Xone 3/4D or Xone 92 and 2x 2Ds?
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  1. #1
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    Default Xone 3/4D or Xone 92 and 2x 2Ds?

    So to be frank, the title pretty much sums up my overall question, but let me elaborate on the details so you can better understand my situation.

    The laptop I have (and will have for the foreseeable future) only has three USB ports, and one of them, when I DJ, is dedicated to my external harddrive, which holds music. So my questions to you are as follows:

    If you had a Xone 3 or 4D, would you take it to a club with you? Why/not?

    If you think I should get the separate mixer and controllers, I will need a USB hub for all the crap I use. What kind of USB hub would be the best for ensuring minimal lag?

    I personally am leaning heavily towards getting the 3/4D (I may be able to get a cheap b-stock 3D, but if I can't, it'll be the 4D) because it would have everything I want in one package. External mixer, midicontroller, and soundcard with only two cables (USB and power) so I don't have to fool around with as many audio cables. However, my ultimate goal as a DJ is to play in clubs, and I don't want to drop a few thousand dollars on something I wouldn't be able to use outside my house.

    Any help, insight, or personal experience you guys can share is appreciated. Thanks in advance.
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  2. #2
    Tech Guru belchman's Avatar
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    I've been pondering this... The 3/4Ds are awesome, but I can't see there being any room for them in clubs.

    I've thought of going all Richie Hawtin, and running 2 1Ds either side of the mixer. Then you get the benefits of the 3/4D midi control, without lugging around a huge mixer, which would be really impractical in club situations. They would go really well with any club mixer, especially obviously a Xone 92 or similar, and you could fit them in a rucksack with your soundcard - and no need for a hub (hubs are the devil.. even powered ones start to show the latency..)

    3/4Ds seem uber expensive for the bedroom DJ - and really good for a mobile DJ or touring festival big name or something, who sets up events themselves and isnt tied to a dedicated club mixer. I'm pretty skeptical about the whole dedicated midi controllers to be honest - if you don't have a 3/4D with you, you can't play...

    I suppose you could get 2 1Ds and a xone 62/92, and then you have the best of both worlds, and if you want to set up exactly the same as a 3/4D, then you can take all three down with you?

  3. #3
    Tech Guru belchman's Avatar
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    oh, and if you already have a soundcard, dont bother with 2Ds, all they are is a 1D with a soundcard and crossfader. Just get 2x 1Ds instead

  4. #4
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    id' get 1D, 2D & a :92, that way u have a 4band eq 4D

  5. #5
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    Thanks Belch. The only issue is that my laptop only has three USB ports. Ideally I would love to have the two 1D, an Audio 4, and a Korg Microkontrol, but I just don't have enough freakin ports. Especially since I need a portable harddrive as well for the actual music.

    Perhaps I just need a new laptop. >:|
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  6. #6
    Tech Wizard Cliffm's Avatar
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    There's a huge discussion on this here:

    http://www.djtechtools.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5622

    and here:

    http://www.djtechtools.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3913

    I take my 4D with me when I play out. It is a big inconvenience. The thing i like most about my 4D is that everything is in one box. No need to hook anything up and clean cables.

  7. #7
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    Thank, I was just checking those out when you linked them to me. :3

    I think I'm gonna go for the 4D, as its apparently less expensive than the alternative setup, and I need to preserve me some USB ports.
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  8. #8
    Tech Guru belchman's Avatar
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    sounds like a plan

    The problem with committing to the 4D is the versatility - I don't know how much club work you've done/are doing, but in my experience, being able to chuck my laptop, 25-note midi keyboard, audio 8 DJ and pots in a rucksack is a godsend when rocking up to a venue with a dedicated setup. When I look at buying new midi kit, I contantly have to remind myself that us in the digital laptop controller world are in the minority, and most clubbies use CDJs still (something about the image...) So depending on what stage you're at with your career, if you're looking for gigs and want to DJ out with Traktor, then rocking up with a whole mixer and trying to connect it into the club soundsystem probably wont make you the most popular new kid on the block. However, if you are a keen bedroom DJ, then you've just bagged yourself the best dedicated controller setup on the market, congrats

    I've come to the conclusion myself that these type of midi/soundcard/mixers are really good for either bedroom DJs or biiig name DJs who have an entourage of touring techies to set up for them. As I live in hope for the second scenario, I've binned the idea of saving up for a 4D for now, and am focussing on getting a really good portable mapping on my 25 SL. But then I guess I already have a soundcard and (shit) mixer...

    I'll leave it with you (very envious however, if you get yourself a 4D they're the stuff of dreams)

    Peace x

  9. #9
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    i went through the same process and ended up with the 4d. usb ports was one consideration, but mostly it's the setup convenience. run one RCA out of the 4d's booth into a spare input on the house mixer, done.
    if you then plan to play off time code, you can plug in devices directly to the 4d, not much re-cabling.
    The argument against it is that you have to carry the whole thing, and can't take just one midi pod with you like you could just take one 1D,and you need to find space for the 4d, not always an easy thing to do.

  10. #10
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    @Belch: Yeah, I don't play in clubs at all (yet), and the closest I get to gigs is playing at friend's houses and such, and if I ever do get to the point where I'm playing in a club, I think I could manage to cram all my stuff in a reasonably small area, as long as I made some creative stands.

    @tubby: I don't plan on playing off timecodes (not in a club, anyway. maybe just to fool around with) but that is an excellent point to consider.
    I'm not good at things, but I like to pretend I am.
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