need help..
hi, im new to digital djing, im planning on buying a AH xone 3d to run on traktor scratch pro..
i read on some forums that you can only use 3 decks.. is that true?
to be able to use 4 decks do i still need to buy audio 8? or is it possible to play 4 decks with just the 3d plug directly to my computer and no need for other external soundcard?
any other suggestions? thanks guys
You’ll need to use some of the ins/outs from your built-in soundcard to run 4 decks with a 3D
Here are instructions for OSX but you can do a similar thing with windows too:
Why would you buy a 3D instead of a 4D (apart form getting it as second hand)?
hmmm thats just too much wires if i still have to use an external soundcard
was thinking about the 3d cause the 4d is just too expensive for me..
but im looking in to the 4d now.. or maybe ill just wait till they release the NI
kontrol x1s…
The Xone 4D is a horrible product to be honest, and the official A&H forums are my influence on that opinion.
Since launch, A&H has failed to deliver official 64 bit drivers which are stable on Snow Leopard or Windows 7. If you are going to spend $3000 or so on a music solution, that thing better damn well work in my eyes. A&H’s reaction to these complaints on their communities are either deleting the threads made addressing it, or playing the typical “We are working on it” card, providing no updates afterwards.
I’d say that A&H’s forte is hardware. Given that, I have no plans touching the Xone DX.
Just my $0.02 
Im eying of the DX, however I too spent some time on the A&H forums and guys were spewing about their 4D’s. One would hop that A&H would take these setbacks and be looking for redemption with the DX, saying that, I will be waiting till its been on the market and tested before emptying my pockets.
Get a 4D, do not bother with a 3D, yes you can only use 3 decks with it among other issues the 4D fixes and improves on.
so you are saying that the 4D is not worth getting?
Well, here is my experience personally.
Some people would argue that Im out of my mind to state that A&H delivers a bad product of any sort. Their hardware is phenomenal, Im a huge admirer of A&H quality and build, and as far as Im concerned, their DJ mixers and 1D/2D controllers are quite excellent.
However, the Xone 4D has so many issues wrong with it (ESPECIALLY any units with a serial number under 90000 - infamous for being total bricks), Im blown away they put their name behind it. My unit had everything from issues being recognized by either Mac or Windows OS, light pipe issues, audio drop outs, and just plain old fashioned non-responsiveness randomly.
Not acceptable for something that’s that high in the price range. I would have been better off buying a Korg Zero 8 instead for almost 1/3 the price.
After battling with them for about 2 weeks (long awaited emails, lack of solutions offered, shoddy RMA process) I turned to the Xone community forums for feedback, a community which is bi-polar when it comes to most 4D discussions. They love the concept, feel, and build quality - but absolutely trash talk the support and stability. If you are fortunate enough to see such threads before the moderators delete them, it offers plenty of insight in regards to ownership experiences across the board.
I pawned mine at a $200 loss, which I consider a small price to alleviate myself from having to deal with the issues I was. I’m not one to give up easy on technical issues, but this was a lost cause.
Sure, they [A&H] have sluggishly made progress on these issues (sometimes they succeed, sometimes they don’t) but bottom line, why subject yourself to the gamble of 4D ownership when there’s cheaper alternatives which are more stable, and equally as flexible.
If it’s any indication, Richie Hawtin uses only the 1D and 2D for a reason (rather, used to), and Deadmau5 ditched his 4D to go back to the Lemur.
To anyone who has owned 4D and have had good experiences with it - I envy you. While you’re at it, buy a lottery ticket with your good fortune.
so your serial number is underunder 90000. what bout xonetacular’s since you are using the 4D too? is your serial number above under 90000?
Yup, buying a Xone 4D with a serial number below 90000 is potentially risky business. It’s a critical rule of thumb when you’re in the market for one - so if you plan on buying B-Stock or used condition, I would ask that question before all else. Units above 90000 have reported to have more success in functionality, but again, this is also dependent on A&H’s driver quality (they were in Beta for a year and a half after its release when I owned one).
If you google “Xone 4D serial number 90000”, you’ll find out more about it.
wow! thanks for all the info.. its really helping..
so what do you guys think? should i just wait till they release the NI kontrol x1 or should i get two AH xone 1d?
It really depends on what you need or you want to do and that comes also to your budget:
are you going to move around?
do you want to not have to plug cables (or at least the minimum)?
do you want an integrated soundcard?
Remember also considering the number of 4d sold that the people who actually do complain or who had issues with this item are in fact quite few (not mentioning the ones who as an example complain about light pipies but who in fact didn’t find the way to set them up…)
if you want an integrated solution go for the 4D or wait for the DX, if you’re ready to get an analog mixer I’ll suggest to go with a 1d and a 2D (so you won’t have to have an external soundcard, you get it with the 2D) or wait for the NI’s controllers (but that means you’ll have to get the soundcard).
There’s really no ‘better’ choice I guess it comes also to your personal tastes, what you’ll like for your set-up and what the different controllers may offer. It’s difficult as part of the choice is really subjective.
Personnaly, I choose analog mixer + 1d and 2D, but I’m quite not happy with that. The 1d and 2d are great products but I don’t like having all those cables and I want a more ‘moveable’ set-up, and I lack led feedback on both controllers. So I’ll move to a DX…but I’ll regret 1d and 2d’s faders…and anyway I’ll lack good jogwheels.
No product is quite perfect at the time being…
This thread is a great example of what I speak of:
http://www.xone.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3349&PN=1
The manufacturer not providing something as pivotal as driver support doesn’t just effect a small amount of buyers. Im sure the people who aren’t complaining are ones using 32-bit OS with a serial number above 90000 (i.e: late adopters who haven’t gotten around to updating their computer rigs), in which case more power to them, but if A&H can’t keep up with the movement of technology, don’t bother charging $2,500 for a “premium” product.
The 4D has been out for too long to have issues like this, much less shoddy beta drivers which A&H seems to be proud to provide to its community, if anything is provided at all.
I’m super happy with my 3d. The four deck solution isn’t a huge thing to work out, and it’s still far fewer cables than you’d have with an external soundcard like the Audio 8 for four decks.
My opinion: if you like the idea of the 3d/4d, try to pick up a used 3d for around 1000-1500.
I would actually consider a Xone 3D, and the price these days is not shabby at all
What’s your experience with the Xone 3D thus far?
Get a 4D, all problems are fixed, 32 bit drivers are excellent. I know not having 64bit drivers is annoying but a lot of products don’t… It’s not like a 64 bit OS has a guge advantage.
@ segfault.. hi, how did you setup the 3d to run four decks without using an audio8 soundcard?? thanks..
@ everyone, thanks for all the comments.. ill look into the 3d or the 1ds first.. if it doesnt go well.. ill go for the x1s… i dont like the dx cause i wanna go with a full size mixer and run everything on traktor pro..