I wonder if we can merge profiles...let me ask...
I wonder if we can merge profiles...let me ask...
Weapons, not food, not homes, not shoes
Not need, just feed the war cannibal animal
Thanks. Good to see you too. It's a lot less active here than I remember, but I guess that's the way of things.
Anyway...
Yeah. Screw the thinking.
It works better than I thought. I semi-impulse bought them the other day. And...they're pretty cool. Thre are a few things I don't plan on using, but the screens are pretty cool. And I like the aesthetics. I'm about to buy a few stems files and see if there's anything really to that. Apart from splitting vocals and a'capellas, I don't see it as being all that important. But, it could be a neat trick. I like the way control takeover works.
What finally sold me was the way changing tempo and key works. Unlike all of the "next level" BS that gets in the way of my "just play good music" mentality, I actually use those.
I decided not to map any EQs on anything, just 2 filters, so I pulled all of the other controllers. And I'm enjoying it more than I thought I would. Plus, it looks cool.
Congrats on the D2s. Not to plug my own stuff, but if there are things you don't like about the screens or functionality, it is possible to mod them: https://github.com/ErikMinekus/traktor-kontrol-screens
That actually looks interesting...I definitely like some parts of it.
When you say the deck header displays beats....does it already display Beats to Cue, or is that possible? (I haven't actually looked through the code yet). I'll poke around at it either way....just glancing, this is remindng me of the python scripts that heavily modified the functionality of controllers for Ableton back in the day.
Yeah...tha tseems like it could be problematic. Honestly, I'm impressed enough with the D2s that I'm probably not going to change anything. But, it seems reversible and like it could be interesting. The minute-marks would be the thing I'd really want. In a perfect world, the browser would show more information/fields, but they're just not big enough to actually do that. And, frankly, I'm not sure I want screens much bigger. There's a point where it's just better to use the laptop.
So...apparently, my DDJ-SX (which I still haven't sold) works with Rekordbox DJ. I just had a play on it, and it seems nice.
Quick notes....
The instant doubles implementation for 4-decks is odd. Apparently, if has pre-assigned "targets". So, if the decks are laid out like 3124 (similar to Traktor's CABD), deck 4 copies deck 1 and 3 copies 2. It appears to go the other way as well. It kind of makes sense that way...wanting the double to be on the other side of the crossfader. You know, for people who use crossfaders. That might be annoying to me, since it might imply that to do what I want, I'd need 4 decks instead of 3 (or play with the assignment through the whole set).
The effects are quite overbearing. But, I've always thought that about Pioneer's effects.
In order to actually use it, I'll have to go into more settings.
Sync seems to work just fine. It's analysis is on-par with Traktor's but not better. Different tracks screw up in each.
I really don't have a preference between platters and touch strips for pitch bending and adjusting offset.
I really prefer my 2016 to the SX's mixer.
Key shifting sounds fine to my ears, as does MT (compared to the high-quality key lock in traktor).
Overall, I think it's a perfectly viable option. I don't think there's any reason to switch from Traktor as long as I'm using a computer (it costs more than Traktor, and I've lost count of the number of traktor licenses or discounts I have lying around). BUT...with the exception of that one weird behavior with instant doubles (why doesn't it copy the on-air or playing deck if there's only one?!), it seems like I could play my sets exactly the same way on 3 XDJ-1000mk2s (or obviously NXS2s). And 3 XDJs aren't that much more than the laptop I'd buy to spin with whenever (if ever) that happens. Yay for options.
So, I noticed a few things about spinning with D2s after several hours...
- There is a bug in the instant doubles implementation on my system. Loading a track into a deck that's already playing from the browser on the D2 will cause Traktor to immediately crash. Dragging and dropping a deck header, OTOH, works exactly as expected. The thought has crossed my mind to pull out an X1, find my lpd8, or get a pair of Dicers almost exclusively for "copy deck X". But, I'm liking the streamlined setup too much. And, frankly, having a wireless trackball sitting next to one of them works just fine.
- If your screensaver cuts on, the D2's screens freeze. That actually kind of makes sense. The rest of the control surface and the audio seems unaffected.
- The screens on the D2s are not quite good enough to ignore the computer screen entirely. I still just prefer getting more information at a glance. Almost everything is better on the computer screen, most notably the deck header, browser, and master section. I appreciate them for "real time performance things", but if the computer screen is there anyway, I'm going to use it.
- I prefer not to look down as far as I have to in order to look at the D2s. Raising them up would solve that, but then the control surface is too high and at the wrong angle, and there's still a screen in my face...which defeats the purpose.
- I do really like the way the controls work, despite a lot of it being wasted on me.
- Due to the size of my table limiting the layout, this is the first time I've used CABD on my mixer and actually liked it.
- I still prefer the feel of NI gear to Pioneer. A lot. Apart from more things to fail and the perception computers in the DJ box still have for some people, I can't really think of a reason 4 NXS2s cost so much more than a MBP and D2s....even for somebody like me that ignores next level features like it's his job.
- I'd really like to be able to remap the Remix page for the pads to perform other functions. I haven't bothered rebuilding my remix sets yet, and I don't really miss them. With only 2 rows of pads, I just don't think that particular implementation is good enough, so if I use them again, I'll pull my F1 out. Realistically, I'd get all the functionality I want out of them by just making a track with 8 saved loops and loading it onto a convenient deck.
- Apart from goofing off, I haven't touched the freeze page, flux mode, or loop page. The things that I would use some of those things for are more easily accomplished other ways, at least for how I play.
- While I think the stems format is kind of cool for a few specific tricks, I'm not the biggest fan of the stem deck implementation...it seems rather limited. That being said, I do use them for a few things since they're there. I'll buy them over a normal track if they're available, but I'm not actively seeking them out.
I know I promised a recorded set, and I did record it, in case anyone cared. Mostly, it went well. About an hour in, I got confused about layers and ended up skipping through the live track for half a minute or so before I noticed. That's the one thing I really don't like about them or any gear. It's convenient and cuts the cost in half, and I definitely don't need control of all 4 decks at once. That'll just be a matter of getting more used to it as I use it...and this is the first piece of gear that actually made me want to. Which is saying something.
I'm trying to decide whether to fix that screw up in a DAW or just record another mix. I'll probably do the later because it's easier.
Overall, apart from the layers screw-up, they feel very natural. They're far from game changing, but I do like them a little better than X1mk2s. Frankly, I'm enjoying playing like this at least as much as any other way I've done it. Ableton with the VCM-600 was definitely more powerful. But, this setup is so flexible and adaptable...unless I decide to ditch the computer, I'm not sure I really want anything more at the moment.
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