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ableton+torq/serato? (pg. 2)
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| phobosCGS |
| I'll second this. I just got Torq and it's rock solid. I'm glad I got it over Serato. Can't wait to use other features that it has. |
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| i got big pants |
| how's the learning curve of it? since it seems like it has more features |
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| Allied Nations |
| Yes proper reviews of torq would be lovely. |
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| Raveaddict19 |
Posted this in an earlier thread...but thought maybe those actually interested would want to read it~
Ok, to finally put a nail in the coffin...
I have Torq (massive gasps and laughing), and have owned it for a good month now. The nice thing about what I'm going to say here is that I've used Serato in a club setting for about 4 months running off a Macbook and yes, like all you Serato users say, it is a definite win.
Serato is reliable, easy to use, easy to see, and very unbuggy (if thats even a word)
But since you all already know Serato, the true question lies with Torq. I've been running Torq off of a high end Dell Inspiron (even more gasps), and have had virtually NO problems with it. Any problem that I have had, was me being stupid, just like I've seen Serato go wrong in the hands of a stupid DJ. But in any case, Torq simply has more features, customization, and awesome integration that Serato simply doesnt and probably wont have. I will admit that I used it extensivley at home before using it in a club setting, but now that I've got the hang of it, its quite an outstanding program, especially with its use of internal mode and say a UC-33e.
You can infact almost use Torq as an ableton Lite in a way, with its spot on auto beatmatching (internal only) and easy to read wave forms. Plus theres auto looping of 1, 2, 4, and 8 bars. EVERYTHING is MIDI assiginable, theres a huge sample bank, and suprisingly GOOD effects. Some your better off using the mixer like a good ol cheez flang, but effects like repeat and strobe are pretty ing incredible.
By no means is it perfect, my biggest gripe and I havent heard anyone say this....
THERE IS NO SAFETY FOR A TRACK THAT IS IN PLAY
this means that if "Put your Hands Up For Detroit" is playing on Deck A, and you drop "At Night" on Deck A...you ed yourself. Whats worse is its not hard to do. The hot cues are F1 and F2, so basically, in a dark club its not hard to slip a sweaty finger and accidently cue the wrong track in the wrong deck totally ing up your set!!! BUT, maybe we can pray for that to change...thats my biggest gripe.
Serato's browswer is also unrivaled. M-Audio ate ass when they made this dinky little screen for searching, but you can do a hot key to bring up a huge browswer screen thats very friendly where you can even insert that Key of a track and organize the database by key! Good for us trancers (anyone?)
The wave forms are also really kick ass. Very big and easy to see, much easier than Serato's, and are actually a serious asset to the functionality of the program. You can adjust the phrasing of a grid that they have over the wave form which dictates how the program will map the beats and also prevent you from dropping in a track out of phrase (if in internal mode)
I've used the CD's and Vinyl, both work without a hiccup unless you have a ed up needle. Broke a whitelabel the other day and that kinda threw the program for a loop but no biggie due to the ease one can swith to internal mode or amputate mode where you actually use ONE deck to control your songs. Essentially, one deck is virtual, the other is on your platter. Very nice in some sticky situations which actually after a week of owning it, someones technic turntable died, so we only had one! Torq saved the day.
Theres alot of questions surrounding that as well, its merley 2 knobs that adjust either the USB (digital files via computer) or the actual Vinyl signal. Wanna play an old piece of wax you dont have digital? Turn the knob. easy
same with CD's.
Its super nice to have an interface with a headphone jack and cue controls on it because I could bring just that and my laptop and actually do a party if need be. Pretty convinient if you ask me.
So I hope this lays to rest some gripes about what the hell Torq is all about. It IS in fact stable, and quite nice. It takes some getting used to and definitley buts some pressure on Serato. I think Serato will always be trusted more, but if you wanna save some currency, and have a really great digital solution, theres not one ing reason not to get Torq and what not until further notice haha
And that of course is the biggest and most questionable thing, Torq is NEW. So, jump on the new boat? Or roll with the reliable oldie. Frankly with all you people buying Macs its funny that with such a new OS and questionable machine that everyone kinda goes one way with the new hardware and then the other with software....whatever, as long as you can play trakcs and not sound like ass, I dont care what you use.
Just Dance
my $8.32 cents |
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| Zild |
| Why use Ableton lite when you can just use the real deal like Sasha? |
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| skip |
| i read somewhere that there's some problems with the master tempo on torq. something like it goes off if you change the pitch of the tune playing or something weird like that. is this true? |
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| Allied Nations |
| quote: | Originally posted by Zild
Why use Ableton lite when you can just use the real deal like Sasha? |
Thanks for the awesome review- you may have swayed me!
