Can one convert a USB arcade pad to MIDI controller?
I watched Ean’s DIY video on the DJ 101, and I was very intrigued by the idea of creating my own arcade controller on the cheap. However, I was considering purchasing a USB Arcade controller, and I was wondering if I could use that as a MIDI controller with Traktor Pro?
As you can see, it has 8 arcade buttons, and a joystick (I was hoping to be able to use this as and expression controller, but I really have no idea how to do that, suggestions?) and its output is USB.
Exactly what I was thinking. I was all for building my own, but when I looked at the price of this, and then the Price of the HID interfaces, I decided buying this would probably be a more economical choice. I’m also interested to see if it has any potential for modding.
I wish the buttons were not black on black though.
Haha, those last ones are pretty crazy, but for 400 bucks… meh, I think I’ll buy me an audio 8 dj, and the korg nanopad, and the small arcade pad. but that would be nice for some UMK3…
Just so you know because you were talking about using the joystick on it.
Most real arcade joysticks are 4 way or 8 way, there is 4 or more buttons inside that it pushes when you move in directions (4) or corners (pushes 2 buttons for corner). The are actually the same microswitches as the arcade buttons.
If your looking for a true x/y joystick the only “arcade style” one I have found is the ultrastik 360 by ultimarc. I bought one but havnt hooked it up yet to audio software just to test it in windows. Some of those usb arcade pads might have a x/y stick but I doubt it.
I just thought I would add incase you didnt know how they worked.
edit…
after looking at your link some of the playstation compatible sticks might be analog because 1 of them said it had a switch between analog/digital mode… I know how the real arcade parts work but I dont know these cheap ones might be analog. So keep that in mind when shopping.
and happ makes a analog also but its $130. I think the ultrastik is better.
Not trying to stop you form using a pre-built just wanted to share some info, because joysticks might be different on those products and it might affect what you want to get out of it.
Oh, thanks for the info. I guess I’ve only tinkered with ps2 controllers, and I would generally just take the analog sticks and wire them to 2 separate pots. I guess that kind of limits the functionality of the stick… but I might be able to use it for something I guess.
you said take the analog sticks and wire them to to seperate pots… you might know this stuff already but I figured I would add … the analog sticks are pots. a pot or potentiometer is a knob/dial/slider that you run power through it and when you turn the position of the “wiper” voltage is sent to your board representing the position. that number of voltage is converted by your board to 1-128 midi message
a analog joystick is like a double pot 1 for up/down (y) and the other for left/right (x). things that are digital are buttons and switches they are on or off and your board will send midi note on/off not a analog signal
you can see in this image that “arcade” joysticks just have 4 buttons in them and they are digital
the ps2 style ones are analog… Im saying some of the arcade setups might use the ps2 style to be compatible with all games but any arcade dedicated setup is going to have digital… I know i said it a bunch of times ehhehe
