I’m using a self-made MIDI controller with djay Pro, but I’m experiencing frequent issues with it not responding properly. Here are my setup details:
- MacBook Pro with M1 chip, running macOS Sonoma 14.1.1
- djay Pro v5.3.2
- Self-made MIDI controller
I’ve confirmed with MIDI Monitor that my computer is receiving MIDI signals from the controller, and it works perfectly with other software like Traktor and Serato.
Below is a description of my issue, along with a screen recording (left side: djay Pro, right side: MIDI Monitor). Initially, I use a button to control play/pause, but it often fails to respond. Scratching on the deck is also problematic—it frequently lags, doesn’t keep up, and requires a pause before it responds again, making it very unstable. I’ve tested this on the iOS version of djay and encountered the same issues. I really love djay Pro and don’t want to switch to another software. Can you help me troubleshoot this? Any suggestions to resolve these issues would be greatly appreciated!
Hi @IsaacJu, welcome to the Community! Sorry to hear you’re experiencing this issue. Can you please upload your screen recording to your Google Drive/Dropbox, enable sharing permissions, then share a link to the file here. Thanks!
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Thanks for the video @IsaacJu. This is very helpful. I can’t think of anything to suggest based on this, but I have passed this onto our hardware engineering team to see if they have any suggestions. I’ll report back when I have news. Thanks!
Hi again @IsaacJu, this is probably just a matter of configuring the mapping right:
- Play/Pause: in the MIDI monitor I can see note on/off for the play button coming in relatively slowly, indicating that you controller sends a note On to start and note Off to pause. Most MIDI controllers send Note On when button is pressed and Note Off when it is released i.e. single button press is always a pair of on/off messages, so djay expects this by default. To change the button interpretation in djay, change the “Control type” to “Button” “Hold” in the advanced control options for the play button
- For the jog wheel it appears you are using an encoder that sends absolute position in the CC value - most controllers send relative messages (i.e. ticks of 0x41 or 0x01 for forward movement and 0x39 or 0x7F for backward rotation). To adapt to this, change the “Control Type” to “Rotary (Absolute)” in the advanced control options for the jog mapping.
Hi，I’ve already enabled the advanced MIDI options in DJay and switched to the appropriate mode. In my setup, I’m using an encoder to control Deck 1, configured to the correct absolute value settings, and the switches and buttons are also properly set up.
The issue I’m facing is unstable signal control. In the video I’ve shared, you can observe that when I pressed the play/pause button seven times, the first and third presses failed to trigger. Specifically, the first press (velocity 127) didn’t start playback, but the release (velocity 0) did. The second press (velocity 0) paused it correctly, but the third press (velocity 127) again failed to trigger playback. From the fourth press onward, it worked normally.
Additionally, Deck 1 is generally functional but frequently loses signal. In the video, I performed three scratching actions. During the first attempt, Deck 1 responded to the initial forward motion but didn’t register the pull-back action. After a brief pause, I tried again, but the same issue occurred: the initial motion was captured, but the latter part wasn’t. For clarity, I extended the scratching duration in the third attempt, and you can see that Deck 1 still failed to capture the latter half of the signal. Notably, even after Deck 1 stopped moving, the MIDI signal (CC20) continued to change, indicating my scratching motion was still active.
I’m wondering if this could be due to DJay’s MIDI signal processing, such as signal prioritization or filtering. To troubleshoot, I tried sending five simultaneous note-on messages (velocity 127) for button presses and five note-off messages (velocity 0), but the instability persisted. I also tested with a Numark Party Mix 1, and the issue remained unchanged.
This problem is quite frustrating, as it prevents smooth scratching and causes buttons to occasionally fail, which disrupts complex performances and misses critical timing. I’d greatly appreciate any insights or suggestions you might have to resolve this issue. Thank you in advance for your help!
Hi @IsaacJu, can you please reformat your post. Most of it is cut off. Thanks!
Okay, wait a second. Why did it display the text as code? I’m not sure, I’m trying.
