Alex Moschopoulos

I’m sure many here will say “meh” on Gemini, but I still think they’re fine for beginners. I usually believe the first gear you buy is what you learn on, then when you feel you need more, you sell/”graduate” into higher end. For me it was two belt-driven Technics 100 turntables and a 10″ Gemini Mixer.

Check out Phil’s review of that Gemini unit here: http://www.digitaldjtips.com/2012/12/gemini-cdmp-7000-review-video/

And maybe get his controller buyer guide (signing up to his email list) and do the research. Hopefully others might chime in on the good/bad and even suggest other possibilities.

Welcome. 🙂

Well, it comes down to your flow.

Why do you want a controller? Are you planning on producing or performing? I’ve been told with Ableton it’s pointless to buy a controller if you’re just looking to produce.

I used to own an APC40 and will say it’s more tightly integrated to Ableton Live. However, some prefer the launchpad for its simplicity.

I think it comes down to how you want to use the software. I chose Traktor because I used it in the past and felt comfortable with it. However, that one gig I played in Slovakia they had me use VDJ and it came quite easily for me since DJing is like riding a bike with these setups.

I will say with VDJ, you’ll have a bigger selection of “ready” controllers over Traktor, as you’ll have to find mappings or make mappings to use with Traktor, or stick to NI hardware.

I found this page on the VDJ site trying to explain how they stand out. They claim that Traktor has become more about integrating DJing with live musicianship, while Serato is more focused on turntable-loving DJs, thus painting VDJ as a title more suited for DJs who mainly want to play sets. I don’t know if I agree with their assessment, as you can go in many directions with all the big titles.

Best advice is to download some demos and try them out.

Does it have to be tethered? Or is the laptop for added features?

I would suggest Ebay. I’ve tried selling gear on Craigslist and ended up with too many hagglers trying to convince me I should sell for a fraction of my asking price.

Despite the fees of Ebay, I’ve managed to get the money I ask for when selling gear.

Don’t worry about packaging. Just make it clear you don’t have it and put good photos of your stuff. Also put one photo of the unit turned on so they know it works.

Hmmmm…maybe I should write an article on this.