When you say "Intech Studio," you think "a controller you build yourself." And that's exactly the point — because Intech Studio is a Budapest-based Hungarian startup that asked a simple question: what if a MIDI controller wasn't a finished product, but a set of building blocks you assemble to your own needs?
It all started with two engineer friends who, in a Budapest apartment, built a prototype of their own DIY modular controller. They weren't happy with what the market offered — too expensive, too rigid, or simply not theirs. In 2019, they decided to turn that prototype into a real product and founded Intech Studio — the first open-source Hungarian tech startup in the audio world. A crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo caught the attention of musicians worldwide, and the company began appearing at the biggest industry events — Berlin's Superbooth and Turin's Soundmit.
The heart of Intech Studio's offer is the Grid system — modular controllers measuring 106×106 mm (Eurorack-compatible in size), which connect to each other via gold-plated magnets and spring-loaded connector pins. Each module is a separate functional block: EN16 is a 16-encoder matrix, BU16 — 16 buttons, PBF4 — a versatile mix of control elements, EF44 — long-throw faders, and the newest TEK2 (from the Hungarian tekerő, meaning knob) features two precise, multi-function encoders with LCD screens. The modules communicate with a computer via USB and support MIDI, HID, mouse, and gamepad protocols — meaning Grid works just as well in Ableton as it does in Photoshop or Unreal Engine.
What sets Intech Studio apart from the competition? Openness and a DIY philosophy — the Grid Editor software is open-source, DIY Kit versions are available (no soldering required!), and users can freely expand and modify their setups. This is gear for those who don't want to buy a ready-made answer — they want to design their own.
