Gsoc2012Ideas

Student Project Ideas for Google Summer of Code 2012

This page lists the suggested projects for students working on Mixxx as part of Google Summer of Code 2012. Each of these projects represents something that we think would make a really big difference to our users and that we as a development team are really excited about. For advice on how to get in touch and how to apply, you should read GSoC Advice.

A GSoC application that simply repeats the project description will NOT be accepted. We expect you to think about the feature and how it aligns with Mixxx's goals, outline potential use-cases and propose a plan for implementing a solution.

Point-And-Click Controller Mapping

Mixxx's MIDI-Learning wizard is not very usable. In order to map a controller, you have to go through the entire wizard even if your controller doesn't have the buttons that are hard-coded into the wizard's learning process.

This project will replace the MIDI-Learning wizard with an intuitive and easy-to-use point-and-click system for mapping a controller. When you want to map a control, just click on the button or knob in the GUI that you want to map and then turn the corresponding button or knob on your controller.

• How will you figure out what GUI element was clicked with Qt?
• What do you do if the button isn't in the skin?
• How do other DJ software apps allow MIDI mapping?

Plug and Play MIDI Mode / Community MIDI Mappings

Mixxx currently supports a wide-range of hardware MIDI controllers that DJs can use to perform with. Each supported MIDI controller has a "mapping" file that is bundled with Mixxx, but this mapping must be manually selected by the user before their controller works. The aim of this project is to increase the usability for new users by automatically selecting the correct MIDI mapping and to provide an intelligent workflow for when an unsupported MIDI device is connected.

When a mapping for a MIDI device is not present, the user should not be left out in the cold. She should have the option of connecting to mixxx.org to see if there are any official or user-contributed mappings available for download. It's easy to imagine the various interesting turns this could take.

Since there is a server-side component to this project we ask that applicants be familiar with a web development framework that would be suitable for writing an API for mixxx.org. We suggest Django.

This project will involve a lot of time thinking about use cases, dealing with users and understanding their requirements. It would be a great opportunity for a student to get involved with the Mixxx community. The student will also have the opportunity to borrow a MIDI controller from the development team for the duration of the project.

Library Preview Player

Selecting the next track to play is possibly the #1 hardest part of DJing. Today if you want to preview a track you have to load it to a deck and use the PFL (pre-fader listen) to listen to the track in your headphones. This project aims to provide a "preview" player that lets DJs listen to tracks in their headphones without having to load them to a deck.

Vinyl Pass-through Mode

Mixxx allows you to DJ with timecode records and CDs. This project aims to bring a vinyl pass-through mode to Mixxx. Pass-through mode is a useful feature for DJs who still have part of their music collection on vinyl or CDs. When pass-through is enabled for a deck, Mixxx takes the input audio from the turntable or CDJ and outputs it directly as the deck audio output.

Key Detection for Harmonic Mixing

This feature aims to allow Mixxx users to simply and intuitively incorporate harmonic mixing into their workflow.

Using an open-source key detector like KeyFinder or Chordata, you will be responsible for adding key detection support to Mixxx's current analysis system.

After adding key-detection, you will have to change the way that Mixxx uses the SoundTouch library to enable changing the pitch independent of the tempo. Today, Mixxx uses SoundTouch to change the tempo independent of the pitch (this is called keylock). The opposite problem is changing the pitch independent of the tempo. This is essential for harmonic mixing. If you have two tracks that are in different keys, then you have to adjust their pitch until they are in the same key. You do not have to implement pitch-shifting yourself -- this is already done by the SoundTouch library. See also: pitch_percentages_for_semitones_and_notes

Once you have done this infrastructure work then you will have to decide how to expose these features to the user. This is an open-ended part of your application that will show us you have thought about the DJ use-cases and understand how the feature will be used. Make sure to explain the user-facing changes you would make to Mixxx and how they support the use-cases of this feature in your application.

Enhanced Platform Integration

Thanks in large part to Qt and a number of other cross-platform libraries, Mixxx runs on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. Although we're able to provide a consistent user experience on Windows and Mac OS X, we'd like to provide a better integrated experience on each of these platforms. We want to take advantage of the unique features that each platform provides, like the new fullscreen mode in OS X Lion or the new jump list in Windows 7, so that Mixxx feels as native as possible.

Qt already provides a small number of platform integration features, but to take advantage of other newer features that Qt doesn't have, platform-specific code for Windows and Mac OS X must be added to Mixxx. This project will involve figuring out which platform-specific features in Windows 7, Windows 8, Mac OS X Lion, and Mac OS X Mountain Lion would be the most useful for Mixxx users, and implementing several of those. (We don't expect students to have access to both Windows and Mac OS X, so a proposal focusing on one particular OS is OK, but an awareness of both platforms is a plus.)

This project could also include more basic polishing tasks, so if there's some little inconsistencies about Mixxx that have been bugging you, here's your chance to fix them.

For ideas, check out:

• Q7Goodies
• Features new to Windows 7 (Wikipedia)
• Features new to Windows 8 (Wikipedia)

Library Database Management

Many Mixxx users initially start using it their desktop PC, saving cue points and other metadata to Mixxx's database. When you actually get a DJ gig though, you'll want to move that database to a laptop. There's currently no official way to do this from inside Mixxx, nor is there a way to migrate your library database or some subset of the data to an external USB drive. There are several important use cases that we've overlooked - Find out what they are by browsing our forum, bug tracker, or just thinking about how DJs work, and propose fixing several of them.

Something Else!

As always with Summer of Code, you aren't limited to the suggestions we've made here. If you've got a great idea for a project involving Mixxx then we're looking forward to hearing about it. Our bug tracker is full of wishlist bugs and other ideas scattered throughout, so if you browse through it, you may find many more ideas for GSoC projects.

IMPORTANT: You should contact us first to get feedback if you're going to submit a proposal for your own project idea!