Matt Orozco
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Matt Orozco
ParticipantMixtrack for sure, Numakr controllers are great and have wonderful integration with VDJ.
ParticipantI think these rules were meant as a kind of “joke” in a way. If I remember reading correctly, they are not hard set by those rules but use them as a guideline for the kind of experience they want to have. Regarding @djirizki and the Hip Hop rule, the guy who is heading up this club wanted to differentiate from other after hours spots in LV such as Body English, which plays A LOT of Hip Hop and some house.
This is of course music snobbery, but I take it with a grain of salt. The underground has superstars too, and I doubt you will see them ban Plastikman or Carl Cox records, even though those guys draw similar size crowds albeit with a different audience.
ParticipantThanks again, I figured I was going to lose some of the conveniences and functionality of software however for what I’m going for this is just going to force me to get a better handle on my tunes. Right now preview is a GREAT function, but it handicaps me by allowing me to be more relaxed on my organization.
I figured I would need a laptop for MIDI and I’m not ditching traktor completely, but want to rely more on the CDJ functionality than the laptop. Honestly it boils down to me wanting to play with professional gear to be more prepared for professional gigs. And as you mentioned before, it is a good idea to have my laptop and have traktor running even just as a back up.
ParticipantAlways helpful stuff @DJVintage! I guess that raises a few questions:
– Does needle search function the same way as beatjumping does in Traktor?
– Can external midi devices be mapped to work with the CDJs without the use of a laptop so I could create hot cue buttons?
– Somewhat unrelated one, but do either the 900s or 2000s have the ability to preview a track while browsing? I do this now in traktor, but have not been able to see if CDJs can do this or not.
I use hot cues now, but not in a way that I rely on them for performance purposes. If I can map a midi controller like my little Akai LPD8 than it’s a moot point for me. I’m not a “sample pack midi fighter” style DJ so things like hot cues are nice to have, but not imperative.
ParticipantYeah, I’ve been a long time “lurker” for many years and have been active on the forums recently since I have been taking my DJing more seriously.
You make a valid point, and I too started with a non-traktor controller, but ended up going that route up until now. In retrospect, what you’re saying makes a lot of sense and from a cost / benefit standpoint it may make more sense for OP to buy something that has a perfect balance of price and functionality to get started.
Participant@djrizki Thanks for the reference! I was looking at a pair of 900’s would were going for $1400 for the pair. I will be buying the DJM-900NXS for $1500 so going with the CDJ-900s I would be around the same as what you got. I figure though that the CDJ-2000 while more expensive is a newer product than the 900 so it will have higher resale value when or if I move onto a higher end player and also since 2000 is a newer model less likely that Pioneer will stop supporting it before the 900. I have done my homework and it doesn’t seem like there is THAT much of a difference between them, but I may be wrong.
ParticipantFantastic advice! The reason I was leaning towards the DJM-900nxs and not the 800 or 700 was because of the Traktor Certification. I heard that with the most up to date firmware for the mixer I should be able to get most of traktor into that setup.
Good thinking on connecting the laptop as a browser / back up, hadn’t thought about that and while I want to move away from relying the laptop it makes sense for big gigs to have that in place.
Thanks again!
ParticipantThanks @DJ Vintage! These are great questions especially the smoke environment and laser calibration.
The price is not outstanding, but it is fair for the gear. ($4k for 2xCDJ-2000, DJM-900 Nexus, and coffin cases) The seller said they were used, but not heavily and didn’t do a lot of traveling.
I am curious about the “going back on features and functionality” aspect. Is this in reference to traktor software being more capable of effects, loops, samples, remix decks, etc.? I don’t plan on ditching traktor (I have an X1 MK2 that I got for $75 from a friend, so I plan on keeping that for small gigs and light travel with the DJM-900NXS), but since I am taking my DJing more seriously I figure it is a worthwhile investment to be well versed on the kind of gear I will most likely find in venues. I don’t want to lag around the Laptop all the time because replacing a USB stick is cheaper than a Mac. Currently, I don’t use traktor to it’s full capabilities (ie: using a lot of loops, samples, yadda yadda). I am fortunate enough to make a decent living and want to invest in gear that I will come across to prepare myself for that.
I appreciate the feedback and if you have any other tips / tricks I am all ears. I have learned in my 28 years of life that it is better to ask than assume and all suggestions have value especially in a forum such as this one!
ParticipantWhy not go for a Traktor S4 or S2 MK1? Since the release of the MK2’s you can probably find new ones pretty cheap or even a decent used one for a steal. If you buy new, you get Traktor Pro 2 for free so that saves you $80 – $150 depending on the software. Most controllers that are not NI come with either an LE version of VDJ or Serato. Both LE versions are good for starting, but can be outgrown quick. In hindsight I would have started with a traktor controller if I had known better, but I went with Numark Mixtrack with VDJ. Good for starting, but I was ready to move on once I played with an S4.
Good luck!
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