Cybertrash's Setup: A case study in RGAS

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Cybertrash’s Setup: A case study in RGAS

Many moons ago (around spring last year), I suddenly found myself with an inexplicable curiosity about DJing and mixing music (which may have risen from watching too many Q-bert videos…), and decided to download Mixxx on my desktop computer.

Whilst Mixxx was a lot of fun, I felt that I had so much crap on my desktop computer, that adding a huge library of music to it wasn’t really going to cut it. So I picked up a second-hand Macbook (white), and picked up a pair of “DJ Headphones” (earlier I had used a gaming headset). At the same time, I thought I’d try out Virtual DJ.

A month or so later, the Mixtrack Pro I had ordered at the same time as the headphones showed up, just as I was getting tired of using mouse and keyboard, and with it, Traktor LE.

I also moved everything from my computer desk to my bedroom

And after this, the RGAS starts to set in, oh so subtly.

When the Traktor Pro/Kontrol X1 promotion rolled around I thought to myself “Traktor Pro would be neat, and I’d really like a dedicated effects controller”.

And so:

I had been itching for a pair of turntables after playing with a mates Technics, and one day I found this ridiculous deal for a pair of second-hand turntables (one direct drive, one belt drive) and 3 mixers. I also managed to get my hands on a Technics 1200 for cheap (with busted RCA plugs, easy to fix), and so, suddenly:

At this point, I ran out of space, I couldn’t possibly use the Mixtrack and the turntables at the same time. So after a while of back-killing mixing, I picked up an Audio 2, and retired the Mixtrack. By this time I had also picked up a pair of KRK Rokit RP5’s, that I got as a birthday gift.

This was all and well, until that tired old second-hand Numark mixer bit the dust (one of the phono inputs died). But luckily, I managed to find a second-hand Denon DN-X1500S for dirt cheap.

By this time (December last year) it all looked something like this:

A bit messy, but it’s home.

I also sold off my Mixtrack, and picked up a second-hand VCI-100, which fits easier into my bag, and is rugged, to survive house parties.

Then Christmas rolled around, and I found myself with quite a bit of money to burn, obviously, the reasonable person would have saved it, but I picked up a Technics 1210 (to replace the Omnitronics turntable I had), TSP2 and a Korg NanoKontrol2 (for sample decks).

I also decided that Battle position for my Turntables allowed me to use the space on my desk a bit better.

And this is where I find myself today, the line faders on the mixer are starting to worry me a bit, but they’re holding up so far, might consider getting a two-channel mixer, as I don’t really use all 4 channels, but that is left for the future to see.

Or maybe I should get myself checked into RGAS-rehab…

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Nice set up. I suggest you get the kontrol X1 bag from Native Instruments. It works as a stand that brings the controller up to the height of a mixer and you also don’t have to use CDs (or whatever you’re using in the last picture) as a stand. Plus you also get a cool carrying case for it

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Cool pics, what camera is that?

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Such a cousy setup. Nice to see it grow, hope you’ll do some ill mixes!

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RGAS hurt a load of people in here, myself include. Usually the higher RGAS level imply you trade the biggest room to fit your gear or even buy a house. True story.

'Till now, seems your safe and away of the “higher RGAS level”. Careful…

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Thanks! I’m pretty sure all of them were taken with my Nikon D50 and either with an 18-55 kit lens, or a 35mm f/1.8

But CD Jewel cases are so gangster…

Seriously though, yeah, I’ve been on the verge of buying that bag for quite some time, ony problem I see is that currently I have my X1 slightly angled, which you can’t have with the bag as a stand.

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Just recently picked up this little box:

It’s great fun, plasticky as hell, but it was cheap.

Picked up a pair of HD-25s a while ago as well, but I haven’t got a pic of them yet.

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nice setup. how’s the denon x1500? thinking of grabbing one of them.

cheers

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Actually Cybertrash, the new X1 bag (the strap one, not the zippered top) allows you to angle the X1 in the case. It’s the shit.

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It’s basically Midrange - The Mixer. The Flex Fader crossfader is really nice, it’s not an innofader, but it’s got a real tight cut (no lag to speak of), and it’s got adjustable tension. The line faders are fairly crap, they’re short, they wobble from side to side and don’t feel particularly smooth, they’re also logarithmic and can’t be ajusted.

The buttons on the mixer feel kinda cheap and plasticky, and sometimes (especially the fx on button) can be a bit hit-and-miss sometimes. The knobs pretty nice, they seem rubberised, but aren’t soft like the DJTT chroma caps.

It’s got per-channel VU meters, as well as a master VU meter, but I’ve found that even though every track peaks at 0db, you can still experience a drop in volume when doing fast cuts.

The EQs are a bit strange as well, the lowEQ eats volume like nothing I’ve ever seen, if you want to take out the bassline of a track, you’re going to have to compensate with the gain knob.

The effects generally sound nice, I wish the filter would have had resonance control and that they were post-fader, but other than that, no complaints there. As mentioned, the on/off switch can be a bit finicky at times, and the menu system for browsing the different effects is pretty clumsy.

Lots of ins and outs, and the matrix input is pure awesome.

Oh, awesome, I might just check that out.

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cheers, plenty to think about :slight_smile: it is a good looking setup you got there.