Reply to Opensource hardware CDJ/MIDIPC - Raspberry Pi ($25)

http://www.raspberrypi.org/

How about this for an idea... a self-contained opensource hardware midi controller with a built in ARM-based pc. The Raspberry Pi is a $25 ARM-based pc, the size of a credit card that can already run XBMC and lots of other software & operating systems.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHlLnLqEBfg

If the Raspberry Pi was setup to run VirtualDJ, Mixxx, Bitwig or one of the dj applications for beagle board then you could very easily integrate some reasonably powerful dj'ing hardware AND software within a normal midi controller. The Pi is absolutely tiny, very powerful and incredibly cheap.

Why would you want to do this? Imagine having a midi controller that has an HDMI output. You just plug the midi controller into a screen, connect up your stereo outs to a mixer and you've got an all-in-one midi controller that doesn't require a laptop. Or you could integrate a 7" HDMI screen into the actual controller (so it'd look like a CDJ2000 for example).

Or perhaps the Pi could be used as a hardware version of Bomes Midi Translator or GlovePie. You connect up various USB devices (gamepads, etc) and a usb midi device. You then program the Pi to translate midi messages into HID.

I'm sure there are other possibilities too... thoughts?