EXPRESS YOURSELF: Whats D best Controller 4 u?

schnezzy · Post by **schnezzy** » Wed May 24, 2006 4:26 pm

Faderfox LV2 & DJ2 with an alesis photon x25 and a doepfer pocket dial- more knobs and sliders than you can shake a stick at, and pretty compact at the same time

SubQ · Post by **SubQ** » Wed May 24, 2006 7:27 pm

My custom controller:

WhtFK is that?

aegis · Post by **aegis** » Fri May 26, 2006 1:40 am

SubQ wrote:My custom controller:

WhtFK is that?

It is the faceplate graphics for my controller (in real life it is printed on Scotchprint and attached to a 3mm aluminum face). The LCD and fake knobs were put there just as a visual aid. Lastly, I gave it the name "enabler", as you can see in the pic.

It's a 4-channel DJ controller I built on the Midibox platform made by Thorsten Klosen. After being sick and tired of looking at controllers that aren't really anything like a DJ mixer, I made this. All told I probably invested about $400 in parts - although that was because I wasted money trying to find the right ones. It likely could have been built for about $250 otherwise.

Each channel has start/stop, loop set/end, quantization jump, cue and xfader, and a button that selects the channel and switches between waveform and device view (required using BOME's midi translator for that). Rounding things out ios a 4-band EQ and two effects sends, a gain, and volume. The two effects areas (orange sections) use PS2 joysticks, buttons, and rotary pots to control fx parameters. The rest are boring things like master vol, global quant/bpm, and a scene select encoder.

Until M-Audio figures out why they make a Garage band control, and not one for their own product, this was my only choice.

This is actually a little older version - a couple controls were moved, and Gain pots added to the final version.

hambone1 · Post by **hambone1** » Fri May 26, 2006 10:56 am

BCR for knobs and buttons, LX2 and FCB1010 for more buttons.

Until the Lemur... mmm.... Lemur...

SubQ · Post by **SubQ** » Fri May 26, 2006 12:57 pm

Aegis, can you post one "real" picture of it?
And one question: how do you set Live's "loop in and out" on a controller? it means that you can cut loops on the fly? I didn't know that could be done with midi assignment...
Looks sweet...

aegis · Post by **aegis** » Fri May 26, 2006 1:56 pm

SubQ wrote:Aegis, can you post one "real" picture of it?
And one question: how do you set Live's "loop in and out" on a controller? it means that you can cut loops on the fly? I didn't know that could be done with midi assignment...
Looks sweet...

No digicam at the moment, but I'll borrow one and get some pics. As for the looping, you are right - the looping on the mixer is very rudimentary. basically I use it sort of like the autoloop in Traktor - If you assign the loop set and then the loop end to midi keys (or buttons in my case) it makes a quick repeating region. It's useful for me if I bring something in early and want to even things out a bit, or at the end of a track if I didn't allow enough mix time left in the track or if the track ends weird - I just loop 4, 8, or 16 bars as appropriate and use it to layer my next track in. When I am done with the loop, I just press the loop set button again and the loop gets reset automatically from that point to the track end, effectively ending the loop.

It isn't loop cutting, really - more of an ass-saving device. I used the device live this past weekend for the first time at a house party, and it was wonderful not having to click so much.

pheecoy · Post by **pheecoy** » Fri May 26, 2006 11:33 pm

since we're already in the topic of midi controllers, i'd just like to ask

if anyone has accomplished or tried to make his own midi foot pedal? im quite

interested in making one for myself

(16 switches with led indicators 1 LCD Screen) and was wondering if anyone could share

his insights or comments on this. if its durability of the case your asking of, my

uncle owns a stainless steel fabrication company..

so i don't think i'll be having problems with the case being durable.... it like to

know about the parts and the process... thanks

hambone1 · Post by **hambone1** » Sat May 27, 2006 8:15 am

IMO, unless you plan on adding some other functionality or really DIY, it's hardly worth doing given the price of an FCB1010.

CJ Vega · Post by **CJ Vega** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 2:49 am

Hi!

Guess what!? Just "lost my mind" and bought the (damn expensive) Allen & Heath Xone 3D!

Its a killer...the only problem is the size to travel or to properly mount it on a Club...
Actually, this it is the ultimate 3 in one machine: Mixer + Controller + Audio Card!
What else can you want? Capirinha holder?

So my option 1 now is:
Xone:3D + Mackbook

Second option (more portable):
Waveidea Bst3x + Focusrite Saffire (4 stereo outs!) + Mackbook

Cheers,

CJ

womoma · Post by **womoma** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 11:21 pm

luv my uc-33e

SecretAsianMan · Post by **SecretAsianMan** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 5:49 pm

The ultimate for a keys player:

lezef · Post by **lezef** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 6:14 pm

Hi,

I've brought many controlers - especially from M-Audio. And definitly, I prefer Behringer BCR2000 for the flexibilty. I see many people, especially in electronica, using it with talent ! I like also my Alesis PHOTON 25 ('cos it's easy to use).
And I'm wondering if the AKAI MPC emulation is good or what (MPD24, is it ?)
Good topic indeed !
Yours,

CJ Vega · Post by **CJ Vega** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 6:30 am

Does anyone uses the Lemur?

The new multitouch techs that are comming should be a Killer also!

Live 8 & 30" Lemur edition, dream set?

Cheers,

CJ

PS: Just added 1x Novation ZERO SL just to control the effects from live.
Its excelent with the automap funcion, a true friend!

supamonsta · Post by **supamonsta** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 11:11 am

What about KENTON MINI, looks sexy and useful...

yes, not for studio mixing but for live...

and remote zero SL?

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 11:34 am

I've switched to a Lemur... I am NEVER looking back.

EXPRESS YOURSELF: Whats D best Controller 4 u?

And the best controller is....

BCR2000 of course !