CONTROLLER1Ø4 Help and User Guide
Maintenance Note
This guide is intended to stay aligned with the live controller feature set.
When controls, behavior, or workflow change in the controller code, update this file in the same change set so user documentation remains accurate.
Scope
CONTROLLER1Ø4 is a browser DJ controller focused on master output workflow.
- Master output mixing is fully supported.
- External headphone cue/split-cue/multi-output routing is not required in scope.
- Automation and DJ Brain features are designed to be assistive and recoverable, with manual control always available.
Quick Start (2 Minutes)
- Open `CONTROLLER1Ø4`.
- Click `Init Audio` / engage the deck (browser audio unlock).
- Open `Library`, add tracks to queue, and/or load directly to Deck A or B.
- Press `Play / Stop` on the source deck.
- Set gain and EQ on both decks.
- Blend with `XFADER` or use deck volume lanes.
- Use `Sync`, `Quantise`, `Loops`, and `Beatjump` as needed.
- Enable `Auto Mix` only when you want managed transitions.
Interface Overview
Deck Layout
Each deck is organized into:
- Deck Information
- Deck Platter
- Deck Visualiser
- Deck Pitch
- Deck Buttons
Deck Information
Shows current deck state:
- Track title
- BPM and current BPM
- Pitch percent
- Key and cue marker
- Hot cue positions
- Time and remaining
- Phase and drift
- Beat, bar, and nudge feedback
Use this as your confidence panel before and during transitions.
Deck Platter
Contains:
- Corner `Play/Pause/Cued` icon button
- Deck letter glyph
- `N` platter mode toggle (nudge vs scratch behavior)
- Main platter touch/drag control
The platter supports expressive control while preserving deck-state consistency in the store.
Deck Visualiser
Contains:
- Waveform display
- Seek bar
- Mini deck status panel
- Bottom-corner zoom overlay (`+ | reset | - | zoom readout`)
Use visual zoom for phrase/beat detail while preparing loop and cue operations.
Deck Pitch
Contains:
- Pitch section title + pitch-range feedback
- Horizontal pitch fader
- Pitch controls row:
- Range step button (cycles pitch range)
- Pitch down
- Pitch up
- Pitch reset
Pitch range is displayed as `+/-N%`, and the range step button changes the fader resolution envelope.
Deck Buttons (Performance Bank)
Lanes include:
- `PLAY`: Play/Stop, Load, Next
- `CUE`: Cue, Set Cue, Cue Jump, Hot Cues 1-4
- `LOOP`: 4/8/16, Exit, Roll, Loop In/Out, Move -/+
- `JUMP`: Beatjump (-1/+1/-4/+4/-8/+8 bars)
- `SYNC`: Sync Both, Slip, Quantise, Harmonise
Center Mixer Section
Deck A / Deck B Center Strips
For each side:
- FX knobs: Filter, Reverb, Echo, Distort
- EQ knobs: High, Mid, Low, Pan
- Deck meter
- Deck volume fader (A/B, default startup at 75%)
Brand and Core Automation Controls
Center controls include:
- `Auto Mix`
- `Force On` (automix override rail)
- `Sync Both` (live deck sync helper)
- `Quantise`
- `Harmonise`
Crossfader Section (`XFADER`)
Includes:
- Crossfader slider
- Mode feedback text (`L/R + mode`)
- Discrete selector dial with modes:
- `L` Linear
- `E` Equal Power
- `S` Sharp
- `R` Reverse
Use Equal Power for smooth blend energy, Sharp for cut-style moves, Reverse for hamster preference.
Automix Section
Includes:
- Automix status lines (mode, sync/harmonic state, transition plan, automation status)
- Brain mode controls (`Brain`, `Suggest`, `Brain Off`)
- Panic stop
- Tempo policy controls (`Anchor`, `Fixed`, `Ramp`, `Correct`)
- Transition profile controls (`Auto`, `Short`, `Medium`, `Long`)
- Blend bias controls (`Balanced`, `50:50`, `75:25`)
- Overlap style controls (`Conservative`, `Club`, `Extended`)
- Master/FX automation lane controls (`Auto`, `XF`, `VOL`, `EQ`, `More`)
Library, Queue, and History
Library Picker
Open with `Library` or per-deck `Load`.
