Skip to content

Hercules Dj Control Mp3 E2

Josep Maria Antolin edited this page Nov 25, 2017 · 58 revisions

Hercules DJ Control MP3 e2 / MP3 LE / Glow

MP3 e2

MP3 LE

Glow

The Hercules DJ Control MP3 e2, MP3 LE, and Glow are USB controllers that have identical controls and share the same mapping. These controllers do not have a built in sound card, so a splitter cable or separate sound card is recommended for use with it. They are not class compliant MIDI devices. Older versions of Mixxx required using Hercules' MIDI driver, but this driver can be a hassle to set up and maintain on Linux, so it is recommended only for Windows and Mac OS X. Another alternative is to use the user mode driver, or also upgrade to the latest version of Mixxx if you have not already. Support for using the MP3 LE and Glow as USB Bulk controllers without the driver on Linux is available in development versions of Mixxx and will be included in Mixxx 2.1, but the MP3 e2 was already supported in Mixxx 2.0.

The mapping is included in Mixxx and allows you to manipulate 4 decks, 2 at a time, switching Deck A (left) between Channel 1 and 3 and Deck B (right) between Channel 2 and 4.

Mapping description (by function)

Shift / Supershift

Function Control number
Shift button to obtain more controls than those provided by Hercules.
Press & Hold automix, then press corresponding button to obtain shifted behavior.
Automix 9
Supershift button to obtain a third level of controls.
Press & Hold Automix, then press & Hold Scratch, then press corresponding button to obtain supershifted behavior.
Shift-Scratch 7
Switch deck A (left) between Channel1 and Channel3 (also apply to Sampler1 and Sampler3) Supershift + Load A 18
Switch deck B (right) between Channel2 and Channel4 (also apply to Sampler2 and Sampler4) Supershift + Load B 18

Library

Function Control number
Select prev/next playlist Supershift + Deck A Jog Wheel 16
Toggles (expands/collapses) the currently selected library sidebar item Folder 6
Go one track down Up arrow 8
Go one track up Shift + Up arrow 8
Select prev/next track Supershift + Deck B Jog Wheel 16
Loads the currently highlighted track into the corresponding deck (A or B) Load A/B 18
Loads the current highlighted track into the corresponding sampler (1 or 2) Shift + Load A/B 18

Master/Headphones/Microphone

Function Control number
Microphone TalkOver Down Arrow 8
Fades between left (channel 1 & 3) and right (channel 2 & 4) deck Crossfader 19
Headphone volume Shift + Deck A pitch knob 3
Adjust the cue/main mix in the headphone output Shift + Deck B pitch knob 3
Toggles deck output to the headphones monitor on/off Headphone monitor 20

Sampler

Function Control number
Loads the current highlighted track into the corresponding sampler (1 or 2) Shift + Load A/B 18
Goto start & Play sampler 1/3 Shift + Folder 6
Stop sampler 1/3 Supershift + Folder 6
Goto start & Play sampler 2/4 Shift + Files 10
Stop sampler 2/4 Supershift + Files 10

Decks / Channels

Playing

Function Control number
Loads the currently highlighted track into the corresponding deck (A or B) Load A/B 18
Starts or stop a loaded track Play 14
Backward Play Shift + Play 14
Toggle Repeat Supershift + Play 14
Sets the cue point if a track is stopped and not at the current cue point.
Stops track and returns to the current cue point if a track is playing.
Plays preview if a track is stopped at the cue point for as long as it's held down
Cue 15
Move Forward/Backward in track Forward / Backward 12
Enable or disable the scratch mode on all four decks Scratch 7
Seeks forwards and backwards in a stopped track.
Temporarily changes the playback speed for playing tracks.
Absolute sync of the track speed to the jog wheel if scratch mode enabled
Jog wheel 16
Volume / Equalizer / Effects

Function Control number
Controls the deck output volume, with soft takeover on deck switch. Deck volume slider 17
Adjusts the gain of the low/medium/high equalizer filter. No soft takeover. Equalizer knobs 5
Filter Low Kill Supershift + Pitchbend - 1
Filter Mid Kill Supershift + Sync 13
Filter High Kill Supershift + Pitchbend + 1
Adjust pregain Shift + Forward / Backward 12
Quick Filter knob Supershift + Pitch knobs 3
Brake Effect Supershift + Forward (stops on release) 12
Spinback Effect Supershift + Backward (stops on release) 12
Hotcues

Need to be in Hotcue mode (button Loop/Fx (4) lit up). If not, press Loop/Fx button to switch to hotcue mode.

