Mobile DJ help!
Hey I’m just wondering what mobile djs use for there set up I.e software and controller. I DJ weddings mostly and I’m looking for a good and reliable controller/software.
Traktor S4/S2 + Traktor Pro ?
S2 is really portable. negative: you need a laptop (some say therefore it isn’t so reliable)
Denon MC3000 is also one of the ‘best’ portable controllers, which can be used without laptop. and it’s fully constructed out of metal - does not come with full software
tho it pretty much depends on you, you should try the ‘compact’ controllers.
like he said, Traktor S4/S2 is a good choice and comes with software.
If you want to use traktor and don’t like the S2 or S4, the VCI 400 is also pretty cool.
Those are the 2 I would recommend for a wedding DJ. I know a guy who does weddings with an s2 and he likes it a lot and says it serves his purpose really well.
Like said above though, have a reliable laptop because that’s where a lot of the stability lies.
Sounds good. But what do I do if the laptop crashes the s2 doesn’t have support for a backup like an iPod or ipad?
someone already asked that on the internet ;p
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/printview.php?t=356177&start=0
This one is also new on the market: CMD A4 studio from behringer (again not standalone you need a laptop)
-pretty cheap too.
Sweet thanks bro!
Why not Numark Mixdeck or Mixdeck Express?
I would but I like digital, like with a laptop plus controller 
Your sure seem Excited since you are asking in multiple forums but what are you using now? Why don’t you like? What do you want different? That information would be useful to assist you. How many weddings have you done? How many have you booked this year so far? How many do you expect to book? What is your budget? What type of speakers and or amplifiers do you have?
Yes I posted in a couple to get a wide rang of response. I’ve done 10 weddings so far and have 5 booked so far for this coming wedding season, and 2 work parties and 2 batmitszfas. I currently use a laptop with a simple mixer and an ipad as backup. I also have two behringer 12 inch PA speakers. I really want a controller that’s reliable and sounds good, and that I could also use if I decide to do a club. I need it to also come with good reliable software. It’s just really hard to decide with all the options and opinions. I play mostly top 40, edm, and moombahton. And I love making mixtape a and mashups using samples.
if your laptop is reliable, s2 is a good option.
on the other side it’s from plastic, feels solid, but from plastic.
unlike the denon mc3000 = full metal/steel chasis - they call it a real workhorse.
And I don’t think you need to worry about a denon mapping for traktor, it’s been quite some time since it’s release.
However you’ll find more traktor support for the S2.
pretty much all controllers are mobile imo, i mean the s2 and s4 can fit in a back pack , haha but i mean the bigger ones are still small and easy to carry around, nothing like some cdj 200s and a mixer or vinyl, but i think the first thing you need to do is decide what program you want to use, traktor or serato ? and it sounds like you might want serato, so maybe pick up a pioneer ddj sx ? and a mac book pro, haha a reliable laptop is equally the most important thing
Numark now brought out some really nice controllers, cheap and small! Check them out NAMM 2013
I use an MC-6000 for mobile. Tried the NI toys, but they really aren’t suitable for stand alone gigs. The 6000 is a Swiss army knife and built like a tank. The mic inputs are excellent, and it’s a stand alone mixer if you need it to be. Happy to answer any questions about it.
it’s not because it’s made of metal that it’s not a toy 
The denon could be built like a tank, it’s not that an S4 will fail (on) you. And it’s like they made the case first and then tried to fit all the knobs and buttons, there’s not a lot of space between them.
But out of the two I’d also recommend the 6000 only because it’s small and can be used as a standalone
Didn’t say anything about the metal, but it does outweigh the S4 by fair amount. I said it is built like a tank. There is no way you put them side by side and fail to recognize that one is pro gear, the other is not. It is faultlessly reliable. It fits in a 19" rack mount and rack ears are included, so I’m sure they did make the case first. It has inputs out the wazoo, two built in phono stages (if you need them) and, I can’t emphasize this enough - the MIC section is fabulous and intuitive, whereas the S4’s is miserable on a good day. He’ll be on the mic a lot at a wedding. The NI gear should not be taken seriously if you need to rely on your controller to not ruin someone’s wedding without using an external mixer. Furthermore, the sound quality is as good as any controller available, and measurably better than many. As far as the knob positioning goes, it’s the standard workflow, in a 19 rackable unit. He’s not going to be twiddling a bunch of knobs at a wedding - rather, playing requests all night long in between tossing the bouquet and garter. Even if you are going into FX madness, all you have to do is get used to it. I have XL hands and it is just not an issue. Would I prefer the spacious real estate of an S4? - sure, if all I needed it to do was mix Traktor. The S4 is, without question, a great Traktor controller. But that is all it is. For a mobile’, it’s a liability. Screw up one wedding and blame it on your gear and see if you get another chance. These are people’s memories you are being charged with.
PS. The browser section of the 6K is exceptional. Blazingly fast & intuitive. And 32Digits… I’m not trying to bag on your scene, man. But, weddings are an entirely different ballgame than pretty much anything else one will ever be responsible for. I’ve seen it go horribly wrong, 1st hand.
hahaha I know it’s more reliable
I was joking when I said they first made the case and then tried to fit all possible knobs and buttons ^^
Your completely right, except that I’ve yet to hear and see someones s4 fail on him
What if the 6000 fails? What’s the plan at that point?
I carry backup gear so that any “one thing” can fail & the show goes on (sometimes with a brief pause). In almost all cases, any “two things” can fail…and the show can go on. By the time “three things” fail at the same event…I am already having a bad day, and it is moderately unlikely that the show can keep going with any random three things having already failed. BUT…I do check everything BEFORE it gets loaded for the gig…and I find half a dozen things that are broken every year during this check (cables with loose ends are by far the most common…but I have found an amp with a bad channel).
So, running through the signal chain…here are a few thoughts about my backup plans:
I have two laptops that are “clones” of each other (I have an iPhone with appropriate playlists that can play music while I switch laptops)
I have the S2, and an Audio 2 for sound cards
I have the S2 & mics running into a table top mixer (I can plug a mic into the S2…but it’s a lot less flexible than a separate mixer)
I have a PA manager with a crossover built in (the mixer has a “sub out” but the main signal is still “full range”)
I have two amps, with three channels in use - L R + sub (I can get by with just two amp channels, mono + sub)
After even the first failure…the music can continue…but I can not guarantee that it will sound “the same.” Even so, any single thing can fail, and I can keep going…on a solid “plan B.”
soundinmotion
NI device just have 2x option to fail
- Laptop crashes - no sound
- Device crashes - no sound
Denon 3000/6 - even when the laptop crashes you can still continue with the standalone
But what you said is true
As I understand it, the Denon 3k/6k is a “passive mixer” AND a midi controller. So, if the laptop fails, there still needs to be something providing the music source (iPod??). Or maybe it’s better to say that the Denon does not have any internal storage for music. Is that true? I am only passingly familiar with the unit. If I had seen it in action before I got the S2, I would have seriously considered it…overall it looks pretty solid.
I have a Mackie 802 mixer that the S2, mics, & iPhone connect into. So, if the laptop OR S2 fail…I am using the iPhone to play. If the Mackie mixer fails, I can swap the outputs to the S2 (I lose the mic & iPhone…but this is already “Plan B”).
I think that either approach provides some backup. I don’t think that the Denon 3k/6k or the S2/S4 can be seen as “vastly” different in quality. I have never had a computer or laptop “fail” during a gig - but I have had a handful of unplanned reboots over the years. The most important thing is to have a “fall back plan” and practice doing it at least once BEFORE the gig.