Modders - Cheap deal? Not spam.

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Modders - Cheap deal? Not spam.
Posted on: 22.09.2012 by Shay Wyche
If you're in the UK and your looking for a cheap little project to get working with, then this might be what you're looking for. Lots of buttons, just make a new case for it. 85 keys and no need for a third party software. Deckadance included if you're that way inclined to.

http://www.ebuyer.com/388669-dj-tech...software-djtk1

Anyone modded one of these before? It states that it's a keyboard, so I'm not sure if you press more than 3 keys at the same time they will all work. Led's look a little shit as well as they are on all the time, but I'm sure with a little work, you would be able to get round this.
Era Roka
24.09.2012
it's done before, so it's not inpossible.
Faustino Stringfellow
23.09.2012
yup, it sounds very much like capacitive (like the denons) ... makes for a much more responsive platter, but a bugger to mod.

hahahahaah ....just found your thread on your mod .... NICE WORK ! ... shame you had problems.
Shay Wyche
23.09.2012
Didn't see your post above, but it confirms what I thought. The XP10 is a bugger to mod the jog wheel.
Shay Wyche
23.09.2012
I'm going to say capacitive, though I have no real basis for this guess. What would be the difference? I'm aware of phones having a resistive screen and a stylus, the xp10 isn't like that. It's more like one of those lamps you can turn on and off by touching the body of the lamp.

Does that make any sense???

Hic.... hic .... hic
Faustino Stringfellow
23.09.2012
if it's capacitive (it sounds like it), very hard to mod. resistive is easier ..but not "easy" by any means. The problem is that they expect a certain range of values, when you change the components, those values change. They can be "settled" by using various circuits - something I'm sure I could design (given enough time to figure out what is what).
Shay Wyche
23.09.2012
Don't know for sure, I'm doing a little digging just now. If I find anything .....
Faustino Stringfellow
23.09.2012
is the platter capacitive touch or resistive touch?
Shay Wyche
23.09.2012
Originally Posted by DJDoubleYou
Thinking of buying some EKS XP10's to modd, only disadvantage = no analoge controlls
Other disadvantage is you cant take the pcb out of the original casing without enabling the touch sensitivity on the platter. In other words, any time anything solid goes near the platter it activates the touch sensitive part of the wheel, rendering the two part layer of the jog wheel useless. I've got a couple and found modding them outside of the original case pretty much hopeless. Lots of buttons, touch sensitive wheel and a pitch fader means I will still keep them and believe about using them whilst in the case or extending shaft for the jog wheel somehow. If anyone finds a work around for this then they would be a modders dream, especially combined with a nano or a x-session.

The sound card on them is a minor advantage, but setting them up can be a pain.
Kellie Myrum
23.09.2012
Nice find JSM! Definitely a good start point.
Faustino Stringfellow
23.09.2012
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Faderfox-DJ2-...#ht_500wt_1414

Here's something to mod .... unless everyone bids on it. Nice and cheap, and super easy to mod.

BTW it's far easier finding cheap ones in local auctions, listings in the small ads of papers etc. as soon as something is on eVilBay it goes through the roof. I've seen 2nd hand ones sell for more than new ones !!
Faustino Stringfellow
23.09.2012
Originally Posted by Stewe
Faderfox are lovely too but they ain't come cheap as nanos.
New they are yes, but on the 2nd hand market, i regularly grab them for under €40 ...more or less the same price as a second hand nano1.

as for the EKS10, I've never had one open, but I do know many have been modded with great success ... maybe I should look into it.

Anyway these days with all the PIC, ARM, ATMega based USB development boards, we should be making controllers from the ground up .... I personally love the Teensy2++ and have ordered a few of the new 32bit Teensy 3's.

This is the only way (I believe) you can fake the REMIX deck controls.
Kellie Myrum
23.09.2012
Faderfox are lovely too but they ain't come cheap as nanos.
Era Roka
23.09.2012
Thinking of buying some EKS XP10's to modd, only disadvantage = no analoge controlls
Faustino Stringfellow
23.09.2012
I have some "middleware" that sort of controls the REMIX decks as well as Machine 1.7 (changing page, changes MIDI channel) ...but it's rubbish LOL (I wrote it).

If modding for the first time, I would not recommend the nano, they are really too small and even I as an "expert" I kept breaking wires off, by simply handling it.

The other thing to note is, if any of the circuits are left open i.e. remove a pot/fader and don't connect it to something else, one would experience random weirdness from signals/crosstalk coming from other devices.


As a recommendation for modding, I love the faderfox DX series, absolute simplicity and so simple to add different components.

here a couple of pictures

DSCF0078.jpg
The top


DSCF0079.jpg
the bottom

DSCF0080.jpg

and you'll need one of these to rip apart too, if you go for the '2' series, rather than the '3' series.
Kellie Myrum
22.09.2012
Originally Posted by JSM
@Stewe, have you actually modded one yet? I have, and they are a PITA. but the editor was a godsend, each button can be remapped to any note-on, CC or MTA transport.

Something so small isn't really a good starting point ... but they are lovely to mod (when you have all the right tools).

Here's a build log from mine.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...3717172&type=3

560199_3149343932886_767980705_n.jpg

this build is a bit old now, and i've replaced the black fader caps with white ones, and counter sunk all the fixings and used anodised black hex bolts .... just looks prettier.

The other thing thats changed is the box, i replaced it with a 5mm black acrylic box ... again, just for looks.
Actually I didn't mod any of those but they seem very easy to set especially cos it comes with editor Would be cool to combine two nano controls if those can speak at the same time in different midi channels and build 4midi style of controller but it's pretty much a thought for now... (as many)

F1 project is great! You are all set for remix deck openings, brake a leg
Faustino Stringfellow
23.09.2012
when the baby wakes up at 3am, stay up with the soldering iron .. in fact make him/her a MIDI enabled mobile, as your baby touches the bits of the mobile, you could get it to play soothing songs or animal noises ...
Shay Wyche
23.09.2012
I've not done any modding in about a year. I'm getting itchy fingers again. A new baby in January will put paid to any ideas I might have though.
Faustino Stringfellow
22.09.2012
@Stewe, have you actually modded one yet? I have, and they are a PITA. but the editor was a godsend, each button can be remapped to any note-on, CC or MTA transport.

Something so small isn't really a good starting point ... but they are lovely to mod (when you have all the right tools).

Here's a build log from mine.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...3717172&type=3

560199_3149343932886_767980705_n.jpg

this build is a bit old now, and i've replaced the black fader caps with white ones, and counter sunk all the fixings and used anodised black hex bolts .... just looks prettier.

The other thing thats changed is the box, i replaced it with a 5mm black acrylic box ... again, just for looks.
Kellie Myrum
22.09.2012
At my oppinion the best of cheaper controllers for modding are korg nano series:

nanoseries2_2_634588479343330000.jpg
Faustino Stringfellow
22.09.2012
It's a HID device rather than a MIDI one, I suspect mapping it to other functions other than it is programmed with "may" be an issue. I don't know the device, if it doesn't have an editor program like the Korg's etc. it might only ever be a deckadance unit.

I have a couple of old units similar to this bought very cheap and was unable to get anything useful out of them ..

However it's CHEAP ! ...and before opening it up, see if you can re-map it to trakor ..if you can't leave it as is, and mess about in deckadance - the last version wasn't too bad really.

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