What do you think about Gemini MDJ-1000? - Page 20
Page 20 of 21 FirstFirst ... 10161718192021 LastLast
Results 191 to 200 of 209
  1. #191
    Tech Mentor
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Dayton, Ohio, USA
    Posts
    259

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by daniel2 View Post
    Maybe Gemini's MDJ-1000 is currently one of the best versions. Pretty much a good rating on it
    SPAM-a-lot?

    That said, if you use =<2TB ntfs drive of just tracks for each deck and don’t use link, turn analysis off, don’t use the four search/next arrow keys, set all cues and hot cues while in play mode (even if your hand is touching top of platter), and have a little patience with things like button mechanical issues (double presses might be resolvable in firmware by ignoring inhumanly-rapid registered subsequent presses), they’re becoming usable. I streamed a set last night for a few hours with one MDJ on the left and the SC5000 on the right. When holding to those rules, the MDJ was stable and just as useful for basic old school mixing as the SC5000 when I increased the Gemini jog bend from 3 to 2. Similar basic function and feel. The inability to set cue/hotcues immediately on the SC5000 was a pain. They both also have super wonky loop in-out-exit functions. Gemini has the exact same layout as Pioneer, yet they for some bizarre reason are doing loops different than Pioneer. Changing the Gemini back to less sensitive jog bend of 3 and it was easier to mix on than the super expensive Denon, which, by the way, also currently has issues with its link. While the Gemini is a touch dry-sounding out the analog outs, its arguably got a more extended top-end and less Torq 2.0-like dark, compressed sound with keylock off compared to the Denon if we're comparing SPDIF. I sort of am not as motivated to use the SC5000 with the PPD9000 because it doesn't have sample rate selection for the SPDIF out and is stuck at 96khz. The Gemini also currently has deeper pitch resolution compared to the SC5000 v1.0.3 firmware. BTW, the Denon dropped NTFS read-only support for some reason.
    Last edited by Reticuli; 04-30-2018 at 01:54 AM.

  2. #192
    Tech Convert
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Posts
    14

    Default

    However I wouldn't recommend buying one

  3. #193
    Tech Mentor
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Dayton, Ohio, USA
    Posts
    259

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by JeanSB View Post
    However I wouldn't recommend buying one
    I wouldn't right now, either. If you already own them and hold to some extensive, strict guidelines, they're getting usable finally. I did two hours with three of them. I didn't feel exhausted anymore towards the end even with the unavoidable issues, and they felt pretty natural and fun. No waiting for analysis. No distractions. Intuitive pitch bend.

    With either CDs or NTFS MBR USB drives per unit (I'm using 2TB drives) with analysis, quantize, and grids all off, then keeping the following in mind:

    Track number at top is still wrong, counting the folder at the top as track one.
    Folder and file names do not scroll in the browser and there's no way currently to get rid of the split screen. So it might be hard to know what the whole name is.
    There is still center jog display marker drift.
    Inhumanly fast double button presses are not yet ignored.
    Can't use link reliably. Don't use it.
    SPDIF outputs actually mute until a split second after the track is playing, with a faint tick as they switch on.
    Still some oddities with cues and especially hot cues. You have to be patient with that.
    The rotary encoder rheostats aren't the most reliable part it appears. Sometimes rotating one notch forward/clockwise causes the browser highlighter to go backwards.
    Can't use arrow keys without problems, so currently don't use them at all.
    Use the encoder & browser to select tracks and do the following...
    Instead of fast forward or backward "search" keys, you can pretty reliably navigate within a track with jog scratch or jog bend in combination with pitch fader at 100% and reverse.
    I would prefer if bpm defaulted with analysis off and Auto on to either blank or 100 instead of potentially misleading people who don't know that the tracks are not all 130bpm, but that's a minor gripe. People will quickly figure that out.
    For some reason, the back/forth increments on the Gemini at 16% is still only at 0.1 resolution. So Pioneer and Denon beat it there.
    A strict read-only mode for Fat drives would be nice.
    On-screen info for the break & start times would be nice as the knobs are pretty touchy.

    A new firmware is apparently forthcoming. I don't know when it will be released or how much of this will be addressed, but they claim to be working on it. There hasn't been a new firmware for the MDJ in almost a year.

