About the author
Johannes Jan Prins
It started with LEGO at age 5 — I was the kind of kid who'd rather make something than play with it. Then I got my first computer (an MSX) at age 10, and that was pretty much it. Been taking things apart and putting them back together (sometimes better) ever since.
During the day I work as a software engineer at Knalgeel — a creative digital agency in Groningen, the Netherlands — where I build apps, platforms, and APIs. At night (and most weekends, honestly), I turn into a hardware tinkerer and design electronic instruments under the Bonk Machines banner.
It started with wanting a MIDI controller that didn't exist in the form/way I needed it. Then came a drum sequencer. Then a eurorack module. Then a DSP effects box. Somewhere along the way, a soldering iron and a multimeter became permanent residents of my desk, and the line between hobby and obsession got pleasantly blurry.
Hardware
What I build
Mostly things that make noise, or help make noise better. MIDI controllers, drum sequencers, eurorack modules, DSP effects boxes — that kind of stuff. I design almost everything from scratch: firmware, schematics, enclosures, etc. Check out the product showcase.
Philosophy
How I think about it
If you have to think about the instrument while playing it, something went wrong. A good knob should feel obvious. A good button should respond the way you expect. Make things that get out of the way and let you focus on the music.
Day job
Software engineering
Apps, platforms, and APIs at Knalgeel — a creative digital agency in Groningen. The software side keeps the problem-solving muscles sharp and occasionally sneaks useful patterns into the firmware work.
Open source
Giving back
I learned most of what I know from people who shared their work online, so the CTRL Arduino library is my small way of returning the favor. Free to use, fork, break, whatever.