DJ Turntable from old Computer Parts

How to make a DJ turntable from old computer parts.

Some time ago I have discovered a piece of software that is using the mouse movement (up-down / left-right) to make scratch-alike effects on a virtual turntable, the way the DJs are doing it in clubs. It is the TerminatorX software, developed by Alexander Koenig http://terminatorx.org/

But using the mouse is not even close to a real turntable. So here is a way to make from an old mouse and other parts a more realistic turntable.

I have tried several models made from recycled computer parts, and I will present you all of them here.

Preliminary information
The first think you should know is that TerminatorX runs on Linux. There is no windows version yet. I have tried it in Ubuntu and worked fine. It is in the repositories, so it is very easy to install. The software is designed to use the movement of the mouse on the X and Y axes and execute a custom chosen action. Usually I use one ax for scratching and the other…

Prepare the mouse
We need free access to the mouse’s rollers (the two axes that are in contact with the ball). Warning: this will make your mouse unusable. Take out the ball and open the mouse. Cut all the plastic parts that are higher than the rollers, and optionally cut all the unnecessary plastic from the case around the electronics. If you cut too much, the electronics will n…

Add buttons
As an optional step we can add some buttons to the mouse. Use the wheel and the screw housing from previous step to make a knob to control the second roller. Find the best position and glue the plastic parts together. The wheel will remain free and in contact with the roller. This is ideal for volume control. Use 3 keys from the old keyboard to make the mouse butt…

Spinning plate from CD-ROM
The best spinning plate, in my opinion, is a CD. And an "easy to find" support for it is the motor from an old CD-ROM. It is designed to hold a CD in place so we will use it. All CD-ROMs differ from each other so don’t expect to be exactly like in the picture. Unscrew all the screws you can find and open the case. Locate the motor and free it from its screws. Al…

Spinning plate from hard drive
The same like the CD-ROM, any hard drive contains a spinning motor. The good part is that it already has the plate attached to it, but the bad part is that it is harder to hack. You will need a screwdriver with a six pointed star shape which is not a common item. Take care at the hidden screws. The hard drives are full of them. Take out all the electronics and k…

Vinyl plate
A vinyl plate would be more close to reality, but it is hard to find a spinning motor to attach it to. Luckily I was able to take out the plate from the motor of a hard drive, and attach the vinyl disc instead.

Turntable from CD-ROM case
Now is the moment of assembly. Use a metal plate from the CD-ROM case as a table. Put the mouse and the CD on it to find the best position. Stick the mouse on the plate with adhesive band (or any other type of glue). Fix the Spinning motor with the two magnets on the plate. Now add the CD and the cap to hold the CD. Make sure that the edge of the CD is resting o…

Turntable from keyboard
The TerminatorX software can use only the mouse for scratching. But there are also a couple of more functional keys on the keyboard that can enhance your scratching experience. Normally you can use your existing keyboard, but why not use a second one? From an old keyboard I took out all the unnecessary keys, leaving only the ones compatible with the software. Fo…

Turntable from computer case
Do you need a bigger table for the vinyl plate? An old computer case cover will just do it. Use the vinyl plate mounted on the hard drive motor and 3 or 4 mice to have multiple support points like in the picture. Again use glue or tape to stabilize the mice on the metal surface and magnets for the plate. You can connect it to 3 or 4 computers in the same time ;) b…

Turntable from hard drive
This is a more tricky one. My first idea was to take a hard drive with multiple disc plates, to take out the bottom plates, to leave only the top plate in place and to fit the mouse parts into the hard drive case with the roller under the plate's edge. Failed! Instead, put the mouse parts on top of the hard drive case (like in the photo) fixing it in place with …
Preliminary information
The first think you should know is that TerminatorX runs on Linux. There is no windows version yet. I have tried it in Ubuntu and worked fine. It is in the repositories, so it is very easy to install. The software is designed to use the movement of the mouse on the X and Y axes and execute a custom chosen action. Usually I use one ax for scratching and the other…

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