DJ Tech Tools Community Project: We're going to build a Controller together!!!
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  1. #1
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    Default DJ Tech Tools Community Project: We're going to build a Controller together!!!

    Hi Everyone. I'm doing a school project and I’ve chosen to make a midi-controller for Traktor Pro. I want this to be different though. I want you guys at DJ tech tools to be an integral part of the project. Of course I could just design and build a controller that would be absolutely ideal for my needs. But, like I said I want to do something very different. And what better place to come to than DJ tech tools! You guys are paving a new way forward in many areas, Controllerism being just one of them. Ean Golden, you are a legend .
    So basically I want to make my project interactive, I want you guys to say how you want it to be made. This project will be built how YOU guys want it! You guys, if you want to participate, will tell me how i'm going to build it and what i'm going to include, what buttons you want, absolutely everything and anything. Throughout the project for example, one of the things i will do is: upload a plan of the button layout, if you don’t like it, great, i will redesign it and re-upload it, until we as a community feel it can’t be better. Of course there may be disagreements between some members, but hey, thats only part of the fun. I WILL design it based on the information you give so think of this as a community project where we can all chip in ideas as to what would make the PERFECT Traktor controller. I'm just the guy who puts the ideas together and builds the thing. The ideas come from the DJ Tech Tools community! Here is the small survey to get the ball rolling:

    1) Which of the following best describes you?
    • Bedroom DJ/controllerist
    • Mobile DJ/controllerist
    • Club DJ/controllerist
    • Other..........

    2) Are you satisfied with non-modified midi controllers currently available on the market for use with Traktor Pro?
    • Not satisfied at all
    • Not really satisfied
    • Partly satisfied
    • Mostly satisfied
    • Fully Satisfied

    3) If you are not fully satisfied with non modified controller offerings currently available, what is it about these controllers you would like to improve?

    4) Are there any other features that you would like to see in future controllers that come to the market? This could be anything such as functionality, build quality, portability, features and even the way they look?

    5) What are the most important things you look for when buying a controller?

    With your help and assistance, this project will be BIG! I really appreciate your efforts in advance and hope that we, together, can make the ultimate Traktor controller, or get close at least.
    So please, get involved and have your say. I wanna hear everything, even if you think the idea is Sh%^ haha 
    Thanks very much,
    Gurpaal

  2. #2
    Tech Mentor Tigris's Avatar
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    1) Which of the following best describes you?
    • Bedroom DJ/controllerist

    2) Are you satisfied with non-modified midi controllers currently available on the market for use with Traktor Pro?
    • Partly satisfied

    3) If you are not fully satisfied with non modified controller offerings currently available, what is it about these controllers you would like to improve?

    Get something with high-quality buttons, faders, (push-sensitive) endless-rotaries with LEDs, at least 1 xy-pad.
    Make it in form-factor that fits DJMs or a XONE ergonomically (XONE1D).
    Use quality-materials, no plastics for faceplate etc.
    Make it use OSC, so that it has improved performance over MIDI (more signals simultaneously.
    Give it the possibility to cascade without occupation of 1 USB-Port per unit.

    4) Are there any other features that you would like to see in future controllers that come to the market? This could be anything such as functionality, build quality, portability, features and even the way they look?

    Use of Firewire or Network as Interface, because these can be switched better than USB can.

    5) What are the most important things you look for when buying a controller?

    Functionality, ease-of-usage, customizable setup.
    I mix stuff on my things...

  3. #3
    Tech Guru
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    1) Which of the following best describes you?
    • Bedroom DJ/controllerist


    2) Are you satisfied with non-modified midi controllers currently available on the market for use with Traktor Pro?
    • Partly satisfied

    3) If you are not fully satisfied with non modified controller offerings currently available, what is it about these controllers you would like to improve?

    I want something compact and tactile but that can still control a lot. As such I am quite a fan of touch strips and xy pads as well as endless knobs with value indicators. In this vain I see faders on the way out, since motorized faders are simply overboard. I also want big buttons. Ideally a controller should be expandable, which I guess right now means it should have a multi TT USB hub integrated (or go ethernet) and an intelligent solution for hiding the cables.

    4) Are there any other features that you would like to see in future controllers that come to the market? This could be anything such as functionality, build quality, portability, features and even the way they look?

    portability/weight is very important to me as i have bedrooms in two cities
    visual feedback is also very important to me.

    5) What are the most important things you look for when buying a controller?

    it must provide a novel interaction path that is not yet covered in my setup. i like to mix and match and add. i do not see a need to upgrade what i currently have. price is also a factor. i guess i am also drawn to devices that manage to build up a community of people tweaking and modifying. as such the controller needs to enable this as much as possible from either the hardware or the software side .. or both.
    Last edited by lsmith; 01-23-2010 at 03:04 PM. Reason: forgot to answer 4) and 5)
    Traktor Pro 2.5.0, Mixxx 1.9.1, Massive, Ableton Live 8
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  4. #4
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    1) Which of the following best describes you?

    other.. bar DJ (at the moment)

    2) Are you satisfied with non-modified midi controllers currently available on the market for use with Traktor Pro?

