Need some advice...

[tgp]

hey all, great forum youve got here, i've been looking at midibox usage for a while and had an application and wanted to make something useful. but i need some help to make sure its possible first...

im wanting to build a controller, one for pro tools, and possibly later reason. but lets worry about PT now.

im not wanting a mixing console so much, with faders, but more of a tactile interface so i can drop the mouse/keyboard as much as possible.

my whole idea would be to have a ton of buttons, so i can assign them to certain commands, like on the ProControl 24 i use at school. but without the 10,000$+ price tag that is usual on Digi products (thanks digi!)

i was leaning towards the midibox LC, but if someones has some opinons on which a better one is, please tell me!

also, how does one go about making the midi interface and pro tools contact each other so i can make a button open a certain function? ive seen stuff done with reason and midi depedant apps but never pro tools.

let me know what im getting into, and what stuff is harder to do, cause i might not even need it if it is going to cause future problems in assembly.

thanks for all the help!

t

[Screaming_Rabbit]

Hi T

There is an other possibility: www.x-keys.com

You can program any shortcut pretty easy.

The advantage of a MIDI controlled device:

It's always active (also in the background), while a "X-Keys" device works like a regular computer keyboard only within the active window. Means: When you're in the mixer window, you can't use any shortcuts for editing (cut, paste...)

Greets, Roger

[tgp]

roger, thanks for the relpy.

that x-keys looks like a really cool idea! never seen it till now.

if i just wanted something to do basic functions with that would be it, but hopefully in the future i can make a SID, and i really like building stuff myself, so i think midibox is the way to go for me personally  ;)

how do you go about sending the signal to PT or reason to tell it a command? im a bit lost on this end of the process.

also, i know they are a bit costly, but how much do one of those 3 axis stick controllers cost and how hard are they to implement?

thanks for the help so far!

t

[Screaming_Rabbit]

also, i know they are a bit costly, but how much do one of those 3 axis stick controllers cost

... see their Website. Prices are published  :o

how hard are they to implement?

... as easy as connecting an USB keyboard  :)

If you want your custom button layout... I bought the oem x-keys matrix pcb board (up to 128 programmable keys)  :D

Greets, Roger

PS: You even can program mouse action

[tgp]

how hard is it to get a midibox LC to communicate to pro tools and act like a x-keys unit though? the stuff i want to make is so personalised that the x-keys, however cool it is, just isnt gonna fly for this project. 8)

[Guest Mark420]

I have been looking into the X-keys products also.

The keys of the X-keys are keys from the MX range from cherry with key caps over them.

http://www.cherrycorp.com/english/switches/key/mx.htm

I am thinking to get one of these keyboards and then take it apart and find out how the keys are wired below (they should be mounted on a PCB) and then solder wires on the bottom of the tracks (leaving the connections intact) and then cut a hole for these wires next to the usb-ps2 wires and run these wires to a DIN module-or maybe if theres enough room internally build in a DIN on breadboard PCB.

In theory these are just switches that the DIN should be able to handle right? I plan to make a on off switch for the midi mode also.

If you dont mess up the soldering and dont plug in the USB-Ps2 to the pc when working with the keyboard in "midi mode" the x-keys should be able to still work in the "windows" world like before...but when you unhook the usb/ps2 and toggle the switch it becomes a midi keyboard.

Now I am sure Roger can provide some input on this theory cos hes built one from a matrix unit.

What do you think Roger?

Mark ;)

[tgp]

woah now. ive canceled out the idea of using a x-keys unit. im talking about a midibox LC now. need some input on that with getting it to work with Pro Tools.

thx!

t

[TK.]

Pro Tools doesn't support the LC/MC protocol, therefore the Motormix emulation is better - the hardware is similar, but you have to left out the second display (only one 2x40 LCD required), the LEDrings and the meters

See also http://www.midibox.org/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=concepts;action=display;num=1086542547

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[Screaming_Rabbit]

Hello Mark

Now I am sure Roger can provide some input on this theory cos hes built one from a matrix unit

I haven't built it yet, just bought the k-keys oem so far and it's waiting to be built into my planned MidiBox LC.

I don't see a problem in your idea as long you always disconnect the not used matrix. But I also don't see any reason or advantage of the whole thing because I normally want a combination of both systemy. Like I wrote earlier: I'll implement all under the MIDI protocol possible editing functions in the MidiBox and use the x-kexs only for the functions not provided under MIDI from my host program.

Sorry T for going on moving in an other direction.

need some input on that with getting it to work with Pro Tools

Search the archive for "HUI", "Pro Tools" or "motormix"... I remember, there have bin a few threads about MidiBox implementation in Pro Tools.

Greets, Roger

[Guest Mark420]

well roger the reason i would want to do this is what u said in an earlier post..the x keys is a windows device not a midi one so it only works with the active window.

I am building a midi controller out of an old 3 chan audio mixer-I will be using it for Traktor and Ableton Live as a Dj mixer-i also mess around with Vjing on a different pc.

At the moment I use Traktor in "external mixer mode" this is when the outputs from my audio card are coupled to a traditional audio mixer on two channs.The problem is that Traktor and live need a lot of keyboard-mouse input also and I am a lot of the time cramped for room when i play in a bar or club so having room for a mouse keybord etc has to be cut down.

Traktor also can work in "built in mixer mode" and work with a midi controller and it can record all your mixes in this mode by remembering keypreses mouse movents and midi events, so for me this is the way to use the program to its fullest because you can always go back and redub the mix.

I am a DJ and have to work on a mixer not a mouse and keyboard, so If I can convert the X-keys to be able to be switched between a windows kb and a midi kb it would help me greatly because then hopefully I can just flightcase everything together with my small laptop so when i play out I just have to find a power cord for my flightcase and run one pair of audio cables out to the clubs mixer and work with everything from inside the flightcase.

Also the x-keys is pretty cheap for what it is-if you try to buy the keys seperate from cherry with the keycaps etc its not much price difference...also you get a really nice design of keyboard -if i look at the X-keys prof kb its crying out to mount some pots on the top of the unit!

Maybe the Do it yourself aspect of this site has got to me-I look at everything these days and look how it can be used in a project ;)

Mark ;)