4-Deck Modular System
Alright guys, something has been bugging me. Why is it that every portable modular system has 2 decks? The new AKAI modular system is two decks, NI is 2 decks (the Z2 inexplicably so IMO). Why are companies refusing to release 4 deck small mixers (with the exception of Behringer)?
My ideal set up would be:
4 Deck AKAI AMX/ 4-Deck Z2
4 AFX linked up to AMX/ 4 X1
What do you guys think?
Agreed with you mate.
Personally I think its about economics, to tell you the truth I would have never got as far as I have if it wasn’t for a medium priced controller X1mk2 @ $200, DJ-Tech X1 USB @ $200, NI Kontrol F1 @ $200. See there’s a pattern going on there lol. I could never see myself as a newb getting a Z1 or something like that. Now that Ive got the itch for DJ’ing I’m looking at a Denon MC-6000 a used one at that. If companies were to release 4 deck controllers youre looking a $400 to start and newbs are willing to dish out that kind of cash just to bedroom DJ so that may be your answer.
I think once you start getting into 4 decks, ‘portable’ kinda loses its meaning as you’ll be lugging around quite a bit to control the 4 decks.
Plus bc6 nailed it. The modular stuff is usually catered towards beginners who most likely will not be using 4 decks. The people using 4 decks probably don’t mind spending some money on a DJM or something similar.
Personally, I would kill for a Traktor Kontrol X2 that would take the place of two X1s, mainly to able to better fit into a club’s setup where space is limited and a S2/S4 wouldn’t fit. Even better if they would incorporate the Z1 mixer controls using modifier buttons for the FX banks (maybe just above each one), and perhaps a master MIDI clock control bank up the top along with a loop record function bank, similar to how they are laid out in Traktor at the moment, even if it means making the X2 slightly longer to fit them on. Maybe even with proper pitch faders with tempo range adjust buttons like in the S4.
Throw in an extended version of the Audio 2 DJ with just four outputs to go into a standard 4-channel club mixer and that would suit me fine, even if it’s a simplifed A6 Scratch with the inputs converted to outputs instead.
Do it like me. Allen and Heath K2 + Two Native Instruments X1’s
So an X1 that comes out a bit wider, and a 4 channel mixer in the same format?
On it.
^Cheers!
Made a mockup using GIMP a while back as to how it’d look or similar.
Double wide Kontrol looks niiiiiice…
Or 2 x X1mk2 and a Z1 like I do for small gigs … Re-mapped all but 2 of the FX knobs on the X1’s for gain, EQ and channel volume (I don’t use many FX, but left 2 for macroFX) for decks C&D.
I like the idea of the K2 as well but it’s handy to have the Z1 as it’s plug and play with both the MBA, and the iPad in a pinch.