Introduction
Product requirements
Section titled “Product requirements”- must be standalone
- must be cheap
- must be easy to assemble
- must be compatible with rekordbox USB sticks
- must be dj software agnostic
Standalone
Section titled “Standalone”The player embeds the software and hardware required for playback, instead of relying of software on a separate device/computer In simple terms: it’s a player not a controller.
Pioneer has a monopoly that allows it to charge ridiculus amounts of money. This project aims to make DJ players affordable for the average person. A good price point would be around the cost of a entry level DJ controller or a bit more. The price should not get too close to the entry level DJ player for Pioneer (XDJ-700) which costs around 700 euros.
Easy to Assemble
Section titled “Easy to Assemble”The player must be simple enough for someone with basic electronics skills to assemble it in a few hours or so. The electronics connections should be done with a custom PCB The PCB should include slots for external modules like microcontrollers and periferals Soldering should be required but fairly easy, not too many components
Compatible with rekordbox USB sticks
Section titled “Compatible with rekordbox USB sticks”The Pioneer monopoly forces you to use rekordbox to store your media, cues etc. Sadly we cannot ditch completely the pioneer ecosystem without making the alternative feel like a toy. Thankfully, mixxx already supports this.
DJ Software agnostic
Section titled “DJ Software agnostic”The cool part about open source DJ players is that you own it completely. This means you can decide what kind of software should run on the player. This means that the hardware is not tied to any specific DJ software. You can flash a micro SD card with a custom linux ISO, including the DJ software pre-configured with Midi mappings and UI skins for the embedded touchscreen.
How does it work
Section titled “How does it work”The FOSS dj player is build of several parts, which can be ordered and assembled using the resources provided in this repo.
| Component | Notes |
|---|---|
| 3D printed case | to hold everything together |
| Custom PCB | to hold the electronic connections without running cables al over the place |
| Buttons, Faders, Jog Wheel etc. | to interact with the player |
| MIDI controller module | to expose sensor input to the dj software as MIDI |
| Raspberry PI | to host the operating system and dj software + peripherals (usb, ethernet) |
| Audio DAC module | to output good quality audio from the raspberry pi + RCA connector output for mixers |
| Touch Screen Display | to interact with the dj software, and control some aspects with touch |
| 3D printed inserts | stuff to cover buttons, encoders etc. |
Help needed
Section titled “Help needed”This project requires help in the following fields:
- Electronics
- Designing PCBs
- Finding components
- Testing and Prototyping
- Software
- Embedded development
- Linux Ricing (debian)
- Product
- Research on features and pricing
- Industrial Design for 3D printing
If you want to help out in any way or simply provide feedback/support, join the discord server