Chromagnon Update: June 2026
Hello video friends. The RevI core board revision is complete — routing finished, DRC clean, fab outputs generated, and ready to order. This is the milestone I've been working toward since the April 2025 redesign: integrating the validated Videomancer FPGA platform into Chromagnon's hardware layout. The giant obstacle is behind us.
Chromagnon RevI core board — layout complete, ready for prototype fabrication.
Getting RevI across the finish line took a concentrated push. We pulled Jonah Lange off every other duty and task on his plate and gave him a four-week sprint focused solely on the Chromagnon RevI layout — routing, DRC, and fab outputs. The board you're looking at is the result of that hard work.
The board carries 1,300+ component placements across a multi-layer stack built for high-speed digital video processing alongside Chromagnon's analog I/O. Fab outputs are ready to order. Once the order goes out, expect roughly two weeks to bare boards in hand, plus in-house assembly time before validation begins.
That order hasn't been placed yet. In May I expected prototype boards on the bench by now — we're changing plans. The sprint got RevI across the finish line instead, and that was the right trade. Videomancer sales haven't stayed at the level the production pipeline requires, and rather than commit to a prototype spin we can't follow through on, the overall schedule shifts by one month. Ship Unit #1 moves from September to October 2026, pending RevI prototype validation. Chromagnon-specific bench work pauses while I put more effort into Videomancer — demo videos, promotion, and the visible heartbeat an instrument needs to sell.
What Caused the Shift
In the May schedule update I explained how a Videomancer sales slowdown forced an April pivot back to promotion and firmware work. That pivot worked — it bought us another month, kept cashflow stable enough to keep going, and got the RevI board done. But we're back in the same situation we were in before that pivot.
Videomancer revenue funds Chromagnon production purchases, and we need more of it before the prototype order and everything downstream. In the past 30 days we sold 6 units against a bare minimum goal of 30. We only reached 20% of our sales goal. That's not a stretch target we'd be proud to miss — it's the floor below which we can't fund Chromagnon production purchases. Below that line, the cashflow math doesn't work, and Chromagnon has to wait.
Through the summer, my focus shifts to changing that:
- Demo videos showing what the instrument can do in real patches
- Promotion across social channels and ad campaigns
- Continued firmware polish driven by customer feedback
With sales slow, we also have room in June and July for special project requests — older module build projects, custom design work, that kind of thing. If you have something in mind, we'd be happy to talk it over. Just email sales@lzxindustries.net.
This is a pacing decision, not a design setback. RevI is done. The prototype spin waits on funding, and the rest of the schedule moves with it.
Where Chromagnon Stands
RevI core board — complete:
- Schematic and layout finished
- Routing complete on all subassemblies
- DRC passed, fab outputs generated
- Prototype PCB order ready to place — pending cashflow
Almost every circuit on this board has already been validated in Videomancer production hardware. RevI is integration work, and that integration is done on paper. The next step is fabricating prototypes and running them through the validation checklist — but that step doesn't start until the order goes out.
What's paused:
- RevI prototype fabrication (order not yet placed)
- Hardware validation on RevI hardware
- First demo content (deferred — see revised schedule below)
What continues:
- Shared Videomancer/Chromagnon firmware development — the two instruments share most of their embedded codebase, so Videomancer firmware work still advances Chromagnon's platform
- LZX Connect desktop configuration tooling
- Automated video I/O test tooling built in the April update
The 700 pre-built control board assemblies, finalized front panel, sheet metal enclosure design, and mechanical parts designs are unchanged — all still ready for integration once production begins.
Prototype Timing Scenarios
When the RevI prototype order goes out depends on Videomancer sales momentum. Here is how that maps to the bench:
| If prototype order placed… | Bare boards in hand (approx.) | Validation window (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| July 2026 | Late July | August |
| August 2026 | Late August | September |
| September 2026 | Late September | October |
I'll place the order when sales support it — not before.
Revised Schedule
One month added to every milestone from the May schedule update:
| Milestone | Previous Target (May) | New Target | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| RevI core board design complete | May 2026 | June 2026 | Complete — fab outputs ready |
| RevI prototype fabricated & delivered | Late May–Early June 2026 | See scenarios above | Order pending — awaits Videomancer revenue |
| Hardware validation & firmware on RevI | June–July 2026 | July–August 2026 | Paused until prototypes arrive |
| First demo content | July 2026 | August 2026 | Deferred |
| Production-ready milestone | July 2026 | August 2026 | — |
| Production order placed & manufacturing | July–August 2026 | August–September 2026 | — |
| First batch assembly & QC | September 2026 | October 2026 | — |
| Ship Unit #1 | September 2026 | October 2026, pending validation | — |
| Pre-order fulfillment at scale | October 2026 | November 2026 | — |
What Has NOT Changed
- Pre-order prices honored.
- Queue order unchanged. First in, first out.
- Feature set unchanged.
- Monthly updates continue, first week of every month.
- The RevI design is done — the hardest remaining hardware integration step is complete.
Next Update
First week of July. By then I expect to have a clearer picture of Videomancer momentum and when the RevI prototype order goes out.
Lars
Questions about your order? Email sales@lzxindustries.net. For general discussion, join us on Discord.