couple of q's about the vci100

[lococola]

Hola,

New here, found this forum by chance and I'm a happier person for it I'm a bit of a beginner when it comes to dj-ing, but I can see that digital dj-ing is the future. At first I considered a real deck and mixer setup (a la CDJ/DJM-800), but then I found this website and I became fascinated with the concept of mixing and scratching via a midi controller.

The VCI-100 looks like a great little machine that will do anything I want without it being too complicated. However I do have a few questions I hope anyone here can answer.

* Will the VCI-100 work out of the box with Traktor Pro 1.1? Or do I have to download and install an official tsi from Vestax first?

* I got my eye on the VCI-100 black edition, it has the 1.2 firmware. I'm considering doing the complete mod to firmware 1.3 including covers and all. However, would upgrading just the firmware be of any real benefit without the use of the DJTT tsi and cover? I got the impression that firmware 1.3 might not work well with other applications than Traktor. Is this correct?

* For some reason I can only find very few vids showing actual scratching on the VCI-100. Does anyone have any good or bad experience with (basic) scratching on the VCI-100?

Apologies if these seem like dumb questions, I did watch almost all of Ean's youtube vids about the VCI-100, and there's already a lot of information to be found on this forum. This website rocks!

Cheers.

[MisterMoleyMole]

Hola,

* Will the VCI-100 work out of the box with Traktor Pro 1.1? Or do I have to download and install an official tsi from Vestax first?

Traktor pro comes with inbuilt tsis for a load of different controllers, the vci being one. You may have to import this tsi from the setting folder to get it to work , but tis is realy really easy and you'll be done up and running within minutes !

* I got my eye on the VCI-100 black edition, it has the 1.2 firmware. I'm considering doing the complete mod to firmware 1.3 including covers and all. However, would upgrading just the firmware be of any real benefit without the use of the DJTT tsi and cover? I got the impression that firmware 1.3 might not work well with other applications than Traktor. Is this correct?

Upgrading the fw is a big benefit as it gives extra functionality and fixes a few bugs. I've been using fw1.3 and eans tsi with no overlay since early this year. It doesnt take long to get to grips with where everything is and what does what. You should get a clear overlay that coems with the vci anyway i used this and just wrote onit with a cd pen to start with. Dont need it now though at all.

* For some reason I can only find very few vids showing actual scratching on the VCI-100. Does anyone have any good or bad experience with (basic) scratching on the VCI-100?

Its not ideal for scratching to be honest although is possible as ive seen a couple of people doing it. I can scratch a little with cdjs and 1210's but have no chance with the vci. Maybe this will be rectified in the future but at the mo its not a very good scratching device.

Dont worry about the nood questions here ... people are really helpful not liek other websites where you just get abuse for being a noob !! This website embraces us noooobz

Gav

[R3clu23]

Here's an off topic question!!

Does the VCI-100 come with a power adapter? Incase the usb power on a laptop isn't ample to supply power?

My manual says to use one, I got mine Thursday, but there isn't one in my product box.

Anyone one know where to purchase one that will plug in directly into the controller. And frankly I'm not going to go out an by one of those multi purpose ones with all the different adapters, I don't want to fry my controller.

[lococola]

Thanks for the helpful advise MisterMoleyMole!

Its not ideal for scratching to be honest although is possible as ive seen a couple of people doing it. I can scratch a little with cdjs and 1210's but have no chance with the vci. Maybe this will be rectified in the future but at the mo its not a very good scratching device.

Hmm, that's a shame. I kind of had my hopes on it being a good enough scratch deck to at least do some basic to semi-advanced scratching with. It's a big part of my setup, so I might have to look for alternatives after all.

I watched some scratch vids on youtube where a Stanton SCS3d was used, it looks like it can do a pretty good job. But I think I prefer a deck with actual knobs and faders. Guess I'll just have to try it out for a couple of days

Dont worry about the nood questions here ... people are really helpful not liek other websites where you just get abuse for being a noob !! This website embraces us noooobz

Cheers!

[compact]

...there are some videos on youtube scratching the vci quite good - it sure takes some practice but 4 sure is doable

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bHomfkz6U8

[n2hf1st]

that video only touches the very tip of the possibilities...

run it through a gater and you've got instant transform, run it through a gater and flanger and you've got instant james zabiela, run it through a beatmasher2 for both instant call and response scratching as well as some other crazy junk. The vci-100 is VERY capable of the kind of scratching you're after, if you want realism, well your only bet is either a ns7 or a pair of techs and 44-7s.

I would certainly recommend it over dascratch. Or rather, it should be called, dascrubber.

Trust me, unless you're after the DMC level of obsessive scratch disorder, you'll get what you want.

[lococola]

Well, I'm convinced The scratching from that vid is just the kind of scratching that I wanted to do with the VCI-100. I'm not a pro so I don't need it to be 100% authentic. And scratching combined with fx, as n2hf1st described, sounds like a lot of fun

There's just one thing I don't completely understand, and that is the connection between the 1.3 firmware and the 2.2 tsi file for Traktor Pro. If I update the firmware without using the tsi file, will the knobs and faders already have the new functions? Or do I have to use the 2.2 tsi file for that?

[n2hf1st]

Updating the firmware just means some of the midi messages the knobs and buttons send are changed (for the better of course) - for example, among other things, 1.3 fixes the 4th fx button problem. As far as what you want to do with the midi messages, that's up to you - if you're cool with using the 2.2 tsi then go for it, but there's a lot of reward in making your own tsi just the way you like it.

[sarasin]

I started Scratching about a year or 2 ago.

I been DJing for years tho...

So....I can do a bit of scratching on vinyls and have been getting into it on Traktor.

I can say that it is possible to scratch with it....but you will not be able to do all the techniques.

Also....a Vinyl is bigger and you have more control. The VCI wheel is small and you will have to be pretty precise.

So no scratch JAMMING like a mad man....

I have not upgraded to FM 1.3 yet, but i hear it makes an improvemnt in this department.
Its a little more precise apparently.



Its well worth your dosh mate!

[lococola]

So I purchased the VCI-100 and it was delivered yesterday Awesome little device! Works smoothly with Traktor Pro 1.1 using the default tsi. Basic scratching goes pretty well I must say, but I still have to get a feel for backspinning the jog to exactly the beginning of the scratch sound, without looking at the Traktor window for visual reference.

I did experience terrible ramp up issues, even though my VCI-100 has the 1.2 firmware. One post on this forum mentioned changing the Scratch On setting in Midi Mapping to A#3 for Deck A and H-3 for Deck B. However in my case this removed the scratch functionality altogether. But then I found Ean's post here which said to set it to A#2 and B2, and this has completely solved the ramp up problem for me!

To conclude, I'm very happy with the VCI-100, and I want to thank you all for the helpful advice!