(more clear text now) Need Some Advices Digital Djing

DJ Life & Community General Discussion
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(more clear text now) Need Some Advices Digital Djing

Hello everybody i made this new thread to express myself better, it’s a little hard to me express myself in english, the other thread becomes very confused, but now i think the text is more clear

I decided professionalize myself has a dj

I mix very well my old school disco/funk and modern underground house/disco to, with the Pioneer CDJ 100S and a basic 2 channel mixer what i had, i never had experience with vinyl DJing or digital (this equipament and import vinyls are very expansive in Brazil, because the taxes of our very corrupt goverment and i not a rich guy, this country is made only for rich people unfortunately)

i learning yet about digital djing, that things about beatgrid and software things, but i can tell you, i know it the most important is the music, for me, innovative, creative and real music with soul and art, music is what i most love in my life, sience my childhood i interested about good music, creative music, and thrust me, I have a fantastic collection of songs that I search for a loooong time, it always was my hobby, i love vanguard elecronic and non eletronic music to, old and new stuff ! especially Soul/Funk/Disco/House,

You certainly know its a high number of djs who not know nothing about history of the music he plays, dont respect, don’t give a **** for this ! IS CLEARLY NOT MY CASE !

So tha’t the thing, now mix just 2 tracks with 2cdjs and in one 2 channel cheap mixer is to little for me, i wanna do something more creative with my mix, so i choose digital djing, the best option to do that ! i experienced with demo traktor mix with 4 decks, doing crazy loops, and stuff like that, sounds really wonderfull, AND NOW I FINALLY HAVE THE MONEY TO BUY GOOD EQUIPAMENT, but searching about softwares and controllers i find myself in a DILEMA ! and will really help some opnions of experienced Djs

Alternative 1. Traktor Pro 2

Use the setup 2 Kontrol X1 and external mixer, that scheme work perfectly to mix modern electronic musics with auto sync, and spend more time doing more creative mixes with 3 or 4 decks, doing crazy loops and stuff like that

BUT

I would love to mix my collection of old stuff (Soul/RareGrooves/Funk/Disco/) recorded with live instrument in a special sets about this, and (the most interesting i think) mix that grooves with the modern musics of that styles ! but there’s a problem, is impossible beatgrid the fully track because the tempo variation, so are the solution, make the loops i want mix and beatgrid then, but traktor just can read one bpm per song, so in one of these loops i will had to adjust the pitch manually (note the bpm of the loop will help), but sounds me horrible do that pitch adjustment on mouse all the time, and sounds me more horrible buy the S4 just for use the pitch control, and i want the sound passing into a analog mixer for more quality of sound, sounds terrible buy the S4 just for use this pitch control and just for plug then in a external mixer.

****** Please correct something that is wrong in my analysis ********

Alternative 2. Serato Itch 2.0

I read something materials about this software, it seems Itch can do warp markers, elastic beatgrid, so i can do the beatgrid of the two loops i want to mix with this warp marks, and mix the both loops with auto sync, without do the pitch adjustment, or even i can do beatgrid the fully tracks of this oldschool stuff with tempo variation, and i will can make loops in all parts of the track, to mix any part of then with other musics (but i know if i do that, there is a price to pay, i will loose a part of the swing of these grooves recorded by live disco bands with variations in tempo)

I was seeing better Serato Itch, and the software’s layout is really ugly, really scares me, looks like a amateur thing, why they layout is to horrible ? but checkin better i realized, they are a lot of very good professional djs using this software, but mostly are turntablist djs, seems like this software is primarily designed for that.

Another thing, here is no chance to use Serato Itch 2.0 with the scheme like traktor, with midi controllers for the 4 decks and a external mixer ? the only way for i do that is with Numark NS6 or XoneDx ?

