Prototype · first units planned mid-2027tbc
Knobs that change
what they say.
Real knobs, sat on a screen. The screen writes the label. Turn the page, the label changes.
First-batch priority. No payment. Unsubscribe anytime.
- 24 knobs
- 48 backlit switches
- 1 screen
- Ableton native
- MIDI + OSC
- Made in France
Nothing is printed on it.
Every other controller has the labels painted on at the factory. So each knob does one thing, forever. Ours sit on a display, and the display says what they do right now.
Turn one and the value moves. Change page and all of them mean something else.
Try it: drag a knob (or swipe it on a phone), then pick another page. Same 24 knobs, other meanings.
Ableton Live · tracks, returns, master, scenes
See it working
A real unit, close up.
Three minutes with a hand on the prototype. Sound on.
3:26, filmed on the prototype. Chapter times are approximate.tbc
The first one
meet
KARL
A controller for music. It works with Ableton out of the box, and talks MIDI and OSC to everything else. Built in France.
- 1Knobs sit right on the display24 knurled knobs. The ring around each one shows its value.
- 2The screen writes the labelName and value under every knob, redrawn when you change page.
- 348 backlit switchesA frame of buttons around the screen. Their light shows state at a glance.
- 4PagesTabs along the bottom: Ableton Live, sequencers, your own pages.
- 5Side switchesTrack states and shortcuts, relabelled with the page.
- +ConnectionstbcA photo of the back panel is still to come.
Knurled knobs, right on the glass.
Backlit switches all round.
On the desk, next to a synth and Live.
24
knobs
48
switches
1
screen under all of it
< 5 ms
knob to screen latencytbc
The details
Specs and compatibility.
Prototype values. Some are targets and may change before the first batch.tbc
Controls
- Knobs
- 24
- Knob type
- Endless, push-to-clicktbc
- Switches
- 48, backlit
Display
- Size
- 10.1″ IPStbc
- Resolution
- 1280 × 800tbc
Connectivity
- Computer
- USB-C, no driver neededtbc
- Protocols
- MIDI and OSC
- Hardware
- MIDI DIN in / outtbc
Power
- Supply
- USB-C, 12 W maxtbc
Physical
- Size
- 312 × 232 × 38 mmtbc
- Weight
- 1.9 kgtbc
- Body
- Anodised aluminiumtbc
- Made in
- France
Software
- Updates
- Over the air, app and firmware
- Ableton Live
- Native pages
- Your own pages
- Editortbc
Works with
- Ableton LiveReady
Native pages for tracks, returns, master and scenes.
- MIDI softwaretbcTested
Bitwig, Logic, Reaper and friends over USB MIDI.
- OSC toolstbcReady
Max, TouchDesigner, VCV Rack and other OSC clients.
- Hardware synthstbcPlanned
Standalone over MIDI DIN, no computer.
Ready: works today. Tested: checked by us. Planned: on the roadmap.
In the box
- KARL
- USB-C cable, 1.5 mtbc
- Quick-start cardtbc
- Desk standtbc
Want to know when it is ready?
One email, when the first batch opens.
First-batch priority. No payment. Unsubscribe anytime.
Software
It keeps getting better.
Native Ableton Live pages
Tracks, returns, master and scenes each get their own page.
Updates arrive over the air
App and firmware, versioned.
Design your own pagestbc
Pick what each knob controls and how its label reads.
Latest softwaresample
v1.4.2
Released 12 Sept 2026
Recent updatessample
- v1.4.2Sequencer: swing per step.12 Sep 2026
- v1.4.0Ableton Live pages: tracks, returns, master, scenes.29 Aug 2026
- v1.3.5Faster page switching.10 Aug 2026
Where we are
No date we cannot keep.
A prototype exists and works. Here is what comes next, what it will cost, and what could go wrong.
Done
Prototype
Sep 2026
A working unit, filmed and photographed.
Next
Beta
Q1 2027tbc
A few units with producers and performers.
Then
First batch
Q2 2027tbc
A small run, assembled in France.
- Target pricetbc
- €890 incl. VAT
- Warrantytbc
- 2 years, repaired in France
- Shippingtbc
- EU first, worldwide after
- Returnstbc
- 30 days
What could go wrongtbc
Components run short
We reserve parts for the first batch before opening orders.
Assembly takes longer
Small batches on our own bench. We only announce dates we can keep.
Software slips
Updates ship over the air, and MIDI and OSC stay open standards.
If we ever stopped, KARL would keep working: MIDI and OSC are open standards, and the editor runs locally.tbc
Who is behind KARL
A small studio, our own bench.
Velours Devices is a small studio in [city], France. We got tired of controllers whose labels are painted on at the factory, so we built one where the screen writes them. The principle is patented, and the boxes are assembled on our own bench.tbc
- NSName SurnametbcFounder · hardware and design
- NSName SurnametbcSoftware
Patent FR 00 00000tbc
“A real quote from a beta tester goes here.”tbc
Name Surname, producer
“A second one, ideally from someone who plays live.”tbc
Name Surname, performer
FAQ
Good questions.
Not here? Write to us, a person answers.
Do I need Ableton Live?
No. KARL has native pages for Ableton Live, and talks MIDI and OSC to everything else.
Which other software works?
Anything that speaks MIDI or OSC. We list the tested DAWs and plug-ins as the beta grows.tbc
Do I need a driver?
No. KARL shows up as a standard USB device: plug in and play.tbc
Can I use it without a computer?
Yes, over MIDI DIN with hardware synths.tbc
How do the knobs get their labels?
The screen writes them. Ableton pages come ready-made; for anything else you pick a page or design your own.tbc
When can I get one, and for how much?
First batch planned for Q2 2027, target price around €890 including VAT. Join the list and you hear first.tbc
What about warranty and repairs?
Two years, and repairs are done in France.tbc
Can you build something for my product?
Yes, that is what Custom builds is for. Tell us what your surface has to control.
We build these for other people too.
Broadcast desks, studio panels, machines for factories and labs. If your product needs knobs that can change what they mean, we make the whole box. The patent is ours and you can license it.
Send your brief
Three ways to work with ustbc
Proof of concept
A working demo of your idea, fast.
- Lead time
- 2 to 4 weeks
- Quantity
- 1 to 3 units
Small series
A custom surface, built and assembled in France.
- Lead time
- 8 to 12 weeks
- Quantity
- 10 to 200 units
Technology licence
Use knobs-on-a-screen inside your own product.
- Lead time
- Discussed under NDA
- Quantity
- By field of use
How it goes
- 1
Talk (NDA possible)
- 2
Scope and fixed-price prototype quote
- 3
Prototype
- 4
Test with your team
- 5
Series or licence
Cases
KARL, our own controller
Case number one: 24 knobs, 48 switches, one screen. Designed, built and updated by us.
- Photo of a real case
Broadcast panel, 40 knobstbc
Context, constraint, result: a real case goes here, even anonymised.
Patent FR 00 00000. Licences by field of use, discussed under NDA. No price list here.tbc
Send us your brief
Tell us what your surface has to control, how many you need and by when.
Or just email: contact@veloursdevices.com
Want one?
Be the first to know.
It is not on sale yet. Leave your email and we will write once, when the first batch opens.
First-batch priority. No payment. Unsubscribe anytime.
Or write to us directly: contact@veloursdevices.com