    The positives:
    Nice jog bend that is adjustable. No Pioneer jog bend deadzone or Denon's asymmetric sensitivity.
    The 4% and 8% pitch ranges have the best resolution you can find on a player. Hopefully Denon reverses that decision on their next firmware.
    Scratching back behind zero time does not go to the previous track.
    With key lock off, the sound quality is better than the new Denons. Denon does have the best key lock, though.
    MDJ-1000 (and Denon) has usable pitch ranges between 16% and 100% that the Pioneers lack.
    With MBR drives, the MDJ-1000 (and Denon) appears to see every folder and every track, unlike the Pioneers that sometimes say whole folders are empty.
    Gemini has managed to implement NTFS read-only support and ability to turn analysis off. This is pretty much unprecedented on this new breed of players. Pioneer's not going to do that any time soon if ever and Denon is still working on it, or at least the ability to customize on-screen info and not require analysis to do basic things like set a cue.

    The next Denon firmware will supposedly clear up a lot of the SC5000's issues and add a number of capabilities, so I expect next firmware to make many of these complaints against "new Denon" moot.

    If it was up to me, the priority on the Gemini firmware would be the SPDIF muting problem, ignoring inhumanly-fast extra button presses, cues/hot cues performance and reliability, getting those arrow keys working without messing up track or drive reading, doing something to mitigate or make optional the browser split screen, and resolving the drift on the center jog display. Then other stuff gets worked on later. The Gemini's crude "old Denon"-style Link has such limited use even if it was working without glitches, I'd probably not advertise it much and just tell people that with small drives at home they can give it a go, but recommend they just use one drive for each player for the foreseeable future. It'd be great if the Link was magically at the big boy's level, but I'm doubtful that will ever be possible with this hardware even with glitch-free and polished firmware. Drives are cheap, though.
    Last edited by Reticuli; 06-13-2018 at 04:23 PM.

  4. #194

    Default

    Hi Guys.

    This is the new firmware for mdj1000,eric send to me a few days ago.

    The most issues was fixed and the unit are very stable without mayor problems.

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/a5d55pfnid....1mk2.gci?dl=0

    And this a new version of V-case for analyze the song and this if work fine.
    In USB mode the tracks take only 2 or 3 seconds to charge the complete information included grid and track map.

    https://max.mailbigfile.com/cbf7664a.../listFiles.php

    Try both soft and let me know.

  5. #195
    Tech Mentor
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Dayton, Ohio, USA
    Posts
    259

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Electrofiloxxx View Post
    Hi Guys.

    This is the new firmware for mdj1000,eric send to me a few days ago.

    The most issues was fixed and the unit are very stable without mayor problems.

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/a5d55pfnid....1mk2.gci?dl=0

    And this a new version of V-case for analyze the song and this if work fine.
    In USB mode the tracks take only 2 or 3 seconds to charge the complete information included grid and track map.

    https://max.mailbigfile.com/cbf7664a.../listFiles.php

    Try both soft and let me know.
    Interesting. I'll check it out. They've had no official releases for a year. Is the new V-case still creating Fourier transforms one tenth the size of the file it's based on, and does it allow you to analyze drives as-is and/or choose where the library and analysis files are saved? Also interested to see if they put in the mechanical button flaw fix in the firmware I recommended, among many others.

    Edit: Tested 6.6.1mk2

    The mechanical double button presses problem has not been resolved by software. You can still get multiple presses when you're just holding a button like Back (to cancel out of a screen) or if you just tap keylock it might engage and disengage immediately. For browsing this means you may still be better off using the browser encoder push in at the top folder symbol rather than using Back since one tap of Back may jump you back a few folders and lose your spot. You can use shift and rotate the encoder to quickly scroll up to find that folder symbol at the top of the filename list.

    Cue buttons still don't always assign correctly, though they seem to be setting on the spot you want now. First time I tried setting hot cue 4 it set hot cue 3 instead, though it was the right spot in the track. Second time I tried this it set both 3 and 4 together to the same spot when I only hit 4.

    16% pitch range still inexplicably has no wiggle (same spot) increments double its normal (different position) increments, so is stuck at 0.1 increments or worse.

    Start and stop knobs still don’t show any convenient on-screen info. Not a biggy but would be nice.

    You still can't get rid of split screen in browser and there's no track/folder name scrolling, so it's hard to read what they are since it's cut off, but at least the info on the right side appears to be accurate once it pops up. They really need to make the right side either delayed in coming up, require a press to come up, or scroll the info on the left side.

    BPM still is not blank when analysis is Off and still defaults to 130 bpm, which is weird but not a huge problem.

    The green info text when you do something like set a loop or hot cue I still think lasts too long.

    Track amplitude and sound processing does not appear to have been changed. Same volume. Same slight dryness, though I did not run spectrum analysis yet. My ears tell me they worked on other things.

