USB to MIDI custom controllers
USB to MIDI custom controllers Posted on: 09.07.2009 by Shay Wyche As a complete novice to all of this, can I ask if anyone will supply any info regarding building your own MIDI controller. Specifically the types of hardware (USB-MIDI) to control software, as well as their pro's and cons.As far as I am aware I have only found 3 solutions. http://www.ultimarc.com/JShopServer/...c=3¤cy=4 http://www.leobodnar.com/products/BU0836X/ http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/pro...oducts_id=9108 I consider myself relatively competent on the physical building of a system (I'm an electrician), but the software part may take a bit of getting used to. I would look to be controlling Traktor, and possibly Ableton, (if I get the hang of Traktor first). I have had a quick look through the community but can't find any threads on this. If there is one already created, feel free to merge this thread with it. Thanks to anyone who replies. | |
| Latia Pfleider 14.07.2009 |
Originally Posted by chrismp
his website is down for me right not so I could not check myself, Do you know how the configuration is done for that device? The u-hid has a config program that is super easy to use and once the setup is saved to the board its all good. Its visual and just point and click stuff with option menus. You can download that and check it out you dont need the board to see how it works. Im all trying to do this cheap and that seems to be tricky because I didnt want to go midi. Also the 8 analog limit in windows is lame. I might have said it already but I might go back to midi for my knobs and keep my faders and cool stuff on hid (things that I would like to have fine control for synth programs and stuff) |
| Latia Pfleider 14.07.2009 |
Originally Posted by Archies'bald
http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/pro...oducts_id=9110 |
| robert chanda 13.07.2009 |
Originally Posted by Archies'bald
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| Graham Frazier 11.07.2009 |
Originally Posted by Archies'bald
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| Shay Wyche 10.07.2009 |
Originally Posted by chrismp
I might post some of my ideas later on. I'm believeing of building the enclosure myself from perspex and making it similar to a 3 channel mixer with effects. I prefer the feel of a mixer rather than just an effects box and if I'm going to a house party, I can just drag the new build along with a laptop, rather than hauling other expensive gear I don't need to take. I've got a 14 month old daughter who takes up most of my time, so it might be a long build though. |
| Shay Wyche 09.07.2009 |
Originally Posted by Str8upDrew
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| Lacey Westergreen 16.07.2009 | well, it does have a configuration utility, but its only capable of defining what each axis does. here's a screen: i figured i dont really need the option to change every pin's input mode, since i'll only be using gamepad buttons and faders/knobs for a midi-controller. the led support would be nice to have but no must-have for me (mind, you can still hook up a diode directly to a knob like Ean did in his video). for the additional 8 axes i believe i'd rather buy another BU0836 for 35 USD and have the option to add more buttons later on, but the u-hid nano sure is a nice lil board (as are all u-hids...i just wanna keep this project as low cost as possible). |
| Latia Pfleider 15.07.2009 | hi crismp, Have a look at this pic in the link http://www.u-hid.com/index.php?optio...d=14&Itemid=18 Thats what I was asking about for configuration. The u-hid you can flash a config to the board with what you want for buttons, led's, and axis that all on the board stuff (you still have to do the windows gamepad calibrate for axis) but you can do a scale and offset option that flashes to board and assign led's to buttons. You can also make buttons momentary or toggle and set them to keyboard or mouse stuff. The device can show as a hid mouse or keyboard also I believe. It seems like the u-hid board has better features that we might not even need but they are cool. Now for those of us still on this hid path my last bit I wanted to add about the u-hid products is that they have a nano board. Its $35 and is a mini board with 9 pins. I just got a email back from u-hid and they say if we use power from something else ( usb cord or other board) then the nano will run 8 analogs, 7 if you use 5v power from nano. If I add 2 nano's to my regular u-hid I will have spent about $150 on hid boards and have 24 analog's and 30 or so buttons/led's |
| Lacey Westergreen 15.07.2009 | the configuration is pretty easy as well...you do the calibration of the axes in the windows setup for gamepads and joysticks (really easy, just do a full up-down movement with the fader so windows knows its length). then you'll have to map the hid-commands to midi messages which is a breeze as well with rejoice (just try it with your old gamepad/joytick to get the idea). the 8 analog limitation really is lame, but if i should need more analog inputs, i'll just buy more boards (save on shipping) and hook them up by putting an usb hub into the housing. |
| Latia Pfleider 14.07.2009 |
Originally Posted by chrismp
his website is down for me right not so I could not check myself, Do you know how the configuration is done for that device? The u-hid has a config program that is super easy to use and once the setup is saved to the board its all good. Its visual and just point and click stuff with option menus. You can download that and check it out you dont need the board to see how it works. Im all trying to do this cheap and that seems to be tricky because I didnt want to go midi. Also the 8 analog limit in windows is lame. I might have said it already but I might go back to midi for my knobs and keep my faders and cool stuff on hid (things that I would like to have fine control for synth programs and stuff) |
| Lacey Westergreen 15.07.2009 | well, apart from the diode support and a couple more button connections i can't find any big advantages of the u-hid over the boards from leo bodnar. i'll get one from him for about 30 EUR including shipping (no 12bit resolution, i figured i wouldnt need that for simple pots and faders), which is really cheap. plus i don't have to pay import taxes since i'm located in the EU. mind you, i'm not trying to advertise for any of the mentioned options...i'm just trying to find the cheapest solution possible |
| Latia Pfleider 14.07.2009 |
Originally Posted by Archies'bald
http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/pro...oducts_id=9110 |
| robert chanda 13.07.2009 |
Originally Posted by Archies'bald
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| Shay Wyche 13.07.2009 | Has anyone used any of these types of joystick? I'm curious about how you would mount them on a unit. http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/pro...oducts_id=9032 I believe they would be good for track selection etc. |
| Latia Pfleider 12.07.2009 | Archies'bald, I can not confirm that that rotary encoder will work in traktor and such, if it will work it might take some programs to get it into traktor |
| Shay Wyche 12.07.2009 | http://www.ultimarc.com/SpinTrak.htm I'm in love with these. Top work. |
| Shay Wyche 12.07.2009 | Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I'm very much a beginner at this, (although I've been a DJ for many years now), and I have been truly inspired by some of the things I've seen on this community
. The decks vs computer argument won't go away, but no one can deny that this is the way DJ's will be playing to crowds in the years to come. Any advice given will be given serious consideration, as I'm certain I will be taking this further. As an older guy I feel I will be playing catch up for some time though. |
| Latia Pfleider 12.07.2009 | Hey just wanted to let you know, I have something similar to the mini-pac you linked. Its the u-hid you buy it from the same ultimarc people. The uhid might be similar but I believe its what you would use insted of the mini-pac. I believe the uhid has more features, im not sure if the one you were looking at supports analog pots, knobs. Heres my quick story about the u-hid. I bought it and I was super excited about it until I learned it only can do 8 analogs. It turns out that it is because windows only can do 8 analogs per hid device and that means all the hid devices are like this unless the board can show up as 2 joysticks in windows (hid devices show in windows and gamepad/joystik). Other than that the u-hid is great. It supports led's that you can configure. It has a shift feature that changes everything to a 2nd set. It is really easy to configure. After the 8 analogs you still have 40 or so regular on/off devices you can use like arcade buttons. I will be using a script program called glovepie to have my hid device run as midi and in that program there is alot you can do you could even build a shift feature in that or have 1 thing control more than 1 midi, ect. I will be using that until all the programs use hid or osc As far as getting more analogs I am eigther going to buy 2 u-hid mini boards or a umc-32 (analog only on the midi device. 1 last thing I also want to buy from ultimarc some roatery encoders they have that seem really percise and they are usb (still researching on getting those mapped to traktor but they should work exactly like those that have build diy jog things from usb mouse) Oh and.... I bought a ultrastik 360 that if unlike a normal arcade joystick. normal ones just have 4 or 8 buttons that do direction like 8 way joystik. The one I bought has fully x,y resolution like a kaos pad or x,y pad. good luck dude my hid board http://www.u-hid.com/ sold by ultimarc take a look at features and setup program my ultrastik http://www.ultimarc.com/ultrastik_info.html roatery encoder im going to buy as soon as I can get $ http://www.ultimarc.com/SpinTrak.htm |
