What makes a setup "Professional"?

[DJ Sleaze]

To answer ur question I'd consider s4 professional, numark mix track pro a toy.

Idk bout cdjs but any controller under $500 is kind of unprofessional/cheap in my opinion. Part of the high cost of controllers is the sound card.

I agree. I am new to Mixing (so much so that I don't call myself a DJ- excuse the username) but I have played guitar for 6 years. It's gotten to the point where I won't give a guitar a 2nd glance if the sticker isn't above $800, because I know that for any less I will rarely find a guitar that has the right wood, pickups and overall hardware quality. I have no trouble at all believing that DJ equipment is the same way.

[DJ Sleaze]

Manchild, so your gripe with the S4 is sound quality rather than a hardware quality problem? Sorry to get off topic on my own thread, but do you think that it would justifiable to purchase an S4 and use it purely as a USB controller and run your sound out elsewhere? I am very interested in the S4- mainly because it is literally a hardware replica of traktor's interface, which is particular attractive to me- but I wouldn't want to fight my gear simply because I like the layout of one controller.

[makar1]

I think the opposite about the S4. Sound quality is perfectly adequate for DJing purposes and the features are nice, but the build quality is seriously lacking and there are many better options out there.

[haze324]

Gear that is built to last and perform well rather than to a budget is professional.

Best answer here. Makar....great posts on here man.

I think for the OP, where you ask this question you will get a variety of answers (DJTT vs. Serato forum). If we're talking controllers I think there has only been ONE controller that has been widely accepted as "professional" with no second guessing it's quality and that is the Xone 4D, and I don't consider it the best one either. Anything else has been made to compete in the controller market and realistically that's a budget focused market.

[SlvrDragon50]

I think if Zedd and Porter can tour with an S4... it's more than enough for all of us...

[DarioJ]

I think if Zedd and Porter can tour with an S4... it's more than enough for all of us...

For all we know those units are swapped out at the slightest notice of malfunction, or they may have more then one for back up. I owned an S4 and had no problems with it, but I wasn't dropping elbows on it either.

Professional in this sense is subjective, but IMO anything that has a low rate of failure after constant use.

[SlvrDragon50]

For all we know those units are swapped out at the slightest notice of malfunction, or they may have more then one for back up. I owned an S4 and had no problems with it, but I wasn't dropping elbows on it either.

Professional in this sense is subjective, but IMO anything that has a low rate of failure after constant use.

I suppose that's true, but I don't think they would keep using them if they malfunctioned often.

Although Zedd did just get a care package from Pioneer a couple months ago. It's only a matter of time.

[DJ Sleaze]

I think if Zedd and Porter can tour with an S4... it's more than enough for all of us...

I like your logic.

[DJ Sleaze]

Consider this: If all of your gear other than your laptop was destroyed in a tragic fire 6 hours before the biggest show of your life and your DJ insurance screwed you and only payed out $1,000, what control interface(s) would you get your hands on?

[makar1]

I think if Zedd and Porter can tour with an S4... it's more than enough for all of us...

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/16014097 15:00

They have a fully functional CDJ 2000 in pretty much all of their gigs, yet no USB stick or CDs brought as backup?

Edit: If all my gear was destroyed and I still had a laptop, I wouldn't need anything for a huge gig since they'd have all the necessary gear already on stage. So a few USB cables and $990 change. Oh, and some headphones.