Function Control number
If hotcue X is set, seeks the player to hotcue X's position. If hotcue X is not set, sets hotcue X to the current play position. 1/2/3/4 buttons 11
If hotcue X is set, clears its hotcue status. Shift + 1/2/3/4 buttons 11

==Loops ==

Need to be in Loop mode (button Loop/Fx (4) turned off). If not, press Loop/Fx button to switch to Loop mode.

Function Control number
loop-in Button 1 11
loop-out Button 2 11
Toggles current loop On or Off Button 3 11
Clear Loop Supershift + Button 1 11
loop 1/8 Supershift + Button 2 11
loop 1/4 Shift + Button 1 11
loop 1/2 Shift + Button 2 11
loop 1 Shift + Button 3 11
loop 2 Shift + Button 4 11
loop 4 Button 4 11
loop 8 Supershift + Button 3 11
loop 16 Supershift + Button 4 11
Double loop Shift + Pitchbend + 1
Half loop Shift + Pitchbend - 1
Pitch / Syncing

Function Control number
Temporary Holds the pitch 4% higher while pressed Pitchbend +/- 1
Set deck as master clock.
Led blink: master
Fixed led: Follower
Led off: none
Master tempo (MP3 e2) / Pitch reset (MP3 LE & Glow) 2
Adjust playback pitch / speed Pitch knobs 3
Automatically sets pitch so the BPM of the other deck is matched Sync 13
Enable key-lock for the specified deck (rate changes only affect tempo, not key) Shift + Master tempo 2
Magnet (all cues, hotcues, loops, and beatloops will be automatically quantized so that they begin on a beat.) Supershift + Master tempo 2
Adjust beatgrid Shift + Sync 13
Enable or disable the scratch mode on all four decks scratch 7
Seeks forwards and backwards in a stopped track.
Temporarily changes the playback speed for playing tracks.
Absolute sync of the track speed to the jog wheel if scratch mode enabled
Jog wheel 16

Mapping description (by knob/button)

Global controls

Number Control Function shifted Supershifted
8 Arrow up/down Up : goes one track down
Down : Microphone TalkOver
Up : Goes one track up
Down : Nothing
Nothing
6 Folder Toggles (expands/collapses) the currently selected library sidebar item Play/Stutter sampler 1/3 Stop sampler 1/3
10 Files Toggles (expands/collapses) the currently selected library sidebar item Play/Stutter sampler 2/4 Stop sampler 2/4
18 Load A/B Loads the currently highlighted track into the corresponding deck (A or B) Loads the current highlighted track into the corresponding sampler (1 or 2) Switch deckA between Channel 1 & 3 and deckB between 2 &4
19 Crossfader Fades between left (channel 1 & 3) and right (channel 2 & 4) deck
9 Automix Used as a master shift button to obtain more controls than those provided by Hercules. Press & Hold automix, then press corresponding button to obtain shifted behavior.
7 Scratch Enable or disable the scratch mode on both decks Used as a master supershift button to obtain a third level of controls. Press & Hold Automix, then press & Hold Scratch, then press corresponding button to obtain supershifted behavior

Deck / Channel specific controls

Number Control Simple function Shifted function Supershifted function
1 Pitchbend +/- Temporary Holds the pitch 4% higher while pressed + double loop
- half loop
+ Filter High Kill
- Filter Low Kill
2 Master Tempo Syncs the BPM and phase to that of the other track (if BPM is detected on both).
Led blink: master
Fixed led: follower
Led off: none
Enable key-lock for the specified deck (rate changes only affect tempo, not key) Quantize (Magnet)
3 Pitch knobs Adjusts playback pitch/speed Deck A: adjust the headphone volume
Deck B: adjust the cue/main mix in the headphone output
Quick Filter knob
4 Loop/Fx Toggle the Loop/Hotcue mode for the keys buttons.
When the button is not lit up the loop buttons are enabled, when the button is lit up the hotcue's buttons are enabled
5 Equalizer knobs Adjusts the gain of the low/medium/high equalizer filter
11 1/2/3/4 buttons Loop mode:
1 - loop-in
2 - loop-out
3 - Toggles current loop On or Off
4 - Loop 4

