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My first Controller (hope 4 some advice)

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Viewing 11 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)
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  • January 27, 2014 at 1:39 pm #1027171
    Marco Solo
    Participant

    It really depends on the location you play. I play at a local bar for instance and they don’t even have XLR’s. Most locations will support the standard RCA’s that are on the Mixvibes I think. But there are always exceptions of course.

    I’d say all 3 are quite nice. Don’t just take the hardware into account. Think about the software you want to use too. Buying a cheap controller and then having to spend more on additional software can make some pieces of kit not a very good deal.

    January 27, 2014 at 1:53 pm #1027185
    Caribyo
    Participant

    Thank you Marco

    I am planing to use Mixvibes or Traktor Pro 2.

    All of the named controller sare compatible with one software at least.

    The VMS2 is right now at a very low price (169€) and if I buy a Cross DJ Version it would be about the same price as the U-Control 2… The Gemini would only work in Traktor up 2 now. But as it is pretty new some more mapping might follow.

    So the question is which controller gives me the best package and also offers some future potencial, so I dont have to rebuy within the next 2 years. As I am far away from being an expert I was hoping that somebody here might see one of these controllers ahead of the others, considering quality and price.

    January 27, 2014 at 3:24 pm #1027191
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    Unless you intend to do no growing as a DJ, I think 2 years is about the horizon as far as chosing the right gear now. If you do grow, I am sure you will be stepping up to the next level of gear by then.

    Especially if you manage to make a few dollars while playing out. Money that can go towards that new controller.

    The choice of software has a pretty severe impact on what controller to use. The choice of software depends mainly on the kind of DJ-ing you intend to do.

    I had Traktor and switched to Cross, for reasons that were important to me, but might not necessarily for you.

    So, hard for us to advice. There are no real bad controllers around anymore, imho. So whatever you get should last you that 2 years you are talking about.

    If you ever want to plug in to a serious PA, RCA’s will not do. Personally I would want balanced outputs (not XLR per se, balanced Jacks would work too). So that rules out the Mixvibes box. Good thing is that a full version of Cross DJ is only 49,99 USD. Booth out is a nice thing to have too.

    Not sure the Gemini is in the same class as the other two. Haven’t had the pleasure of using it yet. Have had American DJ stuff. Some of it was great, some of it not so much. Guess you need to get lucky, depending on the (kind of) product you are buying.

    If you are considering the Gemini, suddenly controllers like the Denon MC-2000 (only RCA too though :-() and MC-3000 come into play as well. And the latter is something that could potentially stay with you longer than two years (and the way it’s build it will last at least 10!). However, I am expecting something new from Denon. My favorite online DJ shop no longer carries them. And the leap from MC-2000 to MC-6000 MkII is too big to not plug that hole frankly.

    Add to this that it is a very personal choice at the end of the day too and you’ll get why we can’t tell you which controller will be “Da Best”  for you.

    Greetinx.

     

    January 27, 2014 at 3:48 pm #1027194
    Caribyo
    Participant

    Thx Mr. Vintage

    I totally understand, that I have to make that final choice. I just thought, that some more experienced DJs, that might have even used this gear can give me some first hand advice and your post is already helpful to me. If I really stick to DJing as much as I hope I might also afford sth. more expensive in the future. But now it is more about getting started and see how deep I get into this. So I am not willing to spend more than 300€ on my first  controller. This might change in the future. Still I want that controller to have as much potencial as possible for situations that might come up to me. Just imagine if I have the opportunity to perform somewhere but I can´t because my controller can´t connect to a professional PA. If that Mixvibes Controller had XLRs I would have already bought it. But as it doesnt I am really considering my alternatives.

    January 27, 2014 at 4:02 pm #1027197
    Marco Solo
    Participant

    Something that DJ Vintage missed but is worth mentioning is that it depends on the software wether your controller is supported, not the other way around. Cross DJ, Traktor and VirtualDJ allow you to map your controller (or download a mapping from the net), whereas Serato has no mapping options for supported controllers. You can map one, but only one that’s not outright supported and only with a supported controller connected.

