Using digital decks without "Sync"
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- This topic has 12 replies, 1 voice, and was last updated 13 years, 8 months ago by
Phil Morse.
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July 23, 2012 at 3:00 pm #1008432
Hee Won Jung
ParticipantI have never used the Typhoon at all so i dont know if that is possible…but you can chance pitch adjustment up to 2% within Traktor and with my Kontrol S4 i do nothing but manual beat matching…and pitch adjustments…and it works exactly like CDJS…although u will have to adjust for drift as sometimes you cannot get it exactly the same bpm…ie 128.54 and 128.56 so like every 30 seconds you will have to compensate for drift.
July 23, 2012 at 4:12 pm #1008433D-Jam
ParticipantIt has pitch/tempo sliders. So go manual.
Accuracy I believe you set in the software.
July 23, 2012 at 4:25 pm #1008437Strictly T
ParticipantI would like to practice my beat matching on a midi controller but my Vestax controller is just not good enough, the jog wheels always stick and the pitch is too small for small accurate adjustments 🙁
I have no problem with sync when making a serious mix but messing around is much more fun without, but I cant afford CDJs.
Bizzarely despite using Sync all the time, my mixing and beat matching is much improved on my friends CDJs, you would think the opposite would happen! Anyone else had this?
July 24, 2012 at 6:24 am #1008467Terry_42
KeymasterYou can set the pitch response in Traktor. I would recommend going to youtube and look up some tuning tutorials for traktor. With that settings manual beatmatching should not be a problem. I rarely use the sync button at all.
July 26, 2012 at 4:41 pm #1008685D-Jam
Participantstrictlyt, post: 24510, member: 2747 wrote: I would like to practice my beat matching on a midi controller but my Vestax controller is just not good enough, the jog wheels always stick and the pitch is too small for small accurate adjustments 🙁
Don’t let that stop you. Adjust…adapt…try.
I originally started DJing on these:

Look at that tiny little pitch knob…and no 0-12 numbers to go by. When I would cue or try to adjust, things would not be easily smooth because the platter isn’t as solid as a 1200.
Still, we adjusted and adapted. Yes I bought 1200s a year or so later, but my point is we all have to stop thinking that we must have “proper gear” or making excuses to why we can’t try. I saw your controller and I would try. I used to roll my eyes at guys in the past who felt they couldn’t DJ until they upgraded to 1200s and a big expensive Pioneer mixer. Come on.
Just try and learn. If anything, it’ll make you work even more solid the day you get what you think is a better setup. The best DJs in my book are those who can walk up and play on what’s in front of them, not the ones who demand a certain setup.
July 26, 2012 at 8:18 pm #1008696Phil Morse
Keymaster“a pitch accuracy of around 0.02%” – this is pretty good. I have a pair of battered old Technics here and they fluctuate so I reckon I’m getting 1/30 BPM accuracy at best from them, whereas the above is 1/50th of a BPM.
July 26, 2012 at 8:35 pm #1008699Jahit Halil
Participantİ was in the same boat, didnt initially enjoy it and then one day İ made some adjustments and now İ cant get enough of it. I have a reloop DJ 3 ME and to be honest the feel of it and the quality is awesome. İ can pull off proffessional mixes, however it takes some time to get used to the transition. İt took me a few weeks but now İ love it. İn fact İ prefer it to using vinyl and technics now!
July 27, 2012 at 2:05 am #1008713DJ Loso
Membervestaxtyphool, post: 24504, member: 2711 wrote: Hi guys, i’m new to the forum and have been djing since around 1997. Started out on soundlab cdj’s, then soundlab belts, then technics for many years, then back to pioneer cdj’s. I have now moved on to midi controller djing and tbh i’m not near as much enjoying it as vinyl or cdj’s!
Matching beats with a sync button just does not appeal to me at all!
Anyway, i’ve bought a Vestax Typhoon and am using Traktor Pro 2. I was just wondering if it is at all possible to use these like cdj’s and beat match manually with a pitch accuracy of around 0.02% (+/- 6%) as the manual pitch adjust on traktor takes very large steps imo. I’m new to all this midi controller pruck and i’m old skool, is there any hope!??
Cheers!I have gemini ctrl six which i never use the sync buton.
July 27, 2012 at 6:33 am #1008717Terry_42
Keymasterabout accuracy a friend of mine always said: do not underestimate the power of good nudging skills 🙂
July 28, 2012 at 2:50 pm #1008809Strictly T
Participantyes I will definitely give it a go – I have one more question though, if I get a new midi controller without jog wheels does that mean sync is then the only way you can use it?
July 29, 2012 at 3:57 pm #1008838Terry_42
KeymasterNot the only way, some people say they can beatmatch on a twitch, but since I prefer the more traditional workflow not having jogs seems to me limiting my options.
July 29, 2012 at 6:12 pm #1008854D-Jam
Participantstrictlyt, post: 24905, member: 2747 wrote: yes I will definitely give it a go – I have one more question though, if I get a new midi controller without jog wheels does that mean sync is then the only way you can use it?
You could ride the pitch, but if you want to go manually and play like you do on vinyl, then get a midi control with good quality jogs.
In all honesty, I don’t have an issue with sync. I still don’t understand why people seemingly think we need to live in the past…but I tend to look at DJing differently than most.
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