Christopher Carter
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Christopher Carter
ParticipantNote that the OP is asking for a DAW to create and edit DJ mixes, not make tracks. I asked a similar question a while back (I also want to make DJ edits of tracks), and while the default answer seems to be to get Ableton Live, someone was kind enough to post a list of alternatives.
I went through and tried all of them (that had trial versions for Windows – on a Mac or Linux there are other choices), and the only one that approached beat gridding in a DJ-friendly manner was Presonus Studio One. However, the beat grid feature is only available in the Pro versions which aren’t cheap, and also effects only seem to apply to entire tracks, which is also not a DJ style workflow.
On my old computer a decade ago I had a copy of MixMeister which I played around with, but since then development seems to have stopped. So, I’ve decided that although it’s expensive, it’s best to save up and invest in Ableton, which will do way more than I need now but allow plenty of room to grow in the future.
ParticipantOK. I won’t get my hopes up too much, then. I only use old funk tracks occasionally and short, manual beatmixes are fine. The tracks I would like to fix if possible are house and techno that should be steady, but just aren’t for some reason because of their production. Ex: Leon Vynehall – It’s Just (House of Dupree)
Luckily there aren’t many like that. Anyway, making my own DJ edits is much more exciting.ParticipantThank you for the replies. This is all very helpful. Having only used wav editors before, full-on DAWs are a bit intimidating. Still, I think that to improve as a DJ this is something I have to learn.
I use Traktor for DJing, and there is a discussion on the NI forums about using Ableton’s warp function to export rendered versions of tracks that Traktor otherwise couldn’t beatgrid properly. Here’s a video showing how to do it:
Knowing this exists, I really want this functionality.As for DJ edits, I have made some before using Audacity (and long ago Soundforge, an old version of Mixmeister, Cool Edit and CD Architect). However, manually cutting and splicing waveforms is too time-consuming. I want to be able to select sections of audio based on bars and phrases, like this:
http://djtechtools.com/2014/06/01/making-your-first-dj-intro-edit-in-ableton-live/
Maybe it’s asking too much to extend that to also shortening sections of a complete DJ mix (unless the BPM is exactly synced throughout)?Using soundpacks and getting further into production is interesting, but I only have time to get into it little by little.
So, first of all I need a DAW that’s good at handling audio. Ableton looks like a good choice, perhaps most closely designed for what I want to do, but it’s also quite expensive. Cubase looks like a possible alternative (not sure how its warp stacks up to Ableton, though). I’ll do some more searching based on that list, as well as LMMS.
ParticipantI finally upgraded my DJ laptop from 7 to 8.1 recently (had the license but never got around to using it) and this I would recommend because 8.1 needs only minor tweaks to achieve optimum performance and is significantly faster than 7. Instead of dual-booting between a DJ OS and office OS, separate user accounts are enough.
Now I’m dual-booting 8.1 and 10 to test it out, but I almost never boot into 10 because 8.1 is rock solid and 10 feels very beta. Many drivers just don’t work as well as in 8.1 even though the manufacturer does support 10 on that model. I’m sure 10 will be fine (better than 7) in another year or so, but I’ll stick with 8.1 for a while longer because I don’t want to risk instability on my DJ system.
To answer your question… do perform the upgrade once, to get your free digital entitlement for the device. That way if you go back to 7 temporarily, you can reinstall 10 for free even after the upgrade offer expires. Also, it’s worth it to do a clean install and make notes about which drivers you install and where you got them from (PC manufacturer, component manufacturer, or Windows Update). As in 8.1, make a local, DJ-only user account, and turn off all the SNS integration, notifications and syncing for that account. Use a separate account to sync your files, email, etc. so you have no interruptions while DJing. Also, turn on System Restore (it’s off by default!) and give it a good amount of space to store restore points. Change the Windows Update settings to always let you choose when updates will be installed (disallow sudden restarts). Make a “Live DJ” Power Settings scheme to switch to in a live setting (there are loads of posts listing what settings to change – they’re basically the same in 10). Perform any other simple audio-performance related tweaks (set priority to Background Tasks, etc.). Since 8.1 I haven’t messed with Services. Of course, don’t forget to back up your files and settings.
ParticipantThe obvious difference is having job wheels vs. having screens, but the S5 is really a replacement for the S2, not the S4. Despite having a 4-channel mixer, the S5 only has one external input, and does not support DVS (Traktor Scratch Pro). This design choice makes zero sense to me, but if you’re sure you can live with that limitation (plus lack of jog wheels) the S5 has slightly better build quality and can control remix decks in the absence of an F1. Unless you’re working completely by yourself, you will need a separate mixer to avoid shutting the sound off completely between DJs.
If possible, I’d go to a store that has floor models of both, and try them out. A few minutes of playing around will give you a feel for the difference. I own the S4 MK1 but I’ve played around on the S5 and S8. I wouldn’t trade my S4 for the S5 or the S8 as I like jog wheels, and I also like the ability to use the S4 as a central mixer with my friend’s CDJs on channels C and D.
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