Allen & Heath DX ...?

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Allen & Heath DX ...?
Posted on: 23.09.2009 by Shameka Wartgow
Whats this i spy?

http://www.xone.co.uk/dx/
Brant Briski
08.03.2010
my finding was that decks and effects get mapped as an entire layer; that way there's no confusion when switching the layer states... one dedicated effect unit per deck; loops mapped to the existing loop labels on the DX with a few modifier tricks to extend the functionality for traktor.

i thought it got a bit hairy trying to run more than one effect on a single deck because of the layer switching and thus compromised control states... but i'm not a fan of traktor's effects at all.
Kecia Wnukowski
08.03.2010
I'm now quite advanced in my mapping. An advice, plan your mapping in advance and consider it will work on 5 different channels.
I've started with the mixer part and now I'm working on the deck sections. The best way is obviously to really believe about the deck layer as it will be simpler to just duplicate one deck once it is made and good instead of having to tweak each 4 layers one after the other.

Good questions to ask yourself is how are you going to manage fx units 3 & 4. How are you going to manage loops? Unlike the 1d & 2d or the 4d, you don't have access on 4 different endless encoders to manage more thna 2 loops at the same time unless you choose a solution like the Djtt mapping for the vci100 (using the fx unit and each knob, button to manage loops for all decks).
etc, etc...
Brandon Krugger
08.03.2010
Well, I wait for your review of the product.
Fredericka Pluhar
08.03.2010
I understand, but i'm not believeing that A&H will make an product without testing it properly.
Brandon Krugger
08.03.2010
Originally Posted by D-Vine
What do you expect of a
Fredericka Pluhar
08.03.2010
Well I'm already trying to do some work before it's gets here
nayit ruiz jaramillo
09.03.2010
Awesome. I hope you have free weekend to get freaky with it mate.
Fredericka Pluhar
09.03.2010
Just got a response from my dealer that the first shipment will arive the 11th. So probabily I will have it on friday
Whitney Fazendin
07.03.2010
Originally Posted by hesitant
Well I've had mine on order since beginning of December.

Been told though it will arrive with me this Tuesday (9th).

Really can't wait. Piccies, review and videos will be up the same day.
Great - review as well - hope it arrives on time
Yon Gigler
08.03.2010
Well I've had mine on order since beginning of December.

Been told though it will arrive with me this Tuesday (9th).

Really can't wait. Piccies, review and videos will be up the same day.
Fredericka Pluhar
07.03.2010
True, I'm always impatiencient when I have ordered new gear. So this time there is no different

Well I'm gonna give Itch a try.
nayit ruiz jaramillo
07.03.2010
Cool.
Yeah Traktor and the DX are awesome together. I can guarantee that.

Gonna be the longest 2-3 weeks of your life !!! I hate waiting for gear to arrive, i get so impatient..!

I figure there will be a lot of DX users on DJTTs soon.
Fredericka Pluhar
07.03.2010
Of course I'm goona write a review & post some pictures! Only I don't expect it to arrive very soon. Heard that it probably will be shipped in about two to three weeks.

My only concern is the quality of Itch, I've used Traktor for a half year and if Itch doesn't meet up to my standard I will buy Traktor Pro.
nayit ruiz jaramillo
07.03.2010
I expect it to be first rate.
Didnt exactly get that with the VCI 300 and thats not cheap.

Its a fair question.

When will yours arrive D-Vine ? You gonna post a review and piccies?
Fredericka Pluhar
07.03.2010
What do you expect of a €1300 device?
Brandon Krugger
07.03.2010
There's an issue that is almost the most important for me. How it feels the built-in soundcard? it's a high-end one? how it sounds?
Fredericka Pluhar
06.03.2010
Exciting, ordering mine tomorrow
Whitney Fazendin
04.03.2010
Yes, thanks Mix - I'm edging closer to scraping together my coppers to buy a DX. Have never worked with a Xone but looks like I'm about to take the plunge.

