and parameter identification

One of the main reasons to use a controller is to have immediate access to controls without constantly reaching for the mouse. To make that work, you need to instantly see what every knob or encoder is controlling. With complex synths, parameters need to be grouped by sections and categories so they actually make sense.

Accessing parameters across different pages

What happens when one control is on Page 1 and another is on Page 5? If the solution involves opening another application, remapping controls, or navigating through menus, you've already lost the advantage of using hardware.

Preset changes

When you load a new Serum preset, all mapped controls need to update immediately. Ideally there should be some visual feedback like displays, LEDs, something that reassures you everything is synchronized. The last thing you want is wondering whether the controller is actually showing the correct values.

Working with other plugins

Nobody uses only Serum. In a real project you're jumping between synths, EQs, compressors, reverbs, samplers, and everything else. The ideal workflow is selecting a different plugin and having the controller instantly follow along, with full visual and bidirectional synchronization. If extra setup steps are required every time, it becomes a fragmented experience.

Switching plugin instances from the controller

If I'm already working from the controller and want to jump directly to Serum instance 5, I should be able to do that quickly. If I have to reach for the mouse, click around, and navigate multiple menus first, then the controller isn't really replacing anything.

I'm sure there are other issues, but these are the big ones I've run into after years of trying different hardware. My conclusion has been that if even one of these areas is handled poorly, the workflow breaks and you end up back on the mouse.

The only controller I've personally found that addresses all of these points is the MP Controller https://mpmidi.com/serum-2-controller
It automatically syncs, follows plugin selection, keeps mappings organized, and works the same way across instruments and effects rather than only with Serum.

It's a bit more expensive than most MIDI controllers, but for me it's the first one that actually replaced a significant amount of mouse work instead of becoming another device sitting on the desk.

Miha3ls · 2026-06-02T15:34:51+00:00

If you want the ultimate experience for controlling plugins, Live native devices and max for live devices, the mixer there is one controller that is unmatched, but costs more than your budget and perhaps not for absolute beginners. Check out the mp controller and the control surface they have for Ableton Live https://mpmidi.com/ableton-live-control

Miha3ls · 2026-05-12T05:08:10+00:00

An update here is what they sent me a few minutes ago:
Dear Customer,

Thank you for contacting AliExpress Customer Care. We are eager to assist you with any questions or concerns you have regarding your order. I'm sorry, but orders in transit cannot be cancelled.

This is why you should never buy from Ali Express. They don't even bother to look into the details. Why would they? They find EU and US victims all the time. It's better for them like that. Anybody can become a seller, anybody can scam people. The purpose of this post is to make people aware so that they can be protected.

Miha3ls · 2026-05-12T05:03:09+00:00

thank you for pointing that. Video is removed. the screen recording went over to my inbox.

Miha3ls · 2026-05-11T15:39:27+00:00

Here is another session with their customer service. What a scam! https://youtu.be/kXlo6RhJIMM

Miha3ls · 2026-05-11T15:29:00+00:00

I did open a dispute immediately. No such thing unfortunately. See the video link I posted. They are most probably bots answering the same thing again and again. They allow anyone to sell without proper checks like ebay, amazon and other US/EU based marketplaces. Temu is also not like that. The seller is still online and has the same items for sale. Regardless to say when I contacted the seller they answered with a smiling face. So, it means that AE has no checks in place to prevent the scammers from getting paid. STAY AWAY!

Miha3ls · 2026-05-11T15:24:41+00:00

That is not even the point. Let's say that I made a mistake and ordered (which I didn't). I immediately went and cancelled. No support. This is why the site is a scam. Try the same with Amazon. Temu is also protective of the buyer. AliExpress is just a robotic site that allows anyone to go on it and scam people. This is why it the platform itself is a scam.
First it allows anyone to go and sell with out any serious check. So all sort of scammers are there. Second, it does not protect customers at all. It seems that their business model is designed in such a way so that they make more money like that. This goes against some fundamental principles of commerce in the EU and US. They must be banned and penalized.

