IS there Any WAY To implement MIDI to the Faders of a DJM-909?!

[TrueWind]

Hi Everyone!

I am at a point in my DJ'ing "Career" where I have taken up VJ'ing... Some might approve, some might disapprove... That's not the point... To each his own right?!

Anyways... I have contemplated 2 channel mixers for quite some time... and Well... I have a Vestax PMC-05IV Pro and a DJM-T1... LOVELY Mixers!!! However... both have midi controls, yet they both lack the same thing... Onboard EFX....

I have been contemplating getting a DJM-909 For Quite Some time now... The EFX on it are amzing... However... The Faders LACK Midi Control... (Necessary for VJ'ing!)...

So.. I have seen people building their own midi controllers and what not... I know that there are little units that are designed to send/receive midi signals... SO Is there any possible way to implement Midi control on the faders (CF and VF) of a DJM-909??!

This would be an interesting project IMO....

Lemme know!!!

[djpenguin]

It may be possible, but it's going to be extremely difficult, and will probably require new faders to pull off. You're probably better off buying something like the Rane 62.

[TrueWind]

How about if I used 3 innofaders... I know that the innofaders CAN send midi signal... would there be a way to possibly have the faders sent the midi signal seperately from the connections from the mixer to the faders (to control audio) and redirect all three thru a pcb board to a usb connection?

[djpenguin]

How about if I used 3 innofaders... I know that the innofaders CAN send midi signal... would there be a way to possibly have the faders sent the midi signal seperately from the connections from the mixer to the faders (to control audio) and redirect all three thru a pcb board to a usb connection?

As far as I am aware, the Innofader Pro is capable of operating in a dual-channel mode, and it may be possible that you could use one channel for audio control and the other for MIDI control in conjunction with a USB MIDI controller board like the UMC32 (http://halemicro.com/UMC32_M/UMC32_M.html). It's probably a good idea to talk to emarx (http://www.djforums.com/forums/member.php?1080-emarx) before you get started, he's the lead guy at Audio Innovate, and I'm sure he would have some insight on whether or not your idea would work.

[Andrew B]

It may be possible, but it's going to be extremely difficult, and will probably require new faders to pull off. You're probably better off buying something like the Rane 62.

This seems like a better option instead of hundreds of dollars in mods.

[Chewns]

Innofader won't psychically fit into the 909's channel fader space.

[Phi]

I am just throwing in my two...

aren't we simply talking about using a small analog to digital conversion chip to measure the ohm variance like any other digital fader does anyway? What is different about his faders? Why would he need new ones?

Wouldn't you just solder connections off the fader pins gnd/pwr to the ADC and from that to the midi chip and use a usb board to bridge the computer? Sounds like it might not be that tough.

[Andrew B]

I am just throwing in my two...

aren't we simply talking about using a small analog to digital conversion chip to measure the ohm variance like any other digital fader does anyway? What is different about his faders? Why would he need new ones?

They're optical faders. Not sure what difference that makes. :shrug:

But yeah, I'm not sure why he would want to replace them.

[Phi]

They're optical faders. Not sure what difference that makes. :shrug:

But yeah, I'm not sure why he would want to replace them.

Opticle faders should still just be voltage regulators right? They probably just have a photo resistor applying analog resistance. All you need is to run their volt/ohms through an ADC and into the midi board. But first you just need to figure out what they run at and make sure the chips are built to handle it.

[TrueWind]

Well, I just stated that if it was necessary to get new faders to make the midi implementation much easier, I would be willing to do so... As for the channel faders, maybe this would fit:

http://www.djtechtools.com/2012/01/31/mini-innofader-ready-for-controllers/

Innofader's mini fader.

[djpenguin]

I am just throwing in my two...

aren't we simply talking about using a small analog to digital conversion chip to measure the ohm variance like any other digital fader does anyway? What is different about his faders? Why would he need new ones?

But he's not just trying to turn analog potentiometers into digital control devices. He's trying to maintain the existing functionality while adding MIDI control functionality. An analog pot can easily be used as a MIDI control input, but using the same potentiometer track for VCA control and MIDI control is probably not a great idea.

[Phi]

The minofader is for OEM only right now so you can't get one without a controler contract.

Sound like a fun project, I doing a midi-mixer-mod (Evo 2.0) and I think I'll go ahead and mod the faders for midi while I'm at it. Thanks for the idea ;)

[Phi]

But he's not just trying to turn analog potentiometers into digital control devices. He's trying to maintain the existing functionality while adding MIDI control functionality. An analog pot can easily be used as a MIDI control input, but using the same potentiometer track for VCA control and MIDI control is probably not a great idea.


Oh, I see. So an analog mixer's pot's directly affect signal amplitude... I just assumed it would make more sense to build them to indirectly resist... Hmmm

Ofc you could mod it for the indirect resistance, and the digital, effectively making them "dual channel", but that would certainly be alot more effort than it's worth.

[Phi]

Or you could add digital output to the fader stem.

To do this I would install a few IR emitter/receiver pairs along the fader casing and run the output to the analog to digital conversion and midi chips. Still probably a lot of hassle though. :(

[Dokumentary]

The minofader is for OEM only right now so you can't get one without a controler contract.

Sound like a fun project, I doing a midi-mixer-mod (Evo 2.0) and I think I'll go ahead and mod the faders for midi while I'm at it. Thanks for the idea ;)

Hey Phi, did you ever get this working? I'm looking into doing something similar with an old Numark mixer. I have a full size Innofader installed and would like to add MIDI using a MIDI board or Arduino. I don't wanna change any of the functionality of the mixer itself. I'd probably even power the board separately from the mixer's power just to avoid any problems and keep it simple. Seems like people use VCA faders all the time with DIY MIDI controllers but I don't remember seeing anyone that has done both audio and MIDI. I'm sure it can't be that difficult right? American Audio makes a MIDI+Audio mixer for like $200...