Just in the design stages at the moment but I'm pretty excited by this controller concept... think it's pretty unique and is a good compromise between a performance 'midi-fighter-esque' controller and a more traditional CDJ/mixer combo. See what you think:
The screen is a 7' USB screen by Samsung (model U70) and is the most expensive part (about £70). Haven't decided on a brain yet, but it'll probably be U-HID. The buttons on the left hand side of the screen come from a USB Numpad and are used to manipulate an Autohotkey script which controls what is displayed on the USB screen (via CloneThing, a tool that re-arranges Traktor GUI elements; see sig).
The platter comes from a Pioneer CDJ1000 (found a shop online that does them as spare parts) with a 'vinyl-cdr' attached to the top. The guts come from an EKS XP10.
The VU meter can be switched to show channel volume (pre/post) and master volume (again, see sig for how this works).
I've borrowed quite a few features from the S4 as it's obvious that this is the way that Traktor is headed. I particularly like the Gain as an encoder feature... certainly solves the auto-gain problem.
The thing I'm most proud of is the FX section above the screen (and the looping encoders under the screen). The encoders are designed to be 'lined up' with what's displayed on the screen. This means that I don't have to use hardly any LED's as you'll get a real-time update from each control. The best thing however, is that, with two of these controllers, I'll be able to hide the laptop somewhere and won't need to look at it all during a set. :eek:
Oh and by the way, it looks expensive, but my estimate per unit is well under £300 in parts. Having 2 of these things, for under £600 or choosing the new S4... hmmm, well I know which one I'd rather have...!
Thoughts? Suggestions? Questions?