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First Controller

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  • September 21, 2015 at 4:59 am #2257821
    T.Wash
    Participant

    Edit: G4V has 2 FX knobs but this is a still a plus over the MPro 3 to me.

    P.S. I dislike that I can only edit my post within the few minutes after I’ve posted it.

    September 21, 2015 at 9:23 am #2257941
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    Hi, the forum is what it is. There are more imminent things that need upgraded, like personal messaging (PM). It’s already way better than the previous version we had.

    On-topic:

    Apart from it being Gemini (do a search on the forums and read all the comments about the brand) which is gear I would personally never get, you are comparing apples and pears, imho.

    Some the remarks show that you have been thinking about your workflow (or partially at least). Workflow is king, then comes software that supports that workflow, then comes setting a budget and finally comes picking two or three controllers that fit your budget, support/come with your software and that support (most of) your workflow.

    If you do it that way, you could never end up with a choice between the MP3 and the G4V. Obvious alternatives for the MP3 are the ones on our “standard” best beginner list, like DDJ-SB, Beatmix 2 and MC-2000. Alternatives for the G4V would be things like the Beatmix 4.

    If you are just starting, you are still a long way from using 4 decks (I have been DJ-ing for many years and still feel I could do without the extra two, although I use them for backup CD-players I have connected to them). Also, when you get better your workflow might change, so whatever you buy now, even if it has more features, may not be what you need then. Also there is a fair chance that when you progress you’ll want to move into the (semi)pro gear next. In both cases the Gemini costs you a lot more now, for features that you won’t immediately use and that might not be the right features when you ARE ready to move up. And that’s apart from the Gemini quality discussion.

    My advice would be to get the Reloop BM2 or the Mixtrack Pro 3 or one of the two others. They are qualitatively good units, good sound and will get you from starter to your first small gigs (i.e. b’day parties, bbq/garden parties, house parties and even small bars). Use some of the money you save that way on the How To Digital DJ Fast course on this site. It will, beyond a doubt, do more to kickstart your DJ-career than any piece of gear could.

    Then, when you feel you really start to miss certain features, you will have saved up enough to go towards Terminal Mix 8, DDJ-SX2 or something similar.

    September 21, 2015 at 10:40 pm #2258361
    T.Wash
    Participant

    So, I looked into a little more and did some more reading. Seems the quality of the pads/knobs/sliders on the Gemini isn’t the best. Now I’m thinking the BM4 is the better option (BM2 and BM4 are virtually the same price on Amazon right now ~300 USD). And it’s also bundled with Serato which I think could be nice. Another thing I saw on musiciansfriend was an open-box Terminal Mix 2 for ~190. It’s said that there may be a few dents or scuffs but everything works properly, which I don’t mind as long as all of the functionality is preserved. Any opinion on the TM2 vs the BM2/4? Seems that the TM2 has a few more bells and whistles at the expense of only having a 2 channel switching mixer vs the 4 channel on the BM4.

    September 22, 2015 at 8:45 am #2258571
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    I am sure Terry_42 will chime in as he knows Reloop the best.

    September 25, 2015 at 9:11 am #2260371
    Terry_42
    Keymaster

    I really like the BM4 I have used it for 2 hours at Musikmesse when it came out and I was impressed. Also it is easy to add a reloop Neon later if you feel the need to expand to finger drumming or Serato Flip. So you can keep this controller longer and do not need to exchange it for some mid-gear controller soon.

    September 29, 2015 at 9:44 am #2262491
    T.Wash
    Participant

    So….. I’m really thinking about getting he Reloop TM8 now. It’s got everything

    September 30, 2015 at 9:44 am #2263161
    Terry_42
    Keymaster

    That is actually what I am using.
    The TM8 is great in that: It does not overwhelm you, because its layout is basic, but it has everything you need when you go Pro.
    You can hook it up like a Mixtrack with its unbalanced outs and be done, or you can hook it up with balanced to PA and booth monitors and everything.
    So basically it is a very nifty unit and I like it very much. I have expanded it with a reloop Neon for Serato Flip, but that comes later hehe. You can do all the slicer, F/X, rolls etc. on the TM8 or just ignore those until you are ready.

    September 30, 2015 at 10:03 am #2263211
    T.Wash
    Participant

    There’s a refurbished one on Amazon for 550 and with my gift cards 510…. I think as far as advancements it has a lot of potential. I already know I like to mix because I’ve been doing it with Cross DJ for iOS for 1.5 years nows. The TM8 has all of the features I’m used to on Cross plus extra that I can learn, whereas the other mixers (except the Gemini) I was looking at are lacking at least 1-2 features that I heavily rely on when mixing. But Gemini seems to have very bad support and I don’t want to pay ~300 for VDJ or use the finicky Traktor mapping. The TM8 is probably the one 🙂

    September 30, 2015 at 5:31 pm #2263631
    T.Wash
    Participant

    TM8 is purchased! omgomgomgomg 😀

    October 5, 2015 at 4:54 pm #2266851
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    Congrats … !

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