[DIY] Building a midiphy LoopA MIDI sequencer (video tutorial)

After about four years of development, we're proud to finally release the midiphy LoopA, a requantizing DIY hardware MIDI sequencer.
[!!! UPDATES/ERRATA - please read before building !!!]
MacOS Users:

MacOS caches your USB MIDI ports, to see the four new virtual USB MIDI devices after your initial firmware upload of the LoopA app, please perform these steps:
* start the Audio-MIDI-Setup of MacOS (e.g. search for "audio-midi" with Spotlight)
* disconnect the core module from USB
* delete the interface in the Audio-MIDI-Setup
* connect the core module to USB again

19:15 Please also install/solder resistors R101 and R102 on the LoopA Core PCB with resistors as specified in the BOM! Normally they are not required, but they will help in certain rare conditions when the MCU is stuck in bootloader mode at startup.

33:33 The DIN8 socket was going end-of-life so the BOM was updated with a different part. One benefit is it doesn't have the annoying front bezel/spring, but check the clearance at the rear.

38:12 If after booting the LoopA for the first time, you see the rightmost four status LEDs illuminated, that is fine! It's the new LoopA hardware testmode, that is automatically launched, when no SD card is inserted. It was not ready at the time this chapter was filmed! Thanks, Eugene! :)

1:08:32 Be careful, there are two different kind of spacers, check to use only the 3mm ones (and don't mix 4 mm with them), or your boards won't be perfectly aligned and you might have some gaps when soldering the headers. Thanks, Thomas! :)

1:18:39 Don't fasten the 16mm hex spacers too tight at this point - Thanks, Geekraver! :)

1:37:59 If you are building a new version LoopA that came with light|shields, please install them on your Matias switches before installing the keycaps: youtu.be/7mm_f3-k_1w

2:00:58 No M2 washers are required on the underside of the case, but washers are needed on the inside, so the core PCB reaches 4.25mm height (with the 4mm spacers) - thanks Mike and Michael!

(I used them in the video because of the pre production case with bigger drill holes)

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This video serves as a step-by-step video tutorial, explaining all necessary construction phases in detail.

You can buy the LoopA essential kits here:
midiphy.com/en/shop-details/139/69/caseless-loo…
midiphy.com/en/shop-details/139/65/loopa-acryli…

Here is the BOM listing additional common parts required for the builds:
midiphy.com/en/shop-details/139/65#bom
There is a copy & paste section, to easily transfer the BOM into your mouser cart to simplify shopping.

While we will be soldering some SMT parts, these are all only large pitch and we are covering the drag-soldering method, which simplifies things a lot, basically flux will save the day :). Also, every step is covered in detail.

If you want, please leave us some feedback regarding your build experience, thank you! :)

If the cases are sold out, you can also operate the LoopA in "caseless" mode for a while and can retrofit any case later on, adding the case will only take 15 minutes and is explained in the end chapters of the video tutorial.

Adrian Hallik of Hallik Engineering is working on high-quality metal cases, they will be available in early 2020.

The midiphy LoopA is intended to be used as a "musical note pad" or an "idea generator", it has been designed to be easy to use and has different features than its bigger 16-track brother, the midiphy SEQ v4+. Depending on your musical style, it should normally be easily able to hold a whole song in a session, which contains up to 36 looped note clips (these are arranged in 6 tracks x 6 scenes). Sessions are fully storable and recallable on/from a removable SD card within seconds.

Here is a link to the main product page, that contains the current User Manual:
midiphy.com/en/loopa-v2/

Here is the official MIDIbox community support thread:
midibox.org/forums/topic/20833-loopa-v2-introdu…

Hope you enjoy the new LoopA!
Best regards,
Peter/Hawkeye