Nome II ETA: early November
Nome II ETA: early November
It all started in February 2020. Covid hit and all my bands’ gigs were cancelled. At the same time, the keyboard player of the band – Ed – was looking for a simple MIDI box that would sync his synths and our drummer.
We could not find one, and with no gigs I had a lot of time on my hands, so I told him I’ll make one!”
Less than a month later I give him the “MIDI Device for Ed”.
It was not pretty, it did not even have a case, but it did the job flawlessly!
The “MIDI Device for Ed”, renamed later to Papanome
At that time we all thought the pandemic was going to stop quickly… It did not. So I kept working on the device – new ideas for improvements here and there kept coming in my head.
When people were asking “So, what do you spend your days doing during this lockdown?” I would show them the device, raw and rough around the edges as it was, people were fascinated:
“Amazing, and you made that all by yourself?”
“This is great, you should sell this thing!”
“Have you thought about selling the design to a company?”
“How will the finished version look?”
The first “official” prototype
Working on this full-time already, I started looking at the device from a more professional angle:
How to optimise the code for a simple and instant interface, and more reliable and stable signals? How to improve the electronic board to get better audio quality? How to make the device durable, convenient and smart, but also
cost-effective?
The first full case, made of 3D printed plastic
I also jumped into the process of designing the case properly and professionally. I had no “business” constraints so I took the liberty to consider every single detail:
What colour would look good on a stage? What shape and feel of buttons and knobs would be necessary for live usage? How bright and what shape do the LEDs need to be in order to be clearly visible but not blinding?
Many revisions, countless software changes, and over a year later: the first professionally made Midronome prototype was born.
What an emotional day.
The final Midronome – aka Nome I
2000 devices later – the stock is gone, and I have an amazing community of very happy Midronome owners, most of them using theirs every day. That concludes the story of Midronome – a.k.a. Nome I.
Which brings us to… now. It is time to introduce a proper brand, as well as a new device name, with new colors, new buttons, new fancy LEDs, and a revised hardware board.
Say hello to Sim’n Tonic – our brand which is mainly about me enjoying a good cocktail from time to time, and also about making your life easier. And to Nome II, the successor of the Midronome.
We strives to innovate and solve technical challenges in order to help musicians, creating reliable and easy to use tools at an affordable price.