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Crossing over to laptop mixing

So I just recently sold my cdj's....and am going to have to wait a little bit till I get anything new....instead of getting cdj's again, I rather learn something new, because theres only so much you can learn from a cdj, and I think theres nothing left there...SO ive chosen to switch....

I been thinking of getting a xone 92 (I used to have a djm-700)....

I been watching some video of certain controllers, and I been seeing the the xone 1d is being used alot, not to mention the traktor x1 controller, and xone 2d...... the traktor controller looks like its just about effects though....

What i'd really love to do when it comes time is to have a xone 92 and to have 4 decks running off the laptop....any suggestions? and why?

thanks boys

Re: Crossing over to laptop mixing

quote:

Originally posted by darouge11 So I just recently sold my cdj's....and am going to have to wait a little bit till I get anything new....instead of getting cdj's again, I rather learn something new, because theres only so much you can learn from a cdj, and I think theres nothing left there...SO ive chosen to switch.... I been thinking of getting a xone 92 (I used to have a djm-700).... I been watching some video of certain controllers, and I been seeing the the xone 1d is being used alot, not to mention the traktor x1 controller, and xone 2d...... the traktor controller looks like its just about effects though.... What i'd really love to do when it comes time is to have a xone 92 and to have 4 decks running off the laptop....any suggestions? and why? thanks boys

Sounds like what you're after is a Xone:3D or Xone:4D - they're both essentially a Xone:92 with 2 Xone:1Ds strapped onto them.

Maybe look into them

My bit of advice when choosing MIDI controllers would be to think about how you like to work and go from there. There are so many MIDI controllers around, the chances are you'll be able to find something which fits the bill, IF you know what you're looking for.

So for me I knew I wanted to control 3-4 decks and wanted the option of either beatmatching manually or syncing... so I needed a controller which had 4 buttons to act as play/pause, 4 sliders and some buttons for controlling loops, syncing etc. I also wanted it to be as easy as possible to set up when I get to a gig, so was aiming for a controller with a built-in soundcard (= one less box to carry and plug in). So I went for a Xone 2D

I seen a xone 92 for 1200 bucks somewhere, and I think xone 1d's are only like 4-5 hundred dollars.....SO I was thinking about that....but I do want to do syncing on the fly.....xone 4d is 2700 I think a little too steep for me.....I was almost thinking about the xone dx tho as well

Is it lazyness of beatmatching that has overcome you to go for the MIDI path?

Either way, 4D is overkill. Your not a big DJ that would get to have his 4D installed in the venue.

IMO, Deadmau5 is the only one i've seen so far doing some great shit with the deamau5.

^ lulz.

quote:

Originally posted by knowhope Either way, 4D is overkill. Your not a big DJ that would get to have his 4D installed in the venue.

But if you don't play out and you've got money to burn... great fun at home

It's a good point though - if you ARE planning to play out, try and come up with a system which doesn't mean replacing the mixer when you play out. You can set Traktor up to use an external mixer and that way you won't have to lug a mixer around with you, plus you won't piss clubs and other DJs off as much when you play.

quote:

Originally posted by knowhope IMO, Deadmau5 is the only one i've seen so far doing some great shit with the deamau5.

Most of the people that i've seen playing out with MIDI, including the 4D only do some simple mixes that can be done with CDJs, vinyl, DVS.

Look at Deadmau5 performance, he really utilise tons of the function that the 3D offers to him, compared to the rest of the performers. It's quite impressive.

PS i'm not talking about minimal DJs.

deadmau5 arranges track stems in ableton in advance and then twists knobs. He is just like girl talk, except that he wears a mask.

quote:

Originally posted by epicaricacy deadmau5 arranges track stems in ableton in advance and then twists knobs. He is just like girl talk, except that he wears a mask.

...although Deadmau5 makes killer tracks of his own.

quote:

Originally posted by jayxthekoolest ...although Deadmau5 makes killer tracks of his own.

if by killer you mean formulaic, predictable, and boring...then, yes. killer.

its not lazyness at all, I just had to sell my stuff not by choice....and I rather get into a different aspect of mixing, its not like I want to just sync tracks and thats it......I think its pretty generic using cdj's and is like riding a bike if you havent used them for a while.....I just want to try something different

Love seeing some new names in here. Even if it is just to flame the mau5 a little.


Anyway back on topic, go for a new setup if that's what you're looking for. Changing things up a little is always a great way of sparking your interest in what often becomes a lackluster hobby after going through the same motions again and again.

Throwing a midi controller into the mix/changing the set up completely or sometimes it's as simple as not playing for a while and coming back to it can do wonders for your enthusiasm and sometimes your inspiration.

Good luck with whatever route you choose to go down.

