ALCS v2.0 Aaton Crystal Controller in development

[Aapo Lettinen]

COLLECTING ORDERS FOR THE SECOND GENERATION VERSION of the Aaton speed controller I am working on.

 

You have seen the first model (the 50-speed crystal controller for Aaton) I made which had the 2-digit Led display and three buttons and which was "as affordable as possible"

 

-- This is the more advanced and more expensive version I was talking about earlier.

 

The basic features:

 

- variable speed knob about 5fps - 50fps for comfortable manual speed ramps with a large knob

- quick switch between variable mode and programmable crystal speed mode, likely with a single switch which can be used even in the middle of a take

 

- programmable crystal speed mode:

* small OLED display and couple of buttons to select settings

* crystal speed selectable from 1fps to 80fps in 3 decimal (0.001fps) accuracy

* tcxo (temperature compensated crystal oscillator) for really accurate crystal sync even on very long takes

* footage counter for take length and total amount

* additional features depending on how much budget and time I have available after the mandatory stuff is programmed first

 

- open collector output for controlling external devices, could be used to start a sound recorder etc. automatically by the user

- some kind of small summer and light included which make it possible to have a "bleep mark" on picture and sound easily in situations where one cannot use clapperboard for some reason. I will likely make the marker system separate from the controller so that one could mount it on the mattebox etc. location (likely a small light+summer which is connected with a short cable to the main controller)

- I will likely arrange newly made cables for this device which fit the 9-pin Amphenol connector on the Aaton cameras. it is very difficult to get suitable connectors which fit so I think the most practical solution is just to make them partially out of scratch (machining/3d printing) instead of hunting down the few remaining original connectors which are almost non-existent. In any case, a good cable properly fitting the camera is included in the price.

 

Availability:

it takes from 6 to 10 months or so to finish the device after the starting funding is secured. So the schedule depends on when the first paid preorders are in.

 

Price for the device for preorderers is 1300usd including shipping (up to 100usd shipping costs, not more. should work even for expensive parts of the World like AU, etc.) which can be paid in three parts if needed (300usd deposit when order is placed + 500usd in the middle of the project about 3 to 4 months from the start when the prototype has the variable speed and basic display features like speed selecting working + 500usd final payment when the project moves to the finishing phase about 1 to 2 months prior shipping, this is when the final cables and outer casing of the controller is made which creates the highest costs. When the controller kits are finished they will ship immediately without further delay, that is why I will want the shipping sorted out beforehand so that it is possible for me to just send them all at the same time when they are ready and much easier to arrange the logistics then.)

 

So the price for preorderers who follow the schedule would be 1300usd including shipping costs.

 

For later sales the price will be 1500usd + shipping costs (typically ends up to about 1580 to 1600usd with the shipping).

 

If wanting to preorder this more advanced Aaton crystal controller device, let me know by DM. I will need to collect couple of orders ( I would say at least 3 ) before being able to start the project .

[Aapo Lettinen]

NOTE: PRICE AND SCHEDULE CHANGED. A LITTLE DIFFERENT DEVICE THAN ON THE ORIGINAL POST BECAUSE I COMBINED THE PROJECT WITH ARRI SR CONTROLLER PROJECT.

 

First very rough test print of the Aaton + Arri SR external crystal controller I am designing. I am aiming for mechanically simple device with minimal buttons and great software features.

 

Small oled display and couple of buttons to select settings, a knob on the side for making manual speed ramps.

 

Dozens of selectable crystal speeds and variable manual speed ramps possible too.

Temperature compensated crystal oscillator (TCXO) for really accurate crystal speeds.

 

This is a preorder-only item finishing in Spring2025, price about 1200usd with one camera specific cable for either Aaton or Arri. Change the cable and menu setting and it works with the other camera type.

[Aapo Lettinen]

Developing the OLED display based user interface for my Aaton / ArriSR external crystal controller. This is the first very rough 3d testprint of the controller body, it will change a lot and might be a tiny bit smaller. but the user interface with 3 buttons and oled display will be approximately this style. 9V battery for scale.

[Aapo Lettinen]

I will start working on the 9-pin camera connector soon to properly connect the speed generator to Aaton cameras.

It looks like the original ones are impossible to get (I ordered multiple candidates but they were all wrong sized. the correct "mini" version cannot be found. Someone had one piece of the original connectors for like 150usd but I will need more of them so it would not help) . so I will need to cad model a similar-enough connector which fits and then get the connector body cnc machined out of scratch, then manually attach pins to it and seal it.

This is lots of work and I would prefer to collect the Aaton version orders in the next two months (September-October 2024) so that I'll know how many Aaton-specific cables are needed. It is a fully custom-made cable and relatively expensive to make so please let me know early on if wanting the Aaton controller version so that I'll know how many custom cables are needed