2 more questions-
Is it possible to use the Torq completely mouseless?
Is the scratching/etc solid solid? |
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| i got big pants |
great review Raveaddict19
i saw a video where a midi controller was hooked up to the connectiv box thingie...now do you need a mixer that has MIDI capabilities such as the djm800, xone3d, nuo 4/5??? or can you still run a midi controller through a regular mixer...since i have a denon dn-x500...it has the send/return...but obviously no midi...if i were to get torq...i'd want to be able to pick up a midi controller.
btw...has anybody tried the m-audio x-session pro? its a toss up between that or the m-audio trigger finger...dont know which would be better
:conf: |
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| Allied Nations |
| quote: | Originally posted by i got big pants
great review Raveaddict19
i saw a video where a midi controller was hooked up to the connectiv box thingie...now do you need a mixer that has MIDI capabilities such as the djm800, xone3d, nuo 4/5??? or can you still run a midi controller through a regular mixer...since i have a denon dn-x500...it has the send/return...but obviously no midi...if i were to get torq...i'd want to be able to pick up a midi controller.
btw...has anybody tried the m-audio x-session pro? its a toss up between that or the m-audio trigger finger...dont know which would be better
:conf: |
It is compatible with midi mixers like the djm but you dont need one, it has 2 outs to be used with a regular external mixer.
I hope to pick it up along with a uc33... |
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| Zild |
| quote: | Originally posted by Allied Nations
Thanks for the awesome review- you may have swayed me!
2 more questions-
Is it possible to use the Torq completely mouseless?
Is the scratching/etc solid solid? |
I'm not trying to sway anyone. But to tell the truth I'm selling my technics and serato because I love Ableton as a standalone so much more. |
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| Allied Nations |
| quote: | Originally posted by Zild
I'm not trying to sway anyone. But to tell the truth I'm selling my technics and serato because I love Ableton as a standalone so much more. |
Oops. I meant to quote the BIG review.
If you plan to sell serato, send me a pm anyways :) |
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| Raveaddict19 |
Glad my review could be helpful to folks. I know it was frusturating to me when I was looking at it with no reviews so I just decided to take the plunge and buy the damn thing.
For all the questions about MIDI, I'm almost positive it would work fine with a Xone:3D or say a DJM-800. Like I said, I have a UC-33e as well as the Korg Pad Kontrol and its quite a setup. I'll post some pics in the bedroom DJ section tonight so you can see :tongue2
If you think setting up MIDI in Ableton is easy...(which it is!) its even easier in torq! All you have to do is connect your controllers, boot up the program, right click ANYTHING on the screen and it can be mapped by moving the controller. Torq automatically saves your settings and boom! easy.
To hit on the tempo problems...I almost gaurentee its because of not properly aligned wave forms. If your using torq with the master tempo syncing or deck syncing, the program relies on its wave forms EXACTLEY like ableton only easier! By holding shift and dragging your mouse across the wave form, you align a beat grid complete with actual "phrase" markers indicating where beat one is instead of just having a bunch of grid lines like other virtual programs. You have skinnier lines as well as thicker lines to indicate one so that way with the auto syncing you can't actually drop a track in "wrong" so to speak.
I actually started out in hip hop and turntablism, so to answer that question, yes the record never hiccups and its spot on. I DID however have a few funny things happen when I used the CD's with my Numark Axis 9's....Any effect from the cd player totally through the signal for whack (understandable) but thats with ANY control CD on ANY program. I've seen it happen with Final Scratch as well, so yeah...
And about mouseless...I think you miiight be able to if you mapped everything well enough, but I still dont mind searching the database with my trusty wireless mouse.
About the X-session...MAN does that look gimmicky. I have the Korg Pad Kontrol and couldnt be happier. I originally looked at the Trigger Finger but realllly wanted the UC-33e so it just made sense to buy the trigger finger with the x-y pad since I already had so many damn knobs. I've also heard reviews about the Trigger Finger, so I'd look elsewhere.
I know it all sounds strange with the comparisons to ableton but it cant be helped! I have both programs and absolutley love them, so I'm not bashing either since I think both should be used for totally different things in my opinion, but maybe thats another thread...
Big Pants- It's not a hard learning curve at all. Everything is really easy to figure out and quite easy to see. Figuring out the built in sampler might be a little odd at first as well as understanding the different modes, but the manual (on the CD only! Damnit M-Audio!) clears everything up quite nice. I dont think any of the virtual DJ programs are difficult and whatever your cost effective preference is, go for it.
And yes Zild, Ableton = total ing win |
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