X1, Audio 2, and mixer as only laptop-DJ equipment?

[Ashigari]

Hi all,

I have a decent PA setup and I really want to start DJing using Traktor. The S4 looks beautiful and has all I need, but unfortunately it is out of my price range.

So I was wondering if, for starters (I am a beginner at Traktor), would it do with a Laptop + Audio 2 soundcard + Behringer mixer + Kontrol X1?
I mean, would I be able to sync beats, navigate in Traktor, and do looping? I'm thinking thats all I'll need to begin with. It will set me back about $300, whereas the S4 is $900..

All input appreciated!

my exact setup works pretty good and is nice to get a feel for moxing an I prefer external mixers (even a crappy behringer)

[MrPopinjay]

The X1, Audio 2 and a 2 channel mixer is a fine set up. It's nice and portable since you'll be suing the clubs mixer and it is easily expandable since all the components are seperately replaceable.

If you wanted to control 4 decks you could just buy another audio 2 and use a 4 channel mixer.

[Nesquigs]

Only problem is that unless I'm much mistaken, paulmac lives in the UK.

yeah. i guess, you could still ship it if you wanted. and im tryin to help a brutha out.

You must have spent quite a lot with all the $0.02 you've been giving out recently!

gotta make money stretch man, times are tight.

(nah ive just been stuck at home cause im sick all week.. so ive been chiming in more than usual)

[Poulet Blanc]

Thanks guys.
I actually didn't know about the Digital Jockeys, and they seem to offer what I need at an affordable price, with jog wheels. However there are a few different models, and they seem very similar.
But Poulet Blanc you are saying the built in soundcard isnt of sufficient quality. Is that the case for Digital Jockey 2 IE as well? And DJ 3?

I may also save up a few bucks and go for the S4...

Hey, I've heard from alot of Dj's who are using the internal soundcard of a controller it isn't VERY good. If you're only Dj'ing on small parties, it won't be very noticeable, but if you're going to spin at a party that has some good speakers (like a school party or something like that), it will be better to use an Audio 2 Dj.

I once had to Dj at a school party from my school, for about 200 people, (with my old dj set up) and you could notice my sound quality (2 channel behringer mixer) wasn't as good as the other guy's quality (4 channel clubmixer).

[Nesquigs]

^^ agreed. the a2dj sounded a hell of a lot better than my internal soundcard on the vestax spin

[MrPopinjay]

Also with an external sound card you can upgrade your controller without having to worry about upgrading the sound card too which will make it cheaper and more flexible.

[heaps]

X1 + Audio2 + Mixer = the way to go.
It's portable (at clubs you just have to bring your X1/soundcard/laptop)
It's affordable
It's relatively modular
It's intuitive
It's fun

But if you must have a Jog wheel, I'm selling my DN-SC2000 for pertty cheap over in the buy/sell forum.

[DJ Asand]

Hey Axman,

I don't recommend this set up, in my opinion it's very handy to have jogwheels, because sometimes the song just isn't perfectly in sync with your other song, and you'll need to do a little pitch bending.

I also don't recommend Behringer mixers, one it's channels just gave up on me while I was spinning at a gig.

definitely have to disagree with you there.
I started with a Numark Stealth, which I am now selling since I moved to JUST a DDM4000 after only 2 months.

I now mix with JUST a mixer.

In fact, I found that jogwheels got in the way and took up too much room.
jogwheel functions can be assigned to encoders to do the same thing, especially the nice encoders on the X1.

[fullenglishpint]

I wouldn't like to be without SOME way of changing pitch bending/changing. Jogwheel, pitch fader, whatever, but I like to have something. I was mixing the other night with just my X1 and Audio 2, using the mouse for faders and had a filter mapped to a knob on the X1, the main thing i missed was pitch control.

[steffanko]

I do gigs with my setup. I have audio 2 dj, laptop, traktor, behringer mixer djx750, and for controllers i use akai lpd8 and one denon dn-s1200. I am thinking about replacing my denon for a smaller controller, and was thinking about x1 or xone 1d. I will go for xone, just suits my needs better.

Why I bought behringer mixer? It is the worst 4 channel mixer but it is a 4 channel mixer. Its price was 150 euros, so I think its not wasted money. Problem with it is that it has bad sound quality at output. So, when I am spinnin' at smaller clubs, with cheap speakers its not a problem, but at some clubs here there are sound systems with JBL eon, and then theres a difference. But usually, those clubs have their own mixers!