Anybody loving the D9X drawbar controller?

[Baldwin Funster]

I should have asked earlier because mine is already on the way but I'm interested in hearing about in what clonewheel situations this works, uh....in.

[Radagast]

How much is it?  I would be interested to see if works with the Korg Nautilus.

[Al Coda]

48 minutes ago, Jr. Deluxe said:

... mine is already on the way...

 

Now we´re waiting for your review !

 

 

A.C.

[kenheeter]

I have one, it's great. I can plug it into a USB hub with my iPad and control B3X perfectly. Or I can do the same with my Android phone and VB3M. Wonderful.

 

[Delaware Dave]

my understanding (which could be wrong) is that with the open souce code it should be fully progammable.  That being the case it should function fine with any software that accepts CC #s.

[Baldwin Funster]

1 hour ago, Radagast said:

How much is it?  I would be interested to see if works with the Korg Nautilus.

  I paid $329 shipped from italy through paypal for a assembled unit. You can get it unassembled for about $100 less. 

[mdenriet]

I’m not a organplayer, so i can’t direcly compare it to a real organ, but i really like the feeling and control it gives me. I taped it onto the gemini module. 

[kenheeter]

I built mine, it was a fun project.

[Iconoclast]

Not the D9x, but I'm totally addicted to my DB-1 drawbar controller with the Nord Stage 3. If you're a drawbar rider, it totally changes the experience. So I'd probably be interested in this for a virtual rig.

[kenheeter]

Yes, I always take my DB-1 out with my Stage. It's a great addition.

 

[Baldwin Funster]

On 1/23/2022 at 4:22 PM, Al Coda said:

 

Now we´re waiting for your review !

 

 

A.C.

Ok so my D9x got here from Italy today. Exactly 1 week from placing my order. How fedex intl can be 3x faster and more reliable than fedx usa is a mystery to me but that's another topic.

Its bus powered.

I hooked it up to my ipad via a simple usb hub and opened vb3m. It works perfectly, all onscreen  functions operate from the hardware controls like it was made for it. Because it was.

Closing vb3m and opening b3x, the drawbars work and the leslie speed works but brake didnt. Volume worked. I'm sure it's just a matter of programming CC's in b3x.

 

The drawbars are slightly ratcheted. The knobs, switches, and drawbars feel good.

 

Which brings me to cons so far, When something is good you always want more better. 

 

Its programmed to midi ch 1 with no selector to change that. There is no editor that I know of to program or change the CC's it sends. 

It is open source so somebody that knows how to get inside the software can change stuff I'm sure but an editor app would be a good thing. I'd even pay $20 for it.

 

That's all I've done with it so far.

 

 

[ChazKeys]

It's programmed using Arduino  and you can download the source code from this link https://github.com/ZioGuido/GMLAB_D9X on GM Labs. You then need to look through the script for the MIDI Channel variable. The hard bit is installing Arduino and the necessary libraries. The required libraries are listed at the start of the script. The Arduino script is here https://github.com/ZioGuido/GMLAB_D9X/tree/master/Arduino/GMLAB_D9X 

 

The MIDI channel is set at line no 229 - (channel + 1)  

 

If you have never done any programming then this might seem a but scary. Perhaps you have a friend who could help? 

 

You can download Arduino here : https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjdlYfP9c31AhUDhlwKHZELAo4QFnoECAYQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.arduino.cc%2Fen%2Fsoftware&usg=AOvVaw07867qI1myehRxql4OZhHv

 

I have a built and edited a couple of D9Us and managed to install Arduino and the libraries although I have had some programming experience. 

 

[Baldwin Funster]

A couple of days in, I got to say having drawbars and quick access to percussion and CV controls really improves the organ experience.  I have the korg nanokontrol in which I have programmed essentially the same functionality as the D9x but it's just not the same.  It's just not as FUN as the D9x. Now I'm considering getting a D9u as a companion to the D9x for a more authenthic upper/lower drawbar setting experience. Hmmm, maybe in a couple of months. 

[Yappers]

Hi, complete noob to arduino here.

 

I keep getting different error messages on compiling

 

now getting: 

 

exit status 1:

call of overloaded 'begin(int)' is ambiguous

 

Please does anyone have an .ino file that runs properly? or can anyone point out any spelling mistakes or something I have not seen.

 

Simon

 

 

[ChazKeys]

Are you using the example Guido has uploaded on Git Hub?

 

 

https://github.com/ZioGuido/Crumar_D9U/blob/master/Arduino/Crumar_D9U/Crumar_D9U.ino

 or for D9X

https://github.com/ZioGuido/GMLAB_D9X/blob/master/Arduino/GMLAB_D9X/GMLAB_D9X.ino

 

Those should work. 

[Barry Seelen]

D9x sounds like a good solution for me. Been trying to find a used one. I’ve been doing fly in gigs lately with B3x for iPad and Roland A33 midi controller.

[davinwv]

There are a few new ones on eBay right now. Have you seen the Fosse Drawbar Controllers?

 

https://www.fossecontrollers.com/?product=fc-3-vst-organ-controller-b3-x-edition

 

[Barry Seelen]

A lot of good info on this thread. Thanks. If I get a new one, I’ll probably order straight from the company. The fosse looks real nice. I like that it’s already set up for b3x. A little pricey though and a long wait to get one built to order. But yeah. It would be super nice to have a physical set of drawbars. Kind of tired of doing it on a screen.

