(Another) Traktor controller project

[g.andreini]

Hi dudes!

i'm working on a project of a traktor controller. It's some weeks i follow the forum and read around the site and the wiki.

OK, i feel i'm not the first thinking about that. But let's go on.

The controller is made to control the 4 decks of the software. One of the most important thing is the ability of having al the controls on view, no needs to swicth anything to move from deck A to C or things like that, What you see under your eyes is what you can control in the software.

Controls needed:

Total

ca 133 buttons

ca 10 encoders

ca 8 pots

But that's not really the  point

My idea is to project something that is a little modular. I told my friends about my project and show them some ideas about the interface. All of them had different opinions on the controls they need. They want to use it in different ways so... different needs.

The idea is to have an object divided in three parts:

1. Master section and Effects: Master tempo control, browsing controls, views controls, some free buttons

2. Decks A & B controls

3. Decks C & D controls

Each of the these part has a MIDIBox 64 as brain. These 3 brains are connected by MIDIBox Link.

Then connecting more or less buttons or pots or faders shouln't be a problem. The MIDIBox has enogh space for controls.

I attach an image showing a diagram. I'd like to have some feedbacks about the project if it's possible. A great idea would be to do a kind of shared project with someone else trying to build a traktor controller and share experiments, solutions to probelms, tricks.

Anyway there are still many dark aspects i'll try to make clear in the next days/weeks redainga round and asking (don't hate me).

I'm about to buy the Cores, the Ains the Dins and the led in a couple of day.. so you you see something wrong in my diagram let me know... you couls save me from buying wrong components. Thanks :)

My plan is to start building the controller with the three cores but just with one deck. Then when ione decks will be working i'll complete the other three.

cheers

g

[stryd_one]

Now here we have a project that really does need more than one core! You've got a great grasp on it mate, well done. Your graphics are ace, too! On a side-note, how'd you do those?

There is one thing I'd change... This may seem unintuitive at first, but I would rearrange the order of modules to go:

Deck C+D --> Deck A+B --> Master+LCD -- > onward.

Then, you can have the Deck X=Y modules upstream, send control messages. This will allow you an easy way to see on screen what you are doing with your decks/knobs/etc.

Now as for software... I don't know anything about this, but does MB64 send messages that are able to be used by traktor? You may need to run custom software on the deck cores or something (like the high res decks or traktorizer do)... I'll leave this to the experts!

Nice one!

[g.andreini]

Thanks Stryd!

i changed the direction of the MIDIBox Link as you suggested and updated the diagram

i made the diagram with adobe illustrator, i work as web and graphic designer so it's quite easy :)

For what concern the soft....

Here's what i found on the manual:

TRAKTOR works with all MIDI-controllers and is installed with settings files for the most

popular controllers on the market.

Types of Controllers

Button

MIDI buttons usually send a “Note On†event when pushed and a “Note Offâ€

event when released. The value of the Note differentiates the MIDI signals coming

from different buttons.

Fader/Potentiometer

Faders and Potentiometers both have a limited range and an

absolute position within the range. The advantage of using absolute controllers is that

they give visual feedback about their state and therefore you do not have to look at

the computer to check the crossfader, the EQ or the pitch fader. One problem of ab-

solute controls is that the software may change the value of the controlled function.

This generates an offset between the value of the function in the software and the

physical position of the fader or knob. As soon as you slightly tweak the value of the

fader or knob, the controlled functions jumps to match the values, which can be un-

expected and not wanted. Using the “Soft Takeover†option described further below

can solve this problem.

Rotary Encoder

Endless rotary encoders or touch pads do not have an absolute posi-

tion. If the controller does not have LED rings or displays, the status of the functions

controlled via endless encoders can only be checked by looking at the computer. The

big advantage of this type of control is that the value can also be controlled by the

software, because changes are only made incrementally. For example the value of an

effect parameter controlled via encoder can be set on a certain value by recalling the

preset and can be directly tweaked from there with the encoder. This does not work

when using a fader or a potentiometer.

Rotary Encoder (inv)

There are two different types of endless rotary encoders on the

market.  If the controlled function reacts backwards and too roughly when using the

first type of Rotary Encoder choose Rotary Encoder (inv) instead.

Rotary AutoReset/Rotary AutoReset (inv)

These two modes behave like the Rotary

Encoder Modes but add a neutral/reset MIDI command once the rotation has stopped.

