Absolute or Relative for time-code? What do you use?

[Bassline Brine]

So. Pretty simple question.

Do you use Absolute or Relative control while using time-code? Why?

I started mixing mainly using absolute, just because it made sense to me from coming off the limited vinyl I had practiced with at first. When I got my dicers however, I switched to using relative most of the time. But I'm finding myself annoyed at times because I can't jump into the middle of tracks as easily as I could before (without using the computer directly) and I'm thinking about mainly going back to absolute. But that disables the dicers from being able to loop/jump around with cue points.

How do you guys get around this? Looking to see what other people do, to get a better idea of what might work best for me.

Honestly I like using relative, but it's kind of a pain in the ass to setup cue points for every single track I'm going to be playing. I understand the point of it (to jump about easier) but, it's that whole "prep" thing I dislike.

[lethal_pizzle]

There's not a lot you can do really. It switches to relative automatically when you engage a loop or cue jump because the location of the needle is now offset from the position of the 'virtual needle'. And once that has happened there's no way of getting it back without the music jumping.

I have it set to 'absolute on lead-in' so the record starts in absolute so I can skip through it etc, and then relative happens if it happens...

[synthet1c]

I use "smart relative" in vdj... it's the best of both worlds, I can needle drop and hotcue at the same time with this setting... I also find with straight absolute I tend to cue burn timecode's much faster and eventually run out of lead in time to skip past the burnt section.

[bumtsch]

I have it set to 'absolute on lead-in' so the record starts in absolute so I can skip through it etc, and then relative happens if it happens...

Same here. Used to be relative all the way, now I use this most of the time just so I can play in a more traditional style with just the browser view.
If I'm at a gig and people are arseing about too close to the decks I'll pop into relative for sure.

[dripstep]

^^ I do the same as well. No real reason, just the way I've used it since I started.

[Patch]

In DJ Decks - you can set up a button to toggle ABS/REL. Play in REL, and switch to ABS for needle dropping. Once you're finished needle dropping, switch back to REL... (Once you're back in REL, don't switch to ABS unless you are sure you wnat to hear the jump).

I assume the behaviour will be the same in TSP2?

[PeteWoods]

I use relative, i dont like the possibility of a skip when i'm cuing, especially with my pretty bad needles! I can get away with relative now that my TT's are set up correctly but i just don't like risking it!

[Kaek]

I use lead in turns absolute mode on.
Turning on loops or using cue points in traktor automatically puts you into relative mode.

If for some reason I am in relative mode and need to get back to absolute I just hit the button on the x1

[geminimech]

I agree kevz, Unless you have 2000's with needle drop (do they work with Absolute mode?) It doesn't seem necessary.

[synthet1c]

for vinyl absolute allows you to jump the needle, if you have sticker drift it should also eliminate that so you can beatjuggle like on real vinyl. For cdj's it allows you to set a cue point and loop using the cdj payers controls.