Learning to DJ! What controller/software should I buy?
Hi everyone. I am trying to get into DJing. I love music; house, techno, trance, and everything else and want to get into the whole djing side.
I have been playing around with DJAY on my mac for a while now and am trying to upgrade to more advance software and equipment.
The only stipulation I have is that I would like to have 4 decks.
So any advice would be great. As far as price range, I’m trying to spend a maximum of about $400 on a mixer. I’ve been reading online and for the price I was thinking of purchasing the American Audio VMS4 - is this a good idea? Is there something better?
I am just unsure of what software I would need to couple with this mixer or if there is a better mixer that I should purchase along with any other equipment I might need.
I currently have a year old 15" macbook pro so I am in good shape when it comes to that.
As a new DJ there is absolutely no reason to get a 4-deck controller. Get the basics right first.
Considering your budget, you’d be much better advised getting a better 2-deck controller than a cheaper 4-deck controller. You’ll be sacrificing quality and durability if you get something like the VMS4 - you’ll end up having to replace it soon enough.
get a Stealth Control.. the build quality is better than the Mixtrack. and it looks good. has more buttons and controls too. later on you could add a Kontrol X1 or X2 (whatever it may be) and they will match mighty nicely.
Um, you can surely learn the basics on a 4 deck controller. You just need to know that controlling 4 decks is not what you start off doing as a beginner.
I have Native Instruments Kontrol S4 and can recommend it. If you save a little bit more money, the smaller brother of the S4, the S2, is coming out. Check out the blog and Ean’s great demo video about it here.
I believe the Numark you’ve found doesn’t have a sound card. So you’d also have to buy a sound card too. The S2 (or S4) has a sound card already built in.
Without any doubt go on and buy Numark Mixtrack, its the best entry level controller and very convenient to operate. Its Big jog wheels are so easy to touch and manipulate.
Also consider how well the software is documented. IE the Traktor Bible is a HUGE advantage over other software offerings that do not have this level of documentation.
Yep. And the integration between Traktor and S2/S4 is very good. Not that I’ve found some minor issues (filed reports back to NI about those.)
As a complete package, S2 is a good purchase. I do like S4 more, mostly as having access to full four-channel (or 2 channel + 8 sample decks) makes DJ:ing very interesting (more options.)
thanks for all the advice guys. I think I’m just going to go all out and get the S2. Looks sick and the software integration is definitely a huge plus.
The X-Session Pro USB MIDI controller is the easiest way to bring traditional DJ mixer-style control to the world of computer DJing and live performance. With a single USB connection, you get dedicated tactile controls for volume, pitch, EQ, cueing, transport and a crossfader. As a class-compliant USB MIDI controller, you can use it to control Torq LE DJ software, as well as the full version of Torq, Ableton Live, Traktor DJ Studio or any application that supports MIDI Learn. Start bringing DJ-inspired crossfades and filter sweeps into your live performances and studio productions right away.
Total Spam! Text copied 1 to 1 from the M-Audio site. And the X-Session pro is not what I would call a good digital DJ mixer. I’d like to see how far anyone gets with that controller and Traktor.
