Rick

ADHDJ, post: 18928, member: 1864 wrote: I’m currently on the fence about this myself.

Right now I use Traktor on an old macbook with a S4 controller. My laptop has been acting funny lately and making me really nervous that it’s going to crap the bed during a gig (I’m going to have a lot of gigs in the next few months at lounges/bars in NYC).

So before I go and drop $2K on a new macbook pro that I’ll use for nothing but djing, I thought I would consider CDJs. I already have an ok mixer that I use for my 1200s (don’t want to go the vinyl timecode route because they are too heavy to be dragging to gigs).

My other issue with my current setup is the tiny jog wheels and pitch fader on the S4. I think I’d be much better off with the large jog wheels and long throw pitch fader on CDJs. I would think that if you are serious about djing then this would be a huge plus right?

Another question I have is, how do those of you using CDJs feel about losing the key lock feature that Traktor has?

The size of the jog wheels and pitch faders has nothing to do with helping you do a good mix. On the S4 you use the side of the wheel to tempo nudge if you need to. The top surface is used to scratch. This was the same in the Mixtrack pro I had before the S4. It is also the same on my DNS5000’s.
The tempo / pitch adjust fader on the S4 is great and highly accurate, you can get down to very small differences in BPM if you need.

CDJs are just another way to control your media. They work in the same way as controllers (ie simulate a turntable) and just like controllers, some do it better than others. The great advantage of using a controller as opposed to CDJs is portability. Having said that the Pio 2Ks can read from USB, and these are normally installed in clubs so you could just carry your USB to the club…….. BUT……. for all the times where you had to take your own gear to the venue, I’d prefer to take a laptop and controller as opposed to CDJ coffin and crates of CDs all day.

The overall outcome should be the same. It’s not about the gear its about the tunes!!!!

AdamGold, post: 17702, member: 1460 wrote: Hi, I have a Mixtrack Pro. Now, Mixtrack is nice but it’s really annoying not to be able to use more than 2 effects (and the 2nd effect with a shift which is uncomfortable)
I was thinking about getting a X1 along side with the Mixtrack, and maybe I will so I have 2 questions:
1. Does the X1 have sound card?
2. Can I just connect the X1 and the mixtrack pro with USB and they will both work on traktor together?

Anyways, another option is to sell my mixtrack pro and get a X1 (cheaper). Do you think it’s worth it? Or the Mixtrack Pro alone is better than the X1 alone? And if I’ll get a X1 alone, will I need a sound card?

Thanks!

Edit:
What do you think of Midi Fighter? Should I get it instead the X1 alongside the Mixtrack?

Firstly the X1 has no sound card, so if you wanted to ditch your Mixtrack Pro you would need to purchase an additional sound card.
Secondly, you can use both your Mixtrack Pro and the X1 together by simply connecting them both into spare USB ports.

Midi Fighter is a great piece of kit, however using this will not solve the problem of having access to more effects control as it only has buttons and no knobs.

I had the Mixtrack pro as my first controller. I decided I wanted to change / upgrade for the same reason you are now describing. I went through the same thoughts as you as well where I thought I should add a controller to compliment the MTP. However in the end I decided that I wanted a simple setup with one controller and decided on looking for an all in 1 solution to control TP2. I choose the S4 as it had everything I wanted and more that I could learn over time.
Another reason why I choose the S4 is that using just the X1 would have been fine for now, but at some point I would want to upgrade again.

HTH

It sounds like you’ve done you’re homework. The S4 is great, however as you state you need booth out it won’t be for you.
The Denon MC MC6000 is probably the best choice for you as it will tick every box, only downside being it can feel cramped due to its size.
However…….. the VCI 380 – This looks like it could now be a serious contender as well. It is designed to work with Serato, but I’m sure could be mapped to other software.
There is also the fact that there is the new Kontrol F1 launching soon which could pair nicely with whatever controller you choose!!

If you are really struggling to make a decision the best way to decide what’s best for you is to get hands on in a DJ store. This is not always possible (I didn’t do it with any of my purchases) but it can really help in making that final difficult decision.

Decisions Decisions indeed!!

Out of the two units you asked about, I would go for the S4.
Both units are considered large for controllers, however one upside of being a larger controller is that the buttons are not squeezed into a small area and the unit feels less cramped. One negative point of a large controller is portability, and out of the two units the DDJ-T1 would obviously be the harder of the two to transport.
As well as being a bit too large to transport, the DDJ-T1 does not have the same ease of use / compatibility with ALL the functions of Traktor.
Personally I feel the S4 gets the balance between size and portability just right. It is great to play on as everything is logically laid out and, as has been said before integrates perfectly with Traktor.

HTH

DJ Hessler, post: 17239, member: 537 wrote: Sorry my bad I did read the text too fast and did not notice the DJio part or that it was a soundcard 🙁
But will that soundcard really sound OK in a club PA??

It’s not the best solution, but it would be OK in a small venue. Like I said in my 1st post, it may be worth upgrading at some point.

Spot-Trix, post: 17199, member: 1434 wrote: I really like the red waves, although I would suppose if you are looking for professional quality and you need your headphones to have 100% noice cancellation than they would not be the best, but besides that they are awesome for the price and the louder I play them somehow they stay crisp

And No i do not beleive the speakers I would be getting would have Rca adapters, but I was also wondering If I used a sub speaker, and two other speakers (all of which using RCA) that is one more rca cable output I do not have on my mixtrack. If that makes sense to anyone please let me know I really wana figure this out so i can play soon.

Normally your “Master” out would feed into an amp and the amp would then drive the speakers. However if you are using some type of powered speaker(s) then you would just plug straight into them.

You will need to be more specific about the speakers that you intend to purchase to get a definitive answer.

spektakx, post: 17195, member: 1743 wrote: I’d rather use asio4all than the djIO. You’ll actually be able to get lower latency without that interface.

The Mixtrak does not have a sound card – so some sort of soundcard must be used, that could be the DJio or another “pro” type. Either way a soundcard will be needed to provide the “Cue” and “Master” signals.