Long timeout of the game, but I back and need gear advice

DJ Life & Community General Discussion
1

Long timeout of the game, but I back and need gear advice

OK, so I’ve been out of the DJ game for a few years – mostly due to the responsibilities of a young family stopping me playing gigs every weekend till 4am, but I’ve recently managed to get to the point where I can play the odd gig here and there and I’m loving it.

I’d still been digging around for tunes all the while (as the bug never ever quits), and the excuse of a mates 40th and a request for me to ‘play a few tunes’ led to a 6½ hour set and the paint literally being danced off the floor in the basement I was playing in, which has lead in turn to a few paying gigs again

I currently play off Traktor Scratch Pro 2, a Traktor A8, a pair of 1210s running v1 vinyl and a Mk1 Traktor Kontrol X1 (like I said, it’s been a few years since I’ve had any need to upgrade) and whatever the house mixer is. I’ve got an Ecler Nuo 3.0 at home with an Eternal Crossfader upgrade

In the intervening years I’ve moved to running a Mac rather than my old clunker Windows laptop, and I’ve just spotted that the new MacOS Sierra upgrade doesn’t support my old Traktor A8 card, so I’m holding off the upgrade and wondering what to do.

I play old soul, funk, hip-hop, breaks, ghetto funk, party DnB etc very very eclectic. I’ve used a controller before and my ‘main interface’ (a DJTechtools Vestax VCI100SE and before that a Behringer BCD3000, and I’ve played on an S4 a few times) and for what I do TTs are faaaaar more appropriate, so I won’t be changing. I’ve also had the good fortune to play on a Kontrol Z2 recently and whilst it’s a deeply sexy beast I can’t imagine lugging it to gigs and having to switch out the club mixer for it every time, so I don’t think that’s a flyer

I guess my question is how does the licensing for Traktor work these days? I recall it changing since I started using the software – you used to have to buy the software and the audio interface, and these days the license for the software is bundled with the audio interface IIRC? think the last upgrade I bought was up the Traktor Scratch Pro 2?

If I flog my A8 card for whatever I can get for it, and replace it with an A6 what happens with my software license? Does everything just still work but with a new audio interface (that supports Mk2 vinyl if I want?)

Is my upgrade path as simple as that or am I missing something?

What’s the latest/greatest on the Kontrol side of things? I known a Mk1 Kontrol X1 is a bit antique, but it does all the transport control and looping I want (which is its main purpose)

Help me Obi-wan, you’re my only hope!

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A6 is sold only bundled with software and vinyls so you’ll be equipped.

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I’ve seen a few people just selling the A6 without cable, s/w, vinyl etc (second hand obvs) - would my current setup still work if I just swap out the A8?

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I’m pretty sure it would if you have a scratch license… should be all gravy just to plug it in. However you will want the latest Traktor update and MK2 vinyl i’d say… tbh i’d just buy the package. One thing though, keep youre breakout cables. You’ll want those with the audio 6 for sure as makes switching between vinyl and DVS much easier than the “software thru” option which is not ideal.

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Latest update?

I’ve got TSP 2 (can’t remember the precise version), which I believe is the latest isn’t it?

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Yeah but open Service Centre and update to the latest - 2.11.0

https://www.native-instruments.com/forum/threads/official-update-status-traktor-scratch-pro-current-2-11-0.72703/

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Welcome back, Mate. :sunglasses:

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Cheers ears …

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Yeah it will work, the license you have will work with any scratch ready audio interface or mixer and with controllers of course. The way the licensing changed is just that they sell them new with the software bundled (you can no longer buy a new interface on it’s own) but if you want to go the new route you can always grab one and sell one of your licenses separately to recover the costs.

Also worth noting is that the multicore cables are no longer needed since the THRU functionality is built into the audio interface, regular RCA cables will do.

If you feel like upgrading your X1 you have the X1mk2 and the D2 (the D2 works best in pairs btw so it’s kind of a quite steeper upgrade).

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I feel a new gear recommendation coming on…

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Will do, once I get through my gig this weekend - I generally go for the ‘if it ain’t broke’ approach tbh

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Fair enough, just if you update to Sierra and all that

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wonder what that might be…

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In practical terms though the multicore’s make life switching between vinyl and traktor so much easier because you can do it on the mixer rather than the software. It’s really frustrating that you can’t map a button to turn on THRU in traktor but you cant so you have to do it with the mouse etc.

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You can still use them if you got them, just saying that the functionality is built into the interface itself as well which is why they no longer ship with these.