Capabilities:
- Filter by text, key, BPM min/max, recommendations-only
- `Add to Queue`
- `Load Deck A`
- `Load Deck B`
- "Recently Played" block indicator where no-repeat rules prevent queue re-add
Queue Columns
- Suggested
- Live Queue
- History
Expected behavior:
- Drag unplayed queue rows to reorder
- Played tracks roll into History
- Suggested list can be reranked
Queue Settings
- `Target`: queue depth target for auto queue fill
- `No Repeat`: recently played exclusion window
- `History Cap`: maximum played-history retention
- `Queue Lock`: consume from queue top first
- `Freeze 30s`: freeze rerank temporarily
- `Clear History`
Auto Queue
When `Auto Queue` is enabled, the system replenishes queue candidates using transition suitability and configured queue constraints.
Use this when you want continuous flow with reduced manual queue maintenance.
Diagnostics and Recovery
Diagnostics provide visibility into:
- Brain decisions
- Queue flow
- Automation lane safety/cooldowns
- Preflight and critical conditions
You can:
- Filter (`All`, `Brain`, `Queue`, `Automation`, `Preflight`, etc.)
- Export (`JSON` or `CSV`)
- Acknowledge and manage unacked entries
- Tune diagnostics cap and ack TTL
- Run recover actions:
- `Recover Brain`
- `Recover Queue`
- `Reset Lanes`
- `Full Reset` (clears diagnostics + queue/history cache and restores recommended defaults)
Use diagnostics first when behavior feels inconsistent before forcing manual resets.
Automix Intent and Safe Use
Automix is designed to:
- Keep transitions musically coherent
- Reduce abrupt gain/energy jumps
- Respect lane boundaries and fail-safe behavior
- Remain cancelable via manual input and panic control
Recommended operating pattern:
- Build a clean queue.
- Confirm sync and quantize intent.
- Enable automix.
- Monitor transition and automation status text.
- Use panic/recover controls if the system enters an unstable pattern.
Suggested Operating Workflow
- Load Deck A and Deck B candidates.
- Start source deck playback and set levels.
- Set cue/hot cues and test loop points.
- Use sync and pitch to lock blend prep.
- Shape EQ/FX and crossfader route.
- Transition manually or via automix depending on mode.
- Keep queue healthy and monitor diagnostics.
- Archive through queue history and continue.
Troubleshooting
- If controls appear inactive, reinitialize audio and confirm browser audio permissions.
- If transitions feel unsafe, lower overlap aggressiveness and use conservative profiles.
- If queue behavior is unexpected, check `Queue Lock`, `Freeze`, `No Repeat`, and history state.
- If automation seems stuck, use `Reset Lanes` and inspect diagnostics for fail-safe events.
- If output level sounds inconsistent, verify deck gains, automation mode, and transition profile.
FAQ
What is the fastest way to start mixing?
Load two tracks, play Deck A, set both deck gains, set crossfader toward Deck A, and prepare Deck B with sync + cue/loop before moving the blend.
What does Auto Mix do compared to Auto Queue?
`Auto Mix` controls transition execution behavior. `Auto Queue` manages queue replenishment and candidate ordering. They are complementary but independent toggles.
When should I use Queue Lock?
Use `Queue Lock` when you want strict queue order control for set planning. Disable it if you want freer automatic suggestion flow.
Why is a track marked Recently Played in the library picker?
It is blocked by your `No Repeat` window in queue settings. This prevents immediate re-add and reduces repeated rotation.
What does Harmonise do?
It adjusts harmonic assist weighting for recommendations and transition scoring so key compatibility gets stronger influence.
What does Quantise do?
Quantise aligns eligible actions (cue/loop/transport timing behavior) to grid timing windows for tighter rhythmic operations.
What is the XFADER mode selector for?
It changes crossfader response shape:
- `L` linear curve
- `E` equal-power curve
- `S` sharp cut curve
- `R` reverse direction mode
Can I rely on automix for the entire session?
Yes, but best practice is to monitor diagnostics and transition status, keep queue quality high, and intervene manually when context changes quickly.
Why is there no headphone cue routing section?
This web implementation is scoped to master-output workflow. External multi-output cue routing is intentionally out of scope.
How should this help file be maintained?
Update it whenever controller behavior changes. If a button, mode, or workflow changes in code, update the matching section and FAQ entry in the same commit.