*Build Log* DIY Controller From Scratch

**thelpb** · 08-29-2010, 06:23 PM

Ordered two of these:

One for a center VU/levels meter and the other for displaying information such as CPU utilization, free memory, or what ever else I want it to show. I will be using LCDSmartie to run both of the displays, along with a simple plugin I wrote in VB.NET 2010 Express for the VU/levels meter.

As of right now, the controller is alive. I finished wiring all of the 10k Pots along with the arcade buttons. Played with it a bit and have already found a few things I want to change from my original plans. Also need more jumpers from Sparkfun, so i'll be placing an order with them tonite as well.

I'll post pics of the wiring work later tonite.

**Str8upDrew** · 08-29-2010, 08:28 PM

Great idea to use lcd's as a VU.

**thelpb** · 08-29-2010, 08:33 PM

Ok pictures of this past weekends work!

Found a USB hub in one of my parts bins. Took it apart and ended up with this:

I may or may not integrate it into the controller but for now its fine for testing.

-------------------

Getting started wiring the 10k Pots for Master/Headphone Gain and FX. I started by soldering on power wires to feed the Pots with +5v from the U-HID board.

I sleeved the power wires and then soldered on the center signal wires.

Sleeved those...

Then I soldered on ground wires and sleeved them as well.

Once I had the wires attached to the Pots themselves, I started combining the Power and Ground wires together to conserve pins on the U-HID.

Once everything was combined, I added the 5x2 header that connects the whole assembly to the U-HID.

Basically went through the same process with the center EQ section.

And it lives!

Some things I have noticed though that need to be changed right away. Number one on the list is that having the U-HID board mounted to the bottom panel is not the way to go. I kept the wiring for the buttons and Pots as short as I could to try and prevent ending up with spaghetti. Unfortunately this makes it very difficult to connect everything to the U-HID. I will be moving the U-HID to the underside of the top panel first thing this weekend. This will allow me to use cable management and also make it easy to assemble the controller.

Number two is that I will probably need to add some kind of support to the center of the controller between both panels. The panels bow slightly now and I don't like it.

Number three is that my original plan to put all of the external connections on top of the top panel is probably not feasible. I am still going to try it, but I will likely need to add a small port panel to the front and back of the controller. I have an idea to do this that should work well and still look good so I am going to explore it this weekend.

More to come!

**thelpb** · 08-30-2010, 03:22 PM

Ordered more jumpers from Sparkfun, found another Powermate on Ebay, and ordered the two other U-Hid Nano boards for the rest of the Pots and Faders. That's almost everything I will need to finish the controller outside of a few small parts.

**thugbear2005** · 08-31-2010, 01:37 AM

I can't wait to see this beast in action. Good work so far mate.

**oscarjmg** · 09-01-2010, 01:07 PM

Originally Posted by thelpb

Ordered more jumpers from Sparkfun, found another Powermate on Ebay, and ordered the two other U-Hid Nano boards for the rest of the Pots and Faders. That's almost everything I will need to finish the controller outside of a few small parts.

Greets mate, great work...

how´s the expense account going?

**V-Hoff** · 09-01-2010, 11:31 PM

I love this thread!
keep it up!
feed us with pictures

**athtsak** · 09-03-2010, 11:46 AM

That thing is looking cooler and cooler, keep it up.

I would add a few things thou, if I may make a suggestion without being critical of corse. I am using TPro, I personally think there should be a 5th pots in the EQ for the filter, besides that it looks good. Love those wires, looks clean.

I also have an idea for your support problem, you can use a few more spacers up the center like the ones you have on the corners. And maybe see if you can install and wire a sound card in it. I think that would be so cool, then your you in trouble, because your going to have to make me a price on making me one...lol

Later,
Tom

**MiL0** · 09-05-2010, 11:53 AM

Originally Posted by thelpb

Ordered two of these:

One for a center VU/levels meter and the other for displaying information such as CPU utilization, free memory, or what ever else I want it to show. I will be using LCDSmartie to run both of the displays, along with a simple plugin I wrote in VB.NET 2010 Express for the VU/levels meter.

As of right now, the controller is alive. I finished wiring all of the 10k Pots along with the arcade buttons. Played with it a bit and have already found a few things I want to change from my original plans. Also need more jumpers from Sparkfun, so i'll be placing an order with them tonite as well.

I'll post pics of the wiring work later tonite.

This part of your project is really interesting to me. My aim, with the controller I'm building, is to design something that reduces the amount of time I'm looking at my laptop.

I've been looking into the Twitter DJ application that allows you to tweet the track names from Traktor and wondering if it'd be possible to pull the track names from Traktor and display them on one of the LCD usb screens above?

This would allow you to use the VU meters to display various bits of information... perhaps toggle'able by a midi hotkey?

Would you be willing to share the LCDsmartie code you're using?

**bumtsch** · 09-05-2010, 02:44 PM

@milo : that wouldn't be practical. From what I gathered by implementing my own Twitter relay, the delay before the currently playing track is updated is way too long. First I think it has to play for the amount of time set to mark a track as played, then you have to wait for icecast's buffer, which typically can't be altered.