Noob - Ableton, S4 or Twitch

[DaRat]

Hi guys,

Im a noob around here. Have been doing lots of reading and research though. Basically im not sure what to get. Ableton S4 or Twitch.

Im into like loops and triggering and remxing live. Well thats what i want to try and do.

I havent really DJ before either...but into mashing up and playing with loops and FX.

Im sorry if i shouldnt post this here...but i just need some help...what would be better for me?

Thank you and hope to hear from someone soon...

[ksandvik]

Twitch is barely out... But both should work fine for you, provided you take the time to learn them.

[DaRat]

thanks for your reply...what about novation launch pad and Ableton?

[ksandvik]

thanks for your reply...what about novation launch pad and Ableton?

I like Ableton Live but for DJ work you need to warp tracks and spend more time loading clips et rest into the application so it's less of a DJ experience compared with S4 and similar DJ controllers. Some use Ableton Live solely for DJ:ing. I had big hopes that Ableton would address the DJ needs but they have stated over and over that the DJ market is not for them so I don't have big hopes for things like better auto-warping, easier ways to load tracks (like proper MP3 id tag searches) and so on...

[farhanashraf]

if i were to choose between the twitch and the s4, i would go with the s4 (assuming you have the money for it).

s4 has much more capabilities like the twitch and i believe the twitch does not have the dvs capability like the s4 does, which might come handy later on in your career.

[JeremiahD]

if i were to choose between the twitch and the s4, i would go with the s4 (assuming you have the money for it).

s4 has much more capabilities like the twitch and i believe the twitch does not have the dvs capability like the s4 does, which might come handy later on in your career.

Can you go into this a bit more? You've mentioned the lack of DVS, what are the other capabilities does the S4 have that the Twitch is lacking?

[Dave Dj]

If u want to travel and you don't need 4 channel mixer ( and if u don't love weels ) IMO you'll have to keep an eye ( or two ) on twitch but just my thouth

also think about the program

if u're fond of tp go to s4 on the contrary twitch

[ksandvik]

S4 is a very integrated system, something l like a lot. Twitch might become integrated, too, but I suspect Twitch users need to tweak it. As for S4, if there's something missing, it's easy to add a light-weight second controller to the setup.

PS: I wish there was an easy way to have both Ableton Live and S4 running through the same laptop (not just MIDI synchronization), hopefully NI fixes that in Traktor 2.1 or later. I guess using a multi-port audio interface and external mixer is the solution for now.

[Nicky H]

If you want to learn how to use loops and remixing live I would forget S4 and Twitch and get Ableton and an APC40 or something similar.

If you're playing new dance music that you've downloaded, warping takes about 5 seconds.

[Onimode]

A question such as this is mostly about taste. Certainly you could mix a bit more traditionally with the S4 and Traktor, or use the Twitch which offers a new take on mixing in Serato. I can't offer any personal insight on either controller since I've never used either, but you say that you like to play with loops and live remixing. The Launchpad would suit you perfectly if this is true. Here are some videos that I've watched recently:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZrUVoIbrx4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ew3eHhHXYpA

They both have more than one, but there's plenty of capability in one. You could also research other controllers, like Nicky H said. I, for one, enjoy mashing up loops with my Launchpad. Supplementing the Launchpad with more Launchpads or other controllers do create interesting set-ups. The glory of Ableton is the fact that your set-up is as sophisticated or simple as you make it. It's a great piece of software that's epicly versatile, although it may be a bit overwhelming to a beginner, which is the pit I'm trying to get out of. Additionally, using Ableton will most likely cut your chances of taking requests in a live situation. But I do hear most people here aren't very fond of taking requests, so you'd fit right in.

But don't let me decide for you! God, no. >.> Doing more research would help out quite a bit.
Just my two cents for you. :U