Thanks for your thoughts on the X1 Markian - been believeing the same thing about the effects and hotcues for the X1. Like the look of Mix Architekt's mapping for the FX on the DX though...
Shakia Hillian
04.03.2010
Thanks Mix...
Brant Briski
04.03.2010
here's the one i developed over the last few months:

http://www.mixarchitekt.com/teknik/m...xonedx-tsi.zip
Shakia Hillian
04.03.2010
Originally Posted by DJGiff
Yeah, same point for me. I have an X1 (with a Hercules RMX I'm getting tired of) and am wondering if I buy the DX my X1 will become redundant.... but lots of (LED feedback) controls are always handy so you don't have to play from the laptop screen and focus on the controller and the sounds.

Any thoughts anyone?
I believe the X1 will still be a great controller with the DX after believeing about it. The X1 will control the FX and hotcues, much better than what the DX has to offer, but the DX has a great sound card, can control 4 decks, and just bad ass IMO lol... I dont believe the X1 will become redundant in any way, now I just need to scrape some funds for the DX...

Yul, please share your mapping when you are done...
Kecia Wnukowski
04.03.2010
Ok I' ve advanced in my mapping.
Thanks to your tsi Mix architekt I was able to find the cc notes quickly for the channel leds. I'm not sure I would have been able to find those without knowing to what they were related. So cheers for that.

I've finished mapping the mixer section for the time being, I'll come back later to it.
My first rank of push buttons are low kills for each deck.
Second rank is knob mode for the first upper first row of knobs. Each button pushed on this row excludes the other ones. And if a mode is on, pushing it again would put the mode to...no mode. Modes are gain/filters/key/pan.
For the browse section pushing the push button on the encoder will either loadby pushing one of the monitor cue buttons to the given deck. It would also toggle expand/collapse if I'm within the tree list.

Now Im' currently mapping a deck layer, the cool thing is I'll just have to duplicate it and changes channels to map the other ones.

I'm experimenting something: I'm using the 3rd and 4th push button on the very bottom rank of the deck surface to swith from deck mode 'normal'/ hot cue mode (3rd button) / FX mode (4th button). Each mode is illuminated by the led next to it (no leds lit normal mode). Each mode is also a modifier changing the controls on the upper part of the deck surface.

Normal mode would manage any movement, and loops. Hot cue mode allows me to have direct access to 8 hotcues and anything that need to be managed around cues. FX mode is my FX tools bags and pushing a button will most of the time engage and route a given Fx for the deck.

That's for now.


Things I kinda like: the leds around the jogwheel is lit and turns "around' the jog wheel (well, the light). There's a led next to the right to the jogwheel that is set to the pitch so when it's on 0 the light is blue, when it is moved under or above 0 is turns red and moves upwards or backwards. Cool thing.

I'm a bit disappointed by - to my knowledge only, may be Im' wrong - that led colors are already 'assigned' to the deck's color. Channel 1 & 3 are red channel 2 & 4 are green and so are ther corresponding leds. I thought I would be able to change that but it seems I don't have success (I would have liked to have been able to pick the state of the color for functions). Not that important.
I thought that the jog wheels had the same push-buttons integrated on them like on the D series. That's not the case, guess I'll have to find another place to map some fucntions I used to have on the 1 D& 2D.


That's for now.
Brant Briski
04.03.2010
yes, it's standard midi resolution 0-127, cc's and notes in some cases.

the pitch knob is an endless encoder that is notched. depending on the settings in your host application, one notch can increase the cc one value or many. you can also push down on it for a midi note message.

faders are standard midi cc's. jogwheel is also cc..
Lamonica Rockholt
04.03.2010
anybody know something about the resolution of the faders, pitch knob and jog wheel?

greets
Brant Briski
04.03.2010
there are endless possibilities for how one can map either device, so you can have one specialize in an area where the other falls short. a mindset of harmony will manifest complimentary aspects...

for instance, the DX handles transport, loop, and mixer functions, with the X1 doing hotcues and effects...
Whitney Fazendin
04.03.2010
Originally Posted by djmarkian
You believe using the X1 with this is overkill?, just believeing if I do get this unit, should I sell the X1... it will be mainly used for the FX, hotcues, and looping...
Yeah, same point for me. I have an X1 (with a Hercules RMX I'm getting tired of) and am wondering if I buy the DX my X1 will become redundant.... but lots of (LED feedback) controls are always handy so you don't have to play from the laptop screen and focus on the controller and the sounds.

