Stanton Magnetics, Inc.

Gibson Guitar Corp.

Alan Flum

James Mazur

Erik Themmen

Darrin Young

Mark Demouy

The disclosure relates to control and audio manipulation of a digital audio signal by a user manipulable rotary control. The disclosure is specifically applicable to manipulation of a digital audio signal by disc jockeys (DJs). A magnet and corresponding sensor are used to obtain rotational state information from the turning of the user manipulable rotary control. This rotational state information is used to manipulate a digital audio signal. Manipulation of the digital audio includes forward and backward motion as well as a 'scratch effect'. Rotational state information obtained from rotating magnet includes the possibility of absolute rotation position as well as relative rotational position, or rotational direction.

Rotary control device for manipulating digital audio signals

The disclosure relates to a display for a device for manipulating audio in a disc jockey or similar application. A touch sensitive user rotatable member detects the position where the DJ touches the surface. Effects like needle dropping are possible for the first time without the use of a phonographic table or without a computer device which uses a phonographic turntable as a control input device. The display can show music as color coded concentric circles which represent tracks and/or record grooves. Color coded markers show current position of the music on the control surface and allows the user to set and use visual cue points. Functionality of the rotatable member can be dynamically mapped for unprecedented control. For example, the inner portion of the rotatable member can be used for needle dropping while the outer portion can be used for scratch effects. The device is capable of manipulating audio and video streams or a combination of the two. In addition, it can be used as a standard DJ control surface for scratching and the display can be used to create a beat synchronized light show or display custom messages.

Position sensitive rotatable DJ control device

The disclosure pertains to a scratch effect controller for use by a disk jockey, wherein at least one electromagnet creates the slippage tension or friction effect between the user manipulated disc, which includes a vinyl-like surface thereby simulating a vinyl record, and the rotatable or fixed platter. The strength of the electromagnet is variable so as to create a variable slippage tension or friction effect.

Variable slippage control for a disc jockey control surface

The controller of the present invention includes an optical navigation system which is responsive to movement, velocity of position of a rotatable platter. The optical navigation system is responsive to rotation of the rotatable platter and is further responsive to at least one degree of freedom of tilting of the rotatable platter. The rotatable platter typically includes a textured pattern so that the optical navigation system can acquire sequential surface images of the textured pattern.

Optical navigation system for rotary control based non-contact controller

The present invention is a turntable which includes an internal analog to digital converter and a controller for a standard digital format. This allows a jack for a standard digital format to be incorporated into the turntable, so that digital signals are generated to be received by the soundcard of an external computer or similar piece of digital equipment.

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Ridgefield, WA, United States of America

Alan Flum