Hey everyone, I’m new to DJ’ing and I got a couple questions.
My goal is to do it for fun and occasional gigs at schools. I love entertaining people. Maybe if I get good, I’ll do it for extra $$
I’ve played with virtual DJ and mixed some electronic music. But so far, VERY basic stuff.
I need to know what my next step is. I’ve looked at equipment (mp3 mixers, I don’t want CD’s) and seen everything from $100 USB Hercules mixers to $1000 Pioneer’s…
I want to buy something that I can learn on at home, and still use at small (emphasis on small) events to make people shake their asses. I don’t want to buy something I’ll outgrow in a month, but something decent I’ll appreciate for a while…
Please recommend some equipment… Also, is Traktor software better than Virtual DJ? I’m looking to mix electronic music (house, techno, etc.)
Regardless, I would try out both VDJ and Traktor’s demos before buying. Same goes for controllers. If you can, go to a shop and test out all the different controllers. Get something with a built in soundcard too
If you’re already using VDJ then stick with it, unless there’s a reason you don’t like it?
As for a controller - they all do similar stuff so it’s personal choice really, the reloop looks ok, S2 is good value, mixtrack pro gets good reviews here
There are a gazillion videos on youtube for every controller and for every software program. Figure out what it is you want to do as a DJ, do your research, do comparisons and pick what you feel will be the best fit for you. None of us here can tell you what you want to do nor will we do the research for you, all your answers are out there, do the research.
Please don’t do this again. We just had an entire thread that was hijacked with Traktor vs VDJ argument.
Try out all the software, see what you like.
As for equipment, I recommend using the search function to find the in-depth threads already made about this, but personally I recommend the Mixtrack Pro. Cheap, cheerful and everything you need to get started.
the other threads title was Traktor Vs. VDJ there was no hijacking… that question was asked by the OP, I just responded with knowledge based on my experience…
I wouldn’t recommend the mixtrack pro, it’s plastic, breakable, small 7bit pitchfader, the effects knobs are encoders and worst of all the soundcard is not low latency ASIO.
The OP asked for a controller that he would not grow out of immediately… the reloop is a solid construction, has more buttons and knobs than the mixtrack, has large 14bit pitchfaders, better jogs, awesome crossfader a 4in 4out ASIO Soundcard “line/phone in & mic in” that you can route through “some” software, and it’s not much more expensive than the mixtrack pro… That sounds like something that he will not grow tired of or break very quickly.
Although I dunno if beginner, intermediate, advanced is the right way of explaining it. Simply because it’s not a progression, like it should be. Most DJs decide to stay at the “intermediate” level, and are happy to just spend their lives doing 64-128 beat transitions on two decks, and pride themselves on how well they use filters… Only about 10% of DJs, even on this forum, are advanced enough, or even want to be advanced enough, to benefit from VDJ.
Also I think the difference between picking up the basics on VDJ VS Traktor are negligable… Honestly I’d skip VDJ until
Although I’d say the differences in learning traktor VS VDJ are close to negligible. Honestly I’d say just learn on Traktor. If you have interest in doing performance stuff, rather than just transitioning, get good at it on traktor, then switch to VDJ… probably 5 years later.
As far as hardware goes. do your own research… fuck.
You get one suggestion from me. If you’re willing to way, that comes out in november, is $200, and looks like it’ll be better than just about any 2 channel controller on the market. (despite being made by behringer, lawl)
Nah really man… VDJ is unquestionably better for advanced users… Advanced being a very small percentage of DJs. IN VDJ you can replicate anything from traktor, plus infinitely more. VDJ has a MUCH higher ceiling than Traktor. Getting traktor to do advanced things is really stretching and coming up with workarounds for its intentional limitations.
Traktor being better for intermediate users is pretty obvious.
S2/S4’s get a lot of recommendations here too… and almost eveyr one I’ve ever seen is broke in some way. Mixtracks have even worse build quality.
Let’s not start another flame here people. We just had 15 pages of this exact thing a few days ago.
I think your best bet might be to just go to a DJ store and check out the equipment yourself. Everyone thinks they know what’s best and it may be for them, but certainly not across the board.
Again your opinion - just because something does more, does not make it better…
Yeah like I said never tried one, just seen lots of people happy with them, if you could show me the threads where they are falling apart that would be good..
S2/S4 almost everyone is broke in some way… really?
The dude saying they are breakable hasn’t ever used one. Yea it is plastic but its a dureable hard plastic. I have the idj3 and it works just fine. Its the even cheaper version of the mixtrack pro.
!t’s more in regard to the faders and knobs, the jogs and buttons don’t get raped as much… well traditionally they shouldn’t anyway lol. Ask yourself whether any budding scratch dj’s have destroyed their faders (making them sent random messages), the answer will either be “yeah it died just as I was learning to crab” or “nah fuck scratching on that! I replaced that peice of shit with a rane ttm after a couple of months” that’s what my mates said lol…
You won’t have that issue with the Reloop, you will have that issue with an S2, mixtrack, N4, pioneer ergo etc… all lower end gear accept the Reloop TM series and the Stanton DJC.4 because they are of superior construction. I didn’t say the DJC.4 because it has a lower resolution jog at 128tpr whereas the TM has 800tpr. MTP has 600tpr if your keeping score.
If you want to use traktor with jogs you have to buy the S2, otherwise the TM series will probably offer an upgrade path to a better version of Serato Itch or you could always continue using the other software it comes with.
IMO the mixtrack is a great christmas present if your kid likes dance music, but not serious gear if you want to dj professionally.
!