Using a Playstation 2 controller as MIDI controller...

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 12:31 pm

You may think this is the lamest thing in the world, but I think its kind of interesting... By using a program called Junxion (www.steim.org/steim/junxion.html) you can use any USB video game controller as a MIDI controller (although I believe it is Mac only)... and you can get a Playstation -> USB converter from a bunch of different companies for around 15-20 bucks...
I know that this at first sounds like the most ridiculous thing in the world, but I think it could be pretty awesome (or maybe I'm just delerious cuz its 4:00 am....). I'm always excited by any new MIDI controllers that try to utilize an already honed muscle-memory... (such as MIDI violins or MIDI trumpets) and lots of people I know sit in front of their Playstation for hours every day, perfecting that muscle memory to an extraordinary degree... Not to mention that Sony has spent tons of money and time to make it as comfortable as possible... I think it could be great if people could apply that otherwise wasted talent towards making music....
Obviously it would be better to have a dedicated MIDI controller for the majority of your mix, but if you set up the Playstation controller specifically to control drum breaks in Live, i'm willing to bet that it could actually be incredibly expressive (not to mention the cheapest MIDI controller on the market...)
Think about it: You could assign the Analogue Sticks to function like Mod/Pitch Wheels which you could assign to any continuous reciever in Live.. (such as the X-fader) The buttons are touch sensative (on the Playstation 2 Dual Shock Controller)... Easily navigate the cursor in the Live Grid using the D-pad... Assign (X) to fire the highlighted slot... I dunno, there's alot more options than first present themselves. In total, the controller has 8 Velocity Dynamic triggers, Two continuous controllers (4 if Junxion can differentiate between UP/DOWN and LEFT/RIGHT swipes... which I'm assuming it probably can) and 8 non-velocity-sensitive triggers (if you count the Start and Select Buttons and the analogue stick depressions)...
And then you could 'practice' your instrument chops by playing Grand Theft Auto.
Or you could just laugh at me for being a dork.

Jinsai · Post by **Jinsai** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 2:20 pm

I wonder if there are any joypads out there with more than 16 note triggers... Or if there would be a way to have an app send midi data back to the joystick which would trigger a vibration function, hehehe...
It would also be interesting to look into those 3rd party models that have seemingly useless features that could be applied towards its use as a midi controller... Like the turbo or slowmotion function I've seen on some controllers... If I'm not mistaken, that would just rapidly press either an action button or the start button more rapidly than you could with your hand (which could be applied as sort of a poor man's arpeggiator)...
Interesting stuff

Mbazzy · Post by **Mbazzy** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 2:33 pm

There are controllers with tons of controllers ... have some links at home .. will post it tonight.

Jinsai · Post by **Jinsai** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 2:49 pm

Please do Mbazzy... The more I think about this and get over how completely geeky it is, the more and more I'm getting excited about the possibilities it presents... Afterall, I have played a ton of video games growing up... I think it would probably be safe to say that I've tuned/mastered that muscle memory as much as I have the piano and the guitar... which is actually kind of sad isn't it........

Mbazzy · Post by **Mbazzy** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 3:41 pm

I'm firewalled here, but I thought that these company has multi-button controllers http://europe.thrustmaster.com/

Mbazzy · Post by **Mbazzy** » Wed Feb 25, 2004 9:14 am

I was especially referring to these http://europe.thrustmaster.com/products ... php?fam=44 & http://europe.thrustmaster.com/products ... =T40&fam=5

Last one is known to be used to control VJ software

jinkypete · Post by **jinkypete** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 7:47 pm

Not to burst your bubble or anything, but a PS2 to USB converter doesn't convert PlayStation2 to USB... PS2 is the type of port a non-USB keyboard or mouse uses, not a PlayStation2 port... I labored under this delusion for a minute myself...

jinkypete · Post by **jinkypete** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 7:52 pm

forget it, i see what you mean now... good idea...

LowMax · Post by **LowMax** » Tue Mar 02, 2004 2:36 am

But it is stell a very cool concept.

You could play your audience with a game joypad

I liked the big twenty button pad.

Surely it would be possible to write a driver to convert a USB gamepad to a midi input????

G.

Mbazzy · Post by **Mbazzy** » Tue Mar 02, 2004 9:30 am

Surely it would be possible to write a driver to convert a USB gamepad to a midi input????

Depending on your platform, there are already several round ... a search on "gamepad" or "joystick" here on the forum will yield some links for you.

bitesize · Post by **bitesize** » Wed Mar 03, 2004 8:51 pm

there's a ps2 pad -> midi program available at:

http://trip.m78.com/livesticks-e.html

it's a bit fiddly to set up, and i haven't really got my head around using it to its full potential yet, but i've used the basic default setup + it works fine. i've only just got Live recently, so we're just really getting to know each other, but i'm definitely gonna hook up the pad soon + see what sort of things i can come up with...

Jinsai · Post by **Jinsai** » Thu Mar 04, 2004 8:15 pm

The program JUNXION (mac os X) does the gamepad to midi conversion and has a (supposedly) flexible midi implimentation map... now, if only the program would let you program in combos to register as single midi sends... that would be hilarious.... I'm into it.

Using a Playstation 2 controller as MIDI controller...

Using a Playstation 2 controller as MIDI controller...

hmmmm...

...

I think you're a bit confused

forget that last post

Controllers for Live

yup yup...