The people and stories behind Project Matrix

Hello! Thank you for your interest in the Project Matrix (Now called Mystrix!) 

Introduction

First, let me introduce myself first, I’m 203 Systems’ owner and engineer, Nengzhuo Cai, aka, Null. I am the sole official employee of 203 Systems, so I run the management, coding, engineering, designing, marketing, logistics, production… I’m also still an undergrad in college, studying Computer Engineering in the United States, so I run this project as a part-time work. It is very challenging, but I do enjoy all the works that I have been able to crank out with the limited resources.

However, although 203 has a minuscule-sized team, I have received invaluable assistance from external sources. Without their help, I wouldn't have been able to come this far!

 

Our Development Journey

Project Matrix was announced in April 2016. That's more than 8 years ago as my writing! Back then I was a prominent member of the Launchpad visual performance community, but I’m not a good performer but a tinker in the community making all sorts of software tools for others. Launchpad as a visual performance device was severely limited: low & flickering LED, random USB disconnect, limited features, suboptimal for tiling… I want to make hardware that addresses those issues.

Thus, the original proposal for Project Matrix:

• Feature-rich and optimized for visual performance
• Clean and Minimalistic look
• Cheap and Accessible
• Usages beyond visual performance and music-related application

Back then, I had no knowledge of how to get started making any kind of hardware, let alone the entire tech stack. I was trying to build a team to work on this project, but I felt other people's work was not satisfying me enough, so I ended up rejecting the plan and decided that I wanted to know how to do all those developments myself and have the skill to control everything to my standard of perfection.

Making products and being an engineer was always my dream and I have decided that it would be worthwhile no matter how long it takes. Therefore, a new journey begins.

The Original Concept Image. Wasn't too far off from the Founder Edition

 

From Concept Arts to Prototyping

For the next three years, I have been gathering all the skills I need to make the entire product stack: mechanical design, circuit design, and firmware. I also desire perfection, so I end up using a lot of custom-designed parts, such as the keypad.

In 2018 first full-scale prototype was made. However, the design was too extreme and it has caused a lot of issues. Later that year, Block 5 designs are completed, marking the first stable design for this project.

Block 5 is very similar to the latest Matrix Block 6. Compared to the older blocks 3 & 4, it now has a USB C port instead USB micro and a single touch strip was added on the opposite end of the USB port side. Also, only the standard version was available, meaning no velocity sensitivity keypad and underglow.

In additional. I enjoy working with hardware and I received a lot of help from open source communities so I decided to completely open-source this project as well!

Attempts for Mass Production

Because this project is completely self-funded. I source all the funding from selling prototypes. I have made prototypes with 3D-printed shells and sold them to people in the community at the cost to cover the development cost and stay afloat.

I was really happy about the design and how well it turned out so the decision to go mass production was made. Because I want to make them at scale and affordable, Mystrix production was done remotely in China. A lot of resources and time were spent on getting custom parts made like the rubber keypad, silicon pad, and injection mold enclosure. Around a few hundred units were made as “Matrix Founder Edition” which is the qualification run.

Matrix Founder Editions

Back to the drawing board with new ideas

However, in 2020, Covid has shut down most of the world’s economy, and chip prices are reaching record highs. I know I won’t be able to remotely make them any time soon due to the chip supply, and it will not be financially viable for me to make them anymore.

Meanwhile, over the years I have heard a lot of people interested in this project and more out of it for their professional needs. Again, I’m barely a hobbyist in the space of music production but I do want to fulfill as many people as possible. I want to make something simple for everyone and gradually make it more viable for professionals with professional needs.

Ultimately, I had to make the tough decision to halt production on the existing generation and completely abandon the existing design, code, and molding & tooling. This meant all the tens of thousands of dollars and years I invested into production felt wasted. I decided to focus on working on the next generation and make it with a completely clean sheet with everything I have learned in the past year. Some most notable changes are

• Brand new custom OS that is more scaleable with more features, more supported devices, and more architecture.
• Added velocity sensitivity keypad, underglow, and wireless, top of the most requested features/
• Way more powerful SOC for unless imagination.
• Larger button, smaller bezel, cleaner look overall.
• Redesigned anti-slip pad to be visually interesting.
• Refined the design to be more durable and better to manufacturing.
• Added dual touch bar so there will be less accidental action by palm and ensures at least one is available at all times regardless of rotation.
• Designed with an upgradeable internal battery in mind.
  
  

 

Mass Production: Take Two

Brand new Mystrix

 

Acknowledgments

The most vital element in our success equation is YOU! Project Matrix is designed with a community-centric ethos. I value our user feedback heavily and it shaped how this project came to be! I can’t thank you enough for your support in turning this into a reality.

As mentioned above, although I’m the sole person responsible for the making of Project Matrix, The project can’t be completed without our friends and suppliers bearing with us in the pursuit of perfection and getting all those years of development for a project with such low production volume and profit margin.

Huge thanks to all our friends and suppliers for making this very small scale project possible!

• Bearstark Industries
• Run-Five Electronics LT
• Hongfengtai Electronics Technologies LTD 
• Shenzhen LED Color Co. LTD
• Shenzhen Jinshengxin Technologies LTD  
• Shenzhen Lingyin Technologies LTD
• Shenzhen Wanshengke Precision Electronics LTD
• Shenzhen Dayongfa Technologies LTD
• Shenzhen Lechuangxin Technologies LTD
• Guangzhou Yinquan Electronics LTD
• Zhejiang Guangchang Plastic Industry LTD
  
  
  

Completed Mystrixes in Factory getting ready to be packed up