The Xone:92 is a good mixer, from what I hear. I'd suggest looking at Traktor Pro and the Kontrol X1s. They are a ton of fun to mix with, and the latest of Traktor is great to mix with. If you want to check out a video of what can be done with the Kontrol X1s, check out my friend's video:

quote:

Originally posted by knowhope Is it lazyness of beatmatching that has overcome you to go for the MIDI path? Either way, 4D is overkill. Your not a big DJ that would get to have his 4D installed in the venue. IMO, Deadmau5 is the only one i've seen so far doing some great shit with the deamau5.

Fucking Jesus!

quote:

Originally posted by n3lly Love seeing some new names in here. Even if it is just to flame the mau5 a little.

meh, the dj booth is pretty dead nowadays as you know, 3-4 years ago i remember it being much more vibrant. every once in a while i'll post just for the sake of disagreeing with someone

anyway - on topic: i've always used a laptop with MIDI controllers. there are several advantages - price (compared to a full cdj/turntable setup with good mixer...even though it depends on what kind of controller you get), not having to bother with CDs, customizability of your controller and use with different programs, portability, etc. currently i use an xponent with torq, and it does the job decently. before you decide what to get, figure out what software you want to use most and what its capabilities and limitations are. but even before that, figure out what you want to accomplish with your dj-ing, what style you want to develop - that will sometimes help you pick the software as well. for example, for me the most important thing at the time when i got the xponent was to be able to incorporate effects/loops/acapellas (as well as any other random creative thing i came up with at the moment) in my sets, and had to decide between the xponent and the vci100. even though the xponent's build and feel was inferior, the layout and number of assignable knobs/buttons was its advantage. it opened up the possibility for more random creativity, which would be constrained with a more limited interface.

i'm always open to new interfaces for controlling the sound, and might upgrade to a DVS with turntables as i'm also starting to build a vinyl collection. but one thing i would not change is having most of my music in digital format on an external HD - CDs were never ever appealing to me, and they're a waste

What I really want to try to do is....Just alot of looping and layering tracks I guess you can say?? wanna get the most out of four decks through a laptop, I think it could be just really new and fun.....im sure you can end up with some very interesting stuff

quote:

Originally posted by Polt The Xone:92 is a good mixer, from what I hear. I'd suggest looking at Traktor Pro and the Kontrol X1s. They are a ton of fun to mix with, and the latest of Traktor is great to mix with. If you want to check out a video of what can be done with the Kontrol X1s, check out my friend's video:

I picked up Traktor Pro along with a Kontrol X1. It's pretty sweet. I'm still figuring all out, but was well worth the investment.

Back on topic, it all comes down to what you want, what you want to use it for, price, and how much you can handle. Nothing wrong with starting with something small like a 1D or 2D. Find the software you like the most and go from there.

if you really want to try something different, why dont you dabble in making tracks? a daw and a few sample cds will not cost you much. i know production has helped me with djing a lot; harmonics, levels, elements, sequencing.

Depending on my finances, I'll either be buying a Xone 22 and 1 Tracker X1, or I'll get a Xone 42 and 2x X1's. I feel like I've earned the right to graduate from learning to mix on belt-drive Gemini XL-500 decks over a decade ago.

I've still got my Technics / Serato set up back in the UK but I feel Traktor and X1's will bring a whole new dynamic to my mixes here in the US.

If you going for traktor go with the x1.

I own a 92 and had 2 1d's, and could not be happier when I sold them and switch to the x1's
x1 has everything you will need to take control over traktor, cheaper, and efficient and you plug and go literally. And you can also modify it to custom your needs if you like.

quote:

Originally posted by Polt The Xone:92 is a good mixer, from what I hear. I'd suggest looking at Traktor Pro and the Kontrol X1s. They are a ton of fun to mix with, and the latest of Traktor is great to mix with. If you want to check out a video of what can be done with the Kontrol X1s, check out my friend's video:

Pretty nice, but the dude on the left is way too knob happy.

quote:

Originally posted by SPACEMASTERS If you going for traktor go with the x1. I own a 92 and had 2 1d's, and could not be happier when I sold them and switch to the x1's x1 has everything you will need to take control over traktor, cheaper, and efficient and you plug and go literally. And you can also modify it to custom your needs if you like.

it just seems the x1 and d1 or for different pruposes

but I think I may grab the x1.....

http://www.facebook.com/video/video...98357171&ref=mf

Carlo lio on it

Xone series are great MIDI controllers and yes the Mixers provided along are of amazing quality.
Well, I saw some DJ's video on youtube, he was promoting VCI-100 and my god what magic he did using sync functionality of Traktor Studio!!! He virtually remixed the track on the fly with samples from all different genre and it sounded so much more clubby. I am guessing his name was Ean Golden, not sure though.

But if that's the case you can get way more creative by using Ableton Live with Reason. You will find its easier to work with these softwares with a MIDI controller and yes nothing can beat a nice MIDI keyboard or MIDI rotary board for this purpose. Couple it up with an external sound card and you are done.
Well BT, Paul Van Dyk, Skazi, Infected Mushroom, Sasha and many other leading artists use this setup most of the time for his live performances

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