    Not really satisfied.

    3) If you are not fully satisfied with non modified controller offerings currently available, what is it about these controllers you would like to improve?

    I think someone should come up with a way of moving features around within the controller or replace them all together for what you want. Basically like lego bricks (or stickle bricks, for those of you who know what they are), you have one main board and you can buy the parts you want and simply connect them by pushing them onto the main board like lego bricks anywhere you want. So in essence, a fully customisable midi controller without the need for soldering or building anything.

    4) Are there any other features that you would like to see in future controllers that come to the market? This could be anything such as functionality, build quality, portability, features and even the way they look?

    If my answer to number 3 was ever created then pretty much every situation would be covered. But otherwise I would like something light and compact but with a robust build quality and has the ability to control 4 decks without the use of a shift button. Looks have never bothered me, its all about functionality. Oh, and feature wise its all about things that enable you to look at the screen less, so LED's that tell you when loop is activated and on what cue you're on etc. Something else that would be a god send would be USB ports so you don't have to use up all your computer's, kinda like the apple keyboards that have 2 USB ports for you to plug things in. And maybe a screen that displays your track info and scroller info so you dont have to look at your screen. And something that is important to me, maybe not everyone else, would be the ability to properly scratch.

    5) What are the most important things you look for when buying a controller?

    Does it do what I want it to do?

  5. #5
    Tech Wizard
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    1) Which of the following best describes you?
    • Bedroom DJ/controllerist

    2) Are you satisfied with non-modified midi controllers currently available on the market for use with Traktor Pro?
    • Mostly satisfied

    3) If you are not fully satisfied with non modified controller offerings currently available, what is it about these controllers you would like to improve?

    Most mid range controllers have jog wheels, which are lame. I'd rather not have any jog wheels and more buttons so I can set my cues ahead of time and just use the mouse instead of the jog wheels.

    4) Are there any other features that you would like to see in future controllers that come to the market? This could be anything such as functionality, build quality, portability, features and even the way they look?

    A controller that could literally run traktor, with a screen and everything, no laptop needed, just attach hard drive

    5) What are the most important things you look for when buying a controller?

    knobs

    With your help and assistance, this project will be BIG! I really appreciate your efforts in advance and hope that we, together, can make the ultimate Traktor controller, or get close at least.
    So please, get involved and have your say. I wanna hear everything, even if you think the idea is Sh%^ haha 
    Thanks very much,
    Gurpaal[/QUOTE]

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by tads View Post
    A controller that could literally run traktor, with a screen and everything, no laptop needed, just attach hard drive
    +1 on that one! Maybe even with its own internal interchangeable hard drive. So you don't have to connect your external one. Also an internal sound card, so all you need when you rock up to a gig is the controller and a phono lead.

  7. #7
    Tech Guru lethal_pizzle's Avatar
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    @OP...it might be appropriate for you to define the limits on what you can do. Things like encoders, faders and touchpads may be quite easy, Touch-click endless encoders with led rings a lot harder, and jog wheels extremely difficult.

    Otherwise we'll be asking for the impossible.

    Good luck.

    Here's my wishes as a party/venue dj, reasonably satisfied with my controller setup:

    The controller has to be as dumb as possible. As in: no changing states on the controller itself. Every button has to send out midi to the host. I'd like as much visual feedback as possible, I like MIDI output. I like endless encoders with LED feedback. I like touchpads. That's all for now.
    Last edited by lethal_pizzle; 01-23-2010 at 02:49 PM.
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  8. #8
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    Its quite funny how different people have different preferences. I've noticed a lot of people like touch pads. I'm not a fan of touch pads at all, neither am I a fan of endless knobs. I'd have one endless knob purely for searching through tracks.

  9. #9
    Tech Guru lethal_pizzle's Avatar
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    Yeah. I prefer knobs that only have one function to be standard knobs, but anything that has more than that, endless with led feedback is the way forward for me.

    I don't like soft takeover.

    I like x/y pads for use with fx. You can change 2 or more variables at a time, and you can have it trigger and release the effect automatically. On my Nanopad I have buttons that will load up a set chained fx in Traktor, and set it up so the xy will do something sonically agreeable when I use it. I find it easy and instant.
    Last edited by lethal_pizzle; 01-23-2010 at 04:33 PM.
    DJTT Nu Disco Mix Train Vol 1
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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by lethal_pizzle View Post
    I like x/y pads for use with fx. You can change 2 or more variables at a time, and you can have it trigger and release the effect automatically. On my Nanopad I have buttons that will load up a set chained fx in Traktor, and set it up so the xy will do something sonically agreeable when I use it. I find it easy and instant.
    I might have to get into that shit

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