Any thoughts anyone?
Kecia Wnukowski
03.03.2010
About the arcade buttons...

As a note, the bottom part on the left and right isn't a plain surface. There's a part of the deck section that is higher than the rest of the Dx. So having a range from the very bottom to the jog wheel don't make sense but roughly you have a 2.5cmx8.5cm space 'available' on this elevated part.

And I don't know how the Dx is built inside, the 1D and 2d have vertical components, I don't know if it's the case here. Probably not but still you need to have one opened to check (Im' not going to do it, not for now). And it's still a 1200
Kecia Wnukowski
03.03.2010
depends, are you a control freak ?
As long as I haven't finished the mapping I can't really tell you and anyway I don't believe there's a bad way of viewing this. You never have enough controls so adding more makes sense. On the other hand in the real world when I'm mixing there's not that much different things I'm doing, I have a good range of tools but I'm not using all of the available in traktor so I decided to review/cut the fat to my mappings down to what I was actually using not what the control freak part of me is pushing myself to have.


I'm mapping stuff right now, I'll do a first map and review it afterwards but right now I'm not really objective as I'm glad the Dx arrived (hell I've ordered last October).

While I'm writing I'm believeing about a few things that I do like:
-the main vue meter on the main section is already working as it reacts to the soundcard (I was a bit 'frightened' I had to map it).
- the layer buttons just work like that literally they change the midi channel for the decks section so it is super easy to map those different parts AND when you're changing layers, the main leds change color to from red to green and the opposite. As a visual reference, the monitor cue button for the assigned deck/layer flashes briefly in its linked color too. Nice.
- the fact that the 4th knob for the two sets of controls acting as Fx units is an endless encoder with a push button is cool as it allows a little more flexibility for the management of the third effect/parameter.

I'm not disappointed at all and I feel I will 'master' quickly the mapping and at the same time I'm sure I haven't realized the potential in it.
Anyway for me today is like when I bought my first mixer, first Technics, first CDJ, first djm800, it is a step in my set-up so I'm enjoying it. I hope I don't sound like bragging I just wanted to share my first impressions.
Shakia Hillian
03.03.2010
You believe using the X1 with this is overkill?, just believeing if I do get this unit, should I sell the X1... it will be mainly used for the FX, hotcues, and looping...
Kecia Wnukowski
03.03.2010
Push buttons are what they are, as I sai dthey're playable but not really made for cue point juggling, if you try the button mashing exercise on the site that was published this week you're going to have difficulties.

I don't really understand the point about no filters for every deck, as mentioned above I personally use 4 different states for the upper knobs of the mixer section that would be gain/filter/key/pan exactly like how you manage those (almost - without the gain) on a djm800.

For the FX unit, you could easily create a mapping that would toggle control over Fx unit 1 & 2 and then in toggled mode for 3 & 4.
Not what I plan to do as I'm using the 'physical fx' units for fx unit 1 & 2 (and both are on chained mode) while fx units 3 & 4 are managed by push-buttons only: instant access and routing of the fx (and on advanced mode both). All is matter of choices/workflow/layout.

By yes on the other hand whatever the controller all is about compromises. As a personal view only and for an all in one solution I believe the Dx is quite good for what it can allow you to do.

I've started to map it and try to get a more global view about possibilities.



ps: nope I didn't know the name Yul was in any way related to an airport. The nickname comes form the haircut (or the lack of haircut )
Corine Kasman
04.03.2010
@Yul (Did you know that yul is the airport code for Montreal?)

Thanks for the update, I felt I was looking over your shoulder as you opened the box.

