newbee traktor mixer

[verbel]

hey  Im new in this stuff  but i wanted to make midi mixer to cope with traktor couze Hercules DJ controller is too expensive. I have made simple front panel :

Few questions. About faders.. their shuld me stereo or mono  or make no difference? about roll pontenciometers well i gues their are just simple ones(stereo or mono), similar buttons.  for that i will need just  MBHP_CORE, MBHP_AIN  and MBHP_USB or midi-to-com  right ? and propably MBHP_BURNER?

thx for replys

verbel

[TK.]

Hi Verbel,

pay attention for the faders, there are different ones! For audio applications, they normaly have a logarithmic output curve, but such a characteristic is absolutely unusable for MIDI. Especially stereo faders are only for audio, so it should be a mono fader with 10k linear output (it's not possible to convert log->linear properly!). For the buttons look for "normaly open" types, it doesn't matter, how many poles they have, but single pole buttons are normaly cheaper.

Required Modules: MBHP_CORE, MBHP_AINX4 (for faders/pots) and MBHP_DINX4 (for buttons).

MBHP_USB isn't really cheaper than a commercial MIDI interface today, and this project is especially not easy to handle for newbies, therefore just buy an interface for less than 40 EUR

Or take the MBHP_LTC module for the to-COM option

MBHP_BURNER: not required if you buy the PIC at SmashTV's or Mike's Shop, they will program the bootstrap loader into the flash. But you need to tell them, if the to-COM baudrate should be enabled or not, because this option cannot be easily changed via MIDI

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[pay_c]

And just a little thing about those faders, pots or encs (I am building a Traktor controller, too, at the moment).  Especially when we're talking about a controller for real live-stuff (e.g. a DJ controller) only get good components! I highly recommend ALPS (for all - faders, pots or encs). They're normally a bit more expensive - but it's reallyreallyreally worth it!

Greetz!

[verbel]

i found insted ALPS  potenciometers by Radiohm  are cheaper but betyter than Taiwan noname products heh  and if I realy need  mifdi-to-com? or i can just form core midi I/O  connect just cabble which is realatevely cheap  midi I/O to com  ?

[pay_c]

Radiohm potentiometers (here it's mostly called pots) are *OK* - not great, but OK. But do not buy the Radiohm faders - they suck...

Both is possible. Either use the Midibox to com option or the Midibox MIDI option. The MIDI option is the more flexible one anyhow. This way you can connect  the mixer to any computer with a MIDI interface (including a to-com (also called serial) MIDI interface).

Greetz!

[verbel]

thx pay_c.. well i will use cable to conenct    no midi-to-com board  = lower costs hehe. okej if u say Radiohm faders sux i will look for alps. How is yor progrss in traktor controller?

[verbel]

well i just change a little my project by adding  2 roll potenciometers as deck controler  like our hand on vinyl .. i think it is a good mod.

[pay_c]

Do not take the cost in to much account! DIY is normally not for cost-saving, it´s for getting the stuff the way you want it.  ;D To be exact, normally (taking into account you buy good stuff) the costs more or less come to the same point or little below as if you would have bought a similar piece from the market - *normally* - heavily depends on *how much* you are doing on your own (e.g. the frontplate can be some hell of work, but on the other hand you can save *at least* 50 Euros by building it yourself).

My traktor mixer is getting to an end finally. I´m counting with three more weeks or something like that. And HELL it´s some fun. And HELL it was some bunch of ass much of work (sorry for those words - but it really was - you will see why when it´s finished).

Think of using encoders instead of pots for that deck control! First Encoders can be rotated infinite - much more a vinyl feeling - and second they can be used for producing increments. Pots can NOT do that! For a deck control that means: With a pot, you get the deck where you want it with the pot, let it play, and if you touch the pot it jumps back to that position (in normal operation - there are very good workarounds for that). With an Enc you just tell the deck to go "forward" or "backward" depending on your movement - without giving a absolute position. Like I said before: Muuuch more a vinyl feeling.  :)

Anyhow: GOOD LUCK and Greetz!

btw: If you´re not sure what to do/use/whatever use the search function implemented in this forum and search for "Traktor" and similar - there are waiting some inspirations! ;) And: Readreadreadreadread - the forum and ucapps.de - readreadread... did I already tell you to read??  8)

[drin]

Think of using encoders instead of pots for that deck control! First Encoders can be rotated infinite - much more a vinyl feeling - and second they can be used for producing increments. Pots can NOT do that! For a deck control that means: With a pot, you get the deck where you want it with the pot, let it play, and if you touch the pot it jumps back to that position (in normal operation - there are very good workarounds for that). With an Enc you just tell the deck to go "forward" or "backward" depending on your movement - without giving a absolute position. Like I said before: Muuuch more a vinyl feeling.  :)

It's a nice thought, but there's a known bug in Traktor 2.5.X and 3.0.X that cause encoders to NOT work in a linear fashion. In other words, you can't scratch with them in Traktor.

The guys at NI have known about this for about 10 months but so far no fix has been forthcoming.

My T3 controller should be complete in about a month (my upcoming aikido black belt test is taking priority at the moment). I'd be happy to post a link to pics if anyone wants to see it when it's finished.

-drin