DJ Vintage
Forum Replies Created
-
AuthorPosts
-
DJ Vintage
ModeratorProbably the fear of some big companies that they might be losing control over their customers 😀
Forgetting that protectionism has NEVER worked in any field and that anything open has usually blossomed to give even the ones wanting to keep it closed more profit.
ModeratorI hardly ever buy used when it comes to gear. Only exception, (high quality) speakers (if I trust the source) as they can last, starter controllers (for starters I assist) as they usually have very low mileage and almost always in bedrooms and – as said – my DJ MacBook.
I would never buy a used Windows laptop for any price for example.
It’s your wallet and I just wanted to give you something to consider based on personal experience. I am not saying there isn’t a risk factor buying used, there is. It was a chance I was willing to take and it has panned out beautifully so far. And the pay-off of now having this awesome machine was worth the risk imho.
Again, your choice. You now know what to look for by way of general specs so your laptop will last a good while. And to look for business models or gamers models.
Good luck with whatever you decide.
ModeratorWell, there isn’t too much difference between a GOOD Windows laptop and a very good used Mac (2-3 years). So that is consideration one. I am no fan of cheap laptops (350-500 euro range) for DJ purposes, they are prone to temperature issues, usually of slightly inferior build quality (again for the job, not saying for general usage) and miss some interesting features like an SSD (a must imho) and back-lit keys (not a must, but boys is it a lifesaver).
I bought my mid 2012 MBP with i7 CPU, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD and 15″ retina screen in near mint condition for 1.000 euro, then 2 1/2 years old/young. That is less than a comparable consumer laptop and way less than a business model (which a bit closer in build quality to a Mac than a consumer one). So, it really should be a consideration, especially with OSX and some Apple specific features in the mix (like metal casing, back-lit keys, magnetic power connector, etx.).
Also when I bought my current MBP I sold my 15″ i5 that I had bought at 3 years old for 700 euro and used for almost 3 years for 425 euro in a day. Losing 275 euro in 3 years, less than 100 a year. I can guarantee you that a 1.000 euro windows laptop that you buy new and use for 3 years will not fetch you a second-hand price of 700 euro.On a general note, I’d say minimum i5 CPU, somewhere in the 2.2-2.5GHz range at least, 8GB or RAM, but more is better. An SSD, where the going “default” size is 256GB. Careful, an SSD is something else than a hybrid drive which pairs a small internal SSD with a regular hard drive.
Hope that helps some.
ModeratorWhile I sympathise with your sentiments about iTunes – it’s easily the worst product ever to come out of Cupertino – if you use it as Phil recommends (compact in the How To Digital DJ Fast course, more elaborate in the Masterclass) and use a separate collection ONLY for your DJ-ing needs, it actually is, imho, the best thing for the job out there.
Second is managing your collection in DJ software itself, more limited depending on your DJ software but can be done.
For those outside of Traktor RekordBox is a viable if Pioneer-centered alternative or (with a few more updates) the new Denon Engine (clearly Denon-centered).Outside of these likely suspects there isn’t much available. Things like MediaMonkey get mentioned here from time to time but are the exceptions rather than the rule.
Depending on what made you lose faith in iTunes, it might be fixable by adapting your workflow.
So, do share your worries with us, perhaps a few simple changes can prevent you from having to do over a lot of work.As for transferring from iTunes, it’s depending on what info you want to transfer.
ModeratorThe gain knobs are expressly there to moderate the channel input volume. It’s why you have channel level meters. You load and play a track, find a loud(er) part and look at the levels. They should be steady for all the greens (usually up to and including 0dB) and the first and perhaps second light higher should be flashing at the peaks. Too much, then you turn gain down until you reach that state.
There is nothing “natural” about gain settings since every track has different dynamic and recording level.
So, it’s one of your “jobs” as a DJ to do level management, every track.
Mind you, there might still be some setting within Traktor you can use to bring the incoming volume down somehow. And things like auto-gain and limiting might be relevant too. But I am too rusty on Traktor to comment on this with any certainty.
ModeratorMaster volume is post-fader, so moving it makes no difference for channel level.
Question I have, does your channel level (meters) react when you move the channel gain knob at the top?
ModeratorAnd DJay Pro (mac only) and Mixvibes Cross just two mention two more
Moderator1st: Please post in the correct forum.
On-topic: We seriously advise against using non-Traktor controllers with Traktor and the other way around (using Traktor controllers with other software than Traktor). This seems to hold even more true for more recent models (like the Wego 3).
There is no official support from either Pioneer or Traktor, so you have to get it through user forums (like the Traktor Bible), if they can’t help you, it’s up to you to map one yourself. Unfortunately Traktor is also one of the least pleasant ones to create mappings for.
ModeratorYou can get close with one, maybe two, pretty expensive (hundreds of dollars) tools, but it will not be 100%.
Other than that there is no way to “deconstruct” a stereo track into it’s root components (the old tracks=channels in which it was originally recorded).
The other option (but only for some current tracks) is to use Traktor as your DJ software and work with Stems. Places like Beatport sell Stems-tracks that you can remix on the fly.
ModeratorSounds like you did well, good job.
Moderator😀
ModeratorNo no no !!! That is certainly not what I am saying, I am saying that it can take up to a year (depending on effort and time invested) to get to the point where you have mastered the basics, built up a suitable collection with all that entails and have developed a style (workflow) of your own giving you enough knowledge, experience and understanding to better formulate your wishes and demands and make an informed decision on what to get for yourself to last you through the next years of DJ-ing. BTW, there are plenty of guys who still play their SB or Mixtrack Pro after many years!
But what I never said was that you shouldn’t be enjoying yourself from day 1!
Because you most definitely should be loving it from the get go. It’s fun to learn, discover and notice your skills improving, to find things going from deliberate action into subconscious action. It’s a wonderful journey, so by all means celebrate every minute of it 😀
ModeratorUhm …. not
ModeratorI read the OP to say that he wants to use VDJ on his laptop/mac and DJay on his iPad.
ModeratorNot sure where you get the idea that Traktor can do something for you in this respect?
Rekordbox DJ now has PulseLocker integration too I think, so that could cover (part of) your internet music availability. It’s a paid service but it does come with the mechanical rights taken care of, so you are allowed to play that music in public (as opposed to Spotify and YouTube, the latter being totally unprofessional and insufficient in quality IMHO).
Serato offers the same options.
For those rare occasions that I don’t have a request AND I feel I need to meet it (usually if the people paying for the party have a request), I’ll just buy it on iTunes on my iPhone which is hooked up via mini-jack to RCA lead to the aux input of my controller. BTW you could hook up your Mac phones output to the aux of your XDJ too I would think.
All your other questions lead me to the conclusion that it is time to step up from RekordBox to RekordBox DJ, using the X1 as a midi controller rather than just a stand-alone unit with USB-sticks. It will give you sampler options, PulseLocker integration without leaving the trusted RekordBox environment you are used to for prepping already.
With the switches on the X1 you should be able to switch between CD, USB and Midi.
-
AuthorPosts