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View Full Version : M3D Dicer Edition.



djlotus
05-28-2012, 12:14 PM
So I have posted this on a few other forums, but realized I forgot to post it here. I got inspired by the mahogany decks done for the guy from incubus. I wasn't a fan of the look of those, but I really liked the idea so I decided to do it my way. I had been flirting with putting assignable buttons on a deck and will do so in the future, but this is a good start. C&C welcomed.





http://www.ashburnair.com/images/m3d/3.jpg



http://www.ashburnair.com/images/m3d/5.jpg



http://www.ashburnair.com/images/m3d/7.jpg

http://www.ashburnair.com/images/m3d/8.jpg

http://www.ashburnair.com/images/m3d/9.jpg



http://www.ashburnair.com/images/m3d/11.jpg



http://www.ashburnair.com/images/m3d/13.jpg

The have are white with silver flakes with a blue pearl finish. The tone arm bridge, swivel, and mounting plate are cobalt blue. Here are some crummy cell phone pics from the painter. I really like the way the blue pearl finish gives them a chameleon paint feel from different angles and different light sources.

http://www.ashburnair.com/images/m3d/14.JPG

http://www.ashburnair.com/images/m3d/15.JPG

http://www.ashburnair.com/images/m3d/16.JPG

VjQue
05-28-2012, 12:29 PM
Nice. I was go do some but then I thought, ohh I got the 62. That look real neat

TeLLy
05-28-2012, 01:15 PM
Wow. Just WOW. Personally I wouldn't cut into my Tech12 cabinet, just a personal preference. But the work looks great, downright inspirational. Makes my painted-LED Techs look like a steaming pile of Gemini.

In your shoes I'd find a way to solder on a proper full-size USB-B connector, to make the thing more universaly connectable. Mini and micro USB cables are always just a tiny bit easier to find when you've got 10 minutes to a gig...

Big ups djlotus!

djlotus
05-28-2012, 02:14 PM
Nice. I was go do some but then I thought, ohh I got the 62. That look real neat

Never having used a mixer with midi buttons I don't know how well they react. I have heard bad things about Rane 57's buttons. I am a bit jealous you have a 62. I was thinking of getting a 61 since I use an X1 and wouldn't need the buttons on the mixer. How do you like them?


Wow. Just WOW. Personally I wouldn't cut into my Tech12 cabinet, just a personal preference. But the work looks great, downright inspirational. Makes my painted-LED Techs look like a steaming pile of Gemini.

In your shoes I'd find a way to solder on a proper full-size USB-B connector, to make the thing more universaly connectable. Mini and micro USB cables are always just a tiny bit easier to find when you've got 10 minutes to a gig...

Big ups djlotus!

I had thought about that. I also thought about moving the connectors to the near the tonearm as they may get in the way if you set up battle style and don't have rails on your mixer. For the first one though, I figured I would leave the PCB alone and just go with what worked. If I do another set, I may hard wire the cables and use male/female to interconnect.

VjQue
05-28-2012, 03:08 PM
The buttons on the 62 are really accurite. Love them bad boys. Im actually about to buy another 62 or the 62z for my seconds setup the 12's I just did.

scottie the goonie
05-28-2012, 03:57 PM
I may hard wire the cables and use male/female to interconnect.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812200477

I'm pretty sure that the dicers use the micro usb connections though... If you go to StarTech directly they probably have the right size.

Are you sapping power for the 1200's pcb to power the dicers?

Good work btw, I saw the WOOD 12's a while ago and I was blown away.

djlotus
05-28-2012, 04:00 PM
The dicers get their power from the micro usb.

DTR
05-28-2012, 05:49 PM
Awesome :tup:

swine
05-29-2012, 01:04 AM
F yeah!!! Any more info on the metal work? Patching in the whole is my main concern.

+rep

djlotus
05-29-2012, 06:42 AM
For bonding the die cast aluminum of the cabinet to the stock aluminum I used to patch the hole, I used JB Weld. I thought of actually welding them, but welding aluminum is hard enough, much less trying to weld stock to die cast. I also flirted with "filling" the gaps by heating the cabinet to about 400 ºF and shaving the rod into the gaps. I obviously wasn't interested in that unless as a last resort. Since there would be no stress or actual structural integrity lost, I decided to use the JB Weld as it was the most inexpensive of the quality options. It it turned out great as it is very easy to work with once it cures, and you can manipulate the ratio to provide better bonding. For the hole in the middle, I used some liquid metal product I found at Auto Zone. As with the JB, it was insanely easy to work with and to finish. Both products allow for painting but as I sanded to bear metal I opted for a self etching aluminum primer which I put on in very thin layers, sanding after every 3 coats. The important thing when working with non structural metal is to take your time. Knowing that there will no stress on it prompts people to half ass the work. Taking the time to prep the metal is tedious but always worth the end result. I definitely would not recommend this sort of thing if you are not comfortable with metal work since if you screw up the hole alignment or any part of the process, you must be able to repair the metal to at least make it look whole again.

Along with the top of the cabinet, I had to modify the side of it where the hinge lines up, the inner weight, the rubber base and the hinge plate itself. Also had to modify the bottom part of the dicer housing to make it fit and to make it look clean after final install. I will point this out when I rebuild.

Mark_Spit
05-29-2012, 10:30 AM
Crazy mod, djlotus.:tup:
Are you installing the whole dicer inside or are you disassembling it and mounting just the board and the buttons inside the 1200? From the pics it looks like half the dicer is in there, but it's hard to see.

Nicadraus
05-29-2012, 10:42 AM
Good job on the mod. Hope to see the finished products soon. :)

djlotus
05-29-2012, 10:56 AM
Good job on the mod. Hope to see the finished products soon. :)

Heading out of town for a few days, then have a buddy's mixer to fix. Early next week I will pick up from the painters and should have it rebuilt a couple days later.


Crazy mod, djlotus.:tup:
Are you installing the whole dicer inside or are you disassembling it and mounting just the board and the buttons inside the 1200? From the pics it looks like half the dicer is in there, but it's hard to see.

Using the pad, PCB, part of the side where the connections are, and part of the plastic bottom mount.

Ocie
05-29-2012, 11:00 AM
awesome man. finished product will be fresh.

swine
05-29-2012, 04:14 PM
For bonding the die cast aluminum of the cabinet to the stock aluminum I used to patch the hole, I used JB Weld. I thought of actually welding them, but welding aluminum is hard enough, much less trying to weld stock to die cast. I also flirted with "filling" the gaps by heating the cabinet to about 400 ºF and shaving the rod into the gaps. I obviously wasn't interested in that unless as a last resort. Since there would be no stress or actual structural integrity lost, I decided to use the JB Weld as it was the most inexpensive of the quality options. It it turned out great as it is very easy to work with once it cures, and you can manipulate the ratio to provide better bonding. For the hole in the middle, I used some liquid metal product I found at Auto Zone. As with the JB, it was insanely easy to work with and to finish. Both products allow for painting but as I sanded to bear metal I opted for a self etching aluminum primer which I put on in very thin layers, sanding after every 3 coats. The important thing when working with non structural metal is to take your time. Knowing that there will no stress on it prompts people to half ass the work. Taking the time to prep the metal is tedious but always worth the end result. I definitely would not recommend this sort of thing if you are not comfortable with metal work since if you screw up the hole alignment or any part of the process, you must be able to repair the metal to at least make it look whole again.

Along with the top of the cabinet, I had to modify the side of it where the hinge lines up, the inner weight, the rubber base and the hinge plate itself. Also had to modify the bottom part of the dicer housing to make it fit and to make it look clean after final install. I will point this out when I rebuild.

Thanks for this. Will rep again when I can. Cant wait for the finished product

Marc S
05-31-2012, 03:23 AM
great job, what colour scheme you going with?

djlotus
06-01-2012, 01:55 PM
They will be a gloss white with a blue pearl finish and the tonearm bits will are cobalt blue.

djlotus
06-07-2012, 10:09 PM
Here are some iphone pics. I will have better pics up tomorrow when I get my camera back.

http://www.ashburnair.com/images/m3d/20.JPG

http://www.ashburnair.com/images/m3d/23.JPG

http://www.ashburnair.com/images/m3d/25.JPG

http://www.ashburnair.com/images/m3d/27.JPG

http://www.ashburnair.com/images/m3d/28.JPG

http://www.ashburnair.com/images/m3d/30.JPG

negativejeff
06-07-2012, 10:26 PM
That looks amazing!! Great job!

Cryder
06-07-2012, 10:33 PM
Sick as fuck, talk about advancing the art...

mr.smashy
06-07-2012, 11:18 PM
fucking nice, those are.

VjQue
06-07-2012, 11:46 PM
nice why is one of the dicer's light not on

djlotus
06-07-2012, 11:59 PM
It's the mapping I have set up. That layer is for loops. The last two buttons adjust the size of the loop and the first two move the loop by steps of 2. The middle button only lights (pink) when a loop is active.

VjQue
06-08-2012, 12:02 AM
oh ok

DTR
06-08-2012, 04:36 AM
Superb :tup:

TeLLy
06-08-2012, 07:55 AM
Truly amazing. A job well done.

Sublim&All
06-08-2012, 10:02 AM
That. Is. Awesome. :fap:

Nicadraus
06-08-2012, 10:36 AM
Very nice result! Good work man! :tup:

funkyfresh
06-08-2012, 11:02 AM
beautiful job!

djlotus
06-08-2012, 01:04 PM
I'm glad you guys like them. I am very proud of them. The same feeling I had when I properly calibrated my first tone arm. ;)

Lost Connection
06-08-2012, 02:22 PM
Hey these babies are really nice!

Synergy
06-08-2012, 02:31 PM
i dont like dicers but that shit is fucking tight as hell. good job man.

Alpine_Ent
06-11-2012, 01:18 AM
I've seen pimpmyturntables.com do this recently, holy crap dude that is so clean! I love my dicers, but i am not sure if I had the courage to do all that work haha

GOOD JOB!!

bambam10125
06-18-2012, 07:26 AM
Love them look amazing. love the colour combinations

cyberphox
10-30-2012, 03:17 PM
looking at my dicers and spare cabinets i have and crazy ideas are going through my head right now...awesome job

titomysta3000
10-30-2012, 04:59 PM
what did you use to cut the 45 adapter holder off with and is that the 45 adapter JB welded onto the turntable or was it just another piece of aluminum. What did you use to cut out the holes for the dicer buttons also and what size where they?

djlotus
10-30-2012, 08:16 PM
I used a 1/4 HP Dremel with a stone cutting disc to cut the 45 adapter out. Then used a hole saw to cut a circle from some aluminum stock. That's why I had the extra hole to fill.

For the Dicer buttons I used a regular metal but to drill the small holes and a uni bit to drill the bigger holes.