Hotcue mode:
1, 2, 3 and 4: If hotcue X is set, seeks the player to hotcue X's position. If hotcue X is not set, sets hotcue X to the current play position.
Loop mode:
1 - Loop 1/4
2 - Loop 1/2
3 - Loop 1
4 - Loop 2

Hotcue mode:
If hotcue X is set, clears its hotcue status.
Loop mode:
1 - Clear loop
2 - Loop 1/8
3 - Loop 8
4 - Loop 16

Hotcue mode:
Nothing
12 Forward \ Backward Fast forward/backward Adjust pregain Forward: brake effect (stay pushed)
Backward: spinback effect (stay pushed)
13 Sync Automatically sets pitch so the BPM of the other deck is matched Adjust BeatGrid Kill Mid
14 Play Starts or stop a loaded track Backward Play Repeat
15 Cue Sets the cue point if a track is stoped and not at the current cue point
Stops track and returns to the current cue point if a track is playing.
Plays preview if a track is stopped at the cue point for as long as it's held down
16 Jog wheel Seeks forwards and backwards in a stopped track.
Temporarily changes the playback speed for playing tracks
Absolute sync of the track speed to the jog wheel if the scratch mode is enabled
Deck A: Select prev/next playlist
Deck B: select prev/next track
17 Deck volume slider Controls the deck output volume.
There is soft takeover after deck switch (1/3 or 2/4) to prevent wide parameter changes when the on-screen control diverges from the hardware control. Manipulating the control on the hardware will have no effect until the position of the hardware control is close to that of the software, at which point it will take over and operate as usual.
20 Headphone monitor Toggles this deck output to the headphones monitor on/off

Troubleshooting

Jog wheels not working or controller not responding

If your jog wheels doesn't work, or nothing works on the controller even when you have carefully read all other resources, you should be aware that this controller stores at least two configuration options in the controller:

  • Enable/disable Jog Wheels
  • MIDI channel to use

and maybe a third one: Jog wheel sensitivity

With factory default settings, the jog wheels are enabled and the MIDI channel used is channel 1. The mapping is made for channel 1 only. If your controller is configured for another channel, nothing will work and if you launch Mixxx with -``-controllerDebug parameter, you will have lines like this one showing in the logs when you press a button on the controller :

Debug [Controller]: "DJ Control MP3 e2 : 3 bytes: B3 38 38 " 

note the B3 here. it's B<MIDI Channel # - 1>. So this controller is configured on channel 4. controller configured on channel 1 will show B0, which is correct.

To change these parameters, you have to use the configuration tool that comes with the Hercules driver on on the Hercules support page. Unfortunately, the configuration tool is only available for Windows and Mac OS X. We are not aware of any solution for Linux. So if you normally use Linux, you will have to find a computer with Windows or Mac OS X, install the Hercules driver, plug-in the controller and change configuration. You will only need to do this once, then the controller should work with Linux.

Controller not recognized as bulk controller

It has been reported that when the Hercules drivers are installed on a Windows, the driver takes over the bulk communication with the controller so it cannot be recognized by Mixxx as a bulk controller. Uninstall the Hercules driver and use it as a USB bulk controller.

Mapping files

This mapping consists of 4 files:

  • Hercules DJ Control MP3 e2.midi.xml: MIDI XML mapping file
  • Hercules DJ Control MP3 e2-scripts.js: The main script, used directly by the MIDI XML mapping and by the USB bulk compatibility script.
  • Hercules DJ Control MP3 e2.bulk.xml: The USB bulk XML mapping file. Tells Mixxx to pass all incoming data to the MP3e2.incomingData function in the bulk compatibility script.
  • Hercules-mp3e2-compat.js: The USB bulk controller script that reads incoming data and calls the appropriate function in Hercules DJ Control MP3 e2-scripts.js
Clone this wiki locally