Ok so I want to get into this DJ thing..

Ok so I love music, especially electronic music. If there is something in life I'm passionate about, its music. Unfortunately I don't think m creative enough to create my own music, so I decided to take up the hobby of mixing music.

I've narrowed it down to two choices. The S4 and the NS6. I like the possibilities of the S4 with the effects and what not. But how much am I really going to be using that with electronic music? As far as the NS6 goes I love the size of it and the way it looks. But I don't know if I like Itch. I've never used either Itch or Traktor but it seems that the possibilities with Traktor are much grater than Itch. I've also read about people having trouble with beat matching with the S4. I don't plan on using the sync feature.

I'm stuck between the two, and would like to know what you guys recommend to someone just starting up. Keep in mind I will be spinning mostly electronic music and not. Thanks guys..

use the search button, hundreds on this shit already. other then that I wouldnt recommend any for someone starting... they are both a lot of money for something you might not like, you should check out hercules controllers or even the beginner models numark make and then if you dont like it you havent wasted a shit load... if you do you can sell it too someone and get most of your money back.

you shouldnt disregard sync before you start either.... many people use it many dont... ive played clubs for years and use it but you need to know not to rely on it incase grids arent set properly.... you should download a demo of traktor and even start messing with that using your mouse and keyboard .... just a few ideas

I would start off with something super cheap to see if I even like it.

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Originally Posted by Kaek

I would start off with something super cheap to see if I even like it.

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Indeed. Get a Numark mixtrack or hercules rmx or so !

Seconding (or thirding?) the Hercules for a starter controller. There's a couple wonderful mappings for the hercules which will get you started, and you can usually pick one up used for $200 or less. It's what I started on and served me for 2 gigs before I really needed to expand.

I appreciate it so far and I did search but didn't find anything that answered my specific questions. As far as playing around with the demos, played around with VDJ for a long time but mixing with a computer keyboard sucks. As far as the money is concerned, I'm not worried about that..I'd raher get something that will last me without having to upgrade for a while..Is the S4 more tailored for mash ups and not straight up mixing?

It's not just the cost of the equipment. Besides if cost isn't an issue than why so worried about getting the best right away? It's often good to start with a smaller controller so you're really forced to learn the basics and maximize its potential so you can really appreciate the S4 when you get it.

You don't need the biggest and best right away and I frankly think it'd cause more confusion than good, but it's your call. It just seems that, particularly since you asked that last question, you don't really have the knowledge or experience to know what controller would be best for you. You should be able to look at the S4 and say 'Oh hey I really like the effects section and mixer lay out and those sample buttons and cues would be key for mash-ups' if that's what you'd really want.

What I'm saying is, your experience with a smaller controller will tell you what your needs are. Why don't you save your purchase of the fancy controller til you're damn sure what your style and workflow is? Know what you're buying- and don't just know the pros and cons according to some review site- know them based on your needs.

Edit: I know it's not the answer you probably want to hear, and to be honest I fell prey to the marketing hype of the S4 long before I ever really needed it and almost ended up trading in my whole setup when I realized ableton was where I wanted to be.

DON'T DO IT. You will lose hours of your life and lots of cash!!! :p

I recommend you find demo versions of both programs and play around a bit, learn the ins and outs. Serato has their new Intro version, but I'm not too sure about Traktor. NI does have demos of Traktor, right?

get the s4 if u can afford it

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Originally Posted by Poizen Jam

It's not just the cost of the equipment. Besides if cost isn't an issue than why so worried about getting the best right away? It's often good to start with a smaller controller so you're really forced to learn the basics and maximize its potential so you can really appreciate the S4 when you get it.

You don't need the biggest and best right away and I frankly think it'd cause more confusion than good, but it's your call. It just seems that, particularly since you asked that last question, you don't really have the knowledge or experience to know what controller would be best for you. You should be able to look at the S4 and say 'Oh hey I really like the effects section and mixer lay out and those sample buttons and cues would be key for mash-ups' if that's what you'd really want.

What I'm saying is, your experience with a smaller controller will tell you what your needs are. Why don't you save your purchase of the fancy controller til you're damn sure what your style and workflow is? Know what you're buying- and don't just know the pros and cons according to some review site- know them based on your needs.

Edit: I know it's not the answer you probably want to hear, and to be honest I fell prey to the marketing hype of the S4 long before I ever really needed it and almost ended up trading in my whole setup when I realized ableton was where I wanted to be.

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THIS.

