Just starting out
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  1. #1
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    Default Just starting out

    So I am as n00by as can be. After going through various software DJ sites, hardware sites and youtube video's, it seems like I want to start out with Traktor 3 LE and a VCI-100. I guess I can always upgrade to Traktor Pro later on (and save 100 Euros because of the Traktor 3 LE license). But I guess at the start I will not be doing 4 deck magic. I will run Traktor from my Macbook/Macbook Pro. I guess that will let me start playing around with things and then later I can ponder a VCM-100 or Audio Kontrol 1 and stuff like that.

    Makes sense?

  2. #2
    Tech Wizard Sc1C's Avatar
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    It's a good start for sure (basically what I did), i predict that you'll be upgrading the LE copy that comes with the VCI pretty quickly

    The one thing you are missing though is an external soundcard - a copy of Traktor and a VCI-100 will allow you to do a massive amount of stuff, but you will not have a monitor 'cue' (e.g. deck A is playing, you want to be able to hear deck B without it coming out of the speakers until you are ready).

    Check out the gear reviews forum here for plenty of info about USB and Firewire soundcards that will do the job nicely depending on your budget...

    Good luck!
    Save money on binoculars - Simply move closer to the object you intend to view!

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sc1C View Post
    The one thing you are missing though is an external soundcard - a copy of Traktor and a VCI-100 will allow you to do a massive amount of stuff, but you will not have a monitor 'cue' (e.g. deck A is playing, you want to be able to hear deck B without it coming out of the speakers until you are ready).
    I was thinking of using a USB Headset. Actually I was planning on using a Callpod Drone USB stick, it basically behaves like a USB speaker towards the laptop, but actually connects via bluetooth. I guess for cueing it should be sufficient audio quality and it gets rid of the cable fuss.

  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by lsmith View Post
    I was thinking of using a USB Headset. Actually I was planning on using a Callpod Drone USB stick, it basically behaves like a USB speaker towards the laptop, but actually connects via bluetooth. I guess for cueing it should be sufficient audio quality and it gets rid of the cable fuss.
    i don't get it. that drone is standalone soundcard? Traktor 3 onwards does not support multiple soundcards (unless you use some 3rd party sound driver applications).

    plz take look at Ean's soundcard 101 video. Even though it's got to be little out of date, it brings important points for selection of your future soundcard. (can't spare link atm, but you will find it in Ean's youtube videos on his channel or deep inside article history here in blog.
    DJ Blofeld - The Evil Genius
    I shall look forward personally to exterminating you, Mr. Bond.” Ernst Stavro Blofeld to 007
    Doomsday device: TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO, AUDIO 8, VCI-100black 1.3, 2x Technics SL1210mkII

  5. #5
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    Ah, its not. I was assuming that Traktor would be able to send different audio to the normal line out and a USB speaker (apparently DJay can do this). So doh, yeah I guess I will quickly need a separate soundcard .. I guess the VCM-100 would have me covered in terms of cueing .. but that would make the initial investment a bit bigger than I had hoped.

    I actually do have a Macbook and a Macbook Pro, but its probably not easily possible to use the Macbook for cueing stuff to be played on the Macbook Pro.

  6. #6
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    Actually I guess the solution is to do the following. I manage my playlist on the Macbook, so I can cue from the Macbook. But I then import this playlist in the Macbook Pro, that manages the actual final output. Now the question is if Traktor can deal with using a "shared" playlist .. auto refreshing etc ..

  7. #7
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    Further looking I have not found out yet if Traktor supports reading the playlist from another machine, but it seems like there is a hold over solution to be able to cue via a USB headset: http://www.nativeinstruments.de/foru...ad.php?t=71939

  8. #8
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    My friend you are making things more complicated for you, the whole idea of cueing is to prepare the next song that is going to be mixed (find the part of the track you want to mix and beatmatch it with the track that is playing) and then actually mix it. This has to be something simple to do beacuse it is the hard part of djing so ... This is done on 1 computer, if you have 2 macbooks (then give one to me lol) it will require that you alredy know how to Dj and beatmatch to use them together on your mix (and much more things that i donīt think are useful to mention now). Using usb phones is a cheap solution but wonīt work with traktor and it would work wrongly on other software ex: Virtual dj. Because that involves listening to your track on 1 soundcard and cuing on another one that have different latency values and other diferences that will damage performance and make it hard to work with.
    So to sumarize... you will need a proper sound card or a controller that includes a sound card ex: VCI-300, Hercules, Bcd 2000 and much more. And remember to keep your setup simple beacuase you are learning and you need a reliable setup so you will avoid unesseary frustration at the begining.

    Cheers!

  9. #9
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    ok .. sounds sane .. so I guess I will go with a vcm-100 along with the already planned vci-100. still cheaper than the new folding bike i was pondering and ended up not getting

  10. #10
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    actually a vcm-100 is probably overkill .. so i guess i should wait and watch/read
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUtfC7vaLgk
    and http://www.djtechtools.com/2008/02/1...rds-under-200/

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