Build a XDJ-700 or XDJ-1000 / similar with axoloti

#1

Hi,

Everyone knows how expensive are these devices, so we can emulate one using axoloti using butons of loops, play and cue to start.

What do you think?

Best regards,

#2

To some extend you can do something, but I don't think it would be very usable.

I would probably choose to use a computer based software like Reaktor or Pure Data to build something like that, cause you need a lot of memory to pull something like that off.

Axoloti has only got limited memory. Axolotis memory, the SDRAM, can only hold 4194304 samples, which is only 87,38133333333333 seconds at a time. That is pretty much useless in conjunction with djing, and you need to be able to load much more than that.

You could potentially stream the audio from SD-Card, which is probably the only way you would be able to do something like it. But then you hit a lot of limitations cause you need to use wave/play stereo object, which only has very few options, like start, stop and position, you wont be able to change tempo or anything.

So personally I think it won't work. I would go for something like Pure Data. in Pure Data you will be able to build anything you want cause you don't have all the limitations that the Axoloti hardware has.

#3

Thank you very much for your response!

But in order to use Pure Data I need my computer isn't it? I don't want to use a computer when djing because I am all day with a computer (I am working with them and are my nightmare) so we need something more click and play.

¿What kind of hardware I can use with Pure Data?. ¿How can I start with pure data?

Best regards,

#4

you can look into an organelle for example.

#5

Yeah I understand that if working with computers all day it is not fun to do so in the evening.

But look at it in this perspective:
- To use Axoloti you also need a computer to build the patch for the djing.
- You would need a control surface, a midi controller or something like it to use Axo in stand alone mode, once the patch is finished, to move it away form computer.

So no matter what, you will need to deal with computers.

For Pure Data:
- Yes you need to deal with a computer.
- You also need a control surface a midi controller to use the patch once you finished it.

You can get a Raspberry Pi 3 or 4? It will take some work to get it going, but once you got it working it can work in purely stand alone mode.

Here is an example of a sample player, which is pretty extensive. It will take some work to build something like this, it is not simple to do so, but it is just an example of what you can do with Pure Data and a little bit of creativity:

Download latest Pure Data from here:
http://msp.ucsd.edu/software.html

Learn about it here, these are basic tutorials, to understand the basics. This is a whole series of PD tutorials:

Join Facebook group here for more tips and tricks:

#6

Check this out:
http://pideck.com/

It's a dvs system running on a raspberry pi. So if you have like turntables and mixer around anyways it could be a cool option.

Going the Diy road is a very long road I think. Even if you're good with coding patching it will take months to create something like this, months that you will be staring at a computer :wink:

So my recomendation would be getting something like this for the beginning, it uses the dj software version of rekordbox.
https://www.pioneerdj.com/de-de/product/controller/ddj-400/black/overview/

Yes it's a controller, so you'll need a computer, but all the browsing mixing etc. is done on the controller.
So you will need the computer only for looking for tracks, making playlists etc. Wich would be the same if you use CDJ/XDJ.
Then you can still keep your eyes open for a good deal used XDJ/CDJ and if you find them the switch will be seamless because you'll have your track collection in rekordbox already.

And if you're still into doing Diy stuff you could get an axoloti and use it for making sweet and interessting dj effects on your dj mixer :wink:

#7

This is something that I would like to do for longer loops. Has this been done before on Axoloti? Any patch example or information available?
Timing would be important of course, but once the loop is recorded, I have no need to modify the audio.

#8

@joaogatao

Here is something you can try out:

Screen Shot 2019-10-11 at 11.16.07.png884x662 44.3 KB

Here is the patch:
Wave play and record 1 .axp (6.7 KB)

#9

Thanks @jaffasplaffa !
But I'm afraid this patch doesn't work for me. It seems extremely buggy.
The sample gets recorded, but I can't play it back within the same live session. It only starts to play when I load the patch again and then it comes out as a sped up 'munchkin' version. Also, there's a time gap between the loops. And when clicking the save button after recording, the audio output gets interrupted.

Maybe some things to figure out in another topic?

#10

Did you save the sample to the sd-card before trying to play it back? The file needs to be recorded AND saved before you actually can play it back.

Hmm, dunno what to say about that. It shouldn't do that.

EDIT:

Ahh, the reason is that i've used the stereo wave/play stereo. Try the wave/play object instead. That should fix the munchkin issue, I think.

Yeah if you don't fill up the whole table with audio, yes there will probably be some gaps ig you don't stop the recording. Experiment a bit, for example record a bit and then stop the recording. Check the file on the computer to see if its the same size as the table of if it is smaller size. If it is smaller, it will only save the part of the table that has been recorded to. Anyway, experiment a bit and see what happens.

Yeah, thats how those objects works, it has nothing to do with the patch, it has to do with how the objects work and yes, when you save, there will be a small gap/glitch.

To be honest I don't know if there is a record to sd-card object, instead of record to table. But it would be nice if there was.

#11

Why not build yourself a nice MIDI controller with an Arduino?
I believe Teensy 4 has dual stereo channel input / output support. :slight_smile: