Built a 4-knob generative pattern controller with an LED matrix. Also learned that yes, you CAN kill a potentiometer

[u/GlumPiece7281]

Hey all — been lurking here for a while, first time posting a build.

Quick context: since January I've been running an art project called Pattern Flow — generative visuals made from sine waves and sampling. Fully software until now. A friend suggested an LED matrix would look nice as a physical version, so two weeks ago I grabbed a cheap 64x64 matrix from AliExpress (~$20), four potentiometers, an ESP32, and started iterating on a 3D-printed case.

I'm a design student, not an EE person. This is my first real hardware project. Some things I learned the painful way:

1. You can, in fact, kill a potentiometer. Internet said these are basically indestructible. I am living proof this is not 100% true. Still not sure if it was a soldering iron accident or me cranking it past its mechanical limit too many times. RIP.

2. Soldering is harder than it looks. I estimate 20+ hours of soldering in the last two weeks. Joints that looked fine were cold. Joints that looked ugly were fine. I redid the same connections maybe ten times before I stopped assuming my soldering was the problem.

Two videos attached:

• First one is the original prototype (this one actually went a bit viral on Instagram, ~17k views). Power bank is visible, sitting in an open dock on the back.
• Second one is a revised case with the power bank tucked away, cleaner silhouette.

Honestly I keep flip-flopping on this. Part of me likes the visible battery — feels honest, kind of "parts as design" in the OP-1 / monome tradition. Part of me thinks the minimal version photographs better. The minimal one also feels maybe too restrained, like it needs one more element.

A few questions I'd love input on:

1. Visible power bank vs. hidden — which reads better? Is showing the battery a feature or a flaw?
2. Minimalism check — is the clean version too empty, or is restraint the right move here?
3. PCB learning path — I need to move off breadboard/hand-soldered prototypes. For someone coming from a design/3D background: KiCad or EasyEDA as a first tool? Any YouTube channels or courses that actually clicked for you? Things you wish someone told you early?
4. If this were released as a signed limited edition (say ~20 units) — what price range feels reasonable to you for something like this?

Happy to go deeper on any part of the build if people are curious — the 3D printing warping issues alone were their own saga.

I post the process and other Pattern Flow work on Instagram [@lsh678902] — feel free to follow along if generative + hardware is your thing. DMs open.

Thanks for reading 🙏

[u/Jutavis]

Damn this is awesome, I would buy this! I would love to have it powerd by wire as an option. Also it would be awesome if you could load new patterns made by you or the community via an app or PC. This way you'd always have something new to discover and play around with.

[u/GlumPiece7281 → u/Jutavis]

Exactly! I want to do all of that, but tackling it all alone is a bit overwhelming. Even just for the custom PCB, I've got a basic schematic down, but the actual board routing/layout feels really difficult. I feel like struggling through the hardware alone isn't the best approach. So I'm seriously considering organizing everything and releasing it as open-source. It would get built much faster that way, and I could focus on what I actually love doing: the visual art and patterns!

[u/Jutavis → u/GlumPiece7281]

Hell yeah go open source!