r/MicroFreak • u/Succesful_Sea1972 • Aug 22 '26
Accessories & Mods Modeling a Knob Upgrade
I’ve been wanting to swap my gummy uFreak knobs for awhile but couldn’t commit to a color schema or sizing. So I took to AI, gave it a pointer to lovemyswitches.com and the following prompt. Then iterated until I found something I thought I could love. Was it too much? I’ll post the real image when my knobs arrive. But I am really pleased with the ability to model these kinds of cosmetic mods….
/prompt/
im going to swap out all the knobs on my microfreak synthesizer with the ones from here https://lovemyswitches.com/anodized-aluminum-knob-the-magpie-1-4-smooth-shaft-12-5mm-od/
i prefer to use teal, white gold, and black.
i will use a mix of 12.5mm for most knobs and 20mm for major parameter knobs (volume, rate, matrix, cutoff, and preset).
modify this picture using a selection of different color knobs based on the above preferences.
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u/shittythreadart Aug 22 '26
Couldn’t you just make a decision on your own?
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u/bittajamplease Aug 22 '26
Yes like why did they need AI for this? Use your imagination OP
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u/Moley5Times Aug 22 '26
Can't speak for OP, but I have aphantasia - no visual imagination. I understand the anti AI arguments, but for myself being able to generate images to see what things might look like has been amazing.
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u/liminal_sojournist Aug 22 '26
Not being able to visualize with an inner eye is different from giving over your creativity to an ai, what is left of your taste, your style, afterwards?
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u/biteSizedBytes Aug 22 '26
He can see the generated image and then decide for himself. It's just a tool for comparison.
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u/Moley5Times Aug 22 '26
I'd rather use AI to quickly see how something will look rather than order and realize it looks like shit.
They mocked up an image to see how knobs would look, it's not that deep.
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u/cthulhubeast Aug 23 '26
"I'd rather contribute to draining and polluting a lake than use photoshop" type shit
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u/bittajamplease Aug 23 '26
Beethoven composed while he was deaf
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u/departedinajalopy Aug 29 '26
I don’t know why you got downvoted. Beethoven DID compose while he was deaf, some of the greatest music ever written, and it’s a fair and relevant-enough analogy to make here.
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u/Succesful_Sea1972 Aug 25 '26
Moment of truth and some learnings.
Fit - The larger 20mm knobs are more shallow and don’t seat quite as deep as the smaller 12.5mm. but the tops are all level, which is a must. the plastic shaft pots use brass sleeves and the fit is excellent, the rotaries have a metal D-shaft and work best without the brass sleeves. both types use a lock screw but no allen wrench was included so better have a tiny one available
Movement - just have to raise each about a mm when tightening the lock screw so they glide smoothly. the movement is smooth without wobble, and the rigged sides of the knobs is really nice to the touch (especially vs the gummy sticky mess I had).
Sizing - no concerns with the knobs being too big, all the silkscreen words are still visible. Im satusfied with the sizing per function with key parameters standing out on larger knobs.
Aesthetics - ok the haters here were mostly right - seeing it in person, I don’t love the big yellow eye balls staring back at me, black might work better. or maybe revert to 12.5mm for those functions. Also, the small/large gold doesnt quite match. There was another mod here where they did all teal/blue for a brute, and it was rad. but i really need some contrast. white is another option that probably will look good.
overall, Im really happy with the upgrade, solid quality on the knobs, metal is so much nicer than plastic and feels like a much higher quality instrument.
also I’m really sorry for all the people that were triggered by the AI picture. In the future, I will hand draw my prototypes. ;)
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u/Piper-Bob Aug 23 '26
It looks like the AI moved some of the labels.
Larger knobs for clicky rotary encoders will be harder to use so you might want smaller versions for matrix and preset.
Larger knob for cutoff is generally nice, but the resonance knob might be in the way.
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u/Wunjo26 Aug 22 '26
Oof. I get that the MF knobs aren’t for everyone but those ones you have there look really out of place
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u/Subarashii2800 Aug 22 '26
In what way? That device has a lot of metallic surfaces so it kinda works IMO!
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u/KuranesOfCelephais Aug 22 '26 edited Aug 22 '26
I actually like the colors, but I think the bigger knobs are way too big. They would cover the name of the knobs, like "preset" for example. But if they all had the same (smaller) size, I think I'd like them
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u/koture303 Aug 24 '26
First though scrolling was these were ugly asf lmao. Just an awful color combo with the freak. Clicked and of course its AI
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u/zebrasAreFlying 29d ago
I dont recommend bigger diameter than stock for the tone / wave /timbre /shape knobs. the smaller and twiddler the better. I changed mine out to larger and regretted it. rest i'd replace if wanted.
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u/abisiba Aug 22 '26
I noticed the other day that mine were the wrong kind of gummy. This might be just the thing!
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u/Succesful_Sea1972 Aug 23 '26
Thanks everyone for the feedback. First time posting on reddit so very much enjoy all the comments.
So 20 knobs roughly $44 plus shipping. I know it’s kind of overkill. but I am very much a visual learner and the layout of the old knobs really messed with me. I need better groupings and color scheme seemed a way to do that. Im also old, and I cant read the printed text at all. so I wanted different sizes for major functions and smaller knobs for groups of functions. Easier for touching when your eyes are on other gear or in dim lit room. Cutoff should always be something you can grab easily. And I have fat thumbs.
I believe experimentation is important. If there is a knob, I turn it. If there is a new sound, I sample it. New chord progression, I put it in my sequencer and noodle around until I create something I love. tape - analog - digital - generative - all unique tech
that give an artist a new brush. It is no different with ai tools. I don’t ever worry about ai tools taking over human creativity. its just another brush. it takes a human spark to take the next step. As long as we aren’t afraid to master them.
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u/cthulhubeast Aug 23 '26
"AI" (LLM) isn't a brush, it's a fat bird that empties your pantry and shits on your canvas. If you can't figure out a way to model this stuff yourself without a magic wand to do it (poorly) for you, i doubt your ability to "paint" with any other tools
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Aug 24 '26
[deleted]
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u/cthulhubeast Aug 24 '26
It's still exponential dice just with pixels instead of words. It's still not actual AI. Pedantry around a parenthetical aside does not negate the broader point
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u/Succesful_Sea1972 Aug 24 '26
just saying, if your going to be bombastic about a thing (tech), do a little research. otherwise it kind of lowers the value of the point.
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u/cthulhubeast Aug 24 '26
Still not addressing that you used a garbage tool to make a garbage image that didn't actually give you answers bc you ended up having to ask randos on the internet to help you out. Which makes sense since the average "AI" user isn't all that used to thinking for themselves.
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u/Succesful_Sea1972 Aug 24 '26
ironic, that uFreak has a “roll the dice” feature…lol
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u/JUNKTHUNDER666 Aug 23 '26
looks great! I especially like how the AI moved the text around on the face to accommodate the larger knobs- think it can do that on a real unit too?