PC Mixer - Deevey gave me an idea

[dripstep]

IMHO a mixer with a PC built in...

Deevy posted this in another thread and it gave me an idea. I built a Mini iTX PC for Djing because I wanted a small computer that could be upgraded, and not a laptop, and because it is mini iTX, The motherboard is very small. (17cmx17cm I believe) I opened up my gemini mixer to see if there is any space inside, and low and behold it is mostly empty space.

disassemble desktop

The motherboard fits perfectly, there is space for the hard drive, and the power supply as well as room to route cables. I will take pictures and put them up showing the space inside the mixer shortly. I am seriously considering building my PC into my mixer.

Pair that up with one of Toshiba's 14" USB monitors, and a Wifi keyboard/touch-pad, and I have a pretty versatile mixer. If there was more room, I would try working my Audio 6 in.

What do you guys think? opinions, criticism, a healthy flaming, suggestions?

[dripstep]

IMG00640-20120622-1954.jpg

I will need a slim (28 mm) CPU fan, as well as a fan for the case to keep it chill inside. Moving some stuff around, i wont have room for my hard drive, but i do have 2 external eSATA ports, so I may run the OS and everything off of an external HDD. Not a big deal, I use an external for music, may as well tie them both in together.

The only thing that will be plugged into the PC side of the mixer will be USB chords, and they will run out the side, and under my turntables. Might flat mount my mixer into the table, and all of the cables will be well hidden then.

[JesC]

i thought about doing the same with a spare djm-400 and putting a Serato SL-1.

Hope the mod works out for you.

[dripstep]

Thanks Jes. Shoudnt be too hard, routing the cables might be though. There looks to be enough room, I just have to make sure that the fan doesn't get stopped by wires, but that's what zip ties are for.

I will write up a build log though.

[Jack Bastard]

A PC is a very noisy thing electromagnetically speaking, I'm not sure you'd want to put it inside a thing that'll pick up that noise and put it out through speakers.

[RockingClub]

Stanton has made approaches into this direction with the Stanton SCS-4DJ. Not what you what you intend to finally have but creative.

[dripstep]

Has anyone else done this? I'm wondering about electronic noise now, and if it will make any difference. And if so, how to shield it.

[synthet1c]

check how monitor speakers are magnetically shielded, this is a really cool project dripstep! good luck with it

[Sample Seven]

What do you guys think? opinions, criticism, a healthy flaming, suggestions?

My first concern would be heat; you'll need to make sure the CPU fan etc are ventilated adequately. Plus, I don't know about your mixer, but my mixer (DJM600) runs pretty damn hot.

Cool project though, I always wanted to build a computer into a mixer

[dripstep]

Heat shouldn't be an issue, its an old Gemini PS-525 mixer. It doesn't heat up at all, so all I should need are some case fans.

If this doesn't work, no big loss, I will just need a new mixer lol. If it does work, I might look into getting a better mixer anyways, and mod the pc into that.

I'm just debating on cannibalizing the case, that the motherboard is in, for parts (buttons, power supply, extra usb ports) or getting the buttons separately. I also might move the headset jack on the mixer to the front. I don't like that it is on top.