A setup of multiple electronic devices with faders and rotary knobs

Modulator

A hardware controller for live electronic music. Sixteen knobs with the feel and precision of analog instruments enable interactions that fully exploit the possibilities of digital technology: each assigned parameter appears by name, value, and colour, and may be set to evolve on its own trajectory over time, returning to a defined state while the performer's attention turns elsewhere. The project covers interaction design, product design, custom electronics, and software development.

Concept, Design, Hardware, Software:

Jakob Kilian

Concept Inspiration:

Mato Device by Connor Shafran

main
2025

areas design, music, research, tech
tags ableton, controller, endless potentiometer, osc, raspberry pi

The Modulator is the Ableton controller I always dreamed of. I designed and developed it over a 2-years project as part of my live techno set.

Any parameter in Ableton can be mapped to the Modulator. It can then be overwritten with precise control (2048 steps) via a high-torque knob on the controller and smoothly sent back to the actual automation.

You can watch the 2min video about it or scroll down for a quick overview:

Functional Principle

1. Map & Name Parameter

Place a Node in Ableton, map it to a parameter and give it a name. It will then appear on the Modulator.

3. Use Control

From here on you can use your control, just like with any MIDI controller (but with higher precision).

4. Set Default Automation Value

Every parameter has a default value (can be an animation, see 7). If it is not zero, it is shown in the gauge. The colour is automatically fitting the track colour.

5. Left Button for 1 second Transition

Hitting the left button triggers a smooth s-curved transition from your current modulation position (overwriting the default) back to the default.

6. Right Button for Variable Transition

Hitting the right button does the same but with a variable transition time that you can define with a fader on the Modulator.

7. Automated Default Value

The default value can be automated. That gives you the possibility to interact with dynamicly chaning values. The transition always matches the moving default…

Details of the Modulator

Why Yet Another Ableton Controller?

There is a wide variety of controllers available for live electronic music performances. But none of them—not even when combined—has met my basic requirements:

Modulate any parameter in Ableton and blend it back into an automation smoothly
Schedule these blends live and in real time
Use endless potentiometers (not encoders) for the feel (torque) and precision (12 bit) of analog instruments.
Display the track/device name, color, and location in the set on the controller. Long press to jump to it.
Only show active parameters to reduce complexity and create recognizability for each instrument/track.

Wait, what are endless potentiometers?

The Modulator uses 16 very special knobs: they are analogue potentiometers, but continuous and endless! You didn’t know they exist? Neither did I and most parts of the internet! That is why we documented our journey and our research on them on Github and gave talks about it: