Open firmware. Always a way back.

The firmware is open — MIT. Rewrite one file, midi.c, in C and flash it. Or don't write C at all: point an AI coding agent at the repo and tell it what you want.

github.com/ryanalexmartin/knobster-sdk

Program it with AI

The repo ships AGENTS.md and PROMPTS.md — it tells the agent how the hardware works, the rules, and how to build. Clone it, open your agent inside it, and say what you want. For example:

"Make the four buttons select banks so my 8 knobs control 32 different CCs, with soft takeover. Build it and give me the flash command."
"Make the buttons send drum-pad notes and let knob 8 set MIDI clock tempo. Verify it fits in flash."

Then hold SW1, plug in, and run the dfu-util command it gives you. Broke something? Reflash the stock firmware — the bootloader always lets you back in.