[Baldwin Funster]

The fosse looks almost double in price. I do like the blade switch leslie control.  It is probably easy to get to brake.

 

The d9x is set up for vb3 and or vb3m but it is a 10 minute job to map b3x to the d9x so no biggie. But getting leslie brake is a little clunky. But all you really have to do is touch it on the screen of your iPad. I rarely use brake anyways. 

 

It's annoying that both units are not easily reprogrammed. I guess the d9x is reprogrammable if you know arduino but I don't.  The fosse doesn't mention reprogramming. 

 

The wood box is nice but makes the fosse bigger and maybe heavier.

 

I have the d9x and use it everyday even though I don't really need it. My arturia controller has sliders and knobs mapped to both b3x and vb3m. 

[Delaware Dave]

13 hours ago, Barry Seelen said:

D9x sounds like a good solution for me. Been trying to find a used one. I’ve been doing fly in gigs lately with B3x for iPad and Roland A33 midi controller.

 

If you are doing fly in gigs then I would just invest in the D9x, even if you find one used you might save $100 over a new one.  Alto Music has one for $329.  Call and negotiate, you might be able to get it for $300.  That would be $30 of the $100 you would save over a used one + you get a warranty.

[larry meister]

I am a real dummy midi newbie but experienced player . IF I get a DX9 or a VB 3, can I just take a wire from it to the MIDI connection in a Kurzweill SP 88 and it'll work???   My old CX-3 Korg clonewheel organ  has gone up in noise smoke and there aren't any parts around they say. Trying to find something to get a drawbar good hammond sound

[Baldwin Funster]

2 hours ago, larry meister said:

I am a real dummy midi newbie but experienced player . IF I get a DX9 or a VB 3, can I just take a wire from it to the MIDI connection in a Kurzweill SP 88 and it'll work???   My old CX-3 Korg clonewheel organ  has gone up in noise smoke and there aren't any parts around they say. Trying to find something to get a drawbar good hammond sound

The D9x isn't a sound module, it has no onboard sound. It is a controller to hook up to an iPad via USB midi so when you pull a drawbar on the D9x a drawbar on your iPad screen moves. There are units that are organ sound modules that look almost the same. Voce V5+ is a sound module.

For the D9x to work how you describe, you need an iPad, an Organ app like VB3m, and a USB  sound adapter.  

[HarrisP]

After buying, and returning, the Ferrofish B4000+ b/c of poor sound [IMO] (I'd also hoped to use it for VST organ control, but the controls are too menu driven)....

 

I just received the d9X - I'm VERY impressed.  I was a VB3 user since it's original version, but had moved on to other VSTs (currently using Samplemodeling B5, and now checking out IK B-3X, GG Audio Blue3, and the upgraded VB3.  The build quality feels excellent.  Of course, the d9x works perfectly with VB3.  And I was surprised to see that, out of the box, Blue3 and B-3X both are easy to integrate with d9x MIDI messages, which are fixed (unless you want to customize/code with Arduino.)  I got all the buttons to work with Blue3, and the only issue I haven't solved with B-3X is that the d9x Vibrato/Chorus messages do change the Vib/Chorus, but the exact settings do not match (d9x will show a different setting than the B-3X screen shows, and I don't see a way to change B-3X's MIDI mapping (yet.)

 

QUESTION for d9x owners - Does anyone know of a good protective carrying case for d9x?

 

Thank you!

[Delaware Dave]

20 hours ago, HarrisP said:

the only issue I haven't solved with B-3X is that the d9x Vibrato/Chorus messages do change the Vib/Chorus, but the exact settings do not match (d9x will show a different setting than the B-3X screen shows, and I don't see a way to change B-3X's MIDI mapping (yet.)

 

the issue is that c/v is a combination of a CC# and a data value, example V1 is CC#93 and data value #21 while C3 is CC#93 and data value #127.  The data values for the six C/V values of V1 through C3 are programmed in d9x to match VB3 but unfortunately the data values in B3x are different than VB3's 6 data values for the C/V.  can be solved in one of two ways: 1) change the data values in d9x by recoding arduino (which means that they no longer will work for VB3 until you recode them back when controlling VB3)  2) repurpose a 'dial' on the d9x and assign it to C/V, as you spin the dial it will roll the data values from 0 to 127.  when you hit the appropriate C/V data value the C/V will change. i do this with my Voce midi drawbar unit to control VB3's C/V.  everything was an easy matchup except for C/V.  i just assigned one of the dials on the voce to the C/V CC#, as i turn the dial and hit a C/V data value the C/V value changes.  i know by visual markings (5 oclock, 2 oclock, 10 oclock) exactly where the C/V values are for all 6 values, no different than the C/V dial on my B3.

[LeesKeys]

On 1/23/2022 at 7:27 PM, kenheeter said:

I have one, it's great. I can plug it into a USB hub with my iPad and control B3X perfectly. Or I can do the same with my Android phone and VB3M. Wonderful.

 

Where does it sit in your set up? I'm using a Nektar GXP61 on my top tier for organ sounds. There's no "blank" space at either end of the keyboard to place it.

[D. Gauss]

i use one of these via bluetooth to an IPAD. $179 new. Can find them for $100 used. Have one scene programmed for VB3 and one for B3x.

 

 

 

[J.F.N.]

Is there no Arduino editor environment, web or iOS/Android app, where a kind if GUI "form" could be implemented and with that, fix this once and for all and make the setup process fool proof even for people who have no clue about these things, kind of like Visual Basic/ Excel VBA forms ?