Make your iPod a digital turntable

[c_m]

Hello! I'm a n00b here, just got my 40gb baby and wanted to say what's up!?!? :D

I'm a dj and was wondering if anyone would be interested in working with me on writing an iPod script that can interface as a pitch control. Basically, I'm looking to turn my iPod into a mini turntable, like a really basic cd turntable. I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult given that there is already a touch sensor that has an up/down ability. Anyways, if your interested in discussing this more, then hit me up :)


Later!

Chris

[Icy223]

You won't be able to do it without a lot of guesswork and prayers, the native os is closed-source, you won't be able to figure out where to start.

[andy206uk]

Originally posted by Icy223
You won't be able to do it without a lot of guesswork and prayers, the native os is closed-source, you won't be able to figure out where to start.

True... but there is a Linux Distrubution availble that you can install on the ipod. If you can program for linux you can write damn near any software that is compatible with the hardware...

See http://ipodlinux.sourceforge.net/ for more info.

Coincidently, when my DJ pal saw the iPod one of the first things he said was "wouldnt it be cool if it had pitch control so I can take two ipods to gigs instead of 2 flightcases full of cd's"

I'd offer to help futher, but my programming skills are pretty much limited to web stuff.

[Pingu]

I doubt you'd be able to do this. The closest you could get to using it for DJing would be to use it with something like Final Scratch.

[Senryaku]

Why do you need pitch control on the ipod?

I have used my decks and a cd player to mix them, just plug the ipod into the line in in the back of the mixer then use the pitch control on the mixer for line 3, (left deck/line1,right deck/line2,ipod/line3).

I am sure this works, i will go home and try it and report tomorrow on my success! or lack of success.

Senryaku.

[Icy223]

Originally posted by andy206uk
True... but there is a Linux Distrubution availble that you can install on the ipod. If you can program for linux you can write damn near any software that is compatible with the hardware...

See http://ipodlinux.sourceforge.net/ for more info.

Coincidently, when my DJ pal saw the iPod one of the first things he said was "wouldnt it be cool if it had pitch control so I can take two ipods to gigs instead of 2 flightcases full of cd's"

I'd offer to help futher, but my programming skills are pretty much limited to web stuff.

did you see my sig?? :D

anyways the ipodlinux firmware isn't finalized yet, we still can't even import the iTunesDB let alone make other programs. It'd be hard to write a program like that without a sufficent MMU (i.e. no FPU in software)

[iric]

I've never really understood this fascination with using an iPod for DJing. It seems to me a small laptop would be a better choice. It'll still do away with carrying heavy loads of records or CDs but is much more flexible than the iPod. You can run any software, or write your own, on a laptop, something that's currently impossible to do on the iPod. Obvously it's more expensive than an iPod but you'll get far more storage capacity on it, which can be rather inexpensively upgraded, and you wouldn't need 2 as a single laptop should be sufficient to mix 2 or more tracks internally. Plus if you splurg for a digital mixing board you'll have a full array of dials, knobs (are dials and knobs different?) and sliders.

Plus if you're flying to a gig you can play games or watch DVDs on it while you're on the plain or waiting for your connection.

[Senryaku]

But an ipod is considerably smaller than a laptop! often when Djing space is at a premium!

Anyway i don't like cd mixers let alone ipods or pc's! It just reduces the skill required!

Vinyl all day every day no arguments!

[Asian_N02]

Vinyl all the way baby!!! That's the way to go!

[c_m]

I just think it would be neat if this could be done, and convenient. As for vinyl all the way, well... I've been doing the dj thing for 8 years now and love vinyl just as much as the next person, but the future is on the way man and the Technics SLDZ1200 Digital cd deck is about to come out and that is going to KILL vinyl, at least for the big names. The table is setup just like a vinyl table and, i dunno what you heard, but that shi* requires just as much skill as vinyl. :)

[b-boy]

I really wish they'd build this feature into their software, or that someone could come up with a patch/etc. (windows: no scripts yet :( ). I'm not a DJ, but even I would like to be able to alter the pitch/rate of songs (higher BPM better for studying),.

[br-]

I don't see why a pitch control on the iPod is necessary for DJ's. Altering pitch is something that should be done on a mixer, not on the source.

[c_m]

adjusting the pitch with the mixer??? Um, not possible bro, the mixer is a console used for adjusting the levels and changing channels (in short). Adjusting the pitch source directly on the iPod would be just like adjusting the pitch on a regular turntable or even a cdj. Either way, given that the code is not open source, it would be difficult and something I'm interested in still..

[br-]

Regardless, its quite unintuitive to do that sort of thing realtime on the iPod.

[Pistol_Pete]

The Freewheelin' DJ

When Paul Van Dyk goes on the road, he leaves his collection of vinyl and CDs at home. The popular Berlin-based techno DJ has gone entirely digital: He carries 1,000 select songs with him on a 60-gig PowerBook G4 that runs a hardware-software tool called FinalScratch. He says he didn't like FinalScratch at first because it was designed mainly for mixing MP3s and other compressed audio files. "I'm a sound freak," he admits - the quality wasn't high enough for him. So Van Dyk stores his tunes as uncompressed AIFF files instead, and for added refinement, he gives every track an extra smoothing for the dance floor. "Everything I play goes through the mastering setup of my studio," he explains, "so everything you hear sounds even better than the original record." Here's a peek inside his sound

Paul Van Dyk's All-Digital Setup
1. Van Dyk scratches songs using a FinalScratch dummy record that looks and spins like a regular 12-inch. "It's just like playing a real record," he says.

2. The dummy record is placed on a deck connected to the Scratch Amp, which tells the PowerBook what part of the song to play and how to play it.

3. The computer sends the music signal back to the Scratch Amp, which translates it from digital to analog and feeds it out to the club's sound system.

4. Using a CD player, Van Dyk can play a song into FinalScratch's memory buffer, then mix up to three iterations of that same song into each other.

- Adrienne Day, WIRED Magazine

[Senryaku]

I see what you mean about the pitch, i was being a bit dumb the other day.
I still don't like the digital turntable thing, its all a bit separated from the music! Vinyl is great and so tangible! Its gota better feel and the best Dj's i have ever seen all used vinyl and the wrost use Cds!
And yes Cd mixing is easier! In terms of getting a real tight beat match!

[nocnox]

You can also use your ipod with final scratch. it act like another hard drive you have to put it in firewire mode.

I do this on my mac g4 dont know if it works with pc