    The play and scratch marker in the center of the jog may be drifting slightly less, but not hugely. It still drifts some with enough scratching or scratching far enough away from where you touched.

    It seems a little less spastic when switching to CD to stop reading off USB, where before it would keep switching back on its own.

    I have yet to get the "search & track search" forward/back, next/previous four button arrow group on the left side to do the wrong thing or cause a malfunction in drive reading. That's a big deal. Correction: With a loop set and in the middle of a track, hitting next track "track search" arrow did cause drive reading to reset once.

    Also a big deal: they FINALLY fixed the number in the top right of the browser so the folder IS NOT listed as track 1. That number now matches the track once it's selected.

    Two long identical tracks played together in-phase did not skip a single time, which is consistent with or better than the last few firmwares.

    I haven't tested Link and am just using one NTFS drive in read-only per player. Correction: Tested it briefly. They now have the ability to choose which player that is actively reading a USB you are Linking to, which I didn't even think was possible. No need to unplug ethernet cables. Obviously this is precarious if drive-reading fails.

    This is certainly an incremental improvement. With the mechanical button flaw software fix still not implemented and some glitching hot cue assigning (and drive reading malfunction with Next Track arrow), I'm not quite sure I'd want to use these for an open decks night yet, but it seems to be getting closer to showtime for the MDJs.

    Denon better up their game on their next SC5000 firmware, because the MDJ is getting usable without its prior insane provisos and has the better jog feel right now: symmetrical bend sensitivity and adjustable. Denon still missing their NTFS read-only mode for big drives stated in their own specs. I also need to get me my Retro Mode! So nice just using your ears on the Gemini... dry sound, warts, and all.
    Last edited by Reticuli; 08-03-2018 at 02:33 PM. Reason: Tested it, and correction on drive reading and next track

  6. #196
    Tech Guru
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Seattle, WA
    Posts
    1,471

    Default

    That isn't the most recent version of the MDJ firmware. The most recent version came out last week and is 6.6.6. That IS the most current version of VCase, but you won't get the full benefit of it unless you also have the latest MDJ firmware. That's why it wasn't meant to be shared publicly.

    Reticuli, if you want to try them both just email me and I'll make sure you get the right stuff.

  7. #197

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by nem0nic View Post
    That isn't the most recent version of the MDJ firmware. The most recent version came out last week and is 6.6.6. That IS the most current version of VCase, but you won't get the full benefit of it unless you also have the latest MDJ firmware. That's why it wasn't meant to be shared publicly.

    Reticuli, if you want to try them both just email me and I'll make sure you get the right stuff.
    Hi.

    6.6.1 work fine

    What is the different in relation with the 6.6.6 version?

  8. #198
    Tech Guru the_bastet's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Cincinnati, OH
    Posts
    2,866

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Electrofiloxxx View Post
    Hi.

    6.6.1 work fine

    What is the different in relation with the 6.6.6 version?
    The 6.6.6 version requires you to sacrifice a virgin goat before using the units. Once the sacrifice is complete, you must drink blood from the skulls of your enemies. Only then will the dark lord appear and grant you access.
    - Equipment - 2X Technics 1200, 2X Audio Technica ATLP1240, 2X XDJ700, 2X XDJ1000 MK2, Denon DNX-1100, Mixars DUO, DJM750 MK2, NI Audio 10, NI Aduio 4, Serato SL3, 4X Shure M44-7, 2X Ortofon Pro S, 2X Numark Groove Tool, Maschine MK3, Samson Carbon 49, Roland SE-02, Novation Launchcontrol, TouchOSC, Nocation Peak, Arturia MiniBrute, Korg Volca Kick, MicroKorg (Classic), NI Komplete Audio 6

  9. #199
    Tech Mentor
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Dayton, Ohio, USA
    Posts
    259

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by the_bastet View Post
    The 6.6.6 version requires you to sacrifice a virgin goat before using the units. Once the sacrifice is complete, you must drink blood from the skulls of your enemies. Only then will the dark lord appear and grant you access.
    Hah hah hah. The Libyan guy in the house literally goes and kills a goat or sheep like every other month at a farm outside of Dayton. I should hit him up for that. Wonder if they released 6.6.6 on Friday the 13th... or maybe during the blood moon.
    Last edited by Reticuli; 08-02-2018 at 06:34 PM.

  10. #200
    Tech Guru
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Seattle, WA
    Posts
    1,471

    Default

    I keep picturing a DJ version of Metalocalypse where a group of satan worshipping gabber DJs attempt to open a portal to hell at their events.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •