What is that under the VSN1 screen? Buttons?

Buttons like any other ones on our modules, so you can assign any Grid function to them.

They are clicky tactile buttons, with a Button event for configuration.

Interesting! Will there be a display option to show values and names of any module with 4x4 matrix on VSN1?

It would be great to learn more about the possibilities with VSN1 in near future.

VSN1 is currently able to catch MIDI messages pretty easily

Thank you for confirming, @user and @user! That's exactly what I was hoping for and I'm really interested explore the possibilities this opens up... 😀

Follow up question: I saw a preview image in another post and I noticed that there are cutouts for buttons on both sides, which makes sense if the layout can be flipped. However, I'm curious to know if you considered adding the 4 extra small buttons under the large potentiometer? Would there be enough clearance for that? It would be really nice to have an extra 4 buttons available! 🙂

Those buttons will be physically inaccessible when the module is fully assembled, but you will be able to access those buttons with a custom panel or through software.

That's what I imagined, thank you for confirming. Was it an aesthetic choice to cover the buttons on the side that has the potentiometer, or was there a practical issue (such as lack of clearance)?

The VSN1 wouldn't look as clean with 4 extra buttons but they could be very useful in certain applications! 🤔

The practical choice here was a manufacturing one. The PCB design is a symmetrical one, 4 of our module designs use this same PCB but all designs need a different configuration of buttons.

But the original designs for the VSN1 included 4 buttons under the screen and none for the knob, so you could say it's an aesthetic decision as well?

That makes sense and it's clever having a symmetrical PCB design that can be used for multiple modules 🙂

Of the 4 shared PCB module designs you mention, I guess it's the two VSN1s (left + right) and the TEK2 but I'm not sure what the 4th one is... Is it a dual screen module?

Considering it was partly an aesthetic decision to cover the extra 4 small buttons, then all that would be needed is a customised front panel with extra holes, right? I imagine that complicates manufacturing but do you have any future plans for such options?

I was also just re-reading the Kickstarter page and I saw that you say:

"All front panels are now high-quality, textured PCB for future customizability, reliability. Bonus: they can be turned inside out for an easter egg."

Is it correct that turning them inside out would only be possible for the symmetrical modules (ie. everything but the VSN1)?

The current placement for the LED cutouts doesn't allow for the above-mentioned flipping on the front panel unfortunately on the modules equipped with endless knobs.

That's ok, the flipping feature was more of a novelty anyway 🙂

I am interested to know about the other questions though, especially if all that would be needed is a custom front panel with extra holes in order to have 8 small buttons. I'm still trying to decide which other module I will get...

Well, because of the open-source design we will be able to publish a PCB cad file anyone can use to order a custom front panel that supports those buttons as well.

We're not planning on selling them. At least not at the moment.

Thanks @Balint, I appreciate the transparency. Also, it's really great that you chose to open-source everything – I love this approach and I hope it encourages plenty of uptake and innovation of the grid system 😎