Traktor 3 controller project. Preliminary questions!

MIDIbox HUIs
1

Hello everyone, I recently discovered the MBHP and I believe it is the ideal platform in my situation. I am looking for a live controller to interface solely with Traktor DJ Studio 3.

I will gladly share all the info I gather along the way and also ask many questions to help myself and others alike. However, it is important that I make it clear to everyone from the begining that the controller i intend to build will be a very bare-bones, no frills “industrial” unit. I have started putting down on paper the features I want to implement using the MB64E platform. Here i go!

  • 4 channel faders (Traktor 3 suports 4 deck mixing; NO crossfader)

  • 4 cue select buttons (headphones)

  • 1 cue/mix pot (not rot. encoder)

  • 1 cue vol. pot (not rot. encoder)

  • 16 EQ pots (4 eq on each channel, no need for rotary encoders)

The following buttons/features make up the transport, effects, browser (and more…) parts of the controller. I dont need or want to have these features dedicated on each channel; everything will be dependant of the Deck Focus.

  • 4 deck focus/select buttons (Radio buttons;I have questions regarding this, read below)

  • 2 nudge +/- buttons (a.k.a pitch bend up /down)

  • 2 Tempo Up/Down buttons

  • 1 Sync button

  • 1 master button (for 3 or 4 deck mixing)

  • 1 slave button (for 3 or 4 deck mixing)

  • 1 play button

  • 1 Cue/pause button

  • 1 Cue/play button

  • 2 browser select UP/Down buttons

  • 1 Deck Load selected button

  • 4 effects rotary encoders (not pots)

  • 2 effects buttons

  • Loop controls have yet to be determined because I don’t make much use of this feature as of yet.

When playing live, the tracks I play are usually already “beatgridded” and Load cues have already been set, done at home with keyboard and mouse, so I don’t feel like implementing the more elaborate Cue/beatgrid controls

Now for the shocker, ideally I don’t want an LCD on this thing nor do I even want any LED’s. What I want is to have 4 “radio” style buttons for the Deck Focus. These 4 buttons will be labeled A, B, C and D and only ONE will be able to be selected at a time. Idealy these four buttons will be backlit to make them extra visible. Is it possible to do this? If so, how?

Wow, I’ve never typed so much on a message board. Anyhow, I wrote this so I can recieve feedback and suggestions so don’t be shy. I still have tons of questions regarding the electronics involved in this but I will post other threads for those issues. Perhaps other Traktor users can give me their opinions!

  • Paul
2

Hi Paul. We’re alrady building almost the exact controller you mentioned. We’re calling it the Kombine. If you search the NI Traktor 3 forum you’ll find some posts on it. We’ll be releasing the spec to allow homebuilders to make their own as well.

-Adrian

3

i’ve read about you and your controller though I haven’t found any decent info on it. Just a lot of If’s and Maybe’s. Pictures were posted and taken down.

Anyway, any suggestions?

4

Pictures were posted and taken down because we modified the layout to reflect users’ comments. We have new pictures posted now on the NI forum.

-drin

5

any more opinions?