Ok Ok so I already have Traktor 3 and some nice Audio Technica DJ Headphones. I am set on buying the VCI 100 and an M Audio Pro USB Soundcard. Would I need anything else?
would I need an amp to power the large speakers I will buy sometime in the future. I am an aspiring club DJ. I started out with Adobe Audition back in the day and remixing now im onto Traktor 3 and so far I have taught myself most of its features etc.
What do you guys recommend. Thank you
PS How hard is it to sync the VCI controls with Traktor
A DAW app, some MP3s, an external soundcard with 4 outputs and some kind of MIDI controller, that’s it. The rest is down to your skill and imagination.
Amp and speakers can wait. PA is a whole different kettle of fish that I’m just learning about The key seems to be break your signal into different bands and amplify each using a physically separate Amp. Active speakers are good for fast no hassle setup and teardown, but they perpetuate the original problems of full-range amps with passive crossovers - and it’s opinions like this that start flame wars…
Pretty much go with what Fatlimey said. You don’t really need to worry about a PA system yet. Worry about that when you decide to go mobile. Clubs will be more than likely to provide you with more than what you’ll need. I would get a MIDI controller to augment the VCI-100, though: either a small keyboard or a trigger unit. The VCI-100 is a wonderful tool, but that slight extra will send you leaps and bounds forward.
In all honesty keep it simple in a club the VCI100 will treat you well as long you take your time to learn what you can do with it. The best thing to do in all honesty would be to buy either a set of CD players or turntables as they are both much more common in a nightclub and will be taking up most of the space you’ll need for the VCI100 let alone an extra controller . You may want to look into some sort of vinyl contol system like Traktor Skratch or Serato .
Using the mouse, you can only alter one value at a time, followed by a slight delay while you mouse over to the next value. For certain operations like starting tracks and killing the low-end this is fine, but if you want immersive interactive control over the sound you need a device that allows you to use both your hands at once, and presents as many options at a time as you can handle.
A general purpose controller, like the VCI-100 or X-Session Pro will be a good starting point for mixing, and as you find your style you can add additional controller devices like a Trigger Finger Pro or a Novation Remote Zero SL to give you more access to filters, events or special effects that you have set up. MIDI is great like that, you just chain the devices together, set each one to transmit on a different channel and you are off and running.
So yes, your proposed setup sounds just fine. Go for it!
I have a HDD with over 14,000 singles on it I would never be caught lugging that many cd’s around
Would the VCI’s controls sync well over to Traktor 3??? Or would it be very hard to get them to correlate?
Also I see you recommended the X Session pro. There is a huge price difference between the VCI-100 and the X-Session pro. What would you recommend? It seems as if the VCI - 100 has many more functions as well as two track wheels?
jaycee, I don’t think anyone is telling you to ditch your laptop. It is good practice to have a small amount of CDs with you for when, not if, your laptop crashes. Something will go wrong eventually, and you’d rather have a backup then just be stuck there with your thumb up your ass.
I’m assuming, of course, you have experience DJing in more ‘traditional’ forms (ie: CDs/vinyl).
The VCI-100 is all but built for Traktor 3. The tks that Vestax offers is a great starting point for the controls the unit can utilize. My recommendation for another MIDI controller is for when you have exhausted the VCI-100 and want to do more things. This becomes advantageous for remapping the VCI-100 and not losing the functionality. For example, I can’t use the VCI-100 for cue juggling. I wouldn’t want to give up the functionality of so many things for jumping cue points. But, I can use it for more advanced effect work, using a PadKontrol for cue juggling, and replacing the controls I’ve lost.
The advantage of these pieces of equipment is that they really are open ended. You are only limited to the controls on the equipment, your understanding of MIDI programming, and your imagination at using them.
Oh, and to answer your question, I’d say look at the M-Audio Trigger Finger, PadKontrol, Akai MPD32, any of the M-Audio Oxygen series, the Korg Kontrol49 and the comparable Akai model (can’t remember the name offhand), and, well, anything else you find. It’s all MIDI, so it all works.
I have NO experience in a live DJing style. I have been into music engineering for a good while though. So all this is making no sense to me!
So for the most part would the VCI work with Traktor or not? I understand I may loose some functionality but for now I am just learning how to live loop, add some live effects etc.
Will the VCI fulfill this? With Traktor can I scratch on the VCI with its dual track pads
Do they “sync well”? It’s hard to answer that question as all MIDI controllers start off as a meaningless box of buttons, knobs and sliders. You have to use the MIDI setup menus inside Traktor to build a personalised mapping that maps each knob or slider to a control in the software. Most people start off with a general purpose mapping that comes either with the device itself or can be downloaded from the manufacturer’s website.
This mapping works only as well as you make it work. You practice, you tweak, you learn. Controllerism is about learning a new kind of instrument, it takes practice. The question you need to ask is, what do you want to do?
You seem a little confused. I’d suggest looking at some of the videos Ean has produced on the main page of this website, to see what the VCI-100 and other MIDI controllers can do and how they can be used.
I understand that. sorry for this bad analogy but is it like in a video game where you can map each controller button to a function in the game? Same kind of thing am i correct?
What I wanted to know though, was if all features are possible in traktor with the VCI 100. Such as live scratch and stuff. Or is there an inherent flaw where such things are not possible. Like devilsadvocate said, he cant cue juggle
Would you recommend the X session pro or VCI. I want something that will last and have many features. I know the learning curve on the VCI wil be difficult but I catch on fast.
Do you have any open minded friends who DJ regularly ? If so ask them for a quick lesson or 2 on some technics or CDJs .
Stick with the VCI 100 it works great . I love the thing
Nope lol. Just me. And I think I am going to get the VCI. Is mapping it similar to what i stated in my previous post.
Going through the preferences in traktor and setting each function to a knob or slider on the VCI?
Awesome to hear! Do the scratch effects work well on Traktor with the VCI? Or is there some major latency. I will be going through an M Audio Pro External USB soundcard?
just some info for how i use the vci and all that…
i strictly mix house/electrohouse/breaks/techno…
worrying about speakers at this point isnt at all that necessary…
the clubs will have the sound for you and a dedicated soundguy -audio tech
all you really need to do is plug in your vci, plug in your sound card, turn your comp on, turn on traktor, and run your audio from the soundcard straight into the mixer at the club which is already going to be set up with the sound…its pretty simple… i usally just plug into an unsed channel and then i am off!
however…if you want to practice at home…you can either use a moderate stereo system, or invest in some decent monitors.
as far as setting up your vci to work with traktor its as simple as opening a word document…basically u tell traktor to use a certain file ( tks file ) which will then map all the controls of the faders and what not to the vci…takes no more than 3 seconds to do…
if your looking at scratchign with the vci–i dontthink its quite there yet…however it is possible…but…i personally think its hard…check out the cardboard box scratch machine on the front page of DJTT…that thing is great!
in all honesty…the vci is wonderful…i used to have a pioneer 500 and two sl1200 mk5s with serato…traktor is dope period…the vci just makes thing simple and easy…think of it as two CDJs …and all of your controls are at your fingertips… and jsut think the vci 100 is just the begginging in whats to come!
So a the VCI 100 and the M Audio Pro sounds good???