controltab for ARPIE

This small expansion board fits to the 6-pin “hack header” port of ARPIE main board rev 3 and later. It allows you to control various ARPIE functions using external pots and buttons.

While you don’t need to buy a controltab to use these functions (you could just wire up your own pots and buttons), controltab provides a quick and easy way to get experimenting. Click here to download the ARPIE manual for more information on the hack header functions and how to enable the hack header inputs. Watch the ARPIE demo video (see below) to see a controltab in action.

When attached, the board sticks out of the side of the ARPIE, unfortunately it is not compatible with the ARPIE acrylic case. This means it is mainly suited for experimenting with rather than, say, gigging. However maybe it will inspire you to create your own, more performance friendly, external ARPIE control surface – or you could even join the control tab to ARPIE with some wiring – use it as a starting point for bigger things 🙂

It is also a very handy thing to have around for breadboarding your own projects, giving you a small and convenient plug-in module with three voltage dividing pots and a monentary switch.

The kit includes PCB, pin header, three 100k linear pots, a 6mm tactile switch, two 15mm M3 standoffs and machine screws. It requires assembly by soldering.

Before buying, please check your ARPIE has a hack header and firmware version 4 or above – the main board revision (on the underside of the bottom PCB) will state revision 3 or 4 and you’ll have a 6 pin socket beside the connector that links the boards together (i.e. directly below the “N” of the TRAN label).

Version 4 (or later) firmware is required to read the inputs from the controltab – firmware versions lower than 4 are not compatible with it (but you can upgrade the firmware, which gives you lots of other functions too!)