Parts required for a MIDI controller for Traktor etc

MIDIbox HUIs
1

Hi,

I am a DJ and am started to work with midi enabled DJ software like Traktor, Virtual DJ etc.

I have just purchased a DJ style MIDI controller, but its cheap and rubbish so have decided to have a go at building one of my own  :slight_smile:

I have ‘aquired’ :wink: a broken pro DJ CD deck (Denon DN1800F):

and want to use it as my controller

My thinking is this is perfect for MB64 - or MB64 is perfect for it  :slight_smile:

My plan is to build an MB64 and hook it up to the buttons and pots in the control unit. At the moment I am not planning on using the LCDs

I think there are probably 10 buttons I want to use (Pitch, Pitch-, Pitch+, Play and Cue for each deck) - so I can get away with one DIN ?

And I think there are 6 pots (Pitch slider, inner ring and outer ring for each deck) - so I can get away with one AIN ?

So, am I right in thinking that the modules I need are:

1 * Core

1 * AIN

1 * DIN

Is this right ??

Presumably if I wanted to wire up the LCDs at some later stage I can simply add the appropriate module ?

And what does the DOUT module do for me ??

Thanks in advance,

JD

2

sounds like you’ve got a handle on it

and yes add the LCD later if you wish - but it’s damn handy for trouble shooting when builidng

and a DOUT lets you control LEDs

3

Maybe this pages will help you too :wink:

http://stud3.tuwien.ac.at/~e0327352/

http://www.midibox.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=traktorizer_by_mte

http://www.midibox.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=tos_-_a_tds_controller_blog

Regards

MTE

4

Did exactly the same

Take a look here http://www.midibox.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=wild_weasel

My controller even looks the samen even it is a DN-2000.

Be warned. There will be a bit of C programming required for this thing to work with traktor.

If you need help just drop a line and I’ll send you my code.

You will only need one AIN for the 2 pitch faders (can be reused even if they are not 10k). All the other buttons and the encoder/ jog wheel need DIN inputs.

So you will need (per deck or side)

11 for the buttons

4 for the Shuttle ring

2 for the encoder

17 per side

overall 34

I did use one DINx4 module per side since I did integrate 4 encoders extra on each side for the FX section in traktor.

Kind regards

Michael

5

Many thanks for your answers - exactly what I wanted to hear  :slight_smile:

Be warned. There will be a bit of C programming required for this thing to work with traktor.

If you need help just drop a line and I’ll send you my code.

Michael - you mention a bit of C programming ? Does this mean I need to flash a modified MIOS to the PIC ? If this is the case, does that mean that a) I can buy an unprogrammed PIC, and b) I need a PIC burner ??

Cheers

JD

6

Hi!

No MIOS stays the same. It’s just a different application “on top”.

The reason is: MB64 does not support the jog wheels and shuttle ring.

So I wrote it mainly to reuse them and to do some nice stuff with the LEDs (you will need a DOUT module for this)

So you will ned to order a programmed pic (programmed mens it has the bootstrap loader burned onto). After you have finished the core you upload MIOS over midi and afterwards the application, in this case my selfwritten C program (You will find it on the wiki site I gave you in the post before)

m.

7

OK, I’m just about ready to order my kits - will do it tonight when I get home. I am going for:

1 * Core

1 * AIN

2 * DIN

1 * DOUT

I’ll connect my 2 pitch sliders to the AIN, and the LEDs to DOUT (I assume I can ‘map’ their behaviour somehow ? IE. go on / off when something happens)

For DIN I think currently I only need 22 inputs:

1 for Pitch Button

1 for Pitch-

1 for Pitch+

1 for Play

1 for Cue

4 for the Shuttle ring

2 for the encoder

= 11 per side = 22 digital inputs

But I think it would be better to get 2 DINS and wire up all buttons (total of 34 digital ins), and then they are available to me if I decide to use them.

I’m dying to get started on this now …  :smiley:

JD

8

Forgot to ask this in my last post …

The standard displays in the DN1800F are LED - right ? - and presumably the LCD module will not drive them ?

So I could look for some LCD panels that are the same size/mounting as the current LED panels - if I got 2 (one for each side) would I need 2 LCD modules ?

Other than for initial setup, what can the LCD module and panel do for me ? Presumably its not going to be easy to get the host application (eg. traktor or virtual dj) to send data to the LCD panels (ie. make them display the same as if this were a conventional CD deck)

JD

9

I’ll connect my 2 pitch sliders to the AIN, and the LEDs to DOUT (I assume I can ‘map’ their behaviour somehow ? IE. go on / off when something happens)

sure, you need to edit the application either in C or ASM

10

The standard display is pretty useless since is not able to display characters and you would need some serious skills to drive the LCD controller (a black tiny IC on the PCB with approximatly 40 pins)

Displaying info out of traktor is not possible since Traktor doesn’t support this, only some basic midi out for LEDs.

m.

11

So I could look for some LCD panels that are the same size/mounting as the current LED panels - if I got 2 (one for each side) would I need 2 LCD modules ?

The LCD display is controlled directly by the Core. There is no specific LCD module - all the controller circuitry for the display (driver chips etc) on the board that the LCDs are attached to. To my knowledge, the only MIOS app that can control 2 LCDs (definitely the only one I’ve seen do it) is the MIDIbox LC - though if I’m mistaken, feel free to correct me.

Hope this helps.

Dan

12

*duh*, my mistake - the SEQ can too. Not sure about the others, I’d be happy to be wrong.