Feedback on Traktor controller

[Wise]

Hey DIY's !

Thankyou for this amazing DIY Thorsten, it's fantastic  ;D ;D

I'm working on a traktor dedicated MB design right now. It's not finished, still some work on it. And I need some feeedback. What is good and what should i change ? Here is my growing baby:

http://hem.spray.se/munktell/traktor251_large.jpg

http://hem.spray.se/munktell/traktor251_small.jpg

I'm not happy with the center mixer module and the volume faders, its messy  :-/ The layer jogg is for wind, fast wind, browse in file lists or whatever. Some logo has to be designed to. This is gonna be a MIOS controller, so any thoughts for functions for the "system controll" buttons ?

This is the components:

http://www.elfa.se/elfa/produkter/se/124183.htm

http://www.elfa.se/elfa/produkter/se/124473.htm

http://www.trimlog.se/butik/preview.asp?ordernr=VRA-100M50

http://www.elfa.se/elfa/produkter/se/2012627.htm

http://www.farnell.com/datasheets/6803.pdf

http://www.okw.co.uk/catalogue/tuning/info_pages/comknobsinfo.htm

http://www.okw.co.uk/catalogue/tuning/info_pages/slide_tuning.info.htm (the first one)

Back to the drawingboard  ;D :D ;D

Thanks in advance

/Wise

[chriss]

Hi wise,

thats a great design!!

I can´t help you with the middle section cause i can´t see the problems. Maybe your are a little bit specific.

I always wanted to do something similar but feared the complexity of traktor.

One thing i would definitely consider is the use of encoders and moterfaders. Since it is a lot of work to assemble a thing like that it might be worth the extra price. And potis are limiting to much (traktor is so cool because of its automation).

chriss

[Wise]

Thankyou Chriss!

The main reason why I don't plan to use motorfaders is because Traktors lack of MIDI out. Ant thats why there is no LEDs in my design  :( I know i can switch LEDs ON/OFF from MIOS, but I want to be able to change button status from keyboard/mouse also => LED out of sync   :( . So if anyone ha a program that can capture onscreen events and send MIDI commands i'm very interested ??

Simply ther's to few DIN for one core to handle encoders instead of potentiometers. I also want to see what value a pot have on the controller (is it on zero, mid max etc?).  There's also a need of "centrum klick" of the pots in ie equalizer and gain section that can't be done with encoders.

I redesigned the mid-section a bit now so it's better grouped:

http://hem.spray.se/munktell/traktor251_small2.jpg

But i'm still not 100% satisfied with it...

That's all for now. Happy soldering !

/Wise

[Guest kostix]

Hi there!

its my first post here, so here it goes :

I think with enough patience you could also program a little windows proggie which would sit in the background and sense the color of certain spots on the screen , like the button lights in traktor, then u could convert this color change into a midi event and send it out to the box :)

just my little bit

good luck

[intosite]

Nice idea.

I don't know anything about programming.

But that sounds totally possible but with lots of serious programming involved.

If anyone does have the time to do it, do keep us posted.

Cheers :)

[rogic]

Hi Wise,

I used LEDs for on/off type of functions, for example, round function for BPM, SET for offset, etc. And this works very nice. So I suggest you should consider using LEDs anyway.

I'll post soon my MB design for traktor; I have some comments about your design: I started working on a traktor MB and tried NOT to reproduce the controls I see on the screen. Main reason is that if they change the interface in next version, the panel will be useless. So I developed my own design of the controls which looks a little bit like regular audio mixer, but with specific controls of the Traktor. To be more specific: I should redesign, for example, audio controls to be more on the centre of the panel, equalizers upon them, etc..

[Guest kelper]

What did you use for the joggs?

I am working in my midibox to control Traktor, and I have a doubt about configuration. Do I need a .syx file or it is not necesary because traktor has lerning function?