    January 27, 2014 at 4:05 pm #1027198
    Caribyo
    Participant

    That and the fact that I need additional hardware for Serato  kicked it out of my softwarelist very early.

    January 27, 2014 at 4:12 pm #1027202
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    Luckily there are more and more entry level Serato controllers these days, so that need not be a big problem anymore if you think that Serato is the best software for you!

    January 27, 2014 at 5:07 pm #1027212
    Caribyo
    Participant

    I dont know why, but Serato was not really on my agenda from the very benning… though it is used by many Pros.

    And anyhow: I just ordered me the VMS2 from AMerican Audio.

    I think buying this stand alone mixer for 169€ (it was a special price) is a really nice deal, and it is also compatible with all three softwares I might use.  Hope I made the right choice and can start having fun Djing soon ;))

    January 29, 2014 at 6:08 pm #1027516
    Matt Orozco
    Participant

    Why not go for a Traktor S4 or S2 MK1?  Since the release of the MK2’s you can probably find new ones pretty cheap or even a decent used one for a steal.  If you buy new, you get Traktor Pro 2 for free so that saves you $80 – $150 depending on the software.  Most controllers that are not NI come with either an LE version of VDJ or Serato.  Both LE versions are good for starting, but can be outgrown quick.  In hindsight I would have started with a traktor controller if I had known better, but I went with Numark Mixtrack with VDJ.  Good for starting, but I was ready to move on once I played with an S4.

    Good luck!

    January 29, 2014 at 9:50 pm #1027540
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    Hey Matt,

    Keep running into you! LOL.

    Problem with that approach is that it is going backwards! The choice of controller should be at the END of a process of decision making that starts with determining your goal in DJ-ing, the kind of DJ you are (think you want to be), the workflow that you need to make that work. Then the choice for what software will work best for your workflow and then, based on available budget, what controllers support both your favorite software AND have as many of the must have/want to have features you can afford.

    Let’s say I had bought an S2 instead of the MC6000 that I DID buy. I would have started out with Traktor (as I did with my 6000 which came with Traktor LE which I upgraded immediately). Let’s say that after a year, year and a half, I would come to the conclusion that Traktor did NOT fit my style of DJ-ing as much as I’d hoped. In my case (MC6000) I had the option of going VDJ (natively supported) or Cross (also with a very tight mapping from MixVibes). The only one that was out of reach was Serato.

    Had I bought the S2, I would have been stuck. No Serato, no VDJ and no Cross (S4 is supported, but not S2).

    I would say the S2/S4 route is great if you are upgrading from your starting controller and you have determined what your workflow is gonna be for the foreseeable future and that Traktor fits that workflow. Then you will have a great controller that perfectly matches your favorite DJ software.

    <span style=”line-height: 1.5em;”>Better to get like a MixTrack or MC2000 that can be used for various software and if you decide to buy new hardware because of a change in software, you can still sell it after a year for half of what you paid for it. Since what you paid for it wasn’t too big of an amount to start with, it’s an easier write-off emotionally than having to sell your S2 after a year :-)</span>

    Personally I would not want to start with a controller that is bound so tight to one kind of software, especially if I am still unsure about my DJ-ing direction. Just my opinion obviously.

    Greetinx.

    January 30, 2014 at 4:42 pm #1027602
    Matt Orozco
    Participant

    Yeah, I’ve been a long time “lurker” for many years and have been active on the forums recently since I have been taking my DJing more seriously.

    You make a valid point, and I too started with a non-traktor controller, but ended up going that route up until now.  In retrospect, what you’re saying makes a lot of sense and from a cost / benefit standpoint it may make more sense for OP to buy something that has a perfect balance of price and functionality to get started.

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