DJ Vintage

I use mine with a Macbook Pro. Had to do the firmware upgrade to have it work with macOS Sierra. Only in test mode so far (still using my SX with Mixvibes Cross for gigs as I haven’t quite gotten my Serato library and setup where I want it), but the tests look pretty good. Few odd things but that is more software transition issues than hardware related I think.

So far I am a happy camper with it.

That I can’t answer. Not that much into NI-gear and Traktor anymore.

This might help though: http://www.digitaldjtips.com/buyers_guide_review/native-instruments-traktor-kontrol-x1-mk2/

Slightly off-topic follow-up on previous reply.

For starters I am NOT a Mac fanboy. The only reason I ever bought one is because of DJ-ing. All my other PCs are, have been and will be Windows machines.

That said, for many reasons the Mac does please me more than my previous Windows laptops have done for DJ-ing purpose (dual-boot, DJ-optimized and all). While I am sure there is a component of “doing whatever we can do to sell you more Apple gear” going on, the same is true for Microsoft and Windows. Yes, Microsoft makes no hardware, but have charged hard bucks for many years for OS upgrades that you didn’t officially need, but if you didn’t get them you could get into compatibility issues with newer software and hardware. They are not shy of trying anything that will bring in more Windows dollars even while customers are perfectly happy with what they currently have either.

The flip side of the closed Apple Eco-system is that stuff would work, because they did not have to take the entire world into account designing something, nor did they have to do the legacy thing any longer than they felt like it, meaning newer and better technologies could come in quicker. The lifespan of hardware supporting the latest OS versions is, by the look of it, shorter than that of Windows machines.
While an old intel-based laptop might not run very fast, you could usually install the Windows version you wanted, even if it was below official specs. The only thing Windows refuses to do is let you install a 64-bit version on a 32-bit machine, which is a good thing LOL.
OSX (and now macOS) did just stop allowing you to install a newer version on a machine that was under-specced in their opinion. How much the “sell them a new laptop” idea played a role there I don’t know, there is something to be said for wanting to prevent under-performing Macbooks because of too much strain from recent OS updates. And you could still continue using the old version, it would just not try to upgrade to the new release.

As with all brands, at some point support for older software (and hardware) seizes to exist. While this might last longer with Windows, the risks of non-support are bigger too. The biggest part of updates (not upgrades) and support packs are security related and it’s obvious that security issues are more relevant for Windows than for Apple environments. This is a debatable point of course, but in general I think most people will use a Mac as is, while nobody in his right mind would contemplate using a Windows machine without virus and malware protection.

Both enivronments have pro’s and con’s, as a bit of an IT guy I hate the closed Apple system, I like to be in charge over my machines and that is not an easy thing to do on a Mac (although it CAN be done), but for some things like DJ-ing, they truly have great gear that offers more than the competition, at least in my opinion.

On-topic again:

Compatibility is always a combination of hardware and software. Cooperating vendors are needed to get and keep things playing smoothly together. As soon as one vendor withdraws cooperation, it becomes exponentially hard for the other vendor to keep the support up. A good example are the latest controllers, where in the old days doing a simple midi-mapping would have you covered (something even users could do, point in case the Traktor Bible website for example), now you see that software that had HID support for all Pioneer gear have to go through Pioneer to get it working for newer models (coincidence that this non-compliance started with the advent of competing RekordBox DJ software?). NI-gear just doesn’t work as nicely with non-Traktor software as it does with Traktor, because Traktor is not forthcoming with support towards software vendors to make that happen. All the new screens on some controllers need extra effort from both manufacturers to create a working mapping/connection.

I just bought the MCX8000, which is fully ready for Serato support. I use Mixvibes Cross though and so-far a mapping has not been made. But if one is ever made, Denon has to put forth some support to Mixvibes. This could be as easy as supplying them with an early model MCX8000 and the necessary info. From that point on it’s up to the software vendor. If Mixvibes have to buy every single controller that comes out for that purpose and don’t get the info up front, they will always be late and or even unable to provide the mappings they’d like. Same goes for VDJ. They have a midi-mapping for the MXC8000 (might have some more money to go out and buy every controller launched), but obviously without the screens working.

