How would you manage your media on this setup?

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-- How would you manage your media on this setup?

Posted by Raphie on Aug-22-2011 16:16:

How would you manage your media on this setup?

Last couple of weeks I've become a bit more serious about my DJ setup and now could really use some advice on media management

So first my setup:
TRAKTOR S4 + Scratch upgrade
2x CDJ-850
Mackie D.4 Pro (Scractch compatible)

I want to use the CDJ's with USB sticks and have started to work with Rekordbox in order to analyze my MP3's, but TRAKTOR does not use the analysis info from rekordbox, neither does rekordbox the other way around. Also if i prepare a set in rekordbox, is there a way to get that set into TRAKTOR as well?

I guess I just struggle a bit with keeping up to speed updating all the metadata all the time, how do u guys do that?

Posted by Adam420 on Aug-22-2011 16:21:

Swap the S4 for a real mixer and your problems are solved

Posted by Raphie on Aug-22-2011 18:41:

Don't go there..... Already got a real mixer, the Mackie D.4 Pro, also don't understand what that has to do with media management?

Just looking for a smart way to combine rekordbox and traktor pro

Posted by Adzy on Aug-23-2011 09:24:

I've got an S4 and used rekordbox before to set hot cue's etc.

Only thing I can think of is that you'll have to do all the work in each program.

Posted by Raphie on Aug-23-2011 11:32:

It seems your right, in order to prevent the PIO 850's to scan all files when loading them, i guess i have to take my library both through Rekordbox AND TRAKTOR to have them analyzed

Posted by itsamemario on Aug-24-2011 10:24:

I have never really seen the benefit of using CDJ's with Traktor. Seems like alot of work, money and hassle, just so you don't have to burn cd's/copy to memory stick.

Posted by Raphie on Aug-24-2011 16:07:

It's redundancy,

Using TRAKTOR and the S4 is all nice and good, however if the system crashes, your fucked. big power pop and no more music, laptop reboot needed etc etc....
so in order to make sure that the party continues, I've got 2 CDJ 850 connected to Mackie D.4 Pro (to which the stereoout of the TRAKTOR S4 is connected to as well, in this case if TRAKTOR crashes, I've got the same library on 2 32GB USB sticks directly on the CDJ's as well and no one will ever know the difference.
On top of that the CDJ's are fully USB HID controlled so with Virtual DJ Pro they can work as midi controllers AND soundcards
(I've got Virtual DJ Pro 7.05 as well, as this was my previous platform)

Also the CDJ's are nice for the people that come with requests and their own CD's or USB sticks, you then don't get any crap on your laptop from sticking in roque sticks.

remember i'm not a club DJ, but to parties and weddings dragging around my own PA and setup.... so once i leave the house for a gig,i need to be sure that i can complete the night.

Posted by Zak McKracken on Aug-24-2011 18:26:

the dj booth should run on UPS and your laptop should have enough battery to survive a 2 minute cut in power if the club doesnt have UPS. not valid point.

Posted by DJ RANN on Aug-24-2011 20:41:

quote:
Originally posted by Raphie
It's redundancy,

Using TRAKTOR and the S4 is all nice and good, however if the system crashes, your fucked. big power pop and no more music, laptop reboot needed etc etc....
so in order to make sure that the party continues, I've got 2 CDJ 850 connected to Mackie D.4 Pro (to which the stereoout of the TRAKTOR S4 is connected to as well, in this case if TRAKTOR crashes, I've got the same library on 2 32GB USB sticks directly on the CDJ's as well and no one will ever know the difference.
On top of that the CDJ's are fully USB HID controlled so with Virtual DJ Pro they can work as midi controllers AND soundcards
(I've got Virtual DJ Pro 7.05 as well, as this was my previous platform)

Also the CDJ's are nice for the people that come with requests and their own CD's or USB sticks, you then don't get any crap on your laptop from sticking in roque sticks.

remember i'm not a club DJ, but to parties and weddings dragging around my own PA and setup.... so once i leave the house for a gig,i need to be sure that i can complete the night.

Then honestly, why both with traktor at all? I have this argument all the time in the DJ booth. What's the fucking point in using a laptop if you have to bring a duplicate setup, not to mention a complete backup of your entire music library in a different format, and that's aside from the point that CDJ's don't play well with any other system's media library protocols.

Every laptop DJ has to cart around a CD wallet (or at least the ones that have any sense) so why not just DJ with CD's? It's not like all the technology has made music or the scene any better is it?

It's also been shown that laptops are actually getting less reliable each year and more prone to serious malfunction than ever before. one in three laptops will fail within 18 months of purchase. Those are not acceptable odds in a controlled studio environment and they certainly should not be acceptable in a (much harsher) club/live environment.

So does the s4 not have a "through" option for the I/O? that's a major fucking mistake if not - at least with serato, if shit hits the fan you just switch to through and play via the mixer and CDJs/TT's.

Posted by Raphie on Aug-24-2011 21:05:

You're right RANN, i could work with 1 CDJ in thru mode but when i would need to reboot the PC that would give a pop when connected via usb. I have to say though I've not been able yet to crash TRAKTOR yet

But i'm a bit phobic ever since i had VirtualDJ + DMC-2 crash on me during a 100 people party.... at that time i luckily had NUMARK CD-22 MK4's as backup. Maybe TRAKTOR is just the better product, dunno
just don't want to take any risks. And i don't trust external soundcard / comtroller combo's yet as much as i do real mixers, but maybe the S4 will prove me wrong in the coming gigs.