why no killer midi controller?
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  1. #1
    Tech Wizard
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    Default why no killer midi controller?

    im surprised there hasnt been an 'industry standard' midi controller yet... someone could come in and just kill the market with a product right now.

    all the midi controllers i see on the market have some functional thing missing, either it dont have 14bit faders, jog wheels are crap, its too plasticy, its too unreliable, no good for scratching etc etc...

    id love to see something with a lovely platter on it, but have all the decent controls and reliability too. the eks otus is the closest ive seen so far to what id like, but that has many flaws too...

    ah well, let me wait and see for 'the next big controller'...

  2. #2
    Retired DJTT Moderator DvlsAdvct's Avatar
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    I'm dreading the days of an industry standard MIDI controller. It's almost impossible to do because the main advantage of having all of these different ones allows everyone to have their own workflow. I can put my setup next to Bento's and Ean's and Foreverhex's and JesC's and while we all know ours really damn well they all work different and allow us to focus on different aspects of our style.

    There is so much more at our fingertips now, allowing us to be unique DJs, as opposed to everyone being tied to two technics 1200's and a Rane mixer.
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  3. #3
    Tech Guru sarasin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dvlsadvct View Post
    i'm dreading the days of an industry standard midi controller. It's almost impossible to do because the main advantage of having all of these different ones allows everyone to have their own workflow. I can put my setup next to bento's and ean's and foreverhex's and jesc's and while we all know ours really damn well they all work different and allow us to focus on different aspects of our style.

    There is so much more at our fingertips now, allowing us to be unique djs, as opposed to everyone being tied to two technics 1200's and a rane mixer.
    +1000
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  4. #4
    Dr. Bento BentoSan's Avatar
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    I think the days of industry standards are loooong gone and have instead been replaced with a bring your own gear kinda thing - best "industry standard" piece of equipment that you might see there for you in a club will be a touch screen.

    Instead of lugging your crate of vinyl to a gig, now you lug a crate of midi gear

  5. #5
    Tech Guru BradCee's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BentoSan View Post
    Instead of lugging your crate of vinyl to a gig, now you lug a crate of midi gear
    i know this is slightly off topic...
    but what about dvs? one of them will become standard surely? then tt guys will just have to lug a usb stick...

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  6. #6
    Tech Guru sarasin's Avatar
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    I don;t think so.....

    I think they will catch onto midi controllers.....and forget DVS.

    DVS will remain for tradional scratch artists......in my optinion.

    @ Bento.....

    Plug and play hey??

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  7. #7

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    Yeah the only thing I've seen standard at clubs now a days is a good mixer (sometimes ). A few times I didn't even see cdjs or technics.
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  8. #8
    Tech Guru Fatlimey's Avatar
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    It's not so much that the controllers have problems, it's that there's not yet a standard model of digital mixing. All the software and devices take the vinyl model of two sound sources and a mixer and provide small extensions from that, but digital mixing can be so much more than that (as customized Ableton setups are starting to show us).

    I have the feeling the final model will look less like two decks and something more closer to a "bag of synchronized sound sources" connected to a set of FX and piped to the output as needed. The ability to take a track, add layers and breakbeats, set and mess with loops, jump around the timeline in a direct or a scripted manner and pipe parts of the resulting mixdown through effects is how I see the future of DJing. Halfway between production and performance - "onstage live production". Plenty of chances for impressive setpieces, using controllerism that requires artistry and a new set of skills that take hard work and practice. The opposite of Microwave DJing, it will take mad skillz to reproduce these sounds.

    Dropping the "two turntables" model in favour of a "multiple sources" idea would be the single most powerful change Traktor could make. Either that or Ableton needs to allow more direct control over track playback by an external device (MAX anyone?).

    Whatever the future holds, I can guarantee you'll see it here on DJTT first!
    Last edited by Fatlimey; 10-14-2009 at 01:46 PM.

  9. #9
    Tech Mentor chex's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DvlsAdvct View Post
    There is so much more at our fingertips now, allowing us to be unique DJs, as opposed to everyone being tied to two technics 1200's and a Rane mixer.
    What's wrong with 2 1200s and a Rane mixer?



    I too am happy with not having any standard midi controller. It does inspire creativity and in a way you can find your own methods of djing. I do have a feeling over the next few years digital djs will begin to all use a similar setup consisting of hardware and software that would become standard. Looking at the 70-80s that really paved the way for djing and turntablism. I would not be surprised if history repeats itself.
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  10. #10
    Tech Wizard
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    hmm i think some people are missing the point here...

    the cdj 1000 become the industry standard, but that didnt mean you were a good DJ just by using one, you still needed skill and creativity to use it well... it also meant different DJs did different things, zabela for one pushed the boundaries

    the same could happen with a controller, my personal opinion is that theres not a controller made yet that ticks all the boxes, but when there is then most people will get it... and more people will push it in different directions

    the vci-100 is championed here (and rightly so), it almost ticks all boxes but just falls short in some areas, yet is a good example of people using the same controller in many different ways

    Fatlimey is on the right track i feel, but the trouble with ableton is you have to prepare everything before using it, and I find that rather lacking in terms of creativity... Ive never seen a dj warp a track live, he would have to be mad to do so... although using live with other dj apps could be interesting, im all for integration.... traktor as a vst would be nice for instance

    interesting debate, thanks for your comments

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