Oh well, just observations from an old hand. Good things SL1200s still work as they always did (just gone up in price to 5000 bucks a piece LOL).

Not sure about RekordBox DJ settings, but you might be able to set it to output the master to your Focusrite output and keep your cue signal going to your controller headphone.

Another option could be to take a stereo input on the Focusrite, connect your controller output to itand use direct monitoring on the Focusrite to make the signal go straight to your monitors (you don’t say which model Focusrite, so not sure what options you have there).

Final option is to get a desktop speaker management system. Usually a big volume knob, couple of buttons to push. They are usually setup to send multiple inputs, for example your Focusrite output and your controller output, to multiple outputs, for example near- and midfield monitors. Not a cheap option generally, although if you shop you might be able to find some basic input switching boxes.

I don’t use Scratch Pro, so can’t help you with that particular thing. It does sound really odd you’d need 4-channel mixer to mix between TC and vinyl though.

The general routing is this:
1) TT output (depending on TT this is either Phono or Line level output, usually RCA)
2) Digital mixer with built-in DVS-ready sound card, controller with built-in DVS-ready sound card or sound card with minimum two stereo phono in (or line in if your TT outputs that).
3) For DVS the sound of the TC goes to the control bits in the software. You switch between analogue and DVS in the software, depending on the setting the sound is sent to the sound card (either built-in in mixer/controller or external sound card). That sound will either be an MP3 manipulated by DVS or the actual analogue sound routed through the software and right back out.

With an external sound card I know there is an option on some to switch between DVS and thru on the sound card (should your software not support that option). It effectively routes the phono input after RIAA-correction and gain amplification to the line outputs from the sound card.

In all these cases an additional two channels should not be needed.

Here there is still quite a price gap between the two. They Yamaha’s are 675, the QSCs are 900 a piece! So a PAIR of QSC K12s for only 800 bucks sounds like a steal.

They would both be decent speakers for your purpose. An A-B comparison of them playing in the same room with the same music should make choosing easy. If they sound identical enough, you pick the cheapest, if one is clearly more likable to your ears than the other then you take that one 😀

Be sure to take into account good quality XLR cables of sufficient length (I always find that a 10 and a 15 meter one for example are better than one 25 meter one, but that is just me), good speaker stands (I have bought budget-stands and trashed them in two months and those weren’t even happy months using them) and – IMPORTANT – covers.

As for mixers, may I suggest the small Yamaha’s. If you want a built-in sound card the AG06 is a good choice, otherwise the MG06 would suit your needs. Quality is great and pricing is very good imho. The entire (audio) chain is as good as it’s weakest link. Introducing the Behringer would make it, always imho, the weakest link. I use the AG03 on my desk as my external sound card with my KRK monitors hooked up and am very pleased with the quality. I also have used the MG16 (the big brother of the MG06) semi-professionally for live sound gigs and it too is a go-to product as back-up/small gig mixer for sound engineers.

At the risk of getting flamed here or at least seriously disagreed with, brands like DAP, American DJ, Behringer and a few others are in the prosumer section of the market as far as I am concerned. They are wonderful for doing the odd party and certainly are way better than the cheap Chinese crap you can find on Amazon. They sound pretty decent, especially for their price.

But … and this is where I notice I sometimes differ from other readers … if you are going to charge people for your services and you supply the gear, I have the strong opinion that your customers have a right to expect pro-level gear.