I’ve already enabled the advanced MIDI options in DJay and switched to the appropriate mode. In my setup, I’m using an encoder to control Deck 1, configured to the correct absolute value settings, and the switches and buttons are also properly set up.
The issue I’m facing is unstable signal control. In the video I’ve shared, you can observe that when I pressed the play/pause button seven times, the first and third presses failed to trigger. Specifically, the first press (velocity 127) didn’t start playback, but the release (velocity 0) did. The second press (velocity 0) paused it correctly, but the third press (velocity 127) again failed to trigger playback. From the fourth press onward, it worked normally.
Additionally, Deck 1 is generally functional but frequently loses signal. In the video, I performed three scratching actions. During the first attempt, Deck 1 responded to the initial forward motion but didn’t register the pull-back action. After a brief pause, I tried again, but the same issue occurred: the initial motion was captured, but the latter part wasn’t. For clarity, I extended the scratching duration in the third attempt, and you can see that Deck 1 still failed to capture the latter half of the signal. Notably, even after Deck 1 stopped moving, the MIDI signal (CC20) continued to change, indicating my scratching motion was still active.
I’m wondering if this could be due to DJay’s MIDI signal processing, such as signal prioritization or filtering. To troubleshoot, I tried sending five simultaneous note-on messages (velocity 127) for button presses and five note-off messages (velocity 0), but the instability persisted. I also tested with a Numark Party Mix 1, and the issue remained unchanged.
This problem is quite frustrating, as it prevents smooth scratching and causes buttons to occasionally fail, which disrupts complex performances and misses critical timing. I’d greatly appreciate any insights or suggestions you might have to resolve this issue. Thank you in advance for your help!
Thanks for the additional info @IsaacJu. This sounds like it could be a hardware, cable or USB connection issue.
- Does you controller have it’s own power supply or are you running it off of USB Bus power from your Mac?
- Are you using any USB adapters or hubs to connect your controller to your Mac? If so, please try removing these from your setup and connecting directly via a single USB cable.
- Please make sure you are connecting to your Mac using a high quality USB cable, ideally with dual ferrite magnets on either end. Poor quality cables can allow interference and may experience connectivity issues. At a bare minimum, please try connecting with a different cable.
- If the cable doesn’t solve the issue, I recommend you try connecting to a different USB port on your Mac.
- If that doesn’t work, please check the USB socket on your MIDI controller and Mac for debris that could be interfering with the connection.
I hope that helps!
The cables I’m using shouldn’t be the issue, as confirmed by the MIDI monitor software on my computer. The video clearly shows that MIDI signals are being properly transmitted to the computer. Therefore, the problem likely lies with the software. This conclusion is supported by two key observations:
- The same hardware setup works flawlessly with Serato and Traktor;
- The issue persists even when using Bluetooth connectivity.
To avoid unnecessary troubleshooting steps on your end, I’ve proactively ruled out all basic errors before contacting you, including but not limited to:
- Cable integrity
- Bluetooth stability
- Signal consistency
- MIDI signal validity
- DJay’s advanced MIDI mapping configurations
Through this process of elimination, I can confidently assert that the problem originates from the software side.
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Okay, thanks for the additional info @IsaacJu. I’ll pass this onto engineering to see if they have any other suggestions for you…
Hi again @IsaacJu, djay should never lose MIDI messages . This is super hard to debug since we do not have a copy of your custom controllers to reproduce this issue. You mentioned you tried with a Numark Party Mix 1 and the issue remained unchanged. We do have a Party Mix we can test with. Can you please describe the precise steps you did on the Party Mix that triggered undesired behaviour or perhaps share a short video?
Hi,Please accept my sincere apologies for the delayed response—this was due to internet restrictions in my region.
Unfortunately, I’m currently traveling for work and did not bring my DJ controller with me. As a result, it will take some time before I can record the demonstration video you requested. I truly appreciate your patience and understanding.
Once I return from my business trip, I will post the Party Mix operation video in this forum thread.
Thank you for your continued support and efforts!
Sounds good. Thanks for the follow up @IsaacJu
