DJ TechTools has introduced the MIDI Fighter 3D, a new arcade style MIDI controller that they describe as ‘the most expressive compact controller on the market’.
How do make a bank of 16 buttons into an expressive controller?
In addition to the bank of 16 arcade style buttons, the MIDI Fighter 3D controller offers full three dimensional tracking of the controller’s movement in space. While this would add some interesting options, by itself, the 3D tracking can be used in combination with the 16 buttons, multiplying your options.
Key Features:
- Fully customizable RGB arcade buttons
- 4 banks of controls
- 6 side buttons
- 16 high performance arcade buttons
- Full 3D motion tracking of five degrees of movement
- Unique Button Messages: 70
- Unique CC Messages: 68
- Ships With: Button and MF Configuration Software
The MIDI Fighter 3D is priced at $249 and is expected to ship in April.
Why do they not have a pitchbend joystick?! Seems so obvious…
It sure looks nice, a cheap alternative option for expressive and compact midi control would be a chopped up (or not) wiimote and nunchuk, rehoused with arcade buttons in a square black box, and a simple glovepie patch. which would be wireless, and lend itself well to shaking the thing all over the shop..the LEDs look cool tho eh?
If this is the most expressive thing ever, why does the music it’s creating sound exactly like the music in every other product’s promotional material?
I read that as most expensive !
…which might be true!
Too pricey
I challenge you to find a controller of similar quality for a lower price. I’m not saying the price is particularly good, i’m just saying it’s a price that should be expected.
Currently it’s in direct competition with the QuNeo in terms of price. They are however, designed for different purposes. The QuNeo’s designed for a finer level of control, and more general expression, where as this is designed to be more of a beat-mashing DJ workhorse.
It seems do be a decent controller, it just depends what you want to use it for.
/win
This is nothing like quneo and is only competitive in the market of ignorant people. ( no disrespect).
The design is really nice lookingt, but I am very concerned about using this as it has a big USB cable sticking out. Ideally one would expect this instrument to be wireless or at least have a meaty, secure jack for the wire. The cable concept should be something like what you’d connect to a guitar….not a computer printer. 😛
OOPs..What a FAIL! lol… Only only one thing would have sealed the deal here.
If the USB cable could have been enclosed for actually using the controller like its suppose to… I bet you look like a total idiot walking infront of the crowd and it pops out.. or wiggles over time and breakes the inside connection as controllers are not meant to have that bent back and forth
i wonder if he spent as much on the marketing propaganda as he did on the video?
if it were wireless it would be cool, but then it would be an iPod touch. why only CC messages? many devices use system exclusive strings. i wish every DAW developer allowed definition of sysex strings.
I tried the original MIDI fighter out and liked it quite a bit – the arcade buttons are awesome!
It’s definitely a boutique product, but the one I saw seemed capable of taking a serious beating, due to the arcade buttons.
The video is quite dramatic like Ean said himself. You can get the same effect by just nudging and tilting it on the table, so I don’t really consider the cord as an disadvantage of such. I’m not really a fan of wireless technology at least when it’s through wifi.
If I had a nickel for every usb jack I’ve broken…