MC6000, S4, S2, or Xone DX

[chrismac]

Hi guys,

I am new on here but have read quite a lot - great forum and YT channel.

I used to DJ years ago on a set of old Technics decks spending most of my cash on vinyl, however 11 years on I have been bitten by the bug again but with digital mixing.

I am in the market for a new or second hand controller.

I have been told to save my pennies and buy a Mixtrack Pro, however I am not into poor build quality. In the same breath I dont want to spend a fortune!

I have narrowed down my search to the following:

Denon MC6000 = 4 decks, no dependancy on my MBP, great build quality.
Traktor S4 = 4 decks, Traktor, very popular.
Traktor S2 = 2 decks, compact.
Xone DX = 4 decks, great looking piece of kit however on ITCH [can be mapped to Traktor].

Has anyone been in the same position as me - what did you choose and why?

Also Midi Fighter or Midi Fighter Pro?

Appreciated

[MuzicFreq]

something wrong with the NS6 and the DDJ systems

[keeb]

First of all and to clarify, the MC6000 doesn't have _no_ dependency on your MBP. It will work with CDJs/TTs without your MBP, but if all you have hooked up to it is your MBP and your MBP bites the dust, you're still screwed.

I haven't heard great things about the Xone DX, but with the price dropped to $500 recently, it might be worth it. I haven't tried one or seen one in person so I can't really comment.

As for the S2 vs. S4: The S2 is quite decent from the looks of it. I have an S4 and I'm sure the build quality is the same which is to say that it's pretty top notch as far as midi controllers are concerned. The jogs are a lot better than the MC6000. The main drawbacks for the S2 vs. the S4 to me are the lack of filter knobs and less control over sample decks/4 decks. Still seems like pretty solid kit though, and with a smaller form factor it could be worthwhile. I will say though that I bought the S4 before the S2 came out and I don't regret my decision one bit.

[chrismac]

First of all and to clarify, the MC6000 doesn't have _no_ dependency on your MBP. It will work with CDJs/TTs without your MBP, but if all you have hooked up to it is your MBP and your MBP bites the dust, you're still screwed.

I haven't heard great things about the Xone DX, but with the price dropped to $500 recently, it might be worth it. I haven't tried one or seen one in person so I can't really comment.

As for the S2 vs. S4: The S2 is quite decent from the looks of it. I have an S4 and I'm sure the build quality is the same which is to say that it's pretty top notch as far as midi controllers are concerned. The jogs are a lot better than the MC6000. The main drawbacks for the S2 vs. the S4 to me are the lack of filter knobs and less control over sample decks/4 decks. Still seems like pretty solid kit though, and with a smaller form factor it could be worthwhile. I will say though that I bought the S4 before the S2 came out and I don't regret my decision one bit.

Thanks for clearing that up.

I think the Xone has reduced in price due to the new range being announced next month. I have read that they have suffered with problems post sale.

I like the 'compactness' of the S2 however I am concerned that I will regret it due to the lack of features that the Denon and S4 offer.

NS6 looks good.

[GI Trackt]

Hey man I bought a DX and it was the best decision I made. I absolutely love the controller. Choosing your controller is all about your needs and how you're going to play out. Need to ask yourself how important full size jogs are, do u want to scratch, which software do you prefer, do you 2 or 4 decks, how important is portability to you, etc.

I was in the same situation as you and I carefully laid out what I thought was important to me. In terms of software, I started on Traktor and now switched to Itch 2.0 and I'll can tell you that I'm in love with Itch. Then again, I wouldn't say that I was advanced with Traktor, but I was still well into Traktor as I had put out some podcasts using it. My only gripe with Itch has been that it takes just a tad longer setting my cues. The snap/quanitize function (which apparently is in built into Itch) is not a strong as that in Traktor (which actually has on/off buttons for snap/quantize). I've felt that beat gridding in Itch 2.0 >> beat grids in Traktor.

In case you're wondering, the quality is superb. Built like a tank and I absolutely love the knobs. It also just feels amazing to own a high end piece of hardware from Allen & Heath.

The other controllers on the list are great too. Choose one and just go with it! Let me know if you have any q's about the DX :-)

[chrismac]

Thanks for your post. Have you ever tried mapping it to Traktor?

[KryticalH!T]

I personally have an MC-6000 and I love it to bits. Seriously, I haven't found a SINGLE flaw with the unit, or the compatibility it has with traktor. The jogs feel great, the knobs and faders are all really high quality, and it's a full steel chassis unlike the S4(which is all plastic). The buttons are also really easy to press(a loose rubber that reacts to your press no matter which side you press on). It's easy to locate everything in a dark location, too - the LED's are really bright). I also have a midi fighter on the way to my house to control hot cues and effects much quicker. I chose the classic just cause I feel I would be too obnoxious with the beatmasher if I had the pro version (also less money and smaller size).

If you're interested in an MC-6000 I actually have one for sale. It's brand new in the box because I won it in a contest a week after I bought the unit(irony, yayyyy!). It retails new for 750-800 dollars but I'm willing to sell for 600 just because I'm not an established dealer, haha. The package hasn't even been opened though so it really is -brand new- Send me a PM if you're interested

[MrPopinjay]

Wow, you won one? How did you do that?

[GI Trackt]

Hey Chrismac, no problem. No sorry, haven't personally mapped it to Traktor yet. No time.

This guy has though: http://www.mixarchitekt.com/

[KryticalH!T]

It was a contest at my school, actually. An essay contest about what you would do with the controller given the chance of using it. Kinda funny that i entered the contest, sorta forgot that i entered, bought the controller, won a 2nd one. Don't really feel like sitting around with a 2nd mc6k when i could get 600 for it and buy myself a pair of PA speakers so that my mobile DJ rig is one step closer to being complete