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Pioneer Ddj Sb

Be.ing edited this page Aug 5, 2017 · 11 revisions

Pioneer DDJ-SB

https://pdj-ecom-cdn.azureedge.net/-/media/pioneerdj/images/products/controller/ddj-sb/black/ddj-sb-main.png

 *[[http://www.pioneerdj.com/en/product/controller/ddj-sb/|Manufacturer's product page]]
 *[[http://mixxx.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=6886|Forum thread]]
 *[[https://github.com/mixxxdj/mixxx/pull/663|GitHub pull request]]

The Pioneer DDJ-SB is an all-in-one 2 deck USB MIDI controller with a built in soundcard. Mixxx allows it to control 4 decks. It is compatible with Mixxx since version 1.12.

Drivers

Windows

Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 are supported. You can download the latest drivers and firmware from http://www.pioneerdj.com/en/support/software/ddj-sb.

IMPORTANT for Windows users: If you are having issues getting both sound outputs to work properly, please try using a different Sound API (see the Preferences menu). DirectSound seems to have issues with this controller. WASAPI seems to work fine, as does MME, although only with higher latencies. On Windows 10, only MME works.

Mac OS X & Linux

You don't need any drivers on Mac OS X and Linux.

The controller supports Mac OS X 10.6 and up.

Usage

Library browsing

The controls for library browsing can be found in the center top of the controller.

Control Function
Rotary knob Track selection
Load buttons Loads currently highlighted track to the corresponding deck
Pushing rotary knob Push: Loads currently highlighted track to the preview deck and plays it. -- Release: jump to 30% position -- Push again without rotary: Stop preview
Shift + rotary knob Library section selection
Shift + pushing rotary knob toggle expanding library section

Switching between decks

Pressing shift + "key lock / tempo range" allows the left deck to switch between decks 1 and 3 and the right deck to swicth between decks 2 and 4.

Volume, equalizers & filters

Between the decks the usual faders, crossfader and EQ knobs can be found. A filter knob is also available.

Knobs are available for the master and headphones level. These are functional but are not reflected in Mixxx, as they control the controller's soundcard directly.

The filter fade button allows to use the crossfader in an innovative way that fades accross songs through filtering instead of fading.

There is no trim/gain knob, but the same effect can be achieved by using the filter knobs while holding shift.

Jogwheels, tempo & vinyl mode

When a deck is paused, the jogwheel allows you to browse through a track. If you want to browse faster, hold shift while using the jogwheel.

When a deck is playing, using the jogwheel allows you to temporarily change the tempo of the playing track. Again, holding shift exaggerates this effect.

The tempo slider allows changing the tempo of each deck. This normally changes the pitch of a track, you can make the pitch stay constant by pressing the "key lock / tempo range" button.

Vinyl mode makes the jogwheels emulate the way turntables work. Vinyl mode can be toggled by pressing the "vinyl / slip" button. Touching the outer plastic ring of the jogwheel will make it behave as with vinyl mode off. Touching the metal disc simulates touching the vinyl record, so just putting your hand on it will stop the "vinyl". You can scratch in a similar way as with turntables in vinyl mode.

Slip mode

By pressing shift + "vinyl / slip" you can toggle slip mode. When entering slip mode, Mixxx remembers what point exactly of the track should be playing even if, for example, you scratch or make a loop. This allows to return to the original pace of the track.

Pads - lower row

The play and cue pads should be self-explaining. The sync pad toggles master sync for a deck, which tries to beatmatch the deck with the others, and also syncs the tempo between them, even when the tempo of one deck is changed.

Additional functions can be accessed by holding shift

Control Function
Shift + play Plays the track in reverse and enables slipping (see slip mode)
Shift + cue Brakes the track as if the power of the motor on a turntable was turned off
Shift + sync Enables quantize mode (this makes most actions, e.g. setting the cue point, fall to the nearest beat)

Pads - hot cue mode

In hot cue mode the upper row of pads control the hotcues. Pressing a pad that is not lit sets a hotcue. Pressing a pad that is lit makes the track jump and play from that hotcue. Pressing a pad while holding shift deletes that hotcue.

You can control a set of 4 more hotcues by pressing shift + hot cue. The hot cue button will start blinking. The pads will behave in the same way, but controlling hotcues 5 to 8.

Pads - auto loop mode

Pressing the pads in auto loop mode will make loops of a specific length measured in beats.

Control Function
Pad 1 1 beat loop
Pad 2 2 beat loop
Pad 3 4 beat loop
Pad 4 8 beat loop
Shift + pad 1 16 beat loop
Shift + pad 2 32 beat loop
Shift + pad 3 64 beat loop

Pads - manual loop mode

This mode will make the pads control looping in the way labeled on them.

Control Function
Pad 1 Set loop in
Pad 2 Set loop out
Pad 3 Toggles loop
Pad 4 Halve loop length
Shift + pad 4 Double loop length
Shift + pad 1 Move loop one beat backward
Shift + pad 2 Move loop one beat forward

Pads - sampler mode

In sampler mode the sampler can be controlled. To load a file into a sampler, first press the sampler button while holding shift, so that the sampler button starts blinking. Now pressing a pad will load the currently highlighted track on the library into the corresponding sampler. Pressing a pad while holding shift will eject the sample.

To play samples, press the sampler button without holding shift (it should not blink). Pressing a pad will start playing the corresponding sample, pressing a pad while holding shift will stop it.

Pads - loop roll (shift + auto loop)

By pressing the auto loop button while holding shift (it should start blinking) you can make loop rolls. This mode combines auto loops with slip mode. The pads will start a loop in the current position with a determinate beat length while simultaneously enabling slip mode, so that when releasing the pad the track will continue playing as if the loop never happened.

Control Function
Pad 1 1/16th beat loop roll
Pad 2 1/8th beat loop roll
Pad 3 1/4th beat loop roll
Pad 4 1/2 beat loop roll
Shift + pad 1 1 beat loop roll
Shift + pad 2 2 beat loop roll
Shift + pad 3 4 beat loop roll
Shift + pad 4 8 beat loop roll

Pads - kill (shift + manual loop)

By pressing the manual loop button while holding shift (it should start blinking) you can make the pads behave as kill switches.

Control Function
Pad 1 Kill low
Pad 2 Kill mid
Pad 3 Kill high
Pad 4 Mute

Effects

Over the jogwheels there are sections allowing to control effects.

Turning the knobs will control the wet/dryness of an effect.

Turning the knobs while holding one of the three FX buttons will control the first, second or third parameter of an effect, respectively.

If holding shift when using the knobs the "super" parameter can be controlled.

Pressing the central FX button (number 2) while holding shift will toggle the effect for the headphones, while the left and right buttons (number 1 and 3) will toggle the effect for the active deck in the left and right sides of the controller respectively.

You can choose between effects by entering "kill mode" and using pads 1 and 2 while holding shift.

Channel fader start

By moving a channel fader up from the very bottom while holding shift when a deck is paused, the deck will start playing. Moving the fader back to the bottom without releasing shift stops the deck and moves it back to its original position.

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