(Or just a cool way to press "Play" on your music.)
Visuals because everyone loves eye candy.
All the bits and pieces needed can be found here.
It’s a custom macropad built with the Seeed Studio XIAO RP2040, KMK firmware, and way too many LEDs. Whether you’re gaming, editing, coding, or just pressing random buttons for fun, this thing’s got you covered.
- 3x3 Matrix – Nine glorious keys to map to whatever your heart desires.
- Rotary Encoder – Twist for volume, scroll, or secret hacker functions.
- Clickable Encoder Button – Because sometimes, twisting isn’t enough.
- 14 SK6812 Mini LEDs – Way too many for a macropad this size. But hey, ✨blinkenlights✨.
- Multiple LED Modes – Solid, Rainbow, Wave, and Grid Fade, for when you need that cyberpunk aesthetic.
- KMK Firmware – Python-powered and open-source, because we like freedom.
This macropad runs KMK, which means you get:
- Custom Keymaps – Map macros, media keys, or even full-blown scripts.
- Dynamic Layers – More functions per button? Yes, please.
- LED Control – Pulsing blue? Rainbow waves? Subtle grid fade? Pick your poison.
- Rotary Encoder Support – Spin for volume, brightness, scrolling, or whatever.
(Change it if you want, I'm not your boss.)
| Row | Key 1 | Key 2 | Key 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rewind | Play/Pause | Fast Forward |
| 2 | Media | Calculator | Cmd+R (Refresh) |
| 3 | Left | Right | Cmd+L (Lock) |
- Left Turn → Volume Down
- Right Turn → Volume Up
- Press Button → Cycle LED modes
- Flash KMK onto your XIAO RP2040. (If you don’t know how, Google it.)
- Drop
kb.pyandmain.pyonto your board. - Plug it in. Watch the lights do their thing.
- Press buttons. Turn the knob. Make magic happen.
Because a macropad without RGB is just a fancy calculator.
- Solid Mode – A slow, pulsing blue (totally not just lazy coding).
- Rainbow Mode – Taste the colors.
- Wave Mode – Water flow effect because vibes.
- Grid Fade Mode – Simulates sunlight through water. Or something poetic like that.
(Press the encoder button to switch between them.)
I built this macropad for Hackpad—an awesome Hack Club YSWS project run by Alex Ren. With a the (hopeful) funding provided by the project, I wanted to create something that’s as practical as it is playful. Whether you're coding, gaming, or just jamming to your favorite tunes, this macropad is my way of saying:
I wanted to use nice thick wires for my PCB (0.6mm) and routing all of these took quite a bit of effort. I think the time spent was definitely worth it, as the routing looks awesome.
- OLED Screen? 🤔
- Bluetooth support? (If I hate myself enough to deal with that.)
- More layers? (How many is too many? Asking for a friend.)
- MIDI support? (Why not turn this into a DJ controller?)
Want to make it better? Open a PR, suggest a feature, or just yell at me on GitHub.
This project is 100% free, open-source, and powered by vibes. If it breaks, explodes, or opens a black hole, that’s on you.