****** Please correct something that is wrong in my analysis ********

THAT’S IT FOLKS, I APPRECIATE SO MUCH YOUR ATENTION, I WILL BE VERY HAPPY AND THANKFUL, IF YOU CAN SHARES YOUR EXPERIENCES IN THIS SUBJECTED, TO HELP ME CLARIFY SOME THINGS TO DO THE BEST CHOICE ON THIS STEP I WANT TO DO ! AND SORRY AGAIN ABOUT THE GRAMATICAL ERRORS, BUT I THINK IS MORE CLEARLY NOW RIGHT ? IT’S REALLY DIFFICULT FOR ME, IM DOING THE BEST WHAT I CAN TO EXPRESS ME IN ENGLISH, IN BRAZIL DONT EXISTE GOOD FORUMS ABOUT THINGS LIKE THIS OF ELECTRONIC MUSIC, I HOPE I CAN COUNT WITH YOUR HELP !

THANK YOU VERY VERY MUTCH ! RESPECT FOR ALL FROM BRAZIL !

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facepalm.jpg.

Please don’t double post, it’s untidy.

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Somewhere i’ve got alot of respect for you trying so hard.

All i can say is i love traktor, i know some people that use the external mixer + 2 X1’s setup and it works like a charm, that would be my pick.

Grtz

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Thanks a lot man for awnser me, irritates me some people jokin me about my difficult in express me in english, i think this people had some personal frustration, some complex of superiority, they forget the humility, most people like that in internet world are worms in real life.

So…

Because my difficult to express me in english i do that long text trying to be more clearly as possible, because the other trhead becomes very confused and messy..

So man even to mix the old school tracks with tempo variations ? that people you tell me who mix with 2 Kontrol X1, they are a nice job ?

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Sorry I came across as harsh, it’s not the quality of your english but rather the quantity which is prohibitive.

Traktor is massively customizable when it comes to midi controllers, and yes I suppose if you have the skills then you could use X1s to mix whatever you like. ITCH does have more flexible beatgrids, and is very good software, but for now, you can’t add ANYTHING over and above your ITCH controller.

Older tracks without electronically syncopated beats are always harder to mix, no matter what you use.

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Thansk a lot ! i wait hear a lot of advices as yours and oposite opinions to, its will be very good to clarify the things for me, it was very heard for me kept the money to buy this equipaments, so i dont wanna do a bad choice ! thanks a lot, sorry about something, im just created a new thrend because the other became very confused !

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if you are interested in only dropping loops perhaps you should do just that. Dont’ record the whole track but just the parts you want which will make gridding in Traktor much easier. (depending how long your loops are)

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It’s not your English. There are plenty of people on these forums who speak English as a second language.

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Depending on your budget, I would consider getting a MIDI-capable mixer that will allow you to keep using your CDJs too. The reason is that CDJs will give you a lot more control over the tempo of songs without having to rely on beatgrids and sync than you will get from most MIDI controllers. X1s are great, but adjusting tempo using buttons just doesn’t compare to a nice long pitch fader. That said, many people have mastered the art of doing it just with buttons, so if you’re comfortable doing that go for it. A good MIDI capable mixer will allow you to mix externally using either Traktor Scratch or Serato (SSL rather than Itch) using timecode CDs, so you have the flexibility of these solutions without losing touch with your basic skillset.

If you’re going whole hog with the midi controller route, Traktor offers way more flexibility than itch because you can use multiple controllers and the mapping possibilities, while very difficult to learn and use effectively, are extremely powerful compared to Serato. But if you do want to go with Itch look really closely at the controllers you’re considering because you will be stuck with it - you can’t just add some more buttons or knobs when you need them the way you can with Traktor (or with SSL for that matter). Of course that may change with future versions of Itch.

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Get Traktor scratch pro 2 and 1 or 2 kontrol x1s. Then you can continue using your mixer and CDjs with timecode or the CDs you already have and use sync with the tracks it works well with while c

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Get Traktor scratch pro 2 and 1 or 2 kontrol x1s. Then you can continue using your mixer and CDjs with timecode or the CDs you already have and use sync with the tracks it works well with while continuing to manually beatmatch on your cdjs with the tracks which don’t sync well.

