Hello everyone! DIY midi controller with Sensor Shield?

Projects General Guidance
1

I dont know a lot about arduino and things around it so i need some help please.
I want to build a midi controller to control parameters and effects plugins in my recording DAW.
It uses midi CCs and Notes to communicate with midi.
I want to create a controller with like 16 rotary encoders and some some buttons.

I have searched around and i found something called Arduino Sensor Shield witch is out in a number of versions e.g
http://arduino-info.wikispaces.com/SensorShield
http://hobbycomponents.com/index.php/arduino-sensor-shield-v7.html
http://emartee.com/product/41798/Arduino-Sensor-Shield-V4.0

https://www.google.gr/search?q=arduino+sensor+shield&espv=2&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=WOGUU5ORG4KwPL-ygZAM&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&biw=1920&bih=979

and I like it cos it seems to me that i can skip soldering by using some encoder boards and pin cables from each encoder to connect it to the shield. I hope it is easy as that. Please let know if im wrong.

Encoders

And for buttons use one of these.

and maybe one or two of these. http://www.popscreen.com/p/MTI4MDAyMzE2/Arduino-Mini-2x4-Single-Keypad-eBay

So i will use pin cables to connect the pins on the encoder board to somewhere on the sensor shield right?
My question is how many rotary encoders and buttons can i connect to 1 Arduino Sensor Shield mounted on to an Arduino microcontroller brain. And what microcontroller would be best?
And what would be the best way to do this?

I also found this sensor shield extender. I2C IIC Extender for Arduino Sensor Shield with Cable

Please let me know if im on the correct path.
Thanks for your time!

2

The Arduino microcontroller can do what you want to do, but there are a number of hurdles.

I don't think even a Arduino Mega 2560 would have enough connections to directly interface to 16 rotary encodes,each needing 2 connections, plus your 16 buttons, I.e 48 inputs.

You'd need to have some additional hardware between the encoders and the arduino to reduce this pin count.

I'm also not sure if you want the sort of rotary encoders you liked to. I presume you want to set a number on each dial, but those encoders only output changes in position, either clockwise or anticlockwise.
I.e relative not absolute position.

And the versions of encoders that output for example BCD have even more pins

Perhaps someone on the forum would be nice enough to design a hardware interface for you, but unfortunately I have too many unfinished projects myself to contemplate starting another design :wink: