Hardware Overview: MIDI Fighter Twister

I started using the Doepfer Pocket Dial and Fader back around 2000, and I’ve had a fondness for a good external controller ever since. There is something magical about moving the parameter space away from the mouse and keyboard and into the physical that opens up a completely different creative space. A couple of years ago I started developing a performance for my group, Noisefold, based around particle feedback systems. It was a case where the right kind of controller and mapping could either make or break the whole thing. The system was a complex web of feedback parameters with tight data thresholds. The really interesting aesthetic spaces were located right at the fringes, so there was a lot of risk, but also reward. With a few settings in the sweet spot, we would uncover an amazing array of aesthetic possibilities. But move a knob just a degree too far and it could instantly collapse in on itself or dissipate out into virtual space. This meant charting out a long series of cues to make sure controllers were in the right position when moving into new sequences. What we really needed was a whole bunch of infinite rotation pots. If I had only had the Midi Fighter Twister.

Overview

At first glance the Midi Fighter Twister from DJTechTools might look like just another in a growing pool of knob controllers. When you look a little closer, you will find what I think is one of the most flexible knob-based controllers available anywhere. Every aspect of the thing seems well considered. Each of the 16 knobs not only has great action and feel, but is highly customizable, multi-modal, and can provide a meaningful range of feedback with the built-in LED’s. It even includes one of their shielded audio-optimized USB-B cables. With a tiny footprint of only 6 x 6 x 2.5 inches and weighing just over a pound, it’s a very portable and powerful USB controller that would find a happy home in any Maxer’s arsenal. I’ve been playing with it for about a month and have been very impressed by how feature rich and flexible it is and also how good and solid the thing feels.

The Encoders

With 4 banks of 16 configurable knobs you get 64 unique controls, each capable of 2 streams of cc data and a switch function.The encoders are all “endless” (to use DJTechTools’ lingo) or infinite rotational pots, meaning they have no fixed rotation points. The action on the knobs is nice and fluid, but also stable enough that I don’t experience any data jumps when I let go of the knob or accidentally brush the next one over. The knobs themselves have a pleasant rubbery quality, making them easy to grip and feel under your fingers. (They can even be removed and replaced with custom colors). Output wise, there are two main modes: The “responsive” mode allows you to sweep through the midi range in the standard 270º arc of a standard fixed pot, while “high resolution” mode gives more fine-grained control. In addition to the primary rotary function they can also be pushed to act as toggles, triggers or parameter resets, or depressed and rotated to send a secondary stream of control data (or switch from one resolution mode to another). There is also a detent mode, which sets a small deadzone around the 12 o’clock position, making it easy to return to the center value of a parameter without having to search for dead center. Additionally there is a feature called “super knob” that allows any number of knobs to share a control value across only part of the encoder range.

The LED Displays

A ring of 11 LED’s around each knob indicates the current value, with a few different display options. I particularly like the blended bar display, which fades the LED brightness up as the value gets closer to the next section giving a more fine-grain view of the data than I’ve seen in other devices (for example the Novation Nocturn).

The bottom of each knob has a wider RGB LED bar that can be set to any of 128 colors that span the spectrum. Different colors can be set for the pressed and unpressed states, or the colors can be changed dynamically using Midi messages. Both the ring and bar support dynamic brightness control and different pulse animations over Midi. As a performer I love the idea that I can change colors on the fly or at preset changes to help guide me through a complex series of cues. They can be bright enough to stand out clearly even in broad daylight, but can be dimmed or turned off so that they don’t dominate the stage.

Side Buttons

The left and right sides each sport 3 buttons. These can be configured to change banks on the device and/or send midi note and cc messages out, so you can synchronize bank changes with patcher events or trigger state changes without interfering with encoder mappings.

Configuration Utility

For my needs I found that the Midi Fighter Utility provided by DJTechTools is completely adequate. It is cross-platform, simple to use, and exposes everything, allowing me to tweak things to my heart's content. A key feature is the ability to edit multiple knobs simultaneously, which saves a lot of time. Configurations can be saved to file and loaded up easily and the interface is clear. If I had one request to improve workflow, it would be the ability to clone settings from one knob to the other.

For the tinkering enthusiast, however, the entire thing is open source and available on GitHub.

Working with Max

The user manual gives a clear and complete Midi implementation guide, making working with Max a breeze. Just about everything aside from loading a new preset file from disk can be done programmatically. This includes bank changes and the color, brightness and animation state of any of the LED’s. Various aspects of the control data are meaningfully split up across channels, making it simple to manage and implement in a patch.

Conclusions

Before I got this thing I had really high hopes and am happy to say that it has far exceeded my expectations. DJTechTools have outdone themselves. While a $219 might seem high compared to other devices that look similar on the surface, the Midi Fighter Twister stands out in the crowd. The flexibility and ease of use make it a pleasure to work and play with and the craftsmanship and compact footprint mean it travels easy and can handle the road. I am already certain that this will be a central part of my rig for a long time to come.