As I said before, there are no shortcuts in PA. So you can’t compare a 300 euro DAP DRX-12 to a QSC K12 that costs 900 euro (pricing here in Holland). And there are true pro brands where that 12″ fullrange will actually cost up to 2000 euro a piece. If it were possible to get the quality of the QSC in a box the price of a DAP, everyone – including QSC – would be doing it. The trouble is that they look roughly the same on the outside. The quality difference is in the inside (electronics, drivers, enclosure quality and design) but also for a large part in the money that goes into R&D. And that makes it hard to decide.

If you look at the brands rental companies use, you will find the same names over and over, some of them “unknown” to the general public. They are top-dollar products that sound great, can endure many years on the road, have great company support for them.

At the end of the day the only true advice to give is “trust your ears”. You should not ever buy speakers without hearing them live with your own music. So if you go to a store, bring a high-quality copy of some tracks you know extremely well to play on the speakers you are looking at and if you have a shortlist, try getting them setup next to each other and do a A-B(-C) comparison. I promise you WILL hear differences.

Buying a pro-brand is a good choice, but look at the product line too. Many pro-brands feature low-budget lines as well, in order for them not to miss out in sales at that end of the spectrum.

The decision to buy or rent and if buy, what to get, is yours of course.

Purchasing PA is a tricky matter and should only be done after careful deliberation. I find the price for the rental you mention on the high side.

Generally speaking rental is based on 3-4% of the purchase price of gear. Assuming 4% in this case that means you would be getting a PA (including stands and cables) worth approximately 5000 bucks (200 divided by 4 times 100). While I like and value QSC as a proper PA brand, that seems way too steep.

Including VAT this set would come to about 3.100. So unless the rental includes things like transport in both directions, it is on the high side imho. If others want to chime it, because this is obviously based on pricing in this part of the world (The Netherlands).

Another thing is that you should be able to secure some kind of discount from the rental company as you are doing their sales work. I have an understanding that gets me between 15 and 25% discount on rental gear. I then charge the customer what they would have paid if they rented directly and the rest is my payment for taking care of everything.

I could go into a detailed calculation but won’t. Suffice to say that if you want to earn some money on your investment, you would have to rent out your gear approximately twice a month at the mentioned 4% rate.

The size of the place you are playing just doesn’t warrant that kind of heavy PA nor that kind of cost.

You could look at some of the new 1 sub, 2 satellite systems that are now in their 2nd and 3rd generations. Most decidedly the new LD Systems (Curve) or the HK Audio Lucas Nano. Other brands have them as well. If you go to two smaller subs each with their own satellite, I am smitten with the RCF Evox. At a price higher than two K12s but substantially cheaper than two K10s with a KW18, you will get two 10″ subs with 5×2″ “line array” satellites. Sound quality as you’d expect from RCF as is build quality. These things are pretty loud for their size too. Easy to transport, store, setup. They take up very little floor space at the venue too. Due to the line array setup they have a better front/back spread of sound than a set of straight PA speakers.
At 400W RMS per side (total 800W) you could easily run a room up to 80-100 people.

You can even set them up in your practice room!

Should you play a place that needs bigger PA, you can always rent for that occasion.

I understand the desire to own rather than rent, but to rent for a broad range of applications, you will have to invest heavily. 3000-4000 is about the starting mark if you want quality gear. So my advice is always to rent until you are pretty confident you will rent your own gear enough for it to be a good business decision and then only buy so you can do the biggest number of your gigs. Let’s say you play parties between 40 and 500 people with the bulk being between 75-200 people. It will not pay to buy a PA ready for 500 people. It will be such overkill (both in power, room space taken up and price). You would buy a PA ready for up to 200 people. That would mean you’d still be renting the appropriately sized gear for the 200-500 people parties.

Since there is no shortcut in PA, buying sub-par gear is not really an option imho. I have been there and done that, thought it sounded ok (always knew it wasn’t pro-level) until I bought my current PA (Mackie HD series) and listened to both in an A-B comparison. I was shocked.

At the end of the day it’s your choice. I hope I gave you some (extra) things to consider so you can make the most informed decision possible.

As always just my three cents worth.