The Kontrol S1/S8 project [build log]

[DJDoubleYou]

If you're interested in helping out and getting a dev kit or might be interested in a final unit (if they end up getting built) let me know.

Hi DJTT-ers!

It still happens to me (after almost a decade of owning S4's) that I'm accidentally controlling the wrong deck (C/D instead of A/B) because I misread the deck switch button.

The "toggle" style button doesn't allow you to build muscle memory and when things need to be done quickly this becomes a major pain in the ass (it should have been a big chunky flip-style toggle).

So after 8 years of thinking about it, I finally bought an extra S4. The MK1's are really affordable second-hand these days, got mine for €80.

When I opened it up I was pretty happy to see they used a neatly panellised PCB design, I tend to waaaaaaay over-engineer things so now I could just leave the PCB on, cut the traces on it, and connect the components to my own PCB.



However, after disassembling it I saw they very neatly exposed the connectors to the panel, without any processing done on the boards itself. Even better, they exclusively used 74HC165 and 74HC595 chips to interface with the buttons and LED's. The exact same thing every DIY builder was using 10 years ago. This design is super simple!

So after some relatively easy disassembly I sawed the thing in half. In hindsight I should have completely taken off the decks’ circuit boards too.



This is how I'm going to be using them, looks pretty slick eh?



Status:

Native led interface	☑️	link
Native button interface	☑️	link
Native encoders	☑️
FX section	☑️	ordered custom PCB
Jog wheels	☑️	link
Tempo fader	☑️	fixed
OLED display	☑️	Working with serial communication

---

Github Link

[Patch]

Cool project. Any plans for the mixer section of the MK1?

[DJDoubleYou]

Recycling bin (did some test cuts on it first), if you're interested in a MK2 mixer section: I'll probably will be doing a MK2 conversion in a couple of months, I could send you the mixer section, you would have to DIY it yourself though, the anatomy of the device makes this pretty easy though.

Edit: MK2's lack the panelized design and thus are not moddable without a expensive custom PCB.

[Patch]

That actually sounds like fun.

Is it just side panels that need adding to it? Or does any soldering need to be done to make it functional?

[DJDoubleYou]

Very little soldering and I'd have some laser cut side panels for you since they will be the same as the S1 section. I'll reply in this thread if/when I get around to cutting up an MK2 (might take much longer than I anticipate).

All the sections on the S4 are connected to the motherboard with two 10-pin connectors that send/set the state of the buttons&knobs/LEDs so 99% of the work is already done.

[Patch]

Awesome. Do keep me up to date.

[DJDoubleYou]

Got the LEDS, encoders and fader to work, think I've got a short somewhere in the communication with the button shift registers.





This is the mapping for the LED's connection the the 74HC595 chips:

// LED OFF STATES from least significant bit (last one so notation is in reverse)
// -- BYTE [0]: 0b01010101 --
// CUE1 green - CUE1 blue - CUE2 green - CUE2 blue - CUE3 green - CUE3 blue - CUE4 green - CUE4 blue 
// -- BYTE [1]: 0b00000000 --
// Sample 1 - Sample 2 - Sample 3 - Sample 4 - SYNC - CUE - PLAY - SHIFT
// -- BYTE [2]: 0b11000000 --
// ON AIR - SAMPLES - DECK A/B - DECK C/D - KEYLOCK - MASTER - TEMPO OFFSET UP - TEMPO OFFSET DOWN
// -- BYTE [3]: 0b00000000 --
// LOOP IN - LOOP OUT - TOGGLE DECK C/D - LOAD - NONE - NONE - NONE -NONE
// -- BYTE [4]: 0b11111111 -- LEFT DIGIT
// UP-MIDDLE - UP-RIGHT - DOT - UP-LEFT - DOWN-LEFT - DONW-MIDDLE - MIDDLE-MIDDLE - DOWN-RIGHT
// -- BYTE [5]: 0b11111111 -- RIGHT DIGIT
// DM - DL - UL - UM - UR - DR - MM - DOT

[Patch]

Looking good mate.

[kooper1980]

This is old school DJTT. Following for sure. Nice work.

[DJDoubleYou]

This is old school DJTT. Following for sure. Nice work.

Thanks! "old school DJTT" that's a big compliment for me haha.

I was really stuck on the communication with the buttons, after long hours I discovered I was accidentally using 5v instead of 3.3v to power the board which was messing with the 165 circuit. I might have damaged something permanently on the right S1 doing that .

Yesterday I tried using the left unit with the proper voltage, connections and code and tada:



I've also mapped the normal LED's and the display LED's so they are fully working as well: