Need buyer’s advice: Budget solid controller for old school vinyl DJ?
OK. …I’m looking for advice on a new controller that is moderately priced ($150 - $400) that is sturdy, easy to map and tweak, has a few different .tsi maps available for Traktor Scratch Pro 1.2.7 or better, and will have above average curve adjustment and jog wheels for scratching.
I already have an Audio8, so having a built in sound card is not necessary. I consider myself to be an advanced DJ but a bit new to using strictly a controller to spin. I’ve used timecoded vinyl for a few years but want a controller for quicker gigs so the club doesn’t need to dust off their 1200s specially just for my hour set. I also do not want something that looks like a toy that I can play out @ some of the bigger venues without being snickered at by anybody who bothers to look at what I’m using. So far Reloop, Numark, B52, and Vestax seem to be where I’m leaning…but I’m having issues narrowing down which flavor of which model to run with. I spin Electro House, Dubstep, and mashups.
Numark mixtrack springs to mind… Has fx control, touch sens wheels, good eq section ans is all remappable… Make ur own mapping and ull no what everything does plus this will be low in ur budget…
I myself use a omni control, but the stealth doesnt have a soundcard and looks a lot more badass only thing is just jogs no scratching but says you play electro and dubstep so cant imagine too much scratching needed..
why dont you get an x1 and use the cdj’s in the club with timecode?
better and cheaper option than getting some mid range controller which feels like a toy, most controllers under $400 are entry level. If you want to scratch then cdj’s with timecode are the best option as far as i can see, cdj’s arnt very good for scratching but they’re sure as hell better than any controller you’ll find.
Pioneer CDJs that are worth anything are bulky, expensive, and don’t have the same ability to map knobs and buttons to bend the sound to your will. I want something I can have at home to rehearse then feel confident it will travel well, then pull off the same routine at the club just like I practiced at home. The ONLY way to do exactly that is with CDJ-2000s.
Having used a turnatble and subsequently touched a non-functional Numark v7 (which is about the best you’re going to do with a Midi controller for scratching), the v7 felt nothing at all like proper vinyl and with the size of the thing, you’re not going to do any decent scratching. Save some money for TTs if you’re serious about scratching and you’ll be a lot happier.
regarding a vci, V7, and a 1200mk2. I currently own all 3, and think the V7 is light years better than any controller for scratching. For scratching I’d rate the 1200 a 9.5 (str8-150 is my 10 for scratching), the V7 a solid 8, and the VCI a 6.5.
granted the V7 is Itch based so its probably moot (FYI, I prefer Itch to TP2 for dual deck hiphop mixing).
Alright, ignore everything in the first page of this thread, that’s crap from guys that don’t/can’t scratch. A Twitch? Are you effin serious? $5 says someone recommends a S4 in a little bit.
Get a Numark V7, I have one, it’s great for scratching as long as you have a good computer that can run it at a lowish latency. It doesn’t feel or look like a toy, it’s solid metal and heavy. I don’t know anything about running it with Traktor, but it’s probably your best solution. The great thing is that you can run two decks with one V7, there’s a Deck A/B switch. I’ve even managed to beat juggle with it. (Not recommended live)
Cool! NOW we’re getting somewhere. Thank you Nada.
I looked at a few tutorials on YouTube on how to use the V7 by somehow linking Itch to TSP. (Which, I’m still a bit fuzzy on how it was done, but I suppose I’ll deal with that later if I have to.) Aside from that, the Novation Dicers were originally “designed specially for use with Serato” (just like the V7) and then somebody came along with a quick .tsi file fixed that little red wagon rather quickly. …All I’m saying is where there’s a will, there’s a way to hack the effing mess out of a V7 to make it do your bidding for Traktor.
I like where this is going, but honestly is the Numark V7 my ONLY option that will fit my needs? Is there an alternative that would offer 2 or 4 deck control in the SAME singular unit (rather than buying 2 V7s)??
fyi the V7 “hack” for traktor is to import the traktor control cd as an audio file, then open BOTH Itch and traktor and load the control file into the Itch decks, then you can operate the V7 like a cdj in traktor. Its an unrealistic workaround.
Also, no love for my V7 post? thanks.
In addition, since the v7 would then be controlling itch you’d have to use bomes mt or an equivalent to send signal to both Traktor and itch. I wouldn’t recommend it tbh from what I’ve seen.
The reason I get a little trollish is because people constantly suggest stupid crap in these “What should I buy” threads. So many people on this forum talk like they know what they’re doing when in reality they play in their bedroom and only mix 128bpm house music. That’s not DJing. The man said he wanted to SCRATCH, and the first suggestions were:
The mixtrak → budget controller, but decent jog wheels The VCI → Not useful for scratching Twitch->WTF? That’s royally stupid Omni Control->Decent suggestion, useless for scratching X1 and CDJ’S->Again, WTF?!? Do you know how much the good CDJ’s cost? “You can’t scratch on a controller”->Wrong, yes you can. I do it all the time. “I touched a V7 once and it felt nothing at all like proper vinyl and with the size of the thing, you’re not going to do any decent scratching”–>This is freaking ignorant. You can scratch like a monkey in a CDC lab with the V7.
In conclusion, the best option in his price range is the V7. It doesn’t quite work with traktor yet, but there are workarounds. Controller+scratching=V7
In a much higher price range, you could also check out the Denon DN-S3700. They are amazing! I hope to own two of them someday.
…All I’m saying is where there’s a will, there’s a way to hack the effing mess out of a V7 to make it do your bidding for Traktor.