SoundForce Intros Minimoog Style USB MIDI Controller

SFC-Mini_Per3_white

Custom controller maker SoundForce Controllers has introduced a new MIDI controller, in the style of the Minimoog, designed to be used with plugins like Arturia Mini-V and Native Instruments’ Monark.

Here’s a video intro to the SoundForce SFC-Mini that shows two prototypes:

The SFC-Mini is designed specifically for Minimoog-style soft synths, but can be used with any other MIDI-mappable software or hardware.

See the SoundForce site for more info. Pricing and availability information is to come, but the final version is expected to be available in Fall 2015.

25 thoughts on “SoundForce Intros Minimoog Style USB MIDI Controller”

  1. All well and good. More power to him. But what advantage does this have over, say, a Novation Remote? Which is fully programmable for just about anything. There are no specific details on the web site, so this appears to be a one trick pony. Unless it is priced ridiculously lean for the niche market, it may not fare so well.

    1. It may not be the best-selling controller in the world, but for people who love the MM workflow for live performance it’ll be the absolute perfect solution.

    2. “But what advantage does this have over, say, a Novation Remote? Which is fully programmable for just about anything”

      Visual feedback.

    3. “But what advantage does this have over, say, a Novation Remote? Which is fully programmable for just about anything.”

      Muscle memory. Whenever I program a soft synth with a generic 8 slider/8 knob/8 button MIDI controller I’m constantly stopping to wonder “which one is resonance again?”. When I program a sound on one of my hardware synthesizer’s I don’t stop for a second—my body knows where the resonance knob is.

      I recently purchased a Novation X-Station 49 as a generic MIDI synthesizer controller and it’s absolutely boss. It’s laid out like a subtractive synth (OSC section, Filter section, LFO section, 2x ADSR…), as opposed to being laid out like a mixer with a keybed, and once I set it up with whatever synth I want to control I always know how to program it via it’s standard synthesizer layout + muscle memory. I want the market to be flooded with synth controllers like this. Death to 8s.

      1. Will makes a good point about muscle memory. IMO, its why DAWs mostly present like analog mixers: its how humans basically operate, no matter how much an ‘alternate’ approach amuses you. Its also why I look sideways at some controllers, because until you more instinctively know what to grab and when, you lack a certain humanizing edge. This controller bucks that trend. It’ll give some users an experience very similar to mine, on the real MiniMoog I started with, so I’m impressed. It appears that you’ll have to put it in a cradle if you want to play the knobs at an angle (the “best” way, to me), but getting it just right and putting rubber footies on it for stability sounds like a fun project. It all depends on its MSRP and the toughness of the build, but you know a few people who have Vintage Gear Lust will be happy for the compromise.

        1. Julien, that looks absolutely amazing but he didn’t ask if it could be done. He asked if it “would have been hard to put a circuit board in…”. Judging by your images and your comment in the first post over on MW—“By that time, I did not know that this project will fill all my nights and week-ends”—I think “yes” is probably still the right answer to his question. 😉 You sir, are an inspiration.

  3. love the white design.

    too bad the iPad arturia imini cannot remember programmed CCs (although it should). arturia have ignored this bug for at least more than a year.

      1. just have look into the forums on the arturia site, not only imini. various bugs never addressed.

        i owned different gear (analog lab, minilab and software). never really worked as advertised. sold it all.

  4. This is an amazing idea & concept. I’m assuming it’s the same guy who is making the same things for the Tal-U-No Juno & 101. To have physical control over some of these iconic synth software replications would be amazing! My only problem is that they are going to be like 400 each I’m thinking. I don’t specifically remember the exact prices of the Tal U no’s but personally I’ve got no more than $150 to ever spend on a software controller, that only controls one software basically. I am serious about the fact that I think this is amazing, and such a great idea. And if they were close to 150 each I’d probably grab all 3. But maybe it’s not possible to make them cheaper.

    1. Their other two controllers (yes, same company) sell for $225+$25 shipping. This one looks pretty similar in scope.

      I’m not hot for a MiniMoog but for someone who is $350 (this+arturia’s plugin) is a pretty stellar price. There’s a real Model-D at Control Voltage in Portland, OR that’s going for a cool $5,650. This controller plus the plugin will never be ‘the real thing’ but when the real thing is 16X the cost the faux-combo starts looking and sounding real good.

    2. Agree completely. As much as I can get behind some good old fashioned soldering, it looks like most of the production costs for this comes from the time it takes to put the whole thing together! SMD could’ve made this a lot cheaper, and I, like you, would’ve shelled out for at least one of them if they were 150. At 250 it’s much harder to justify.

  5. I think that more hardware controllers for specific software instruments should be developed. Given the potential for 3D printers, and CAD/CAM why could not the design and manufacture of such controllers be done quickly and cheaply. Not just for VSTs of classic instruments, but also more modern concepts? I’d love to see a dedicated hardware controller for some of the Rob Papen VSTs which are great. A dedicated controller could be sold by the company selling the software instruments, with wireless MIDI as the means of connecting the controller.

  8. Personally I’d rather just map a generic midi controller. I don’t have any trouble remembering which knob is which, and 200+ is way too much to spend on controlling one plugin. You know how many apps I can buy for 200 bux? Not to mention the fact that iMini is only $10. But it’s always nice to see new hardware.

  9. If someone could make a midi controller that came with a little digital readout under each knob that you could label and save as a template, i’d buy it. I cant imagine loving any software synth enough to want to shell out for a custom controller. Still, this will probably appeal to a fair few people, so will do ok i reckon.

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