Help! Need advise on which mixing software and hardware to invest in...

Hi, I used to be an all vinyl electronica dj but have since moved on to experimenting in the world of digital mixing. Besides not being able to afford strictly vinyl anymore, digital mixing is working for me right now as I have been living part of my time down in Central America, and cant haul down my turntables and records with me. It also means that Serato, which is the way I have been playing my digital tracks here at home, will not work with out decks... well, I guess this is part of my question, as I know you can use the internal mode on Serato to mix without decks, but I want to know how reliable that is, and also because I wanted to bring with me a midi controller that will work really well with the software. This is why I was thinking Serato Itch, with the Vestax vci 300 which is made for it... however, I dont want to be restricted because what if I want to use the controller with other software? I was seriously looking at Traktor DJ studio as well...

So basically, I want a setup that will be easy to travel with, and work really well. Price is not so important as Im looking at this setup as an investment. I've done the whole buying cheaper gear thing in the past, but you just end up having to buy what you really need later on.

Any help would be appreciated! I really want to understand the gear I choose, and why I chose it :)

Terra

It really comes down to what kind of technique you want to use and how invested you want to get in the stylizing of your setup. Both Serato and Traktor have ups and downs.

If you want complete plug and play with a more accurate scratching system but restricted to a very limited number of setups, go with Serato and the 300. I'd also recommend getting the FX unit as well.

If you want a more open ended solution, but one that requires a lot more customization and less accurate faders/platters, go with the VCI-100 and an MIDI Fighter. You have to program a lot more yourself, BUT you can customize the setup to you in a unique and dynamic way.

welcome to the forums. based on your post i think the vci300 would work great for your needs and you can use midi translators to use it with traktor if you wish down the road.

IMO i think staying with what you're comfortable with serato/itch combined with a higher resolution controller should be a great unit for portable digital dj mixing.

Thanks for the replies!

Well, when I do get into scratching and turntablism, Im not planning on doing that on anything but real vinyl and Technics :)

What Im interested in, is being able to create solid mixes of the dnb/jungle/dubstep/experimental/techno stuff I have, and be able to easily set at home, or at parties.

Im not into bpm counters or anything, I actually really enjoy beat matching, so I want the pitch on the controller to be quite accurate. Accuracy of my controls is vital, as latency and having to rely on bpm calculators I find quite irritating.

So it looks as Im leaning towards Itch and the 300. The fact I could use midi translators to use Traktor down the road is wonderful, however, I know nothing about midi translators. If anyone would like to brief me that would be great, or if there is a thread already on the subject a link would be nice, but I will search in the meantime :)

Any more opinions also appreciated!