Using S2 with Ext. Mixer

[djfofo]

Currently Im using a ddm4000, (yeah i know. not the best, but hey its affordable) And im very seriously considering buying a S2. I would love to use the ddm with the S2, using the soundcard inside the S2. How would I do that ? Im pretty sure I know how , but im trying to be certain.

Also, would it be more reasonable to save money and go the cdj route ? Or go with the S2. Whats the advantages to using cdjs? I wont be using cd's since all my music is already on my computer.

Thanks guys

[dj matt blaze]

First, don't be ashamed of your gear because of the snobby, condescending, gotta have the latest and greatest top of the line toys, DJ's that like to brag about how much they spent on their gear to play to the bedroom wall. I am a proud DDM4000 owner. I have had it for 2 years and its the best $350 I ever spent.

I have a similar setup to what you want to do except I have a Xone DX and a DDM4000. The problem you may have with the S2 is the amount of outputs. You have 1/4' outs and rca outs, just enough for each deck but if you want to use the sample decks, you really have no way of doing that unless you put everything on the same outputs and you definitely don't want that. Take a look at the Xone DX, I know they are discontinued but you can pick it up for real cheap and the thing is solid and heads above the S2 except for the jog wheels. If you plan on doing a lot of scratching the jogs are small and not touch sensitive so I wouldn't reccommend for that. If that is not a concern of yours I would check out the Xone DX. Its built for and comes with Serato Itch but you can download 4 different mappings from the Allen & Heath website and it maps perfectly with Traktor. Its built like a tank, very professional looking, has a 20 channel soundcard, 10 in and 10 out, 4 deck control and you can hook up CDJs to it. Its not a mixer though it looks like 1, but you can hook up a CDJ and run it through a deck in Traktor, as long as the software is running you can get audio from a CDJ.

Basically what I do is, I use the soundcard in the DX and run Traktor in external mode. I send Deck A out of the soundcard to channel 1 of the mixer. Deck B comes out of the soundcard to channel 2 of the mixer. I use Decks C & D as sample decks and they both go out to channel 3. For me there is no need to separate them as they are just like 8 sample decks. Channel 4 on the mixer is for my NDX800 audio. I use both the DX and the DDM4000 for midi control. I use the crossfader section and the sample section of the DDM4000 to control functions in Traktor. I also use my NDX800 for midi as well because the platter is touch sensitive so I can scratch if I ever get the urge to do so and I can control which Deck the NDX800 controls, just have to make sure I don't accidently touch the platter when its controlling the playing deck or else everything stops ( and yes, I have done it more than once)



You can do what you want with any midi controller as long as it has the outputs for the soundcard. The S2 does have 4 outputs so you could get 2 decks out going into the mixer, but you will need 1/4" to RCA plugs.

I wouldn't go the CDJ route. The orignal reason I got the NDX800 was because coming from CDs, I had that fear of the computer failing and being caught out there so if I had my cds and a flash drive and an Ipod, I could deal in an emergency. After a few gigs that fear of the comp failing goes away and now I do have a backup comp. If you aren't going to be using cds I wouldn't waste money on CDJs just to use them as controllers. I am sure there is going to be a influx of some great controllers coming out so you might just want to wait a little and see what comes.

[djfofo]

Damn, awesome explanation man. Only question I have is how do you have it set up in traktor? I get sometimes lost.

[Eizhauz]

@ DJ Matt = super helpful! Thanks again for all your help.

I am in a position to buy a Xone DX today for around $450. With the current deals on the S2 (full version of TP2), I can get one for about $30 less. I was considering (and still am) buying both, and just making a decision on which controller I like. While Itch software can be downloaded for free, while TP2 needs to be registered... so the return policy is null and void with the S2. This messes up my dastardly plan to buy both controllers, try them out for the 14-days I would have (return policy), then simply return the one I didn't like.

Or, it is feasible, that perhaps I would enjoy them both, and gain a full version of TP2 for my Xone DX.

Not sure however that I could use the S2 with the DX.

[dj matt blaze]

@djfofo, every midi controller, whether it be the S2, the Xone Dx, Denon, NUmark, Pioneer will have a .tsi file which is all your controller mappings. Most companies have basic mappings set up already that you can download, so all you do is import that file through the controller manager and there it is. Once your controller is hooked up to your comp, Traktor will recognize it as a midi device and you will see all the midi info. For the DDM4000 you will need a midi to USB cord because the DDM does not have USB. Then you just have to decide what parts of the mixer you want to use to control midi. The great thing about the DDM4000 is you can use different sections for midi and still have other sections as a regular mixer. Making your own mappings can be complicated depending on what you want it to do but for basic functions its not that bad, and once you start doing it, if you have to at all, you will somewhat get the hang of it. I downloaded a mapping for the DX from the A&H website and its really good, they actually break up each section of the controller to not get confused and have it mapped separately. I added a few things I wanted mapped a certain way but it was totally usable the way it was. Here is a screen grab, might be kind of hard to see but you will see all the midi devices of what the map headings look like and how A&H broke up the DX.



@Eizhaus...Well Traktor only recognizes 1 soundcard at a time but you can use them both together for midi control. The S2 would give you the touch sensitive jogs for scratching. LIke I have the NDX800 mapping that I downloaded from Numark, and some functions are the same so when I hit play on a deck on the DX, the play button on the NDX800 lights up. You can have different midi controllers all controlling the same thing or you could expand and program your own mappings. Like you could have 4 deck control right at your fingertips. 2 decks being controlled on the DX and the other 2 on the S2 all at the same time. I think you would still be able to return it if you wanted to. They would know that your registration was returned.

[djfofo]

Well i already knew all that but im not looking to use it midi controller, i mean unless im using ableton, which in that case ive already mapped it out. What I was really trying to find out was how to set up traktor in preferences using the ddm as an external mixer from the soundcard in the S2.