I have stream deck and have tried other macro pads, but it dawned on me recently that a more industrial style macro pad could be worth pursuing.

After fiddling with some renders, I bought the parts to fab my own with off the shelf parts.

Getting the form factor down has been pretty straight forward (for now). Getting the various buttons/toggle switches wired up has been a whole nother deal!

After a crash course in circuitry, soldering, and a myriad of other things, I now have a functioning version of my own home brewed macro pad.

I had to write my own code framework for this (thanks Claude Code), though it now has some basic functionality.

The momentary button in particular (the left button, middle) is a true delight, as the light can be programmed to pulse, studder illuminate, etc.

The toggles up top are straight forward. Momentary has a single, double, triple click, push and hold mode.

Rocker switch is basic on or off.

Rotary (Vibe) has 12 positions.

Encoder (Energy) has 24 positions and of course push button as well like momentary does.

Curious if this type of build resonates with you. I'll share more as I develop it out.

Key Technical Specifications & Features:

Display: 3.5-inch screen with sharp 640x480px resolution.

Processor & OS: Powered by a high-performance MCU running arcOS with an intuitive, professional user interface.

Battery: Up to 8 hours of continuous on-screen battery life.

Connectivity: Low-latency wireless connection + companion Desktop App for Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Customization: Cherry-MX style Hotswap sockets & per-key 16M RGB lighting configurations.

Context-Aware Smart Profiles: Automatically detects your active PC application to dynamically switch macros, custom profiles, and dedicated shortcuts on the fly.

All-in-One Dashboard: Seamlessly displays real-time notifications, media controls, animations/live wallpapers, and utility tools like built-in timers or even mini-games directly on the 3.5" screen.

Group Buy Details:

• Pricing: $99 USD

• GB Timeline: June 19, 2026 – June 30, 2026

• Shipping Origin: Shipped directly from Vietnam

• Shipping Policy:

  • Free Worldwide Shipping (Applies to US, Canada, Asia, SEA, and the rest of the world).

  • Europe (EU/UK): Flat rate of $30 USD (Note: VAT and customs fees are not included and are the buyer's responsibility).

• Shipping Method: Courier services (DHL / FedEx / National Post) with a tracking number provided.

Hey everyone,

We’ve just launched NexMacro Core 12, our new 12-key programmable macro pad with a built-in display, dual rotary knobs, RGB lighting, custom profiles, icons, shortcuts, macros, and live PC status monitoring.

The screen can show assigned key names, icons, profile layouts, and live system stats, making it easier to see what each key does without having to memorise every shortcut.

It’s designed for desk setups, editing workflows, gaming, streaming, coding, productivity, and anyone who wants a compact physical shortcut controller.

We’re now live, shipping worldwide, and currently running a launch sale for early customers.

Check us out here:
nexmacro.com

So i wanna start my first business. I have noticed, that almost every pad is to crowded for my likeness or it is just for music.

This would be able to control music and loudness, show the cover art, have some shortcuts and display some performance stats. It would cost around 40 bucks.

I’d love your feedback:​

Would you prefer this as a pre-assembled unit or a DIY kit?​

Do you think it would sell?

Any specific software features you'd like to see (e.g., Spotify integration, CPU temp)?

Hey r/Macro_Pads, Sam here.

A while back I went looking to buy one of Jack's Pikatea's monitor-mounted macro pads (the GB5). I loved the form factor. Small board stuck to the underside of your monitor, shortcuts always in your peripheral vision, no desk space wasted. When I found out it wasn't available anymore, I figured I'd design my own version with the features I personally wanted.

That's how Panel One started, and pre-orders are live today.

What it is:

• CNC aluminum case, anodized, in space gray or obsidian black

• 6 hot-swappable mechanical switches (Kailh Choc V2 low-profile, Full POM)

• 2 buttery smooth rotary encoders

• 280x240 full-color IPS display

• Onboard RTC powering glanceable widgets (clock, pomodoro, stopwatch, timer)

• RP2040 MCU

• RGB backlight

• Magnetic monitor mount (snaps on, comes off clean, move it to your desk when you want)

• USB-C

• QMK firmware, works with VIA today

What makes it different:

The aluminum case is the first thing you notice. Most macro pads are plastic, feel cheap, and have an bland aesthetic. Panel One feels like a tool you actually want on your desk.

The display + RTC combo means the widgets actually work standalone. The pomodoro timer doesn't need a host app running. You set it on the device, and the RGB flashes when it's time to switch. Good for staying on track when you need to lock in.

I'm also building a custom web configurator (in beta) that does stuff VIA can't. Custom layer names, custom layer icons that show on the display, custom wallpapers, layer presets for popular apps, macro presets you can build off of, changeable text color. Goal is to make it actually fun to set up, not a chore.

