DJ Hero Mechanical Keyboard Switch Conversion Kit

thingiverse

This is a set of parts to give your DJ Hero Turntable controller that signature mechanical keyboard click! This will involve basic soldering, and cutting a wire on the controller itself. It is completely repairable if you must go back, but your turntable will never again be completely "stock". You'll need: + These 3D-Printed parts + A Phillip's head screwdriver + A DJ Hero turntable platter (any of the actual platter pieces can be used on any console, it's only the crossfader that's console specific) + At least 3 low-profile choc keyboard switches of your preferred variety with FLAT TOPS (NOT the stem tops!) + A soldering iron (This is a fantastic project to try if you're just starting out soldering!) + Solder + Some electrical wire, just to make the soldering easier + Scissors or similar cutting tools Method: 1) Detach the platter from the crossfader on your DJ Hero controller, and set the crossfader aside. 2) Unscrew all of the screws on the feet of the DJ Hero controller. 3) Gently lift off the trim and platter pieces from the base, making sure to not tug on the wires. 4) On the underside, unscrew the four screws on the round section close in the center. 5) Gently lift the platter from the trim piece at an angle. Be aware that there are wires coming through the center, so be as gentle as you can when lifting this piece. 6) While gently holding the platter at an upward angle, unscrew the four screws along the bottom of the platter. Take your time with this step, it's a bit fiddly. 7) Now gently lift the platter top from it's base, revealing the button contacts and optical sensor for scratching. 8) Before moving on, take a short break and familiarize yourself with the layout, set up your soldering workstation, and make sure you have all of the 3D printed parts ready to insert. You should be safe to set down the turntable so long as it's on an fairly even surface 9) Unscrew the larger of the two PCBs, taking care not to pull off the wires. 10) Once unscrewed, remove all of the involved pieces, including the buttons themselves, the rubber membranes, and the black plastic brace piece, and set them out of the way. All that's needed for this project is the flat gray wire coming off of the PCB, and the screws. 11) Insert the 3D-printed button replacements through the back of the platter, so that the wide ends catch on the platter's interior. 12) Set your keyboard switches into the square holes on the flat 3D-printed piece. You may need to adjust your switch's orientations in the holes depending on your model of keyboard switch, so be prepared to work through that. 13) Lay in the keyboard-switch-populated 3D-printed piece so that the pins face towards the inside of the platter, and screw it down as securely as possible. Note that if your switches don't actuate correctly, you may need to loosen the screws on the flat 3D-printed piece. You're looking for a tight fit, but also a good feel. 14) Using the scissors, locate the gray ribbon cable on the large PCB you unscrewed in step 9, and cut it either: - Towards the center in case you want to revert back to a near-stock turntable. - Close to the large PCB to make soldering easier. 15) once the wire is cut, remove the PCB from the platter, and test-fit it all back together. Make sure that your keyboard switches feel good before moving on, as it's more effort to change things later. 16) Once satisfied with your setup, I recommend pulling the gray ribbon wire into four strands at the end, to make the next step easier. You CAN skip this, but it's a bit of a headache. 17) Using either the scissor blade, or your fingernails, gently pull some of the gray casing off of the actual wires, exposing all four. 18) follow the wires back to the smaller PCB in the turntable and make note of which wire is marked as what. - "G" is ground, this will need to go to one pin on all three keyboard switches - "1" is for the green button, and goes to the other pin on the keyboard switch nearest the edge of the platter - "2" is for the red button, and goes to the other pin on the keyboard switch in between the other two - "3" is for the green button, and goes to the other pin on the keyboard switch nearest the center of the platter 19) Carefully solder some additional electrical wire to at least the "G" wire on the controller, and expose enough wire to go across one pin on all three of the keyboard switches. 20) Solder the "G" wire extension you just made and exposed to one pin on each of the keyboard switches. 21) If you'd like, create extensions for the other three wires, except for these you only need a short length of wire, with only a small section exposed. 22) Solder the "1" wire or extension to the other pin on the keyboard switch nearest the platter edge 23) Solder the "2" wire or extension to the other pin on the keyboard switch between the other two 24) Solder the "3" wire or extension to the other pin on the keyboard switch nearest the center of the platter 25) Once complete, take a quick break, and congratulate yourself on getting through the difficult part. This is also a good time to turn off your soldering iron for the time being. 26) If you're so inclined, test the setup by plugging the base piece into your crossfader, and turning on the game. Scratching won't be possible at the moment, as it requires reassembly, but you can ensure that all of the buttons work. 27) Once you've confirmed everything works. Unplug the platter from the crossfader, and shut down your console. 28) Time to reassemble. Start by placing the bottom piece of the platter back onto the piece you've been working on, ensuring the optical sensor fits through the little hole. 29) Leaning the platter at an angle, put the four screws back into place that you removed in step 6 30) Ensure the wires are going through the holes in the round piece you loosened in step 4, and are not being pinched. 31) Affix the screws loosened in step 4, near the round section. 32) Replace the recompleted trim piece so that it sits flush, don't be afraid to rotate it a few times to ensure that it is positioned correctly. 33) Replace the feet removed in step 2 34) Reaffix the screws undone to remove the feet in step 2 35) Reattach the crossfader to the turntable. 36) That's it! You're ready to play!