Thanks

[Guest beezle]

hi all,

i use traktor. and at the moment i use the interface from http://www.faderfox.com/.

ok its not selfmade, but maybe you get any idea how to make yours.

please tell if you have a nice layout, i want to build also one for me, but until now the faderfox is a fine interface.

beezle

[kris]

HEY UP

it looks like a good design

im also making a traktor dedicated box

i also think you dont have to copy the traktor layout exactly im still thinking about the layout i want to use after using traktor with my first box

i think i simple layout with the minimum of buttons and jog shuttles tone controls and kill switches and  no leds

im thinking of using rotary encoders for the jogs with the rubber wheels from cdj's which the spares department will supply id aprreciate feedback on this

it will be really interesting to see all of these traktor controllers when there made

thanx to thorsten for such an amazing project

[Wise]

Hi and thank you for all the answers !

Kostix, intosite:

I have also thought about someting like that. But my windows programming skills are to low for that. Hopefully someone else could make this and contribute it to the MB community :)

Rogic:

I don't know what you mean with "round function for BPM, SET for offset, etc.", but suppose you men Play/Cue, pause/ loop in/out etc ? And you'r totaly right about the design of the poanel to be more like a regular audio mixer. I will redesign my panel as soon i get the time to it. Will post it asap.

Kelper:

I'm planing to use the jogg as a wind option, scroll in playlists, fine tuning the tempo/pitch, scratch or anywhere you could think of a rotary encoder :) The function of the jogg is chosen by the "layer" buttons. For more info, se: http://www.midibox.org/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=mios;action=display;num=1069513897

(I have not finished this MIOS mod yet....  :-/ )

beezle:

Cool thing :) As said before, of course my design will be free to use för the forum menbers.

kris:

Thanks. I'll go for my redisigned box and really consider using leds for the player and loop functions of the controller. I got the joggwheel as free samples from OKW. I'm also curious about all the Traktor controllers being built out there :)

I'll keep ypu informed about my design when i get something new on it.. But it could take a while, coz i got my thesis work to do. And on the weekends i got work on Ericsson, soldering SMD components under microscope 2*12h/weekend  :-/

And now a question for ya all: Someone know og a button with the right "dj feeling" to for the play/cue, pause, set, loop in/out buttons. Minimal force requierd to operate and a minimal travel length?

/Wise

[kris]

high wise

who are okw whats the web address

as for buttons im looking at the moment so ill let you know i bought some last time from reichelt but they are exspensive

i planing something like that for the jogs myself so thanx for the info

i think its good to play with traktor and talk to dj's who use it regularly to find out the functions you need to use

lots of good vibes to all the midi boxers out there

[Wise]

Hi Kris

Check out okw: http://www.okw.co.uk/catalogue/tuning/info_pages/comknobsinfo.htm

I got the 50mm ones. They are a bit plastic. Want more "rubber" feeling in the jogg  :-/ But they will do till i got something else.

As for the buttons, i consider thoose: http://www.rjs-electronics.co.uk/cms/html/modules.php?set_albumName=album06&id=Fujisoku_TM_TR&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php

The 12*12 mm ones with inbuilt LED. Thougths ?

/Wise

[intosite]

As for the buttons, i consider thoose: http://www.rjs-electronics.co.uk/cms/html/modules.php?set_albumName=albu m06&id=Fujisoku_TM_TR&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php

The 12*12 mm ones with inbuilt LED. Thougths ?

Checked the link. Nice bts. There are some bts from that site that i also got directly from the manufactorer. So it might be a bit cheaper. Here's a link to the post i made, its in the parts archive section of the forum.  

http://www.midibox.org/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=parts_archive;action=display;num=1083178539

Cheers

[Wise]

In the progress of redesign my panel.. i'm dreaming.. Think I gonna have som space on it above the player section. maybe... maybe.. In a future update of Traktor it maybe support midi out of the song possition and the other info on the displays.

