VCI-100 for TPro 1.2 Ideas

DJ Life & Community General Discussion
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VCI-100 for TPro 1.2 Ideas

DJTT Community,

I’ve been working out ideas on how to map the VCI-100 with the new features of TPro 1.2. I’ll try to describe what I’ve implemented on my mapping:

FX ON/OFF FOR DECKS
I use a large button on top left to access a MOD state where the 4 small buttons turn on FX bank 1-4 for the deck in focus. I use one of the small knobs on top right to select deck in focus. This seems to work pretty well, as the red LEDs of the small buttons respond to changes in deck focus. As I scroll through the deck in focus, the LEDs show which FX slot is on for that particular deck.

EFFECT PARAMETER A/MAS/B
I have decided to do most of my FX tweaking on a separate controller (APC40/TouchOSC/nanoKontrol). As such, the default for A is to access Key Control. Each deck gets 1 key knob and a button to toggle key lock. Default for MAS is to access Loop Control. Each deck gets 1 knob to set loop size and a button to toggle loop active. Default for B is Deck Balance Control. Each deck gets 1 panning knob and a button to reset position. I can still access FX banks 1-3 by pressing the EFFECT SELECT V button while in A/MAS/B respectively.

SAMPLER
I will use the two buttons above the volume faders to access and turn on some sort of predetermined effect (DJTT TSI Sampler for example) which is set in FX4.

I like how I can access more functions from the VCI-100 and deal with FX on a controller that has more knobs and buttons. I’ll put up my mapping soon. How is everyone else dealing with the changes?

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In my mapping I am using the shift+crossfader for deck focus select. This allows very fast and accurate switching. Especially if you add a foot pedal to handle the shifting.

To me the biggest aspect I am still waiting to see worked out is the handling of the device target. If they manage to allow selecting the device target (hopefully they will also introduce a similar concept for the FX units) via global modifiers, then I see a lot of opportunity to simplify the MIDI mappings and therefore make them easier to tweak.

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I agree it would be nice to have an FX bank focus similar to deck focus. That way, you could just map a set of knobs and buttons and access all banks with a short set of MIDI assignments.

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It would be great if NI created global device focus modifiers, I agree.

Many of my other problems are actually with the 1.3 firmware mappings. Using midi monitor - I’ve come to the conclusion that the original sync button for deck A or what is the a/c deck button in the 2_2 tsi, is sending b7on b7off and also a#4 off but not on. Which has created problems for me in the past since i can’t use b7 alternatively because it is also being sent by all the old ‘c’ deck buttons. and without the on message for a#4 it has to be setup to toggle when used as a modifier which doesn’t help in certain situations. why no ‘on’ message for a#4???

also i wish that ALL the buttons on the bottom row below the jog wheels could have the LEDs toggle on and off as well. i wanted to use them to turn fx slots on and off for each deck and clearly indicate with the blue LED what was on and off, but even if they did all toggle on they don’t follow modifier changes, so when switching to decks c+d with a modifier, the lights would no longer correspond.

as far as 1.2 and the vci100se with 1.3 firmware - i’m trying to get the most out of it - but i think my demands are a little out of reach without a nanopad or something else to control fx.

i like to use a modifier to change the transport into a 4 button config to choose between internal, audio through, relative and absolute modes so i can switch to real records, timecode and internal play and back without any hiccups. this is not hard to do - but now i’m thinking of reassigning these buttons to the a and b slots of the a mas b selector, since timecode and real vinyl is usually restricted to 2 channels anyway. then i can use the mas slot in conjunction with a modifier to switch between fx slots - which leads me to reason that an fx focus would be perfect - so i could assign the 4 small black knobs to select deck focus and leave the mas slot to follow - the idea was that only one of the 4 LEDs would light up - that being the fx focus.

I’m hoping for:

a. device focus modifier
b. fx focus
c. 1.4 firmware that sends only 1 wholly unique message per control
d. a better layout for midi mapping in traktor - that window is unbearably small

i’m glad to see others share some of my thoughts.
peace.

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Well I’ve nailed a good solution for the 1.3 firms and traktor 1.2

This map eliminates the eq fx mode + beat juggle mode but retains the fx mode - designed for scratch pro users who want all 4 fx banks, all 4 decks, smooth transfer from timecode to audio-through (analog wax or mic etc) and ‘internal’ play.
it hinges on a deck focus scheme - something i was always hesitant to use before but have found to be really easy. With some effort i was able to turn the 4 black buttons into a deck focus section. the 3 large buttons just to the left will activate and light fx 1-3 for the deck in focus and retain the proper LED info when choosing deck focus so you can always tell which fx are activated for each deck. which begs the question - what about fx 4?

i have 2 center buttons as 2 mods for fx.
the left mod turns the fx section into fx bank 4. and holding the shift key (in the middle of the browser buttons) allows you to select the effect as usual plus turn the 4 buttons into the fx4 activation keys for all 4 decks.

the right mod activates Ean’s fx mode (more or less) fx jogs and fx fades are activated. fx knobs in the upper right of the vci become a pair of preset fx with 2 knobs each (wet/dry and 1 other parameter depending on the effect) the button above cycles through 2 more pairs for a total of 3 pairs of presets. the buttons in the fx section activate the fx for decks A+B (which is reflected in the 3 buttons on the far left of the vci)

besides these goodies - the effect button in the far upper right is my deck mode mod. it turns your transport for all 4 decks into buttons that select absolute, relative, internal and audio through modes while also changing the deck mode to show vinyl or internal play info. works real nice! i’ve made it easy for anyone to hop on my vci and switch to real vinyl. i can also switch between timecode and internal play and back WHILE PLAYING a track and change the scratch input from a to c or from b to d.

holding shift and hitting the button to the outside of the ‘scratch’ toggle (the loop size button on ean’s last tsi) turns the +/- 0.3% pitch fader to a fader of +/- 7.5%. the fine pitch control gets you within .01 hundredths of a bpm.

holding shift and hitting the four ‘deck focus’ buttons toggles the keylock for the appropriate deck.

holding shift and hitting left or right (on either side of shift) raises or lowers the key by 1 semitone increments on the deck in focus.

holding shift and hitting the top 2 buttons of the 3 on the far left gives you the ‘snap’ and ‘quantize’ toggles. still have an open button below those 2. i’m thinking it should either turn on recording or enter the search field.

looping section remains the same as ean’s.

i have my original plates for the black vci se - so i moved the cues down and the mods up to the ‘effect’ buttons and reversed the transport to how it is labeled. (except ‘set cue’ is ‘sync’)

the deck AtoC and BtoD mods are the same.

balance knobs are balance knobs. the three knobs in the upper right of the vci are from left to right: master level, record level, headphones vol.

that’s about it! If you try it - or modify it, i’d like to hear what you think.
I’m going to incorporate some of the ideas presented in the forums here, like the shift/crossfader option to copy decks and also want to add cue next/prev functionality to the up and down buttons - love the flow of ideas on the site,
thanks Ean! (BTW site is running nicely - super clean)

http://rapidshare.com/files/262726402/1_3firm_1_2beta.tsi.htm

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buggles,

the layout sounds a bit complicated at first read, I’ll try to give it a shot later this week.

I always try to keep my setup intuitive and avoid too many double functions. Can you post a video of how you’re using it in a mixing setting?

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Sure thing, I’ll post a video on Friday - I have made a few minor improvements/corrections since the last post including repairs to the deck C transport. I’m also inclined to make FX mode more intuitive. Other than that I’ve been having a blast with this setup.

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Sorry about the delay in posting a vid… coping with family stuff right now. I’ll get on it as soon as time permits.