The Monome module is cheating. ;-)

Actually, though...using something multifunctional such as the Monome Crow and many others to cram more functionality into a given space is a good way to get past that 2 x 104 stricture. But then, you risk winding up with a modular that requires loads of menu-diving to get something generative up and running. The key is in finding a balance between that and the simplicity of not having to menu-dive.