I have been looking at this for a while. The biggest turn off is the tiny cue buttons. Could you measure the distance from the front edge to the jog wheel? You know it, I am already planning the arcade button mod... Yes, the raised jog wheel surface is a small but easy to handle issue. The big question is if there is any space under the buttons (i.e. no PC board).

When they come out here, I'll definitely get a demo in on one. But I believe I could really get into it.

Phil.
Mac Fly
03.03.2010
Great kit. The only issues that keep me hesitant is the size of the hot cues. Also, the layout only allows for 2 fx banks per deck and no filters on every deck.

Besides those issues. very nice indeed.
Shakia Hillian
03.03.2010
Wow that looks really nice and it looks well built. Now should I ditch my RMX+X1 to this?... dilemma lol...
Kecia Wnukowski
03.03.2010
first pictures and first impressions of the content.

The Dx comes with its own "almost" carrying box as the box itself has an handle which is kinda nice but no way I'm going to transport it this way.
The contents are the DX itself, power supply, usb cable, Itch installation disc, quick start guide and two Xone stickers.

The DX is just a nice piece of gear. It's heavy but not too much. The weight feels right if you know what I mean.
I'm already using A&H controllers so push-buttons feel the same - may be they're a bit longer to push - as the other controls. Main difference here are the cue/play/layer and load buttons that have a quicker response and look like they're made of metal.
The size is perfect and that was what I was looking for. It's shorter in height than a standard mixer and it's 40cm large (depth is around 33cm, more if you had the lenght of al connectors at the back and mic's knobs at the front).
The centre knobs are a bit close to each other so beware butter fingers, you might want to try it first. Likewise the 4th encoder on each Fx unit is a bit too close to the 3rd knob.
Not a real issue for me I don't have huge hands.

The cross fader feels 'light'. Almost no resistance. It's not something I'm used to, I 'believe' I don't like it, the smallest move by mistake and 'bam' your crossfader is on the far left or right. I do prefer a bit of resistance (is there a specific technical word for that in english?) on faders and crossfaders.

The quick start guide is 'meh'...well ok, it's a quick start guide. I don't know if there's already a user's manual available on the Xone's site, need to check it. This quick start guide is for the DX AND ITCH, no doubt about that.
I don't have yet any info on how to use and how work the DX as a controller. I expected to have to choose midi channel(s), do some checks like you have to do on the D series product (for light pipes, midi channel when you boot the controllers).
No info whatsoever, I don't even know if I can install a driver alone for the Dx as I don't care about Itch and I don't really want or take the time to install it (I don't even know if a driver is necessary). May be later but not for now at least. I need to check within the cd if I can get access to specific files for the DX or if I may have to install Itch anyway.

Globally speaking - and for now - I'm quite happy and eager to start to map the thing. The product seems to deliver its promises in terms of feel and look for the time being. Of course that is not the more important so I'm going to start to check installation and start to map a few things quickly and come back later.
Kecia Wnukowski
03.03.2010
YEAH



the carrier just arrived, I'm currently opening the parcel.



YEAH
Kecia Wnukowski
02.03.2010
Cool good idea, didn't even cross my mind to use those controls apart form what they're labelled for.
Brant Briski
02.03.2010
@ yul - some additions to consider is that the toggle switches for the x-fader assign also send midi - so you can use them to change the mode of a channel's eq state or something a bit more complicated... left for bass kill, right for hf cut, etc...

on my newest map i set them up to switch the LF knob between a normal eq state, and then to re-map it to control the deck filter...

just food for thought. :-)
Brant Briski
02.03.2010
Originally Posted by DennisJ
does someone know something about the resolution of the jogs/faders/encoders of the dx?

greets
yup. they're standard midi cc's. 0-127.
Lamonica Rockholt
01.03.2010
does someone know something about the resolution of the jogs/faders/encoders of the dx?

greets
Kecia Wnukowski
01.03.2010
It seems other uk web retailers plan to deliver the product within the next two days too (like Westend Dj and others).

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