You guess what I'm thinking of ?  ;D

Adding 2*20 LCD for each player would be VERY cool !!!  ;D ;D ;D

Then to get all this to work under MIOS is another question  ;)

[rogic]

Hi and thank you for all the answers !

...

Rogic:

I don't know what you mean with "round function for BPM, SET for offset, etc.", but suppose you men Play/Cue, pause/ loop in/out etc ? And you'r totaly right about the design of the poanel to be more like a regular audio mixer. I will redesign my panel as soon i get the time to it. Will post it asap.

...

/Wise

:) No, I meant what I've said. I don't know what version do you have (mine is T2.53), but these helpful features are a must. As I promised, here is the snapshot from my panel design:

http://www.mb64.150m.com/temp/index.htm

I made it in a hurry, so if you have any questions, just ask. Yes, this is not MIOS based midibox - it's old one, midibox 64. Works excellent.

About buttons question: I have no idea, I used ones from Conrad, 11x11 mm, really minimal travel length, but I'm not satisfied 100%, think they have to be bigger. Maybe I'll reconsider

[rogic]

... some other buttons if I find them at all.

[chriss]

Just wanted to tell you that i tested ableton live for my dj setup and it is so much better and nicer than traktor that my controller wil be designed for that. (just think about all the vst effects you can use)

The best thing: Live has midiout, so moterfaders and encoders will be in my fadermixer.

check it out if you want. www.ableton.com

chriss

[Wise]

HI, have redesigned my layout :

http://hem.spray.se/munktell/traktor251_general.jpg

note: maybe no Traktor logo on final version

(big picture)

Comments appreciated

Wise

[Guest Mark420]

Hi,

Respect to all Digital DJs ;)

Soon the rest will catch up with us....

Good new redesign of your panel there wise.

I am building a Traktor/Ableton controller at the moment-I am using a Dateq XTC 3 channel mixer as the Box/base/

ALL the pots and faders on this mixer are Alps top of the range stuff and mounted on a pcb-hopefully if i am carefull i can just cut the tracks on the pcb and solder wires on the tracks out to the AIN-DIN

I have even thought of wiring up the power on the dateq pcb then i just need to solder one wire per pot but I am thinking it will get too noisey for the AIn module?

First of all I dont want to drill any holes into the face plate etc for buttons so I have decided to try and use two old PC Keyboards and chop them apart after the cursor keys and keypad.

I have been taking lots of keyboards apart and I have worked out that a Mac see thro keyboard or a Compaq slim line server keyboard will work great because the keys caps are mounted onto the plastic so I should be able to fix some pcb prototyping board in the botttom of the keyboard housing and use pcb mounted switches under the key caps.I hope i can get the spacing and height right for the travel and feel of the keys.

I plan to house the AIN and DIN inside the mixer box with the core so just a wire from each kb to connector that i will mount on the back panel of the mixer wil keep it tidy.

I plan to drill a hole in the mixer rack mount brackets and hang this mini keyboard with 30 odd keys each side of the mixer at a 90 degree angle.I am just going to use a bit of metal with holes in underneath the top of the keyboard housing and then screw it into the mounting brackets.

I also plan to spray the keyboard and keys black and make new white switch logos for the keys, maybe make the play button the enter key and make it green orso.

The mixer has a great bar graph LED matrix inside..I am trying to get the schematics from Dateq,if I can do it maybe I can connect the audio out from the pc into the circuit from dateq and then get the output Led Bar graph going ;))) that would ROCK ;)

The mixer has a 12V DC light onboard also with a twister wire so u can move it about..i am going to wire this up and keep it ;)

Hopefully this config will work out for Traktor and Ableton,I love Traktor but as one of the other posters said- the lack of VST support for Tracktor is bad-Ableton is really hard and clunky to use without a midi controller so I want to see what it will do when i build this midibox ;)

I am soo busy at the mo but when i finially get round to hacking things apart i will take pics and post them up here ;)

Regards

Mark420