Digital DJing

[Lethal Dosage]

Dubstep as far as I can tell is one of those genres that is real traditional when it comes to Djing and most pride themselves on being Vinyl only.

Even so is there any digital DJs here who use traktor or serato and the like?

I've been mixing for a short while and have pretty much got the hang of it on the laptop and I feel that I can't get any better without moving onto some hardware and mixing using both hands rather than a mouse and keys. Anyone with experience know what would be the best(and cheap) midi controller/mixer to get starting off? I'm trying to take DJing a bit more seriously and more it out of the bedroom and house parties.

[Osario]

I'd suggest saving up a little and getting a traktor s2 or s4. A cheaper option would be something like a hercules rmx or a numark mixtrack / mixtrack pro, but chances are you'd want to eventually upgrade to an s2/s4 so you'd end up paying twice

[press]

i play out on cdjs but dont own them myself, i somewhat recently bought a mixtrack pro and use it with traktor with the visuals turned off so it as much like cdjs as i can get at home. I have come to really love the feel of it and feel that as long as you dont use sync at all and you still actually beatmatch it doesnt really matter what you use. i embrace technology. But i do feel it is a bit wierd for a dj to have never used/bought vynil. While im most confident with cdjs I can and have played vinyl, serato, cdjs and controllers and i think that is an asset.

to answer the question, for the price i think the mictrack pro is great and if you master it and spend just a little time on some cdjs you will be able to use those aswell...easy transition.

[Muncey]

I have mixtrack pro and always thought i'd use them for a few years before wanting to upgrade.. but after less than a year i wanna upgrade so i'd take osarios advice and skip them. I'm planning on buying technic 1210s next and stick with numarks digitally for the very reason i don't want to upgrade within a year and have wasted £150 odd on numarks. So yeah i'd go with saving up a bit and getting a better mixer than the mixtrack pro.. however if you really don't want to spend that much and don't think you could save up the money it is a decent priced one that is more than enough for a bit of fun and learning the basics.

[Clean]

I use traktor pro with a reloop mixage, and I play on upgrading to CDjs, and one turntable, with a 3 channel mixer.

@ press, how do you turn the visuals off in traktor?

[Sexual_Chocolate]

2 turntables & serato

anything else is bait

[press]

I use traktor pro with a reloop mixage, and I play on upgrading to CDjs, and one turntable, with a 3 channel mixer.

@ press, how do you turn the visuals off in traktor?

they are not completely off but only show the whole track like what is shown on cdjs. you just click on the top part where the track title is once youve loaded a tune and it will scroll through all the options for the visuals.

[apmje]

2 turntables & serato

anything else is bait

[press]

2 turntables & serato

anything else is bait

i dunno imo, that setup has the most "variables" that can lead to problems. Such as uncalibrated and old tunrtables, the need for many cables rca etc. where not only having them all can be a bitch but having good ones that still work becomes an issue now and again, issues with laptops and operating sytem and software, and serato is much more sensitive to shitty needles than just traditional vynil. I know these are all easily avoided and i know most people have their shit sorted but again these days i see more tech issues with serato and 2 tunrtables that any other method for playing out. I think its great technology and i absolutely see the appeal but imo its seems to be overpriced and the least reliable set up.

[Sexual_Chocolate]

^^ its was more in comparison to the mixtracks etc that we're being mentioned

and to be honest, the only problems ive had is when my pressing get old, signal quality gets shit, but its easily remedied with spare pressings.

it also give you the option of being able to play vinyl aswell

and IF the decks are shit you just use the cdjs that are usually sitting next to them.

simple really

[press]

I'd suggest saving up a little and getting a traktor s2 or s4. A cheaper option would be something like a hercules rmx or a numark mixtrack / mixtrack pro, but chances are you'd want to eventually upgrade to an s2/s4 so you'd end up paying twice

the only thing i dont like about the mixtrack pro is it does feel cheap, its plastic, what are the features that would make someone want to upgrade? i do not have much expierence on other controllers but i really like that the mixtrack pro has a larger "platter" the other controller i have used (cant remember what it is but its a fancy ass one for itch) uses that tiny lil dial and they dont give as much of that nice tactile feel i get on the mixtrack, and there seems to be sooo many buttons and knobs crammed in i cant possibly imagin useing them all in a set where as the mixtrack has enough but doesnt seem crammed in. I dunno i feel like the mixtrack offers the best value but is definitly cheap....its just got all i need at home. Especially as i mentioned i preffered to play on cdjs and would just get those if they werent soo damn expensive.

