Finally going to start again...
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  1. #1
    Tech Mentor Hammer's Avatar
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    Default Finally going to start again...

    Hey guys!

    Firstly let me just intriduce myself! My name is Tom Hammer. I'm a DJ from London town. A little while back i sold my all of my vinyl equipment in the look to change to cd decks. then i realized, i have a very savvy tech background. Why don't i try going digital?
    I am very intro my electro music and i do a little production work on the side.
    I currently work for Apple so obv i use their computers. Would do through choice also.

    I am looking at getting into the Digital DJing world. I kind of need to start fresh!

    So i was wondering if you guys could give me any advice.
    I know i want the ability to switch between TraktorPro and Ableton if i wish to. I have recently come to the decision that i do not care for the jog wheel. I am quite happy to work with beat grids. I have done endless amounts of research. I have found these two.

    My budget is around £700 including headphones.

    Allen and Heath D2.
    This looks brilliant! What i need to know with this one is, can i plug this straight into my mac, program it via midi and start using ableton straight away? Can i have JUST this and plug speakers directly into it? (I have optical speakers) Is the effectively going to give me 4 tracks on ableton. Kind of like 4 decks?
    Has anyone had any experience with this kit? know of any problems?

    The other i found was the Vestax VCM600
    This looks excellent! But it is very based around Ableton. The layout is almost identical! Will this hinder me later on if i decide to go with Traktor? Also any idea when it actually gets released?


    I have looked at the VCI 300. But i feel i do not want to be tied to one program. I see ITCH as Scratch Live's younger brother. A kind of slimmed down version. I feel i would outgrow that program very quickly. Then im stuck with a 600 quid controller.

    Any help guys! Much appreciated!!!

  2. #2
    Tech Wizard
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    If you are looking for a controller that is good for both Ableton and Traktor I think the A&H is on the mark but I'm scheptical about the 2D because it's sending A/D, D/A, and Midi through one(1) USB bus. that's a lot of data through one little cable! I recommend the 1D, an external mixer, and an Audio 8 or similar 8+ channel independent soundcard. If you mix internally, the VCI-100 is good for Traktor but not so much for Ableton. The VCM-600 is good for Ableton but not Traktor.

    The negative about the A&H controllers is the form factor. they are designed to sit as tall and as deep as a mixer or turntable. great if you are using one or both, but terrible if your using a controller solo.

    Hope this is a good start!

  3. #3
    Tech Wizard Walidism's Avatar
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    The Vcm 600 would be my ideal choice for a controller between the two you are looking at (xone 2d and vcm 600).

    HOWEVER, the xone 2d is a sound card as well as a midi controller, while the vcm 600 is only a midi controller. The vcm 600 is tied to ableton live, but there's no reason that it would not work well with traktor. Traktor, at most, uses 4 decks, so you would have 2 extra channels of midi controls to assign as you wish, plus since you do not care for jog wheels, the vcm600 gives you everything you would need for both programs and even more buttons to assign for traktor. The VCM 600 has 160 PARAMETERS, while the 2d has about 60 or 70, i believe. so you're better off with the vcm 600.

    good luck

  4. #4
    Tech Mentor
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    why u said that the vcm 600 is not good for traktor ??

    u can midi map everthing and have 4 channels mixer in traktor also you have eneough buttons and knobs to even control traktor pro with out any problem.....the only problem on the xone 2d is going to be the midi mapping.....is confusing lol

  5. #5
    DJTT Ninja Mod tekki's Avatar
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    Well the VCM-600 is nice and all, but I still need to see it wind up in the shops.

    All webshops do at the moment is taking pre-orders. While it undergoes interface overhaul after overhaul and keeps on facing distribution delays due to this.

    Regarding the Allen & Heath x: one2d. It is brilliant. The bigger brother of the 1d, but a soundcard, crossfader and extra controls added to it.
    Combine that with a solid construction and I think you can't go wrong.
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  6. #6
    Dr. Bento BentoSan's Avatar
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    For the price of that Zone gear you could buy a soundcard and a slew of midi controllers that are much more suited towards digital mixing.

    If you want try a bit of Ableton and a Bit of Traktor i would say go for a Novation SL-25 keyboard because it will give you a ton of faders, pots and buttons to play with for a fairly reasonable price.

    You say your are pretty decent and computers and that you have prior experience working with audio programs. You should check out the routing articles we have availible about how to get audio from Trakor into Ableton.

  7. #7
    DJTT Ninja Mod tekki's Avatar
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    Why is Xone less suited towards digital mixing?

    It might not be _your_ ideal choice, because of your mixing styles, but it could be that it is an awesome tool for Hammer?
    This once again is a typical case of what is the user's own preference. Does he want to go for cue/beat jugling or does he want to mix Hawtin style, or maybe a crossover?
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  8. #8
    Tech Wizard Nathaly's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by tekki View Post
    Why is Xone less suited towards digital mixing?

    It might not be _your_ ideal choice, because of your mixing styles, but it could be that it is an awesome tool for Hammer?
    This once again is a typical case of what is the user's own preference. Does he want to go for cue/beat jugling or does he want to mix Hawtin style, or maybe a crossover?
    tekki have a point there....well he always think outside the box i simply love it lol

  9. #9
    Retired DJTT Moderator DvlsAdvct's Avatar
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    Oh god, Nathaly, don't be nice to him. Please, for all of us. Next thing you know he's gonna be talking about how he knows something, and then we all lose ;-)

    Hammer, welcome to the site. I, personally, think the Xone mixers are a LOT of money for what you get if you're going to be djing exclusively digitally. If you were to mix in with hardware turntables/ cd decks then they'd be a great idea. This is personal opinion, of course.

    I agree with Bento. You can get a more versatile controller and a solid soundcard for the USD$700 of the Xone:2D... and I think it would leave you with more room to grow than having the Xone. Not that either is better, but I am a fan of not getting locked into one style of mixing, which I think the Xone is more likely to do to someone than remapping a keyboard and drum controller.
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  10. #10
    DJTT Ninja Mod tekki's Avatar
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    Thanks J!

    I know something! I know something! XD


    I agree there are loads of controllers to opt for, but still, the power of a controller lies within the DJ and his vision. (And next to that I just went along his own options. )
    This vision will lead to a mapping best suited for him.
    In the end all devices must be mapped.
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