For example when controlling the Pitch Bend function via Rotary Encoder, the last

Pitch Bend buttons will remain lit. When using Rotary AutoReset the Pitch Bend but-

tons will be reset to OFF. 

Then looking at my current setup on traktor (setup for teh DX2 faderfox)

i see note controls (like "Note C0 (ch 16)", Note E9 (ch 16)"...) and CC controls

So i see you can have CC controls from 000 to 127, Notes from C0 to B8, Pitch Bend control for midi chanels from 1 to 16.

Is it good? It should be good, isn't it?

Anotherr very interesting thing i found on the manual is this:

MIDI Output Devices

To use TRAKTOR’s MIDI-Out feature, e.g. to light the LEDs on your MIDI controller, acti-

vate the matching MIDI Output Device by double-clicking on the respective line. In most

cases a controller will show up with the same name in both the Input and the Output

Devices list.

Does this means tha traktor can control wich led to light on/off depending on what's happening inside the software? If i press the loop button and a loop starts traktor tells the controller to light the loop led??? And then if i press again on the loop button, traktor removes the loop and "tells" the controller to ligh off the llop led??

Is there a way to have midi feedback?

That would be excellent

But i don't have an idea of how this can be made.

Anyway i'll soon order the parts i need to start

3 cores + DINs and AINs to build the master section + 1 deck

Any suggestion is welcome

g

[g.andreini]

i forgot to attach the diagram

here it is

[Primate]

Does this means tha traktor can control wich led to light on/off depending on what's happening inside the software? If i press the loop button and a loop starts traktor tells the controller to light the loop led??? And then if i press again on the loop button, traktor removes the loop and "tells" the controller to ligh off the llop led??

Is there a way to have midi feedback?

I'm intending to use this feature on my controller so I'll let you know if it works.

[g.andreini]

Really interesting to me!

Keep us updated!

g

[g.andreini]

Hey Primate

i made an interesting discover!

I installed Midi Monitor on my Mac to check what traktor sends via MIDI-OUT when you press buttons around

then... i discovered that in the preferences/midi mapping you can set the controls to send midi out (interaction mode: output)

in this way you can choose which note or midi control use to send the midi feedback to the controller.

Works fine!

at this point the work has to be done after the midi-in port of the controller and switch leads on/off depending on midi messages!!!!

hope it helps

ciao

[Primate]

Hey Primate

i made an interesting discover!

I installed Midi Monitor on my Mac to check what traktor sends via MIDI-OUT when you press buttons around

then... i discovered that in the preferences/midi mapping you can set the controls to send midi out (interaction mode: output)

in this way you can choose which note or midi control use to send the midi feedback to the controller.

Works fine!

at this point the work has to be done after the midi-in port of the controller and switch leads on/off depending on midi messages!!!!

hope it helps

ciao

Tnx for the info but I'll have the chance to check it out when Anubis is finished (I hope that will be in 2-3 weeks :P). But of course you will be updated!

 

[spiltmidi]

how are you going with your project g.andreini??

[g.andreini]

i'm going on...

but i changed direction and didn't go on width the PIC18F452 microcontroller

[Primate]

Why?

Btw I'm in the programming phase for my controller so as soon as I figure out the Traktor LED control I'll let you know.

[g.andreini]

That's probably the easiest thing:

traktor send midi notes for each control, you just have to set up it in the preferences/midi, selecting OUTPUT

Then the controller has to be waiting for incoming midi signals (MIDI IN) and light the leds on/off depending on it.

Ciao

[Primate]

Yeah but on which channel and note???  :P

I didn't develop my own firmware and I don't know the DOUT channel of other accessible firmware...

[g.andreini]

You have to know the correspondence between each note and led.

Example:

your firmware lights on the led n. 1 when it receives a C3-127-MIDI CH.1

your firmware lights off the led n. 1 when it receives a C3-0-MIDI CH.1

Then you set the PLAY-DECK A in traktor preferences as OUTPUT on note C3 Channel 1.

If you don't know the notes try to connect a keyboard to the midi in

hope it helps

cheers

[Primate]

If you don't know the notes try to connect a keyboard to the midi in

hope it helps

cheers

Tnx very much for that...sincerely I didn't  think that could be done that way