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DJ Controller for my first gig

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  • January 15, 2013 at 7:57 pm #35112
    DJ Johnny Fantastic
    Member

    I’m a fan of the Hercules RMX. It has a small footprint but is built tough and doesn’t break the bank ($300 CDN for the RMX2). I just ordered the RMX2 since it has a few more features than the original but same basic design, just waiting for it to arrive but if it’s anything like the original, it should be perfect. You could obviously go the route of the S2 as well, which works perfectly with tracktor software if that’s what you are using. If you have a decent music shop near you, go in and try some out.

    I pair mine with a pad midi controller as well so I can remix samples and such on the fly. Been using an old Korg that costs around 50 CDN but will probably change that soon as well.

    It all comes down to what you want and where you want to go with being a DJ. I DJ as a hobby, doing parties and the odd club gig so my set-up works for me. It’s easy to transport and takes up a small amount of room (which can be a concern in some clubs and house parties). If I can find somewhere to put a laptop stand then my set-up will fit as well. If I did it more seriously, I’d probably invest in at least an S2 but probably an S4.
    My two cents.

    January 15, 2013 at 8:05 pm #35113
    Chris Donegan
    Member

    Cheers for that bud. I was just looking at the s2 actually seems like alot of people are pleased with it. Its still early days for me but im hooked at it atm and really want to get out there and start taking it seriously.

    January 16, 2013 at 11:21 am #35141
    Ess Jay
    Member

    I have pretty much the exact same story as you – mixtrack pro, got hooked, wanted upgrade – except im over at Durham Uni.

    I got an s2 and havn’t regretted it, if you are using traktor it is perfect. Shop in newcastle do 5-10% student discount too.

    If you are serato, the reloop TM4 looks good

    January 16, 2013 at 1:48 pm #35145
    Michael Lawrence
    Participant

    Agreed with the S2. I have one as well. I upgraded from the first Vextax Spin last year and havent turned back. Perfect with Traktor, compact but lots of power and flexibility. Built in sound card and theres tons of resources out there for the unit and software.

    January 16, 2013 at 2:05 pm #35146
    NietzSKY
    Participant

    If you don’t scratch/worry about jog wheels, the novation twitch looks like a decent controller on a budget. Also, it may be a good time to give a 4-channel mixer a try (depending on what variants of edm/techno you spin).

    January 16, 2013 at 3:34 pm #35149
    Daryl Northrop
    Participant

    I use the Novation Twitch, and really enjoy it.

    But, more importantly than the controller is software you want to use for mixing. Serato and Traktor are both great, but are fairly different in setup and functionality. It may be worth it to play around with both software packages and see which one you like better, and then go controller shopping. Not all controllers are supported by both software programs, so it is important to think about which mixing program you are going to go with.

    January 16, 2013 at 5:32 pm #35151
    JBrown
    Member

    I’m a big fan of the Twitch as well. I feel like it’s the best of all worlds–perfect for beginners while making me feel like I’m going to be learning how to master its features for a while, and works with Traktor while being made for ITCH. Plus it’s super portable. You can find one new for around $350 these days, which is a great deal, especially when you consider the fact there’s a free upgrade to Serato DJ on the horizon. I tried a few jog wheel controllers before settling on the Twitch, and I haven’t missed the jogs at all.

    January 18, 2013 at 7:09 pm #35289
    jake
    Member

    I was in a similar boat, unsure about the RMX2, the Traktor S2, and the Denon MC3000.

    Personally I would avoid the RMX2, its a great controller, but for the price, your better to look at the other options.
    If you really want to use Traktor, consider the S2, its got great traktor inegration and I beleive it comes with the full version of traktor ($89)

    Personally I went with the Denon MC3000 for a few reasons.
    1. Its built like a tank
    2. There are mappings for Traktor and VDJ
    3. You can plug an external source and run audio through it, so i have my iphone (and a DJing app) all ready to go in the chance my computer crashes.
    4. I got a really amazing deal on it from ProAudioStar (I paid $299 usd)
    5. Denon is a well known brand who makes quality products

    January 20, 2013 at 1:42 am #35349
    Chris Donegan
    Member

    Cheers for the response guys. Really helpful. Im going rack my brain and have look what the best deals i can get. I have no experience with Serato, so cant comment, but i might check it out. As the twitch does look cool. Cheers for the heads up on the student discount. So it looks like its between the S2 and the denon. Decisions!

    January 20, 2013 at 5:38 am #35359
    jake
    Member

    Find where you can get the best deal. A few sites have live chat (proaudiostar, unique squared, etc…) and almost all sites will beat by 10% so just take your time, shop around. No point in rushing your decision.

    January 20, 2013 at 9:01 pm #35379
    Electricbloom
    Member

    Denon beats the S2 on build quality hands down. The S2 integrates nicely with Traktor, but other then that, the Denon has much more going for it then the S2. Compared to the Denons (all of them actually) the S2/4 feels like a toy to me. Over at the Djtechttools forum i’ve seen a lot of complaints concerning build quality…

    January 20, 2013 at 10:38 pm #35385
    Chris Donegan
    Member

    i was looking into the twitch last night. That also looks really cool now haha Yeah im going to take my time. I wasnt impressed with the build quality of the mixtrack pro- so maybe sturdy build is something i need.

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