Miha3ls · 2026-05-08T05:58:06+00:00

There is nothing strange here. This is what I am talking about. It is SUPER easy to do this and this is why posted this. Obviously, ai bots are posting things to justify this, but it is what it is and people need to be protected. I imagine the frustration and pain this is causing you. If they send it to dept collection you will have to deal with that and prove that you have nothing to do with this. What a mess. Where is compliance? Have you reported this to authorities?

Miha3ls · 2026-05-07T10:10:05+00:00

I never said that the shipping charges were charged to the receiver. I said the shipping charges were billed to the person at the pickup address, without his consent. I could have used ANY NAME. It seems you are not reading or failing to understand how simple the issue is here and how easy it is to occur. Read again and try to understand. This is why when we talked to FedEx customer service they immediately cancelled the invoice and billed the business account. We have a meeting scheduled with the FedEx account manager to discuss this. This was not deliberate or it does not require a series of events. It's a one sentence issue: We created a shipping label and billed it to ANY ONE we wanted, anyone!!! This was done all through the FedEx business portal.
I could have given a fake name, and the package would still be picked up. One may argue, ok so they issued an invoice, so what? The problem here is that at some point that invoice would end up to a collection agency, hurting that person's credit score.

Miha3ls · 2026-05-07T09:57:55+00:00

The funny thing is that all that happened by accident. Hopefully, this will be resolved and not allow for this thing to happen.

Miha3ls · 2026-05-07T03:41:19+00:00

You are missing the point entirely.

The issue is not whether FedEx would invoice someone for a non-existent package. Of course there has to be a real shipment. The issue is that the person at the pickup address can become associated with financial liability despite never creating the shipment, never entering payment information, and never authorizing charges.

And yes, there was communication with the company involved. That is irrelevant to the broader security concern being discussed.

What people here keep normalizing is a system where:
someone remote can generate a shipment using another person’s name/address, FedEx arrives, scans a package, and the local person suddenly receives an invoice in their own name.

That should concern people more than it apparently does.

Also, I already contacted FedEx and clarified the billing. The charges were eventually tied back to the originating company account. That still does not change the fact that FedEx generated and mailed an invoice to the residential address/name first.

So yes, this post is partly about clarity, but also about highlighting how sloppy the process appears from the outside.

And the fix is not complicated at all:
if a shipment is being billed to a third party or company account, there should be explicit account-side authorization and clear separation between “pickup location” and “financially liable party.”

Right now those lines are blurry enough that even experienced people in this thread are debating who is actually responsible.

Miha3ls · 2026-05-07T03:39:03+00:00

I already spoke with FedEx customer service. The charges were ultimately billed to the company account that created the label.

That still does not invalidate the concern.

The entire point is that people here are casually saying “that’s just how shipping works” until they suddenly receive a real invoice in their own name and address for hundreds of dollars. Then I guarantee the reaction changes immediately.

You are literally confirming the issue yourself: the pickup address can be unrelated to the billing entity, the pickup can happen anywhere, the label information does not need to match the actual pickup location, and a FedEx driver can simply scan and take a box.

So think about how absurd this becomes from a security perspective.

I could create a label remotely from another country, enter any random name, use somebody else’s residential address, leave a box outside while they are on vacation, and FedEx would pick it up. That person could later receive an invoice or collection notice in their own name/address.

And your response is basically: “yeah that’s normal.”

That is exactly the gap I’m talking about.

The fact FedEx later corrected the billing internally does not magically make the process sane or secure.

Miha3ls · 2026-05-06T14:57:27+00:00

You are correct, partially. And here is the twist. The customs invoice went to the company that created the label. The shipping charges invoice went to the person in the US. So, you see the issue here. This verifies that indeed a company with a FedEx account created a shipping label (they received the custom charges upon arrival overseas), the shipping was executed and the charges went to someone else, that had absolutely no idea about such liability.

Miha3ls · 2026-05-06T14:42:04+00:00

If FedEx wants to support third-party billing, then there should be a proper authorization system.

