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First Controller = High End?

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  • June 26, 2012 at 12:22 pm #1006753
    VinnyBlanc
    Participant

    There are a bunch of options for 4 deck Traktor Controllers. Be sure to check them all.

    -NI S4
    -Pioneer DDJ-T1
    -Numark 4 Trak
    -Vestax VCI-400
    -Denon MC6000

    There might even be more, but I’m a Serato user…

    I usually hear people recommend the Denon over any of the others, but at this price Point there really aren’t any BAD controllers. I would also give the Numark 4-trak a look if build quality impresses you…

    June 26, 2012 at 12:39 pm #1006755
    Terry_42
    Keymaster

    If you are into Traktor the VCI-400 is prolly as good as it gets.
    You can easily go for the “normal” VCI-400 as DJTT promised to release the firmware for the VCI-400 and you can get the mapping files at their download section for free.
    You can still use the VCI-400 like any other controller and just forget some of the knobs in the beginning. Yes there will be a learning curve for both Traktor and the controller, but it just means you won’t outgrow it and you will develop alongside it. Also the VCI-400 has a lot of live in it, since it is very new.

    You should however also consider what you want from a controller, my current top controllers are:
    – VCI-400 if you are controllerist and want all the buttons in one unit, perfekt for Traktor
    – VCI-380 if you want Pads and Itch
    – Reloop Terminal Mix 4 if you want the best non-motorized jog wheels and are on a budget, very good for VDJ even if it says Serato on the unit hehe
    – Numark 4Trak for heavyweight but awesome Traktor control with more straight forward workflow than the VCI-400
    – Reloop Jockey 3 ME for budget Traktor controller

    Look for the reviews on those units or better try to get your hands on them yourself.

    June 26, 2012 at 4:06 pm #1006772
    michael133
    Member

    you need to ask yourself do you really need a 4 channel controller or can you manage with 2 i personally went with a vci100 and a reloop contour IE as my first mixer controllers for djaying as i realised 90% of the time im only using 2 decks with a third for samples (A&B on vci and sample deck C on the contour triggering pre eq’d samples)

    June 26, 2012 at 5:48 pm #1006780
    Steelo
    Participant

    I went with the S4 as I wanted tight Traktor integration but the build quality was a concern for me also. The VCI-400 was my second choice. Its a really nice controller. After using a few different brands, I find Vestax is doing things right. If I had an excuse to buy another main controller I would be grabbing the VCI-400. I would see if you can test some stuff out but if not its a great choice.

    June 30, 2012 at 11:15 am #1006950
    Phil Morse
    Keymaster

    You basically need the ability to mix two sources together. Any controller, from the Mixtrack Pro up, can do that. Look carefully at the extra features and costs as the price rises and ask if you need them. DJing existed before newfangled controllers and mappings, and will exist when the flavour of the day has changed. The crowd, the music and the programming are what counts first. Try not to be blinded by marketing and tech, when what’s really important is getting in front of a crowd and “doing it”.

    That’s not to say esoteric mappings and expensive controllers aren’t great, but they’re not necessary. You may decide you want to learn to DJ with a USB stick and club gear, and only have a controller because it’s convenient for home practice, for instance. In this case you may bemoan that you bought a top-of-the-range controller. But until you’ve DJed for a bit, this kind of question is impossible to answer.

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