Allen & Heath DX ...?

@Yul (Did you know that yul is the airport code for Montreal?)

Thanks for the update, I felt I was looking over your shoulder as you opened the box.

I have been looking at this for a while. The biggest turn off is the tiny cue buttons. Could you measure the distance from the front edge to the jog wheel? You know it, I am already planning the arcade button mod... Yes, the raised jog wheel surface is a small but easy to handle issue. The big question is if there is any space under the buttons (i.e. no PC board).

When they come out here, I'll definitely get a demo in on one. But I think I could really get into it.

Phil.

Push buttons are what they are, as I sai dthey're playable but not really made for cue point juggling, if you try the button mashing exercise on the site that was published this week you're going to have difficulties.

I don't really understand the point about no filters for every deck, as mentioned above I personally use 4 different states for the upper knobs of the mixer section that would be gain/filter/key/pan exactly like how you manage those (almost - without the gain) on a djm800.

For the FX unit, you could easily create a mapping that would toggle control over Fx unit 1 & 2 and then in toggled mode for 3 & 4.
Not what I plan to do as I'm using the 'physical fx' units for fx unit 1 & 2 (and both are on chained mode) while fx units 3 & 4 are managed by push-buttons only: instant access and routing of the fx (and on advanced mode both). All is matter of choices/workflow/layout.

By yes on the other hand whatever the controller all is about compromises. As a personal view only and for an all in one solution I think the Dx is quite good for what it can allow you to do.

I've started to map it and try to get a more global view about possibilities.



ps: nope I didn't know the name Yul was in any way related to an airport. The nickname comes form the haircut (or the lack of haircut ;) )

You think using the X1 with this is overkill?, just thinking if I do get this unit, should I sell the X1... it will be mainly used for the FX, hotcues, and looping...

depends, are you a control freak ;) ?
As long as I haven't finished the mapping I can't really tell you and anyway I don't think there's a bad way of viewing this. You never have enough controls so adding more makes sense. On the other hand in the real world when I'm mixing there's not that much different things I'm doing, I have a good range of tools but I'm not using all of the available in traktor so I decided to review/cut the fat to my mappings down to what I was actually using not what the control freak part of me is pushing myself to have.


I'm mapping stuff right now, I'll do a first map and review it afterwards but right now I'm not really objective as I'm glad the Dx arrived (hell I've ordered last October).

While I'm writing I'm thinking about a few things that I do like:
-the main vue meter on the main section is already working as it reacts to the soundcard (I was a bit 'frightened' I had to map it).
- the layer buttons just work like that literally they change the midi channel for the decks section so it is super easy to map those different parts AND when you're changing layers, the main leds change color to from red to green and the opposite. As a visual reference, the monitor cue button for the assigned deck/layer flashes briefly in its linked color too. Nice.
- the fact that the 4th knob for the two sets of controls acting as Fx units is an endless encoder with a push button is cool as it allows a little more flexibility for the management of the third effect/parameter.

I'm not disappointed at all and I feel I will 'master' quickly the mapping and at the same time I'm sure I haven't realized the potential in it.
Anyway for me today is like when I bought my first mixer, first Technics, first CDJ, first djm800, it is a step in my set-up so I'm enjoying it. I hope I don't sound like bragging I just wanted to share my first impressions.

About the arcade buttons...

As a note, the bottom part on the left and right isn't a plain surface. There's a part of the deck section that is higher than the rest of the Dx. So having a range from the very bottom to the jog wheel don't make sense but roughly you have a 2.5cmx8.5cm space 'available' on this elevated part.

And I don't know how the Dx is built inside, the 1D and 2d have vertical components, I don't know if it's the case here. Probably not but still you need to have one opened to check (Im' not going to do it, not for now). And it's still a 1200€ piece of gear I would think twice about opening it, and say good bye to the warranty.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by djmarkian

You think using the X1 with this is overkill?, just thinking if I do get this unit, should I sell the X1... it will be mainly used for the FX, hotcues, and looping...

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Yeah, same point for me. I have an X1 (with a Hercules RMX I'm getting tired of) and am wondering if I buy the DX my X1 will become redundant.... but lots of (LED feedback) controls are always handy so you don't have to play from the laptop screen and focus on the controller and the sounds.

Any thoughts anyone?

there are endless possibilities for how one can map either device, so you can have one specialize in an area where the other falls short. a mindset of harmony will manifest complimentary aspects...

for instance, the DX handles transport, loop, and mixer functions, with the X1 doing hotcues and effects...

anybody know something about the resolution of the faders, pitch knob and jog wheel?

greets

yes, it's standard midi resolution 0-127, cc's and notes in some cases.

the pitch knob is an endless encoder that is notched. depending on the settings in your host application, one notch can increase the cc one value or many. you can also push down on it for a midi note message.

faders are standard midi cc's. jogwheel is also cc..

Ok I' ve advanced in my mapping.
Thanks to your tsi Mix architekt I was able to find the cc notes quickly for the channel leds. I'm not sure I would have been able to find those without knowing to what they were related. So cheers for that.

I've finished mapping the mixer section for the time being, I'll come back later to it.
My first rank of push buttons are low kills for each deck.
Second rank is knob mode for the first upper first row of knobs. Each button pushed on this row excludes the other ones. And if a mode is on, pushing it again would put the mode to...no mode. Modes are gain/filters/key/pan.
For the browse section pushing the push button on the encoder will either loadby pushing one of the monitor cue buttons to the given deck. It would also toggle expand/collapse if I'm within the tree list.

Now Im' currently mapping a deck layer, the cool thing is I'll just have to duplicate it and changes channels to map the other ones.

I'm experimenting something: I'm using the 3rd and 4th push button on the very bottom rank of the deck surface to swith from deck mode 'normal'/ hot cue mode (3rd button) / FX mode (4th button). Each mode is illuminated by the led next to it (no leds lit normal mode). Each mode is also a modifier changing the controls on the upper part of the deck surface.

Normal mode would manage any movement, and loops. Hot cue mode allows me to have direct access to 8 hotcues and anything that need to be managed around cues. FX mode is my FX tools bags and pushing a button will most of the time engage and route a given Fx for the deck.

That's for now.


Things I kinda like: the leds around the jogwheel is lit and turns "around' the jog wheel (well, the light). There's a led next to the right to the jogwheel that is set to the pitch so when it's on 0 the light is blue, when it is moved under or above 0 is turns red and moves upwards or backwards. Cool thing.

I'm a bit disappointed by - to my knowledge only, may be Im' wrong - that led colors are already 'assigned' to the deck's color. Channel 1 & 3 are red channel 2 & 4 are green and so are ther corresponding leds. I thought I would be able to change that but it seems I don't have success (I would have liked to have been able to pick the state of the color for functions). Not that important.
I thought that the jog wheels had the same push-buttons integrated on them like on the D series. That's not the case, guess I'll have to find another place to map some fucntions I used to have on the 1 D& 2D.


That's for now.