HackPhase – Gyroscope DVS Controller
What is HackPhase?
HackPhase is a wireless DVS controller that replaces timecoded vinyl with a gyroscope. It consists of two Arduino boards working together:
- The transmitter \ — a battery-powered Arduino with a gyroscope sensor, placed directly on the turntable platter. As the platter rotates, the gyroscope reads speed and direction in real time.
- The receiver \ — a second Arduino connected to the DJ\’s computer via USB. It receives the gyroscope data wirelessly and translates it into a signal that the DVS software (Serato, Traktor) interprets as playback control.
The result: you scratch and control your tracks using the physics of the platter itself \ — no timecoded vinyl, no needle, no audio signal. Just a spinning disc, a gyroscope, and a wireless link.
How it works
The gyroscope on the platter detects angular velocity \ — how fast the disc is spinning and in which direction. That data is transmitted wirelessly to the receiver unit. The receiver translates the rotation data into playback commands: forward spin plays the track forward, reverse spin plays it backwards, stopping the platter pauses playback. The faster you spin, the faster the track moves.
This means a DJ can perform real scratch gestures on a turntable without any vinyl \ — the platter itself becomes the only interface needed. Combined with a DVS setup, HackPhase gives full digital library access with fully analog control.
Prototype videos
Status
HackPhase is currently in the prototype phase. The core system works \ — the gyroscope reads the platter, the data is transmitted, the DVS responds. The challenge ahead is reducing latency to the sub-10ms threshold where scratch response becomes indistinguishable from vinyl.
This is one of the most technically ambitious projects in the Hack Midi Mask series. It has the potential to fundamentally change how portablists approach DVS.
\ud83d\udcf8📷 Follow the project: @hackmidimask
Related projects
HackMidiMask Mixer \ — Arduino inside a DJ mixer \ · The Story
