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Need help with controllers

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  • April 10, 2015 at 3:55 am #2173811
    Tristan
    Participant

    I forgot, SX is the same price Brand-new, but think could get a deal at around 600-ish at ebay. Am i good to go with an SX already? or just spend the extra bucks to get a new SX2?

    April 10, 2015 at 8:15 am #2173921
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    I’d stick with Traktor. And you might even go for the S8. We got another glimpse of the direction Traktor is moving in (Stems), which is clearly a more producer-oriented corner of the market. And with each new feature they introduce, I am guessing your non-NI controllers will become more and more “incompatible”. Just my opinion, but I wouldn’t buy a 1000 dollar controller if I planned on using software that comes from a company that does nothing to support that hardware and might end up alienating my hardware with future software upgrades.

    Just my two cents as usual.

    You asked what could be holding you back in your progress? That is a question only you can answer. What is it that YOU feel is missing on your MTP2 right now that you’d need to progress?

    April 10, 2015 at 10:10 am #2174061
    Tristan
    Participant

    Thats one of my dilemmas. I would like to use Traktor, but i am not comfortable buying a controller that was designed for traktor. Like for example, i wouldve liked the S4, but there are reviews of it crashing in the middle of gigs, cheap plastic etc. S8 looks good but i think i like my jogs more. I would like something like the S4, but with a solid build like the SX2. does anyone know what if DDJ T1 is any good?

    One good thing about traktor though is its mapping feature. But yes, there is still that uncertainty of making non-NI controllers obsolete in the future.

    April 10, 2015 at 10:17 am #2174081
    Tristan
    Participant

    @djvintage

    do you think traktor is superior against serato?

    well for me, i think if youre going to rely on software for DJ-ing, serato is kinda like the limited version. It just feels i could do more with traktor(well the mappings play a huge role here). but then again, i know its just a matter of where you are comfortable playing with..

    April 10, 2015 at 8:30 pm #2175121
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    Nope, I don’t. For me Traktor is near useless. I never got used to the workflow, when I saw other implementations of collection management Traktor seemed a bit archaic. And clearly Traktor has no clue how to handle older, non-electronic tracks as far as beatgridding goes. Yet for some styles of DJ-ing I think it IS actually the best.

    Neither Serato, nor Virtual DJ (8) nor Mixvibes Cross qualify as the “limited” version, compared to Traktor, imho. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. If you are big on the remix decks in Traktor, then yes, they have the best papers (although apparently the Serato Flip technology opens op a box of creative possibilities too). Serato FX are top notch (as they get very good plugin technology from leading audio engineering companies). And I can keep going on.

    Choose what works best for your style of DJ-ing, your workflow and the things you think you absolutely need and the things that you think are an absolute bonus to have. But let go of the idea that there is one BEST or ONLY serious DJ software. There isn’t. More importantly, at the end of the day, it’s not the tools that make the DJ. It’s – to paraphrase Terry – knowing what comes next!

    April 14, 2015 at 4:27 am #2177091
    Tristan
    Participant

    Thanks DJ Vintage.

    Well i agree you should go with what you are comfortable playing with.

    Now, i prefer to use traktor, just because the workflow of its interface is easier, well atleast for me.

    I could go with the S4? but i feel that the plastics are just so cheap. What other controllers are fully integrated with traktor? I know you could just get the sx2 for example and map it with traktor. Has anyone tried that? how did it go? I asked because if im getting the S4, i might just spend the extra hundred bucks and go with the sx2, even if it means switching to serato dj…

    April 15, 2015 at 1:39 am #2177881
    Solow
    Participant

    Which is more important to you? Your software or hardware? If you can take any software then just choose a controller you like and follow the software. Like Vintage said, serato is still adding new features and FX Expansion packs to keep up with Traktor. Also depending on your style of DJing, one might be better that the other. If you plan on DJing lots of parties, serato is good because of it’s stability and there’s less that could go wrong. Serato is very popular with DJ’s in my area. Traktor is good if you are going to be doing lots of home mixing and remixing. I’ve seen DJ’s do great parties with traktor too though. Either way, after being with a software for a while, you’ll feel right at home with it. One bonus of traktor is you can have a modular setup though(Like having an S2 and adding a F1 for remix decks.) You can also disconnect the extras you don’t need at a gig too which is good. I’m currently using serato. Even serato intro is decent enough for your parties. If you take it or have taken it to gigs, then you can decide if you want to go to full version Serato DJ. I would stay away from the S8 for now because
    1. It just came out so price is high
    2. Mixtrack to S8 is a huge jump. Probably has too many unnecessary features
    3. No Jogwheels. Sometimes it’s good to have a couple scratches in your bag of tricks
    4. You could build a similar setup with traktor controllers like a couple of F1’s and Z1’s

    Just some of my thoughts. Keep experimenting with them.

    April 15, 2015 at 7:41 pm #2178221
    T.J. Highland
    Participant

    I personally like the clean look and feel of Traktor. However, I don’t know much about Serato and I’m sure the DDJ SX2 will get you very far. Another thing you could do, which is what I did, is get Native Instrument’s Kontrol X1 (about $200) and pair it with a mixer, like the z1 (also $200) and you can expand from there. This works great for those of us who are, unfortunately on a budget, but ultimately the choice is yours.

    April 17, 2015 at 5:58 am #2178581
    Tristan
    Participant

    Hi guys, thanks for all the help.

    I have decided and will be settling for a ddj t1. I just prefer traktor over serato for the software. And i got a pretty good deal for the controller(right around $350 bucks with shipping).

    Since ill be getting it second hand, does it ship standard with the traktor software? the seller said it has a serial code which he already registered on the site, do i still ask him to unregister the said unit?

    and of course, any tips and tricks with ddj t1 is appreciated.

    Thanks to all!

    April 17, 2015 at 8:13 am #2178811
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    Yep, he needs to unregister it before you can re-register it.

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