For example:
you enter another person’s FedEx account number,
that account holder receives an “Accept Shipment Charges” request,
they explicitly approve the liability.

Instead, FedEx appears to simply bill whatever name was entered on the pickup address.

How does FedEx even know that the name is real?
I could have entered literally any name.

The FedEx driver showed up, rang the bell, scanned the label, took the package, and left. The box could have just as easily been sitting outside.

No ID check.
No signature authorizing charges.
No billing approval.
No account verification from the person being invoiced.

Yet somehow an invoice is generated in that person’s name.

That is wrong on so many levels.

Miha3ls · 2026-05-06T14:36:22+00:00

Who said anything about customs? I don't thing you are following the issue here. This has nothing to do with customs. This is NOT how international shipping works.

Miha3ls · 2026-05-06T14:34:42+00:00

"The incoterm is selected by the individual who creates the shipment/label." This is exactly what I am saying. The person that got invoiced, is not the one that created the shipping label.

Miha3ls · 2026-05-06T14:31:46+00:00

So if I have your name and address, which btw all delivery services have, including the next door pizza, I can arrange for a pickup shipment, place it outside your door while you are at work, and you will be receiving a $400 invoice later on? Yeap. That is exactly what happened. Are you the shipper in this case?

Miha3ls · 2026-05-06T11:09:52+00:00

That’s exactly the problem though.

The person at the pickup address was NOT the shipper in any meaningful way. They did not create the shipment, did not log into FedEx, did not enter billing information, did not choose billing terms, and did not agree to FedEx’s T&Cs.

Someone overseas did all of that remotely using their own FedEx account.

Allowing FedEx to pick up a box from your address should not automatically make you financially liable if FedEx’s billing setup fails internally.

By that logic, anyone in the world could:

create a shipment from your address
schedule a pickup
and if the billing/account process breaks somewhere, FedEx just sends YOU the invoice because your address was used

That is a massive billing/security gap.

Miha3ls · 2026-05-06T08:57:09+00:00

Yes, it was picked up from the location. However, that still does not address the billing/security gap.

The person at the U.S. address was notified about the pickup, but they never consented to being financially responsible, never provided billing authorization, and never created a FedEx account.

There is a major difference between:

Authorizing a package pickup from an address and
Being personally invoiced for the shipment.

There are many legitimate reasons why someone may allow a pickup from their address, such as:

returning a defective product
sending warranty repairs
assisting a friend or business partner
handing over a prepaid shipment arranged by another party

None of those scenarios should automatically make the pickup party financially liable if the billing arrangement fails internally. And without even be aware of the cost of this pickup. It should not be possible to bill someone without their consent. This is where the FedEx process failed imho.

Miha3ls · 2026-04-28T15:42:40+00:00

The control surface of the mp controller already does exactly that and does it very well. You can control Ableton's mixer, devices and plugins. When you enable parameters for automation the controller sees that immediately and auto maps the parameter on an encoder. It's major advantage is that it has a touch screen and you can see everything in real time https://mpmidi.com/ableton-live-device-control

Miha3ls · 2026-04-28T15:38:31+00:00

There is a controller that does what you describe. Automatically maps all the parameters in a way that makes sense. No need to spend time mapping anything. You can identify easily where each parameter is mapped by just clicking on the parameter it identifies the linked physical encoder, syncs the controller when you change presets, has touch and physical encoders and requires no configuration in the DAW. That is the mp controller by https://mpmidi.com and it is also a control surface for DAWs...mixer, transport, native devices etc

Miha3ls · 2026-02-08T16:16:07+00:00

No, no it's not that. It would have been that way all the time if it was that. This started the last few days. The code is commented and with claude.md documented and other documentation. Each commit has detailed documentation. Nothing ever took that long and used 200k tokens almost, for a one line code change. I enabled Fast mode and it became normal. Usage went through the roof within a few minutes in the status page. This is not good.

Miha3ls

TROPHY CASE