I wanted an S4 badly when I first heard of them, I had little to no experience DJing outside of Ableton with my APC40. I got an American Audio VMS4 with VDJ and learned the basics of 4 deck mixing using only the most basic controls (EQ's, Looper). Once I got that down I was able to sell it without much loss (about 75% of what I paid for it) and upgraded to the S4 knowing that its dedicated channel filters, FX section, sample decks, and awesome LED display for Loop Size was all stuff that I wanted and was beneficial toward the way I wanted to DJ.

Trust this man when he says start small and learn the basics, and you will quickly learn what features you want and need. After that, the S4 vs. NS6 question will be an easy one for you to answer by yourself :P

As stated already there is a gazillion "what should I get" threads but the answer to your question is...we don't know what YOU should get. We don't know what kinds of ideas you have in terms of what you want to do in mixing music. I will say though, the fact that you started off by stating that you aren't very creative means that you must think that mixing music isn't all that creative. Also that you said about not using effects becausre you want mix EDM. Well EDM is a genre that you would use effects and loops more than other genres. You need to think about what it is you want to do and then research those products that fit that need. Everyone has their opinion on what controller is better and why this controller sucks but its you that has to decide.

IMO the best beginner list for digital DJ'ing

**Make sure your computer has 2gb ram (any computer or mac, does not matter)**

Get either of the following combinations of hardware:

Option 1:
Numark Mixtrack Pro
Native Instruments Kontrol X1

Option 2:
Vestax VCI-100
Native Instruments Audio 2 Soundcard

Get some DECENT headphones!! Super essential!! I recommend either HDJ500 or HDJ1000 headphones for beginners **Note - only in the limited edition HDJ1000's**

Both options listed above come with software demo's which are upgradable. Both options are about the same price (VCI100 is a bit more expensive). Both options IMO are the best bang for buck and allow you to learn all the basics and a lot of advanced techniques.

There is no point starting out with something like a S4 or a NS6 because you will not use close to half the stuff on it. You would be better off spending a little bit of coin on some entry level gear to see if you like it and then spend the extra on headphones and decent speakers which you will still use if you decide DJ'ing isn't for you.

Just IMO of course :)

I say an x1 and a pos usb midi mixer, that is how I got started (bcd 3000) whole setup new is 400 and used is probably around 200-300, very beginner, very useable, very nice, the only thing I use a whole lot on my s4 that I didn't have on the bcd3000 is the filters...

As to Itch vs Traktor.

Itch is much easier to learn than Traktor. Traktor's best thing is also it's worst. It complexity and power is absolutely amazing, but can be very difficult to use for a beginner whos just learning to mix. Also mapping new stuff is really goddamn annoying because of the tiny mapping controls.

Itch is nice and simple, and generally tailored hard for the controller that it comes with, very tight integration. Its effects are somewhat lacking though, and its auto beatgrid/bpm detect is complete shit. Best thing to do is go through and grid all your songs when you get new ones. Also setting up ID3 tags is useful for both programs. Though the way it does the waveforms is better than traktor. It's really nice to have them right on top of eachother. Makes waveriding much easier.

It comes down to personal preference. I love both traktor and itch, though I perform with itch (still working on my twitch mapping for traktor). Itch is smaller software as well.

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Originally Posted by JazZmutant

IMO the best beginner list for digital DJ'ing

**Make sure your computer has 2gb ram (any computer or mac, does not matter)**

Get either of the following combinations of hardware:

Option 1:
Numark Mixtrack Pro
Native Instruments Kontrol X1

Option 2:
Vestax VCI-100
Native Instruments Audio 2 Soundcard

Get some DECENT headphones!! Super essential!! I recommend either HDJ500 or HDJ1000 headphones for beginners **Note - only in the limited edition HDJ1000's**

Both options listed above come with software demo's which are upgradable. Both options are about the same price (VCI100 is a bit more expensive). Both options IMO are the best bang for buck and allow you to learn all the basics and a lot of advanced techniques.

There is no point starting out with something like a S4 or a NS6 because you will not use close to half the stuff on it. You would be better off spending a little bit of coin on some entry level gear to see if you like it and then spend the extra on headphones and decent speakers which you will still use if you decide DJ'ing isn't for you.

Just IMO of course :)

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Perfect! I started out on a mixtrack and a Kontrol X1 (I bought a Fast track pro as my interface) then I decided I wanted something a bit more interesting to play on and I was just getting into ableton so I got an APC 20 and dropped my Mixtrack. So now I'm playing with an APC20 and Kontrol X1 which is something I find really interesting as it's not made for DJing. anyways just my 2Cents:cool:

S4 or S2 are perfect beginner controllers and save you money in the long run.

