1) ALL IN ONE OPTION: Traktor S4: £700
Just a simple controller with in-software mixing. Possibility to add an extra X1 if needed. Won’t need to buy a separate sound card
2) SEPARATES: TOTAL~ £700-800
DDM4000: £260
XOne 2D: £300 2nd hand, mainly for the audio card
2x Controllers: £150 ea, or a XOne 1D~£100
Can mix-and-match as required. Upgrade as required. Disadvantages are jogwheels aren’t the biggest size. Space. Similar to this basically but with jogwheel controllers. http://www.djtechtools.com/forum/showpost.php?p=243992&postcount=3050
I, personally, for your setup would go for an Audio 4 DJ, an X1 and then as good a mixer as you can afford, possibly a second hand Eckler or A&H, or the DDM4000 as you mentioned! Just my opinion, i have a thing about x1’s…
If you’re a mobile DJ use the all-in-one solution as you obviously don’t have to lug around as much.
On the other hand, if you are going to play in clubs you should go the seperated way. Usually there are (somewhat) decent mixers in clubs so you don’t have to get an expensive one yourself. The DDM4000 should be fine. You also don’t have to move the mixer to your gigs which means way less luggage. Also you can use the mixing section of your controller for other functions.
It’s exactly what I do: Bringing my controller and Audio8 to club gigs and mix externally. I also like the tactility of external mixers more. Mixing externally just feels right for me and since there are Pioneer or A&H mixer at the venues I just have a Korg KM-402 at home.
Personally, I like the idea of the convenience of an all-in-one controller…but there isn’t one that really appeals to me.
I honestly recommend exactly what I have, which is a single X1, an Audio 2 (or similar…I’d ditch it for an Apogee Duet 2 in a heartbeat if I could justify the expense), and a good mixer, which I don’t think the DDM-4000 is. Or, failing that, some controller to use as a mixer. I actually use an LPD8 as a mixer more often than I use my xone, despite the fact that I kinda think it sucks.
The important thing is to figure out what you want to control and how you want to control it…and figure out what fits. People do really cool things with midifighters…I couldn’t stand them. People like the S4…I think it’s seriously lacking on the controls I want and has too much of what I don’t. But, I’m weird.
I don’t see myself changing away from what I have unless I sell my 62 and end up buying a 92…or breaking down and building the digital rotary that I actually want…which I might do if I end up having the budet for it.
If your thinking modular and you want to have usb midi controllers, you have to think about the wires.
Extra usb power supply. thats one more thing you need to plug in along with a mixer and a laptop power supply.
Then you have your RCA.
If your running 4 channels from,say, traktor into an external mixer then you will have 4 pairs of RCA’s comming out. If you had timecode, that would be 8 going in an out. Then they you need backup in case. Also with the usb. You need good usb cables or things might get fritzy.
If your not playing out, dont be afraid to go all digital.
The advantages in sound quality probably arent noticeable in 70% of the situations your going to be in unless your playing for like 500+ people.
So I would say, whatever you get. Make sure you can practice your beatmatching so you can dj outside of your software, provided you can get your tunes together.
S4. You’ll get traktor scratch 2, which is on the leading edge of technology. You have jogs to practice beatmatching(Who cares about the jog size that shits silly just manipulate the sensitivity)
It might take another little bit of cash to get it, but in the time frame start reading up on things and start building a solid library, or at least listen to songs that you can plan to get in the future.
