Custom MIDI Controller: Need advice on Playstation Thumbsticks

DJ Gear & Hardware Hardware: Controllers, Mods and Gear
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Custom MIDI Controller: Need advice on Playstation Thumbsticks

Hey everyone, I’m in the final stages of designing a custom Midi Controller and need some final input…

Does anyone use the thumb sticks out of the Playstation Controller for X/Y effects? I’m planning on having six of them across the top. They will serve as track selection/effect selection sticks by default, then when you click one down it’ll become an effect knob controlling 2 (or more) effects at one time.

I’m wondering if any of you are using them and what you think about them. Would 6 be too many? And what combinations of effects have been working well for you.

Thanks for any advice/input. If you have any suggestions at all, please speak up as I might not have thought of it yet!
BTW, I’m more of a club DJ than Controllerist, so won’t be using it for doing mashup stuff like Ean and Co do so well!

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I’ve got 2 waiting to go into my new USB MIDI. I don’t know what you’re using as the central brain of the system but I ripped mine out of an old knackered PS2 controller and they are fine. They will use 3 inputs per knob. One each for X and Y movement and then one for the button part. I was going to buy some online but then realised that I had these knocking about so used that.

They are going to be soldered up and tested tonight. My plan is to use 1 for a filter effect on ableton and the other one will enable me to move around in the ableton window thus not using the keyboard. i want to be able to do a mix on ableton without using the keyboard at all.

I’m going to be using a Hale Micro UMC-32

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Hmm, forgot to mention that I’ll be using Traktor Pro etc..

One thing I’d like to know is if I use these, can I only get the best out of them if I use BOMES etc or will Traktors midi config be enough?

There’s no problem in adding them as they’re only 2xPotentiometers and 1xButton, so will fit straight into my midiBox. Just wondering if I’m going a bit overboard and will have thumb sticks not being used when I could have put something else there (can only really think of a master midiClock section there)…

Let me know how yours goes SAFC2403 and if anyone else has experience with them, let me know. I know Ean does:

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I used them in the Midi-fighter’s.

They are good but just remember that they will sit at midi values 64 (x)/64 (y). So whatever you control will need to be off at 64, ie the filter.

You should be able to use bomes to divide them into multiple CC’s resting at zero though.

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if you dont have any extra ps2 controllers these are similer

http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=9032

$4

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Thanks MidiFidler! Yeah I thought Bomes might be able to split the X/Y so that 0 is in the middle, the other alternative was to take the springs out.

@kaleaf. Yeah those are the ones I’m using, put an order in yesterday, as well as all the other parts. Here are the buttons i’m using:
http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=7836

Might just go for it. If I do end up wanting to change it in the future, it won’t be that much money to create a new Acrylic faceplate…
Also the new effects slots coming in the next traktor will be good so the thumb effects can opperate seperate from the normal effects…