Any Livid DS1/Traktor Pro 2 users?

[oblivionnewtonjohn]

I am giving serious thought to taking djing back up after a 12 year hiatus. Since I've been out of the art, vinyl prices have dramatically increased, the quality of tracks has dwindle (IMO) leaving me to pay $12-14 for a record that may have only one good track. Not to mention many of the U.S. wax stores have closed, I am finding more of the stuff I play on decks.de, HTFR etc which adds even more to the cost with shipping.

So I am giving thought to a slimmed down digital kit like the DS1 and Traktor Pro 2. I am curious how well you can beatmatch without jog wheels? There isn't a dealer locally where I can try before I buy, but B&H Photo has a good return policy. I like the capabilities in mapping for the DS1, with the Master Fader, on paper it appears it can work very well. I've never used Traktor in gig situation, or really played around with it paired with any controller.

I play tech house, deep tech, big room deep house.

[deevey]

I am giving serious thought to taking djing back up after a 12 year hiatus. Since I've been out of the art, vinyl prices have dramatically increased, the quality of tracks has dwindle (IMO) leaving me to pay $12-14 for a record that may have only one good track. Not to mention many of the U.S. wax stores have closed, I am finding more of the stuff I play on decks.de, HTFR etc which adds even more to the cost with shipping.

So I am giving thought to a slimmed down digital kit like the DS1 and Traktor Pro 2. I am curious how well you can beatmatch without jog wheels? There isn't a dealer locally where I can try before I buy, but B&H Photo has a good return policy. I like the capabilities in mapping for the DS1, with the Master Fader, on paper it appears it can work very well. I've never used Traktor in gig situation, or really played around with it paired with any controller.

I play tech house, deep tech, big room deep house.

You don't beatmatch without jogwheels, you use sync - sure its possible to ride the faders and beatmatch, but thats more of a PITA than its worth.

Give some additional thought to how you'd map track selection, manage effects, samples etc ... and factor in that you'll need a soundcard.

Would you not think of buying a controller designed for dj software rather than shoehorning a unit like the DS1 into the setup ? It seems like a weird choice of controller - especially as you havent DJ'd digitally before.

IMHO, you'd be better served with something like an S4/S2/DDJ. Plug them in, they just work, and work in a similar fashion to what you are used to with a 2 decks and mixer.

[mrdorianjames]

So I am giving thought to a slimmed down digital kit like the DS1 and Traktor Pro 2.

The DS1 seems to be more suited to ableton than Traktor. It also seems a bit more expensive than what it should be. I know livid makes some pretty well built stuff but it almost seems too basic. I could probably make this myself. If we are talking about livid then I'd take the Livid base II over the ds1. It has more options for cheaper. The new APCmk2 which is only a tad more expensive and more functions. However all of these are more fit for ableton than traktor. I would probably use them for traktor's remix decks.

I am curious how well you can beatmatch without jog wheels?

That's debatable. For house kind of stuff, the touch strips on the x1 and s8 are nice and are easy to nudge forward and back with great precision. No real scratching or anything but it serves it's purpose.

Overall, I concur with deevey's assessment. You should look into an s2 it's built for traktor and comes with more bang for your buck. not to mention comes with traktor software. If you bought a Ds1 you would have to buy the ds1 and traktor.

[oblivionnewtonjohn]

You don't beatmatch without jogwheels, you use sync - sure its possible to ride the faders and beatmatch, but thats more of a PITA than its worth.

Give some additional thought to how you'd map track selection, manage effects, samples etc ... and factor in that you'll need a soundcard.

Would you not think of buying a controller designed for dj software rather than shoehorning a unit like the DS1 into the setup ? It seems like a weird choice of controller - especially as you havent DJ'd digitally before.

IMHO, you'd be better served with something like an S4/S2/DDJ. Plug them in, they just work, and work in a similar fashion to what you are used to with a 2 decks and mixer.

I assumed that a soundcard etc was implied considering the format, I like the NI unit. I tried a DS1 locally, does just what I need.

As you stated, you use sync, I then can use the mappable faders to nudge, a bit different than I am use to, but frees me up to be more creative than worrying with drifts etc. I'll have to spend time creating cue points.

I like the basics of this setup, the slimness, the ability to go to a gig with all my gear in a backpack, not two. I also like the fact I can use it with my recording software if I build another studio setup.

When you really think about it, it's no different than a sequenced/synched live PA show. I say that because some purist say that syncing/auto beat matching is frowned upon, but if used correctly, I think it can really free up the creative process. At the end of the day, it comes down to track selection, the dj having keen ears, and being able to read the crowd. I also want to explore Mixed In Key, something I've always liked and respected about Mark Farina, is his ability to flawless mix in key/phrase match, blending smoothly.

You're right though, it will be a process to create these sets beforehand, but leave me room to work the EQ/FX.

By the way, B&H has the DS1 for almost $100 cheaper at $370 than a direct purchase. Though their support kindly gave me a 10% off coupon. I talked extensively with them about the DS1 paired with Traktor, they report that it works extremely well, having good feedback from dj's they utilized during R&D.

Thanks for the feedback, I'll report back more later when I've fully wrapped my head around the software and hardware.