New controller (maybe going to the market)
Hey guys,
So, I’ve just finished the thinking and rendering of a new controller.
Tell me what do you think:
It has an angle on the top. The back has 6.5cm of height, the front has 4.5cm of height. On top it has 27.5cm by 40cm.
It will also have another color edition (thinking on black or dark grey depending) and if it goes forward to the market the client may choose the color and type of knob caps.
wow that looks really smooth …
By the way, the leds are not represented yet.
don’t really like the place of the pitch faders
Needs a crossfader with an Audio 10 built in, that would have my money no questions asked…
“don’t really like the place of the pitch faders”
where would you put them?
“Needs a crossfader with an Audio 10 built in, that would have my money no questions asked…”
I’m thinking on getting a soundcard inside but the maya 44 which I think is the one used on some vestax controllers. Do you really find a need for a crossfader? That kind of… messes a bit the design since it will need than switches on the channels for example but who knows maybe is something to think about.
I agree that it needs a crossfader and an Audio 10
when i designed this i thought of it as a “waste of space”. Adding a crossfader would have to add switches also so it can change the crossfader channels and between these two changes we’re talking about… more 6-8cm on the overall height of the top. may you please enlight me for the why of a crossfader? controllerism?
audio 10… maybe it will happen. time will tell but i was already thinking on getting a soundcard inside.
I don’t understand why 2 big buttons at the bottom on each side - why so big, not more smaller ones?
+1 .. makes no sense to me either, I’m guessing cue/play, but way way too big IMHO, dj’s are stupid not blind 
Need’s more knobs or preferably at least 8 encoders and I’d go with 100mm pitch faders if you are going to bother with them at all or just remove them. Also I’d go symmetrical with them TBH, with the size of the jog wheels its not going to make deck all difference that its not the same configuration as a Pioneer or technics, everything will feel very cramped.
Are they going to be rubberized buttons or clicky ones :-s
Those buttons are arcade buttons and for cue and play. They are 3cm wide so… is not really that big. Not bigger than pioneer’s for example. The little ones are 1cm wide. In my point of view is not about being blind but having the space to be comfortable. I always preferred the size of the pioneer’s. Easier to get to. I feel the ones from S4 (for example) awkward.
The idea of the jog wheels is to have an easy way to navigate through the music. With fast search (using shift) or just to make cues. The idea isn’t really to help the mixing like a cdj for example. You can do it with no problems but the idea is to make more use of pitch bends.
Still thinking about the knobs / encoders. Encoders will be really hard because of the capabilities of the chip i’m using. “Normal” knobs, I could get more there but I don’t know if I want to… I was thinking on making a module rack of knobs so I don’t cramp the space. I was trying not to go bigger than this. I think that if I go bigger is to “uncramp” even more.
Pitch faders is really a question to me… Should I go 100mm or stick with 50mm. I’ve tried out with 50mm and at least for me… I don’t really have a problem with them. Maybe is a question of habit?
Symmetrical? I thought about that… I don’t know… what all of you guys think? This is one of the decisions I would like to know more opinions.
Clicky ones. More reliable and easier/cheaper to get.
I don’t really care about crossfader assign buttons- in Traktor, it’s straightforward to map the crossfader assignments elsewhere (I usually map them to the second layer of wherever I’ve mapped the FX units on/off for all for channels) but I can’t really live without a crossfader. I need it for most scratches and juggles, as well as hard cuts, etc. I wouldn’t use an automated crossfade really ever.
I would definitely prefer long-throw 100mm faders for pitch. I like the asymmetry. I prefer rubber pads and endless encoders, each with LED feedback… maybe this isn’t for me 
I must be fair. This isn’t really a controller for turntablism and alike. It’s hard to get good encoders for that at a good price and the vinyl touch on the top and sort of is really hard to do. On that matter you’ll always have better options. If I needed something like that custom I would just rehouse for example the vci-100.
Rubber pads are nice when they’re touch-based like the Maschine or the Akais. They do it massively so they can have great prices. For me, even doing the rubber button get’s really expensive. The rubber ones that use a click push button below are really unreliable and once again I wouldn’t have access to the rubber parts.
Endless encoders are always interesting but once again gets quite expensive to have a lot unless you’re a big company which orders thousands and besides you need to have better chip (expensive) and more electronics under it (expensive and complex). The same goes for those that have leds on the bottom for example. Maybe on the future who knows. It is something that I love too.
What do you mean by asymmetry? The contrary of what I have?
I just mean that the pitch fader is on one side (and a few other things) such that the left side of the controller is not a mirror image of the right and vice versa. I like it.
I don’t really have an idea on what I like on that matter. I’ve done this way because for me seems kind of logic like… you use always the right hand to pitch so the muscle memory will be the same. I dunno…
Left pitch fader is in the way… Also some knobs two FX units should be added.
all the way left and all the way right
So… pitches reflected. That makes sense.
About the FX units… there are buttons on the controller for FX1 and FX2. The knobs will be module so it doesn’t cramp up the space. My idea for the FX units would be to module it on the top of the controller with an angle a little bit like the Numark 4-track.
Still wondering about cross-fader and channel fader rotative or linear. Opinions people?
I would take those square buttons and move it bellow Play/Cue buttons to map it for hotcues or some other transport controls - then you could put crossfader in same line… Maybe that could make some more space for FX knobs where your square buttons were?
What MIDI brain do you use with and do you have demo units to show in video?
