Xone K2: Button toggling between two colours

**Lanz the joiner** · 04-01-2015, 01:13 PM

My question regarding mapping LEDs from Traktor to the Xone K2: can you map two colours to a switch? For example, if button is assigned to switching FX Unit 1 on and off, can I have the button light up green when the unit is off, and red when it is on?

I have managed to map three colours to one LED, each one triggered by a different intensity of audio signal from the mixer in Traktor. I have done the same with each colour responding to a different range between 0 and 127 on an encoder. But I can't figure out how to get a switch's LED to toggle between two colours as I switch a device on and off. I have tried using modifiers, but I'm still not confident using them and would really like to know if what I want is even possible, since I haven't seen it mentioned in any threads, tutorials or videos.

**DJAdeSands** · 04-02-2015, 05:59 AM

Yes, it's possible. On midi range, you'll have a '0' that will be the switch at it's 'off' position. Set the output range of zero to whatever figure that corresponds to the colour output you want as the output colour on your controller. The '1' on midi range will be the 'on' colour..

**Stewe** · 04-02-2015, 07:50 AM

Originally Posted by DJAdeSands

Yes, it's possible. On midi range, you'll have a '0' that will be the switch at it's 'off' position. Set the output range of zero to whatever figure that corresponds to the colour output you want as the output colour on your controller. The '1' on midi range will be the 'on' colour..

I don't think that would work mate. Because, K2 uses specific midi note to set the color rather than give you an option to tweak the midi range like all normal controllers do. Or maybe I'm wrong, I don't have K2 to check that out, just using logic to understand the K2 manual.

**DJAdeSands** · 04-02-2015, 08:16 AM

Originally Posted by Stewe

I don't think that would work mate. Because, K2 uses specific midi note to set the color rather than give you an option to tweak the midi range like all normal controllers do. Or maybe I'm wrong, I don't have K2 to check that out, just using logic to understand the K2 manual.

Wasn't aware of that on the K2.. cheers for the heads up Stewe - Every day's a school day

**Lanz the joiner** · 04-13-2015, 04:50 AM

Thanks for the responses so far.

To me, this is one of the simpler, more obvious functions I expected from the device, and I have seen people talking about other much more elaborate configurations using modifiers and whatnot. So I'm surprised nobody seems to know for sure whether or not this can be done.

It seems like an obvious function, because I assume people, like me, will want to use the colours to label their setup - to compensate for the lack of written labels for each control.

My play button is green when paused, and flashes green along with the beat phase while the track is playing. This is super-useful in giving me information on which track is playing. Another way I like to display this information, is by assigning three colours to an LED associated with my volume fader. When at '0', the light is off, then as I turn up the volume it goes green, orange, then red. I think this is so cool - it gives me better feedback than any real DJ mixer I've used. I have the same thing happening for the resonance knobs on my filters. The only snag is that the LED switches off when transitioning between colours, so it can give misleading feedback at times.

**Lanz the joiner** · 08-03-2015, 10:14 AM

Looks like this is possible after all! But not without a little behind-the-scenes tinkering.

I stumbled across this thread, which ends with the author posting a video of himself having accomplished this very feat.

So you need to use a 'MIDI translator'. I'll check back once I've figured out how to do it.

Lol awesome... on the Bome translator forum, someone has posted in a thread...

What I'm trying to do in Traktor is have the button glow red when I have filter off and then glow green when I turn filter on.

I think I will manage to figure this out. Fingers X'd.

**Lanz the joiner** · 08-13-2015, 04:46 PM

Alright! So I've figured out one way of doing it. It may not be the best way, but it does work. Bome's MIDI Translator (MT) is really good fun by the way, I recommend it!

Button toggling between colours in Traktor:

Let's say you currently have Traktor set up to illuminate the K2's bottom-left LED in red (C0) when FX Unit One is switched on. Naturally, it will switch the light off when the FX unit is switched off.

The way Traktor communicates this message to the K2's LED grid is by saying that a note of zero velocity switches an LED off, and full velocity (127) switches the LED on.

So, let's say that instead of toggling the bottom-left LED between 'Red' and 'Off', we want it to toggle between 'Red' (C0) (FX Unit On) and 'Green' (G#0)(for FX Unit Off).

All we need to do is to take Traktor's "Off" output, and 'translate' it into a message that the Xone K2 will interpret as "Green" (G#0).

Here's how I set this up. I created two 'translators'. One for 'Red' and another for 'Green'.

This is the red one:
- If Traktor sends out a message saying note C0 at 127 velocity, send a message to the K2 that says note C0 at 127 velocity. (No translation taking place, really)

This is the green one:
- If Traktor sends out a message saying note C0 at 0 velocity, send a message to the K2 that says note G#0 at 127 velocity.

**Stewe** · 08-13-2015, 10:50 PM

Originally Posted by Lanz the joiner

Alright! So I've figured out one way of doing it. It may not be the best way, but it does work. Bome's MIDI Translator (MT) is really good fun by the way, I recommend it!

Button toggling between colours in Traktor:

Let's say you currently have Traktor set up to illuminate the K2's bottom-left LED in red (C0) when FX Unit One is switched on. Naturally, it will switch the light off when the FX unit is switched off.

The way Traktor communicates this message to the K2's LED grid is by saying that a note of zero velocity switches an LED off, and full velocity (127) switches the LED on.

So, let's say that instead of toggling the bottom-left LED between 'Red' and 'Off', we want it to toggle between 'Red' (C0) (FX Unit On) and 'Green' (G#0)(for FX Unit Off).

All we need to do is to take Traktor's "Off" output, and 'translate' it into a message that the Xone K2 will interpret as "Green" (G#0).

Here's how I set this up. I created two 'translators'. One for 'Red' and another for 'Green'.

This is the red one:
- If Traktor sends out a message saying note C0 at 127 velocity, send a message to the K2 that says note C0 at 127 velocity. (No translation taking place, really)

This is the green one:
- If Traktor sends out a message saying note C0 at 0 velocity, send a message to the K2 that says note G#0 at 127 velocity.

Cools stuff man - I will keep your thread as a reference to this question (which is pretty common I would say)
Nice work! Perhaps you could share the configuration at MAPS. I'm sure someone would appreciate that.