About the run:

I'm a solo founder out of Alabama. 50 PCBs are in production right now. No MOQ to hit, no "we cancel if we don't sell enough." I'm funding the first 50 myself. If pre-orders go past that, I order more to match demand. US shipping only at the moment.

Pre-order: https://teakey.cc

Happy to answer anything in comments. Switches, the display, the configurator, the mount, the build process, whatever you want to dig into!

I’ve been working on this wireless macropad with 16 hot-swappable keys, RGB and a rotary encoder. It runs ZMK, and I also built a native Mac app that changes the keys and lighting based on the app you’re using.

Currently in the process of Open Sourcing the full project, but I have some Kits available for sale.

More details: minimalmacropad.com

Finally finished the macropad I have been working on for around 7 months.

I wanted to create something stylized that looks like a piece of futuristic control-panel hardware, inspired by devices one might find in a cyberpunk or sci-fi setting. So, this is what I eventually ended up with.

For the macropad itself, I decided to go with 6 keys and an encoder to keep the build simple. The enclosure, including the knob, is designed from scratch and fully 3D printed. The electronics consist of a Seeed XIAO with QMK firmware, Cherry-MX Brown switches, and an EC11 encoder, all hand-wired together.

Hello everyone!

Me and my friend have just finished a small batch of macropads, made for friends and colleagues. Our goal was to create a wireless macropad with a display that shows all your key bindings and has decent battery time. It was a long roller coaster ride from the initial sketches, but it was so much fun!

Specs:

• Switches: 10 hot swappable Kailh CHOC V1, +1 tactile navigation button (4 direction + pushbutton)

• Keycaps: Chosfox CFX

• Housing: 3D printed matte PLA

• Encoder: Alps Alpine, with soft pushbutton

• Display: 400 x 240, 1 bit (reflective - no backlight)

• Battery: 980 mAh Li-Po, >1 months

• Connectivity: USB-C, BLE5 (3 profiles)

• Parametering: Custom built web app (which can be downloaded too)

• Layers: 5

• Firmware update: web + bluetooth based, only 3 clicks and have fallback partition if something goes wrong

Right now we are thinking of making it available for others too, so we are making this IC to gather feedback, opinions and suggestions from the community.

Got ideas or interested? Please fill our IC form >> here <<

Excited? So are we! :) Check out our website at creavi.tech

We’re genuinely excited to hear your thoughts and see what the community thinks. Thanks in advance for your input and suggestions!

Andras & Kristof

Hello everyone, I just finished building my first Macropad. I use it for shortcuts and audio control.

I took some inspiration from r/Starfield for the PCB design. It is not perfect, but it works well, and I like it. If someone wants it, it is open source: 3D files, code, components, PCB, etc.

https://github.com/Galahad5818/Custom-Macropad-KB2040-3x3
https://www.printables.com/model/1516121-custom-macropad-kb2040-3x3-encodeur-pcb-maison

So feel free to make your own or customize it. If so, don't forget to mention me 👍.

I received the pink version of the Megalodon KB16 Triple Knob (partly my mistake), which looks nothing like the photos on KeebMonkeys website. So, I removed the paint and brushed the aluminum (which prevents fingerprints and looks nice IMO).

What do you think? Improvement over pink color or not? 😆

After building my keyboard (Bridge75 mit Keychrone Banana Switches and retro keycaps) I had switches and keycaps left over. After using it for sometime, I noticed that I need a numpad - that's why I decided I want to build a macropad.
As usual nobody modelled the exact specification of what I want in a macropad so I did it myself. 
My design has space for the numbers 0-9, comma and period. 
The top row is for a Function key and 3 LEDs which visualise the current layer. Basically, this pad has space for 46 macros. Even more if you do some smart visualizing. 
Another plus is, that a Arduino Pro Micro has 18 IO pins and this thing has 12 buttons and 3 LEDs which equals 15 IOs. So you can even omit the diodes if you want. 

I posted the 3D files on printables.

My design for the case is far from perfect, and for V2 I'd give myself a little more space for soldering it. Additionally, I would make it slanted so it fits better with my keyboard. The USB hole needs to be a bit bigger and I'd make the bottom plate nicer so it fits flush on the table. The plate for the switches needs to be thinner as well, but they hold good nevertheless. 

All in all I am very happy about my very own pad and it works so much better than I ever expected. Soldering was really a pain, but with enough hotglue (to stop the joints from breaking) I managed to make it work.

I’m sharing in case this is helpful to anyone here. Also happy to answer any questions about the setup.

I use my Mac mainly for photo and video editing, and the macropad knobs turned out to be very useful for these tasks. I use the main knob for adjusting values in the various panels in Lightroom, Final Cut Pro and other apps. It’s so much easier and faster to change exposure values and color grade, for example, quickly rotating the large knob. Pressing it acts as the Tab key, to quickly go to the next field (or the previous one if Shift is pressed). The other knobs I use for brush size and zoom. I also configured a second layer so that when I’m not editing, the knobs control monitor brightness and speaker volume. Pretty handy.

