Reply to MF3D for the non-DJ

I received my MF3D a couple days ago and have spent practically every waking hour since integrating it in to my workflow. Unlike most owners, I have no intent to use it with music software. Visuals is the name of my game, both clip launching/effecting and live generation. Sometimes even to accompany a DJ (tho id be afraid they'd try to abscond with my MF3D now :-)

I really love what DJTT has done with the MIDI Fighter. The original was inspirational, and the 3D is a clear indicator of a capable team with bright ideas. The hardware seems solid, the design is clean and beautiful, the features are well thought out, and the latest 2.0 Utility software is a great UX improvement. Its even reasonably priced. Kudos!

While the DJ community is no doubt a larger and more marketable community, I feel like DJTT is leaving cash on the table by so directly catering to DJs alone. This isn't to say the device doesn't work with other software, its just MIDI after all (and now USB HID!) With the aid of the remix deck firmware PDF I was able to figure out how the Traktor mode worked, and using some of my own MIDI tools I reverse engineered some of the Ableton app (no comparable MIDI PDF for this mode?) While im sure they are both great mappings for their respective apps, they make assumptions on how some of the attributes should be applied that don't make as much sense elsewhere.

Visualists are no strangers to this situation, and usually have some pretty advanced data manipulation skills to work around it. We also have a nice alternative path thanks to the increasing popularity of what is often called a "Generic" or "Dumb" MIDI mode. In such a mode, there would be no banks, states, or alternative functions. Each switch usually sends a note on and off or cc 0/1, each linear attribute sends a 0-127, and each led is controlled with either a color index or a value mix. For the MF3D, I believe this would be similar to the Traktor's Four Banks Disabled Hold mode and all animations off, but with the rotation reporting as two single midi CC. This "raw" MIDI reporting allows more advanced users to then build up states, modes, and indicators as they wish using the tools of their choice (Max, OF, QC, TD, Processing, etc.) From what I have found, there is no such mode available for the MF3D?

If no such mode exists (perhaps I didn't look hard enough,) is there any means to achieve it on my own? I noticed the previous hardware was open sourced and it looks capable of compiling alternative firmware, but it makes no reference to the MF3D and its new hardware.

I do believe formally implementing, documenting, and publicizing such a mode would be a boon for the product, as it verifies to non-DJs exactly what it is and is not capable of before throwing down their hard earned cash to discover for themselves and possibly be disappointed. Actually, what I would suggest is two modes: "Generic MIDI" and "Banked MIDI." Generic MIDI would be much as I described above, similar to four banks disabled with rotation as its own pair of CCs and its own name identifying it as a generic midi mode. Banked MIDI would be much the same, but with the four banks enabled, each bank using a different MIDI Channel for ALL attributes (including rotation and the side side buttons.) Id keep the Animation and Motion toggles in there, as they are attractive, handy, and don't seem to get in the way.

At the moment im faking a Banked MIDI mode using the stock Traktor mode thanks to the bank buttons still reporting presses. Its cumbersome, and adds just a little delay, but it has allowed em to use the controller for my purposes at the moment.

I mentioned above that the device now has a USB HID firmware. I tried reverse engineering it for a while and didn't get very far. It seems to be much more complicated than most HID ive worked with, which are little more than an index per item with an integer value. Will you be releasing a spec for this at any point, or is this for the sole purpose of meeting Traktor's new interface? Any chance of a "generic USB HID mode?" I realize thats pushing pretty far in to the obscure. My hope would be to write an OSC interface for the device utilizing a higher resolution for the motion controls.

Oh, a couple last bits of praise: I'm very impressed with what is already implemented MIDI wise. Very well thought out, especially with the motion reporting. The LED animations are a really nice touch and im happy I can keep them with some of my strange custom solutions. Your DJTT YouTube videos are really well done and actually make me wish I was a DJ at times. ;-)