What I've been told by a lot of my friends is that you need to try out the different equipment first. You don't know what you'll like until you try a bunch of stuff out first. It's like going to a store and buying something because it's a brand name or you saw someone cool wearing it. It doesn't mean it's right for you. Try not to be influenced too easily either. It's good to have the facts but if someone is telling you, "you must have this..." you need to make up your own mind about it.

I'm sure you've got enough friends in the DJ community that you'll have an oportunity to try out a few different set ups. Start out by purchasing tunes you really enjoy. Also pay attention to DJ mixes. It'll take you a while to figure things out, but take your time and keep at it. I play the piano and only learned a couple years ago. I started to write my own tunes too. At first I thought I wasn't artistic enough, but I forced myself to learn an instruments so that I could at least understand music a bit better. It inspired me and in turn I started to produce.

The biggest thing is going to be deciding on what software you want to use. Honestly.

Controller choices come secondary to that. And you can also go for something that is viable with multiple software choices.

Personally, while I love the concept of Traktor, I can't get over just how ugly I think the GUI is. Totally not my cup of tea. Serato's products just feel more natural to me. But it also could be because I was introduced to DJing software through Serato first.

Torq actually is pretty solid as far as entry level software as well. They really improved it with 2.0. So it's something to keep in mind too.

Personally I'd go for an ITCH controller. If price isn't an issue, I'd look at Pioneer's offerings. The S1 or T1 both look like amazing pieces of kit, if you can afford them.

If not... the Xone DX (while not having amazing jog wheels) is ITCH compatible, can be mapped to Traktor, and is at an amazing price at the moment. $499. Not something to be overlooked.

^ this. Get a DX for 499 and try both softwares or get a mixtrack pro for 200 bucks and use serato intro that is very similar to itch and also works with traktor. Then decide what u want to really invest in. I started on traktor ended up enjoying serato much more.

Weirdly, it doesn't really matter too much what you get. You'll be buying blind, to a certain degree, and because you are currently unsure as to what your path will take, and what the terrain will be like, it's difficult to know which vehicle to buy. I'd just suggest you don't spend too much money at first because:
- you'll probably want to buy something different down the line
- you may decide that you don't fancy the journey at all

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Originally Posted by Bassline Brine

The biggest thing is going to be deciding on what software you want to use. Honestly.

Controller choices come secondary to that. And you can also go for something that is viable with multiple software choices.

Personally, while I love the concept of Traktor, I can't get over just how ugly I think the GUI is. Totally not my cup of tea. Serato's products just feel more natural to me. But it also could be because I was introduced to DJing software through Serato first.

Torq actually is pretty solid as far as entry level software as well. They really improved it with 2.0. So it's something to keep in mind too.

Personally I'd go for an ITCH controller. If price isn't an issue, I'd look at Pioneer's offerings. The S1 or T1 both look like amazing pieces of kit, if you can afford them.

If not... the Xone DX (while not having amazing jog wheels) is ITCH compatible, can be mapped to Traktor, and is at an amazing price at the moment. $499. Not something to be overlooked.

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I would have to agree that choosing the software is more important than which controller. But as I stated before, everyone has their opinion on which is better and why. My first controller was a Numark Omni which came with Traktor 3 LE that I immediately upgraded to Traktor Pro. So to me Traktor makes a lot more sense than Itch. The wave forms are bigger, the loop controls, the mixer interface, everything is right there in front of you. I didn't like Itch at all, it seems so empty, have tried a few times, but could never get into it. Baseline Brine prefers Itch, I prefer Traktor, neither of us is wrong or right, its just whatever works best for you and makes the most sense to you.

The Xone DX is a great choice. I replaced my Numark Omni with a DX and I love it. I use it with Traktor and it maps perfectly, some might say it works better with Traktor than Itch. I heard that A&H were originally building the DX for Traktor and that deal fell through so they went with Itch. Who knows if thats really true but it does map perfectly with Traktor and its very solid with a 20 channel sound card. I paid $599 in August and now its down to $499, definitely a great buy.

asdf

^ wern't you just asking what controller to get in your own thread TrevRand ;)

I see you have done some research with some good results :p

chucking a Numark omni control in the mix. Should be able to pick up one of them for cheap as chips bro. has a built in soundcard which is a bonus.

All the basics you need for a 2 deck + effects controller. (come's with traktor le for a good introduction)