| Graham Frazier 11.07.2009 |
Originally Posted by Archies'bald
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| Shay Wyche 10.07.2009 |
Originally Posted by chrismp
I might post some of my ideas later on. I'm believeing of building the enclosure myself from perspex and making it similar to a 3 channel mixer with effects. I prefer the feel of a mixer rather than just an effects box and if I'm going to a house party, I can just drag the new build along with a laptop, rather than hauling other expensive gear I don't need to take. I've got a 14 month old daughter who takes up most of my time, so it might be a long build though. |
| Vernon Positano 10.07.2009 | The 'second' button option has been implemented to some degree in commercial midi controllers, but largely, software can handle that these days. For instance, in Traktor, you can use modifiers to make single buttons perform multiple tasks under different contexts. Similarly, VDJ 6 now supports a full scripting language that can let you do similar (and more) things. |
| Lacey Westergreen 10.07.2009 | here's a download link for rejoice: http://www.mediafire.com/?bgbp90mm9my i believe the ultimarc a-pac is a great device for its price. you can hook up 4 faders/knobs and 24 buttons. that would make a nice button matrix similar to the midifighter. the one from leo bodnar even takes up to 8 faders/knobs and 32 buttons + 8 POV-buttons. at the given price thats unbeatable! |
| Shay Wyche 09.07.2009 |
Originally Posted by Str8upDrew
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| Graham Frazier 09.07.2009 | You could always make a bad ass midibox. The Midibox64 is not extremely hard to make. http://www.ucapps.de/midibox64.html And you could just put a USB-GM5 inside of it. http://www.ucapps.de/mbhp_usb_gm5.htmlf But the first HID board is really cheap. It might not be a bad option. |
| Cyrstal Pannone 09.07.2009 | Hi, yes thats totally possible. I am looking at the same thing, basically a shift button so the controls do two things. For example I have a pot that controls the amount of the effect, but when you hold the shift and turn it the effect type will change |
| Shay Wyche 09.07.2009 | One other question while I'm here. Is it possible to have some kind of second function button, so when that button is pressed and you then push another, it performs a different function in the software, thus saving you outputs on your MIDI device? I'm really sorry if this is old ground I'm going over, but I have looked through some of the community and can't find any answers in the first 4 or 5 pages. Thanks for all the help so far guys. Appreciated. |
| Shay Wyche 09.07.2009 |
Originally Posted by chrismp
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| Lacey Westergreen 09.07.2009 | the first and second link are HID devices (believe of joysticks and gamepads) that need to be converted to MIDI signals by software like rejoice. they work well, but only allow a very limited number of faders/knobs. the number of faders/knobs you can connect depends on how many axes the board supports (e.g. the standard playstation pads have 3 axes. the x and y axis on one joystick, and the z axis on the other one). a device like the umc32 will allow you to use either a fader/knob or a button for each input. |
| Doug Bieling 09.07.2009 | hahahaha .. i will definately be keeping my eye on this thread as if you can use them controllers they seem really cheap compared to the rest of teh stuff out there |
| Shay Wyche 09.07.2009 |
Originally Posted by MisterMoleyMole
I've built a few PC's in my time and feel confident about the wiring etc, but the MIDI and programming still baffles me a little. I'm more than willing to learn though. I remember splicing cables to try and mix tape decks together when I was a teenager (some time ago now). My mother went daft. |
| Doug Bieling 09.07.2009 | would this thing in the lfirst link above work as it seems mega cheap , if i could use them i would be well up for having a go at this. Does it not give out midi though ? |
| Cyrstal Pannone 09.07.2009 | yes you need to import them direct from the guy in America. Halemicro.com I havent got mine yet as im getting 2 of them, not sure what the final cost will be after import tax etc. (to the UK) |
| Cyrstal Pannone 09.07.2009 | Hi, Im going down the UMC32 route myself. The reason for this is that its all set upi for you. You just get your parts, wire them up and then plug it in. No programming is needed to get it to work. Its more expensive than some other systems but it should work with the least amount of fuss |
| Doug Bieling 09.07.2009 | Hale Micro UMC32 seems like a good little board to use for your first controller. Not sure where teh best place to get them from is though. I'm in the UK and it looks like the only place i could get them fronm is amarica. |
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