Hello everyone,

As we write these lines, all the components of PGB-1 are either in production or already delivered to us. This means we are well on track for the planned delivery.

We received samples of the rubber key pad and injection molded plastic case from PCBway and we are very happy with the final result. The device feels great in hand, the buttons are responsive with a nice clicky tactile feedback. We are so proud to be able to deliver the product that we had in mind for you.

Let there be sound!

Until a couple months we had not completely decided whether or not to include an internal speaker in the PGB-1. For one main reason. Given the goal of an extremely compact device, the speaker has to be very small, and therefore cannot deliver an amazing sound. And we didn’t want to advertise a gimmick feature during the funding campaign. But today we can announce that every PGB-1 will feature an internal speaker!

So what changed? Well two things.

First, an observation during prototyping. Even if the sound is not great, being able to just pick the device and start playing is a plus. Handing out the PGB-1 to friends and family, some were disappointed to not hear any sound when pressing buttons on the device. Sound quality is not very important here, what matters is instant feedback and the ability to share what you play with people around.

Second, we just gave it a try… Using one of the Noise Nugget dev-boards mentioned in a previous update, we tested various micro speakers from Same Sky (formerly CUI Devices). And it sounded better than expected.

We settled on the CES-20134-088. This speaker fits perfectly within the PGB-1 case, and comes with an adhesive foam gasket that improves performance.

We also added 4 solder pads on the main PCB so that you can create a custom PGB-1 with bigger stereo speakers if you wish to.

Happy new year

As we enter into the new year, we wish everyone a happy and peaceful 2025. 2024 was definitely very special for us as we embarked on this journey to create and deliver a brand new hardware synth. We want to thank you all for making this possible with your support, and we can’t wait to hear you make the soundtrack of 2025 with the PGB-1.

If you didn’t order your PGB-1 yet, there are still some pre-orders are available on CrowdSupply.

As always, if you have any questions on this topic or anything else, there are several ways to reach us. You can use the campaign question form, join the Wee Noise Makers Discord Server, or contact us on our social media channels.