[press]

and IF the decks are shit you just use the cdjs that are usually sitting next to them.

i agree that the option to play vinyl as well is nice indeed.


if only there was a prerequisite you had to be able to use vynil before moving to other methods. Call me old school but it trips me out when i hear someone say they have never dj'd with vinyl. I preffer other methods these days but if at all possible i think people should start on vinyl first, its just not an option for soem and i understand that, like i said im just old and it seems so wierd to not have never bought/used vinyl.

[Sexual_Chocolate]

and IF the decks are shit you just use the cdjs that are usually sitting next to them.

i agree that the option to play vinyl as well is nice indeed.


if only there was a prerequisite you had to be able to use vynil before moving to other methods. Call me old school but it trips me out when i hear someone say they have never dj'd with vinyl. I preffer other methods these days but if at all possible i think people should start on vinyl first, its just not an option for soem and i understand that, like i said im just old and it seems so wierd to not have never bought/used vinyl.

if only.... guess we can dream though haha
but yea, its a generational thing.... tbh though, round these ways (in terms of the dubstep scene) we still have a lot of people who only play vinyl sets, which is good because as people come in the scene they think its normal & follow suite

[Lethal Dosage]

Don't get me wrong if I had the option I'd DJ on vinyls. Main problem is €€€. Shelling out a grand to get a good set up then the cost of vinyls on top of that is a bit much for someone who is just starting to try and get gigs. I know people who swear by hardware but most of them have shit decks and mixer and even worse speakers. Personally if the control or CDJs can do the job of playing the music in good high quality then I'm happy.

[Lethal Dosage]

Quick question:

With mixtrack pro (or any other) do you need an extra soundcard or can you just plug it in with a USB and it'll work?

Also does it work like any other mixer/CDJs and play the tracks through headphones so you can hear what your mixing?

[Sexual_Chocolate]

Quick question:
With mixtrack pro (or any other) do you need an extra soundcard or can you just plug it in with a USB and it'll work?

depends what type of controller (if you are thinking of buying one, make sure it does have a inbuilt soundcard).
if there is an inbuilt soundcard then its as simple as plug & play

[Muncey]

Quick question:

With mixtrack pro (or any other) do you need an extra soundcard or can you just plug it in with a USB and it'll work?

Also does it work like any other mixer/CDJs and play the tracks through headphones so you can hear what your mixing?

Pro has its own soundcard so yes you can plug headphones in and listen to both while only one is coming out the speaker. Normal non-pro does not come with its own soundcard so cannot. I'd only recommend mixtrack pro as a bit of fun at home, i'm at uni and none of my mates djed before i got it so its just a bit of fun really... but you'll soon want to upgrade, ideally getting technics within a year.. being a student i dont really have the money to waste on proper decks so mixtrack pro was literally my only option money wise.

[AxeD]

^^ its was more in comparison to the mixtracks etc that we're being mentioned

and to be honest, the only problems ive had is when my pressing get old, signal quality gets shit, but its easily remedied with spare pressings.

it also give you the option of being able to play vinyl aswell

and IF the decks are shit you just use the cdjs that are usually sitting next to them.

simple really

thisdidithis

[Soulstep]

has anyone used traktor s2 in a club.

I've seen someone in Birmingham using the vestax vci-100 looks weird, especially when its next to the pioneers

[Solemn]

Serato Laggs on any machine,
if your gonna DJ using turntables buy actual vinyl, timecode simply just mimics but not well.

I started with a Numark Omni Control with tracktor3, NEVER USE SYNC!!!! You will never learn a thing!!
When your syncing your not beat-matching and therefore not even doing anything