Project Background
The Monster Go DJ is one of those cool bits of technology that we'd all like to receive as a gift, but few of us would drop the $500 to buy one.
Monster GO DJ -- Photo credit unknown
In most cases like this, one can normally find a far less expensive (and typically far less functional) Chinese clone. However I haven't really found anything similar to the Monster GO DJ.
Of course this is totally understandable. The Monster Go DJ, cool as it may be, is also totally useless. One is not going to slide one into a pocket or purse and go jogging -- pausing between each song to seamlessly mix into the next song. Similarly, no professional DJ is going to show up for a gig, and whip his Go DJ out of his back pocket.
It's not cloned because there's no demand for the real thing -- let alone a clone. Note: Both the Original Monster Go DJ and the Go DJ Plus are now discontinued.
The closest I have found is my Numark MixDeck Express, which in my case, was -- in equal parts -- cheaper and less portable. I found one on eBay advertised as not working for less than $100, and was able to repair it. It works fine, and is a great product for an occasional party or perhaps for a learning or beginning DJ, but I remain obsessed with the elegance and size of the Go DJ.
The other part of the story is my success (and sometimes partial success) in building other projects just by piecing various Chinese modules together. The NodeMCU clock is basically a display module, a WiFi module, and a small amplifier wired together with a few wires.
So why not just buy a pair of cheap MP3 player modules and wire each output to a linear potentiometer? - Bingo! A primitive Go DJ for a few $20 bills.
Other Ways to Realize a Home-made Go DJ Inspired Device
Yes, it would certainly be possible to base something on (for example) a Raspberry Pi Zero (or 2), some very nice TFT capacitive touchscreens, and start coding away, but the amount of coding required was far more than I was willing to face.
Another alternative is to throw a lightweight Linux distribution on an Intel based tablet, and load up Mixxx DJ software. But without real analog controls, it would still just be DJ software running on a tablet, it would hardly be an imitation of a Go DJ.
The Actual Project
Something pieced together from Chinese Media Player modules is never going to have the functionality of the custom hardware and software of the real Go DJ.
Since this is a zero-coding project, we are limited by whatever functionality the Media Player modules provide.
It is likely that these basic and fundamental DJ Deck/mixer functions will not be implementable:
- Beat detection
- Speed Control, or Pitch Bend, Brake, etc.
- Scratching
- While some basic player modules support A-B looping, the interface will be lacking even if the functionality exists.
- Waveform Display
- While most modules display the time in a given track, customization, such as time remaining may not be supported.
Here are some features I decided could and should be implemented:
- Physical Fader
- Real, analog tone controls even though the module may have preset EQ modes, as tone mixing is fundamental to some forms of modern mixing.
- Battery power for portability
- LED VU meters.
- Ability to Cue either player to headphones, although the functionality may be limited.
- Fingertip digital sample players ("Effects") in addition to the 2 main channels.
- Bluetooth
- FLAC and other formats in addition to MP3
- Microphone input, although it will be in place of a player channel
- Voice Recording capability. In essence it will also function as a dual digital tape recorder. (Recording of the mix output will not be supported.)
This project is currently in design and parts procurement.
A fairly mature front panel layout is shown here:
Front Panel Layout - Image is scaled 50%
The enclosure will be custom made from Clear Lexan. It will be painted on the inside, with the areas above the LED VU meter, and the Battery control module left unpainted (masked). This should look cool while minimizing the number of rectangular cuts needed.
The battery (power switch) will completely disconnect the (2) 18650 Lithium Ion batteries, allowing the unit to be stored for months without significant battery drain. The battery board will handle charging the batteries, battery level display, and provide 5V at up to 2A. The unit will need to be powered during battery charging.
The other USB micro connector will allow sample files (up to 8) to be loaded on the effects board.