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Thanks alot guys, but check this out, i sod my old mixer and cdjs 100s to buy my macbook

I really want found a possiblity to mix with 4 decks my new and old stuff (the tracks with tempo variations) without do the pitch adjustment, and the sound passing on a external analog mixer,

So i guess use Traktor with 2 kontrol X1, is the bets choice, even having to make the pitch adjustment by mouse i think :disappointed: in one of the loops when i will mix this old school tracks

But i think a lot in the possibility to use Itch 2.0, using their elastic beatgrid system for mix that two mixable loops of the old school tracks, with 4 decks and sync, or even beatgrid the fully track, seams stuff like that is possible on itch 2.0, and i will not have do the pitch adjustment by hand for mix, so anyone can tell me if i can use Serato Itch 2.0 to mix with 4 decks, using a external mixer and two controllers Xone2d or even 1d ? it will works good ?

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Don’t think you can use non-itch controllers with itch, though I may be wrong. Also keep in mind that with Traktor, you do need to get a soundcard as well unless your controller has one built in. That’s why the s4 is so attractive - the soundcard and Traktor are $400 in value, so you’re paying $500 for one of the best midi controllers on the market. Plus it uses native protocol (HID) so it’s more precise and responsive than midi. Most people don’t take the soundcard and software into account with the price, but they are significant.

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But for now i think i almost solved my dilema, check this out…

the doubt between use Itch 2.0 or Traktor Pro 2, probaly is better i will gonna opt to use Itch 2.0 because the incredible feature to mix old school musics like Soul/Funk/Disco with tempo variation, seam to me i can do elastic beatgrids of the loops i want mix or even the whole song right ?? it’s essential to me because i want start mix with 4 decks and non-stop mix my oldschool stuff, so sounds to me Itch 2.0 is the best option to do that

Sounds to me the Xone DX’s quality is very superior between the S4, problaly the Sound’s card and mixer quality of the Xone Dx’s are better, looks like more a professional equipament as the S4, is a Allen & Heath :slight_smile:…

What you can tell me abaout that, sounds a very good option right ?

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I’ll tell you that in recent months I’ve seen several people sell off their xone dx for an s4. I’ll also tell you that itch 2.0 is still in beta as far as I’m aware and that I personally far prefer the interface of Traktor as well as all of the features. I haven’t seen how well the elastic beatgridding works, but there’s only so much it can realistically do, and it may end up making your tracks sound odd - losing the swing that makes them have their unique sound in the first place. Also, the dx is a midi controller, just like the s4. It does not do any external mixing; the mixing is done in the itch software, just like the s4 mixes in the Traktor software. As for the soundcard, my impression is that the s4 and the zone are pretty equivalent, and the s4 itself is a newer device. Furthermore, the jogwheels on the s4 feel like a high end cdj and the xone’s feel much more like midi controller jogwheels. I’d much rather beatmatch manually on the s4 than the xone, and if you’ve been doing manual beatmatching on your CDjs, you should have no problem doing it on the s4.

As far as I’m aware, elastic beatgridding isn’t a magical solution without issues. It may work well, but I’m personally skeptical. Hardware wise, you are far better off with the s4 than the xone, and I think that’s reflected by the sales I mentioned earlier. Also, with the S4 you have the option of CDjs and timecode in addition to it (with the scratch upgrade which is free if you register the s4 software in July), while with itch you do not. Feel free to use whichever you want, but I’d go with the s4. Traktor Pro 2 is proven great software while itch 2.0 is not proven.

If you still want to go the itch route, have a look at the Novation Twitch - it looks solid and should suit your needs well except that it’s only two decks (though you may find 4 to be overkill anyway).

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Thanks alot for this coment to man ! :smiley:

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You should look into the bridge a little more if you have that kind of money, especially if your talking about incorporating live instruments…which I think is what you were trying to say.

Midi mapping in ableton is a breeze and you can you just about any controller, so maybe spend more on ableton and less on a controller. Skrillex seems to get by with his drum pad.

Set up in ableton will take longer but there are much more possibilities.

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Hm hm no no man, im not the intention to incorporate live instruments in my sets right now, i wanna just unify my mix with more than 2 decks with my old school stuff with tempo variations, and my new stuff ! but thank you for the advice to ! :slight_smile: