I was playing out for my first time with my VCI-100 and Traktor and have to say it was a little boring. .Yes, I had the sync on too, and even felt this was boring me. I even felt the timing was unnatural and not human. I feel playing with turntables as controllers and makes it more “physical”..I then thought this is all what we were used to so maybe it is relevant. I have played before on Serato Itch and even felt this gave me more energy as I had to really do more and use the pitch to dj and gets the oxy flowing. The feel was more live! Some of the people observing said it sounded more like a “live” performance rather than a real dj set, and I kind of had to agree. Any ideas to spice it up and help so it does not look like a dj reading emails on stage? Maybe get Traktor Scratch Pro? I guess it is just me and what I am used to and know some guys like Ean can rock it on a VCI and maybe it will just take time to become natural with it…so ,dunno, looking for ideas.
I play with tempo changes and pitch manually to keep myself engaged when not juggling or being an effects junkie. Also, a little eye contact goes a long way. If you don’t feel comfortable making eye contact with an audience member, look just above someone in the back, point, and smile. Oh, and dance wif da musiks
Only you know whats right for you. If your not getting the same fulfillment from Midi go with Traktor Scratch Pro.
I use TP with Midi and TSP with decks and i much prefer my turntables but i guess i try to mess around with the music a bit more with Midi so im lovin the midi also.
I dont have a VCI (i want one but no matter how much i cry no one round here will lend/give me one) but i would have thought that a VCI-100 could be a LOT of fun and a good substitute for TTs . . ?
I dunno, I just do not get the energy I would get from a turntable, but maybe it will just take time. I think the Traktor Scratch Pro could be better and maybe a VCI for decks 3 +4 to sync and the fx..
For me Itch was more like real decks , and the timing and feel of the VCI-300 is closer to real decks..just Itch has no fx or separate outs to route to a mixer for more fun.
Okay, first a disclaimer: I’m playing on radio streams, so this is likely different: Somehow I fully agree with Claudek, playing a set on the decks is somewhat more gratifying. Playing a set that is well-prepared (beatgrid, decent playlist, matching keys etc) with MIDI is nice because you have more time to play around but somehow, I just feel like a button-pusher (thinking of a nicer word ). What makes it challenging again is really just having the couple few intro-songs, then just going from there with whatever fits, taking in and ordering requests, make them fit with the flow and mood (@Karlos: Traktor could have another small track browse window below the normal one to support that use-case like other DJ apps do..just dump requests in there to sort them). The more dynamic the thing gets, the more challenging it is, but both for you and the people listening, more enjoyable.
You can get plenty psysical with midi you just need to get your head around it and start to master the program that your using. Midi controllers just like turntables take their own time to learn how to use properly and master - Ean has been doing this for years so has alot of experience and practice mixing with midi. The mappings that he provides takes alot the time out of custom mappings for alot of people which allows them to focus on the mixing which is nice, but still need to put in alot of practice to build up some good skills.
I am of the opinion that a crowd doesnt find a dj beatmatching to be that visually appealing, they are more standing there wondering what it is that your doing. Theres little audible qlues to bridge the gap help bring the gap of having your audience knowing what it is your doing unlike say Moldover Controllerism or Qubert Scratching - where it is painfully obvious(for the most part) of what it is they are doing as their actions are all reflected in the music.
To get a more “live feel” to your while still utilising sync you could simply use the pitch bends in traktor after you have synced to get more of a loose sync feel. Alternativly you could also use the pitch faders for this same purpose.
Any way you do it you will still want to beatgrid all your tracks to get your effects and loops to sync with the songs your playing there is never any getting around that.
Another thing you could try is turning snap and quantization off when dropping cue points and cue point juggling - that will will help develop a much better feel for juggling with midi controllers.
Also you should know your tunes and setup\know your controller in a way that you dont need to look at the screen very much. I personally get rid of any “list scrolling” functions- for example instead of selecting a loop size and spending time looking at the screen to see which loop i have selected on the traktor interface before dropping it. I have the abiltiy to drop different loop sizes with different buttons instantly on my controller, then change the loop size using loop /2 *2 functions to quickly beat it into the right size i want all without having to stare at the screen.
Dont touch your mouse or trackpad either - thats a surefire way to look like your checking your mail. Also dont treat traktor like its a pair of turntables, its a pair of really fancy turntables - so put those features to good use
More channels is great, i recommend using atleast 3 decks if your just using Traktor or 2 decks + Ableton 3 or more channels holding loops inside of Ableton if your so inclined.
I love playing on the Turntables, but the feel on the VCI-100 IS different, but I have just as much fun, if not more now, because, I’m able to do more things on the controller/software than turntables and mixer alone. The beat mixing itself is only one part of the story. Having some of this automated for you isn’t all bad & evil. In fact, when encoded vinyl files are playing, there still a bit of slip n slide here and there and you need to get on the platters to get things back in phase from time time when riding a long mix.
But where the fun really gets going is trying to quickly work in extras like Looping, FX (in a tasteful musical manner) and just plain ol’ EQ’ing and Volume levels. On top of that, you have Decks 3 & 4 to contend with if all that is just too boring on 2 decks.
I think you just need to put a bit more effort into your VCI and maybe work a bit more instead of being quite so passive? Turn of the constant SYNC feature I guess.
A little showman ship behind the VCI doesn’t hurt either as well ‘getting into it’ like you would on Turntables goes a long way I think for the audience too. If it looks like you’re not enjoying yourself, the crowd may think the same. No way to start to get a party rockin’. And you don’t need to be playing peak hour bombs to look like your enjoying yourself either.
I did a vertical one for TSP. Its a bit rough.
It has 2 browser trees. One for Prepartion Playlist and another for track collection but i suggest options to assign whatever playlist you like to each window. Although one would have to show the collection on a Search.
I actually did the opposite. Started with a controller (a simple Hercules MKII) and played gigs with that and Traktor 3. A few months ago I realised (slow, I know) that Traktor Scratch was compatible not only with turntables but also with CD players and in the venue where I play there are also a couple of Pioneer CDJ400 and a 4 channels Pioneer Mixer with a lot of effects… so I said why not? and purchased the TS package.
In my opinion, it is waaaaaay more fun to play with traktor scratch than with a simple controller… it is waaaaay more physical … keeps you busier.
There are of course a few issue depending on the fact that to access loopings (do not like to use the loop option on the cd players) and cues you need to use the laptop’s keyboard… but I think I’ll be buying a Korg Nanopad to solve that problem.
So I say go fo Traktor Scratch and use the VCI only if you need to (it is going to happen, since not all the venues have cd players which work well with TS and marvellous mixers).
Well all ..good points & well I feel a little better .I Just have to realize it is all up to me and a challenge to make it happen. I dunno still.. today I see many of these "computer big name " dj’s playing on Traktor, all synced up, and for me it is not so exciting and it is not like watching the days of Jeff Mills on a pair of 12’s. I mean the set can be interesting and good music, perfect programming / mixing , but something human is gone and noticeable for sure. I dunno but then I saw Ean on You Tube and I was impressed enough to get into this midi game. For me, back then it was like watching a modern day dj sport. Today, it is more like watching Kraftwerk dj clones. However, I see some jocks though on Serato or T S Pro and say a Pioneer mixer and it can be pretty exciting, if not better than on real vinyl. So end of the day, it is up to the dj and his/her needs to be aware of looking like one is dj’ing and not reading web pages while performing on stage.
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Everybody could enjoy your site using regular turntables or midi controllers. They are perfectly compatible.
Only restricting freedom to choice a “concept” becomes ill and “limited”. Living in harmony is choose one “focus” for “moment” but at next “moment” you could leave these and choose another becoming alive.
i feel quite the oppostie about midi controllers vs turntables, but i think it’s because i’ve got midi on the lockdown and i’m not quite as comfortable with turntables.
the freetime that im saved by the easier beatmatching features of traktor allows me to dance around and interact with the crowd so the only time I look like i’m “reading my emails” is when im cueing up/mixing my tracks. Where as when I use turntables so much of my focus is spent keeping things beatmatched and finding my cue points on the vinyl that I spend most of my set staring at the platters instead of interacting with the crowd or dancing.
I think the confusion comes from being a vinyl dj and used to moving a lot and getting into beat matching , etc.. this new form is just new and will take time to direct my energy and focus on looping, 3/ 4decks, and fx, etc..
I totally acknowledge your feelings Claudek. I started off DJing on very crappy turntables, making beatmatching a very physical job and a constant battle against the poor quality Directdrive bastards.
But the rewards was something fenomenal, having perfectly beatmatched a whole set was a gift on it’s own.
It was during that time I developed a love for the direct influence you have on a track. That’s the main reason I have tried the TSI that DJTT develops, but found it too far away from the direct controls you have with TTs and a mixer. I need buttons to have just 1 or 2 functions and the platters to have the same feeling and functions as a turntable platter (no fancy FX allocated to it in what mode whatsoever)
After 2 years of djing with a VCI 100 i feel that I’ve finally created a TSI for myself which suits the exact needs I have now with Traktor. I’m using an external mixer, which gives me the option of using the volume faders as modifiers, which makes it really easy to map four decks without drowning in functions. Have the left volume fader up, the left part of the controller will function as controls for deck A, having it down the controls will control deck C. The same story for deck B and D on the right side.
The big challenge now is playing four decks, using FX and blend it all together like an amateurversion of Jeff Mills .
Anyway, what I mean to say is, playing with a controller gives you almost unlimited possibilities, but I can advice you to strive for using those possibilities to suit your ambitions and DJ style. Midimapping is the key!
). What makes it challenging again is really just having the couple few intro-songs, then just going from there with whatever fits, taking in and ordering requests, make them fit with the flow and mood (
- so put those features to good use 
.