Just a few weeks ago, Livid Instruments announced its Ohm64 Customizer, a Web-based tool that lets users design their own color scheme for the chassis and button layouts of their soon-to-be purchased Ohm64 controllers. Now the company is holding a "Design Your Own Controller" contest to see just how creative people can be with their Livid Instruments units.

The contest is open to anyone who has ever wanted to design a controller, to anyone with a DIY spirit. To enter the contest, you'll first have to take a look at Livid Instruments' Builder series of parts and components, because those will be the materials you will use to assemble your custom controller. Using the Builder series parts, you will design your own controller layout that suits your needs, and then submit it to Livid for consideration. The grand prize winner of the contest will receive all the Builder parts needed to turn the design into a controller -- that includes all parts, a wood enclosure, aluminum faceplate, and Builder components.

Designs for the Design Your Own Controller contest must be submitted electronically. Submissions can be in the form of anything from a napkin sketch to a fancy, 3-dimensional rendering. To help Livid Instruments understand the controller you've designed, it is suggested that you include a brief explanation, preferably in English, of your design's controls and functionality.

Second and third place winners will receive a $100 credit towards any DIY item at lividshop.com. The winners will be selected by a counting of votes of all the Livid employees and will be announced on the Livid Instruments Blog on August, 1, 2010. That's coming up soon, so get started on your design now.

Submission details and guidelines are as follows. Designs should include:

• Up to 179 buttons (any combination of small and medium push in any configuration)
• 48 LEDs -- they can be with the buttons or elsewhere; single red, orange, or yellow colors only
• Backlight LEDs -- colors can be red, orange, yellow, white, green, or blue
• 64 analog controls -- can be faders or rotary knobs, or a combination of the two
• Anodized aluminum faceplate
• Wood body
• Any extra parts you have lying around that you want to use (although prizes do not include these parts or compensation for their value)

For complete submission instructions and contest details, please visit the Livid Instruments Contest page.