Reply to Is this possible in Traktor Pro (mapping question)

Hi, long time lurker, first time poster. Have to say this is a brilliant site, learned a few things that have totally re-defined how I look at my midi controller and its compliment to my DVS setup.

I currently use a xone:2d but this idea could be applied to just about any button matrix type of controller.

Okay picture this

X - X - X - X
X - X - X - X
X - X - X - X

These are the 3 rows of buttons below the faders on my 2d. What I want to do is as follows:

I want to assign a series of commands to the buttons to control the 4 decks, but I want to do it in a clever matrix kind of way that forces me to hold down a button for each deck. I am kind of a clumsy ass and between beatmatching, looking for tracks and jumping up and down like a loon I frequently hit the wrong button, especially since on the 2d the buttons are kinda close to each other and there is little if any visual and tactile feedback letting me know my finger is on the right button.

Basically, if I wanted to have the buttons control deck A I would hold do this:

X - X - X - X
X - X - X - X
A - X - X - X

this switches focus to deck A and while held down creates a shift modifier so that all the other buttons only affect deck A.

If I wanted to control deck B I would:

X - X - X - X
X - X - X - X
X - B - X - X

This switches focus to deck B and reassigns all the buttons to only affect deck B.

So far the construction works but the problem I run into is that I cannot seem to create a set of modifier conditions that stops the lower buttons from reassigning deck focus when I press them. I can't bury the deck focus select under a modifier condition because that would make it impossible to switch deck focus without pressing something else, which is too many steps.

Basically I want to be able to hold down one of the lower 4 buttons, which would then switch deck focus to the appropriate deck and then open all the other buttons for various deck controls.

One work-around would be to sacrifice the lower row of buttons to only do deck focus select and create a hold based shift modifier, but this seems like a cop out and forces me to lose buttons, making me a sad panda.

Another work around (which I haven't tested yet because I haven't had time) would be to create a button press type shift modifier that switches deck focus, I suppose this frees up a hand but creates danger when my hands get too close too the buttons. I kinda wanted the artificial crutch of being forced to hold down one of the buttons to stop me from doing something idiotic in the middle of track playing. I also don't know if this will work since I haven't tried it yet.

Anyway just throwing out brainwaves and maybe someone has a way to make this work or can suggest something creative that is simpler to implement. I sometimes tend to look for a very complicated solution to a problem when the simple answer is actually staring me right in the face.