Do you use a full midi controller setup? or turntables with midi add-on setup?
Do you use a full midi controller setup? or turntables with midi add-on setup? why?
Midi, modular, internal mixing. Midi because it’s affordable, modular because it’s versatile and easily upgradable and can scale to fit different situations (I don’t have to take all my gear with me for just basic two-deck A to B mixing) and internal because I can’t afford external mixer (and proper sound card). You can check out my setup in more detail from my “show your setup” topic (link in signature).
That said, I really would love to have a pair of CDJ’s and proper mixer with built-in audio interface, but I don’t really have the $$$ 
thanks for the reply!
Hi Ozei! Thanks for the reply and sharing your setup and reason. I checked out your setup and it looks awesome! I like how its compact and you can control everything in Traktor 
Went from full controller to turntables with external mixer.
Cause I love vinyl.
Both options are great though.
Turntables with an X1 and a F1 for EFX. Running into a Xone 42
Cool. thanks for sharing, I was thinking of doing the opposite, switching from turntables to a controller. But like you said both are great and I might miss vinyl too.
Thanks for sharing. Great setup for Traktor. How do you like the Xone 42?
My setup consists of my laptop, audio 4 DJ, a stack of timecode vinyl, needles, my Ultrasone DJ1 phones, and if there’s room for it, my X1mk2.
Any club is going to have a mixer and a set of tech 12’s. Thought about going with a MIDI controller for mixing or a mixer with an internal soundcard, but it’s nice to not have to haul your own mixer everywhere you go. Really nice, actually.
The x1 mk2 was honestly kind of a waste of money, I don’t use it nearly as much as I should. I need to take some time and come up with a custom map for it to control the EQ’s and filters in traktor instead of the efx because 90% of the traktor efx are so comical I hardly use them. Browsing the library, loading tracks, and setting loops with it is pretty nice though, I just need to rebind the top half of it so I can incorporate it more into my mixing.
At home I play on either my Rane mp2016+xp2016 rotary which is an awesome mixer that is relatively affordable secondhand considering what it is, or my roommate’s Rane TTM56 which he also got a killer deal on used. I used to be a big fan of A&H but I was so blown away by these used Ranes I even bought an extra Rane off ebay: an MP-22z I scored for under $150, and all it needed was a power supply. I leave it at a coffee shop that has open decks but didn’t have a decent mixer so other DJ’s can play there. The only “issue” with it is the EQ’s aren’t even close to kills, and instead of there being gain knobs the channels run hot and you have to use the last 20% of the upfaders to level the tracks, which honestly just forces you to play better.
If you’re just getting started, I can’t speak highly enough of old used rane mixers. They last forever and sound fantastic, and even the less popular models like the MP22 still kick ass once you figure them out. In the interest of staying low-budget, I’m also considering dumping Traktor in favor of Mixxx so I can use whatever hardware I want. I’d like to have the option of 3- and 4- deck mixing, but I’m not stoked on spending $500 on an Audio 10. Eventually, I’d like to run a pair of 4x4 soundcards hooked up to one Linux laptop with Mixxx and do either 4-deck DVS or 1+2 DVS with 3+4 being controlled my MIDI so I can use one of the leftover inputs for recording.
Depends on the gig …
Ideally (what I take to my Friday gig where I take my gear) from left to right … CDJ2000NXS (HID and SD card), X1mk2, DB2 or DJM850, X1mk2, F1. I use external mixing mode in Traktor because I prefer the level metering and control of a physical mixer, the hardware effects and after 18 years of doing it that way from back in the Denon 2000F, CDJ500 and Technics decks days it’s the way I like to do it.
If I absolutely can’t fit my X1’s and F1 into a club setup then I’ll just use their CDJ’s with HID (almost everywhere has CDJ2000’s now here in Melbourne) or if the mixer doesn’t have USB or it’s not a scratch certified mixer I’ll dig out the TA6 that I keep in the bag as a fail-safe with Scratch CD’s.
I also have an S4 (now a mk2 but used to have mk1), that I used for a while but it just hasn’t clicked with me entirely and I use it for mobile gigs every now and then. I’ll probably look at selling it soon as I’ve made some custom mappings for my X1’s to use with my Z1 if I want 4 internally mixed decks with full EQ, Filter and Volume control in a tight package. The Z1 is also handy as an extremely compact mixer with my iPad Mini … Not something I’ve used for an extended time at a paid gig but I can see the potential down the track for this combination when NI update the software.
I have a Traktor z2, TTX decks, and Ableton push in which I’m designing a good mapping for the remix decks. Part of that push mapping will be a sequencer,because I’ve tried using Ableton but the sync slave is not very solid. Mac/msp is way more solid. It’s been a slow process to make my mapping but it will be finished soon.
Controllers to CDJs. CDJs are absolutely fantastic. Just cost an arm and a leg though.
And I have to manage two libraries since I’m using a 2000 and a 1000.
Pretty much I use the same as Felix de Housecat + F1s…Maybe add a Twister.
Once I get my new mixer in a couple of weeks I’ll be back to a set of decks and my new CD decks hopefully. I’ll retain my S2 and A+H K2 for the occasional Traktor usage but they probably won’t be seeing much action.
very cool! what music genre or genres do you mix?
great setup, thanks for sharing! good looks on the rane rotary mixer
awesome, so whats the difference mixing mp3 with a cdj then using a midi controller ex. pioneer ddj sx?
I’m dropping one of my TTXusb out and replacing it with my Machine mikro, and a Vestax pad-one to achieve a more flexible setup around my timecode deck-switching controller running through a Nuo 2.O (innofaded), X1 mkI, and audio8 soundcard.
The whole idea is to eventually blend turntablism and live production as much as possible while preserving the unique expressive qualities of both arts.
Casually thinking about building a case to house the mikro, pad1, and x1 in a footprint similar to the missing TTX.
Eventually going to mod a touch-strip and RGB into the X1…