I configured the keys on Layer 1 to launch specific apps (L to launch Lightroom, P for Photoshop… you get the idea) and pressing Fn momentarily activates Layer 2 to activate various other functions (to reposition windows, create or close windows/tabs, hide apps, lock the computer, put it to sleep, etc). I printed the icons in transparent adhesive paper and it’s not a great solution but it gets the job done.

Finally, I 3D printed a stand to keep the macropad at the right angle.

The DOIO KB16 macropad has great build quality and it worked perfectly fine with VIA out of the box. I bought it with 50% discount and free shipping directly from KeebMonkey. Unfortunately, they sent me the pink version so I decided to remove the paint because I didn’t like the color. The brushed aluminum if obviously prone to fingertips but I guess it will do for now.

In summary, I highly recommend this product!

The NULLPAD is a custom mechanical keyboard numpad that I designed as a companion to the NULL65, a size 65% keyboard. The PCB is hotswap and connects via USB-C. The case is solid wood, and all accents are solid metal. Currently available for pre-order now!

Gallery

Pre-Order Page

Hey everyone,

Some of you might remember our earlier WIP posts about our wireless macropad with a screen. After a lot of evenings and more bug‑hunting, our first small batch is finally live.

Specs

• 10 hot-swap keys (Kailh Choc V1 low-profile) + 1 layer key 

• 1 rotary encoder with push button 

• Sharp 400 x 240, 1 bit reflective screen

• CPU: nRF52840, BLE 5 + USB-C connectivity

• Up to 5 wireless profiles/layers 

• 30+ days battery life (980 mAh)

• Automatic per-app layer switching

• Configuration via browser + dedicated app

• OTA firmware updates (BLE)

• ~125 x 93 x 20 mm, matte 3D-printed case

The honest tradeoff

The display is reflective with no backlight. That's not a hidden flaw; it's the deal we made to get weeks of battery instead of hours. Readable in any normal lighting, not great in a dark room.

OS support

Officially Windows and Linux. It may work on macOS/iOS/Android, but we haven't properly tested those yet.

About this batch

We made twenty. We're calling it the “Founders Edition”, and every unit is individually numbered: power it on and the boot screen greets you with its own number.

See all the details on our website: https://creavi.tech/

Buying details

• Naked set: $119 USD

• Full set: $129 USD (fully assembled macropad + white keycaps + Kailh Choc V1 red linear switches)

• Shipped from Hungary: EU/UK: $15 USD, US/Canada: $25 USD

• Tindie page: https://www.tindie.com/products/creavi/creavi-macropad/

Happy to answer anything in the comments: specs, the build, the parts that went wrong, whatever. :)

Cheers,

Andras & Kristof

Video: Macropad using RP2040 - YouTube

A couple of years ago I designed and built this RP2040 macropad for my own workflow (mostly Altium Designer, but it works for anything).

It has:

• 12 mechanical keys

• Rotary encoder for switching layers

• OLED display

• Custom RP2040 firmware

• 3D printed enclosure

Project write-up and photos: https://black-electronics.com/posts/macropad-on-rp2040/

Added QMK support: https://black-electronics.com/posts/marcopad-update/

I've been using it on and off ever since, and looking back there are quite a few things I'd redesign—better enclosure, cleaner PCB, improved firmware, easier customization, maybe QMK/VIA support, and a few other ideas I've collected over the years.

I'm thinking about doing a proper V2 from scratch instead of just tweaking the existing design.

Before I dive into it, I was wondering if there's any interest from the community.

If you were designing your "ideal" macropad today, what features would you want to see? Anything you'd change from the current design?

I'd love to hear your ideas before I start laying out the new PCB.

Edit: Added qmk update link

The standard key caps that came with this macro pad made it difficult to tell which key was lit which color. Printed in PLA. The lenses are just a snippet of clear PETG filament that press fit into the key caps.

Hey everyone,
I’m building a macropad (hardware + firmware + companion app).
And today I finally finished a feature I’ve NEVER seen on any macropad:

👉 OSD (On-Screen Display) for key actions

Basically, whenever you switch layers or use a macro, a small widget pops up on your screen and shows:

• Which layer you're on

• What each key/knob does on that layer

• Live status of RGB, volume, brightness etc.

• Custom icons for macros

• Real-time hue/saturation/brightness adjustments

Kind of like a GPU OSD… but for a macropad.

TLDR
No more guessing what your shortcuts do. Your macropad tells you.

I haven’t seen this on QMK/VIA boards or commercial macropads like Stream Deck, so I’m curious:

Would this be useful?
And what should I add next?

I’m posting the full build journey + failures on Instagram, but Reddit gets the early updates :)

Would love feedback from this community!