First of all, hi there, I have been thinking getting whole new different setup, at the moment I own, pair of Pioneer CDJ 2000 Nexus, DJM 700 and pair of traktor F1’s, I dont like the feel of CDJ’s , creativity is here, but feel so limited, so planning to sell everything except F1’s and had ideas for new set -up, so here it goes, i was planning on getting Allen Heath Xone db4, Maschine, Pioneer rmx 1000 and pair of F1’s that i currently own, so whole idea is this, use F1’s as Deck A and B, use Maschine with Ableton but route to traktor pro, I know what is pioneer rmx 1000 capable of, so i think it would be good to have it, so here it is, any general thoughts?
I know its kinda irrelevant using Maschine in ableton and route to traktor pro, but its my general ideas to combine both programs and have alot of control on your hands,i’m not looking to PRODUCE live or something like that, i’m looking just to have more control over tracks, there is good example - Richie Hawtin.
Xone db4 is a lovely mixer but might be overkill considering your going to be mixing in internal mode… same goes to machine if you only want it as midi controller rather than a production DAW - there are probably cheaper alternatives you could go for.
your DJM700 is midi map able so you could just map it with the 2 F1’s you already have..
so you want to mix in ableton and traktor?
if you want more control over ableton way to go is a launch pad or apc20/40 or the lovely livid OhmRGB
my fav type of setup is like James Zabiela (ignoring the actual hardware he uses) hes got a traditional cdj or 2 deck setup but runs it along side ableton for mashups.
i’m not 100% sure what your trying to achieve can you explain more on what you wanna do…
You should know the XoneB4 doesn’t have FX send/return (it has already 4 FX units, I think). You can actually get the RMX1000 to work with the DB4, but it’s a little bit difficult and dangerous for the unit, also it doesn’t allow you to work with the 4 channels. However I like how your setup is going to be!
I know what you want, I kinda want the same, minus the RMX-1000 and second F1. You’ll have two options here:
Xone 92, RMX-1000, Kontrol F1’s and Maschine plus a 5/6-channel soundcard (Traktor Audio 10). The RMX-1000 is a Send/Return FX unit, it gives feedback (Return) on the sound you’re letting through from your mixer (Send). With the Xone 92, you’ll have more control over the FX channel opposed to a Pioneer Mixer. That’s where the 2 channels on the left of the Xone 92 come in handy. So by this setup you could have 4 Traktor Decks and 1 FX Send/Return channel and maybe route the output of Maschine (Ableton) to channel 3 or 4 on your Xone mixer. Would have been nice if Traktor brings out a Traktor Audio 12, so you’ll have 6 separate channels, but unfortunately you’ll have to get a 19 inch soundcard then (something like the Echo Audiofire 12).
The other option would be a Xone DB4 with the Maschine and two F1’s, without the RMX-1000. The FX units on the Xone DB4 are a couple of leagues above the FX on the RMX-1000, but they’re more studio like FX. I’m talking out of my own experience here, I don’t like the RMX-1000 that much - especially given the ridiculously high price. With this setup you can route each Traktor deck via USB (so no need for an external soundcard) and route the Maschine (Ableton) output to channel 3 or 4 on the mixer. Or you could buy a two-channel soundcard like the Traktor Audio 2 or purchase a Xone K2 (with build-in soundcard) and route the Maschine (Ableton) output to the MIC channel on the Xone DB4.
You are right, its what I want, so at this moment of time its not really possible, ok so option 2 it is,
MRG12EG,
I want to use Maschine to add samples to tracks that are played out, use with Ableton to produce, to DJ live with it, everything more or less, it sounds kinda weird, i know second to none about “sound engineering” or anyway you want to put it, so this is hard topic for me actually :X
I you’re complaining that the gear is limiting, why would you get rid of anything? Keep adding till you have everything you need, then trim the excess!
Also, two CDJ-2000N should not be limiting, they’re a fantastic unit.
They are fantastic indeed, but I dont like the feel of them at all, cant stand them at all, and the point that Paris Hilton, Snooki, Jwoww and Justin Bieber could just hop onto CDJ 2000 Nexus’es to slip in USB/CD and go DJing, that would be the hardest thing probably, the USB/CD bit obviously.
Yes I could, but again I would feel more comfortable that I would have it at my finger tips, in this case Maschine, and I will have a look at Push too) thank you for opinions MRG12EG
Well maybe they could, but that doesn’t make them great DJs. In fact if you walk into a venue and whip out 2000’s, you instantly come across as a professional, even if you have no idea how to use them.
But! As you said, you don’t like the feel of them. I’ve never used a Xone, but I’ve never seen a bad review. Part of me wonders if that’s because people are in denial that they just dropped the price of a second hand car on a mixer and it’s shite, but for the price it HAS to be good, right?
If you’re only running clip based, then yeah use A and B as remix decks, run Maschine into C and Ableton into D, assuming you’re using a Macbook which if I recall makes interapp audio routing easy. Then route all of Traktor’s outputs into the Xone. From experience, I wouldn’t use a launchpad for Ableton, mine broke after not much use and it wasn’t THAT good, it was exactly what you’d expect from a £100 piece of plastic. The Push looks amazing but it’s early days yet, however the APC’s seem to have a great fanbase, and all those lovely knobs and faders… drool.
Because at least with a Xone you’ll get real filters and multiple FX units instead of shitty Color FX and one FX unit which comes with an ‘Echo’ (popularized term) which sound so… !@#$
I suggest you better try out a Xone, I was skeptical once I spinned for the first time on it, but afterwards I didn’t want nothing else.
I really want to try one, and I know it will be absolutely amazing. But I cannot justify spending that much on a mixer I will never use! Same reason I don’t have 2000’s.
Everyone has different opinions and I will not question yours, thats the thing, I dont want to be looked that way “You whip out pair of CDJ 2000 Nexuses and you become professional DJ even if you have no idea how to use them” I dont want to be looked at that way, I wanna be looked at the way the final product sounds , not what you using, I know a guy who is still DJing with mouse and keyboard, the way he started, and he continue doing it, has no equipment what so ever, not even monitor speakers, there was a live mix competition that Kastis Torrau made and this guy made mix with traktor pro using mouse and keyboard, to his surprise he won the competition and since then he was playing shoulder to shoulder with Kastis Torrau, Donatello, DJ Mindaugelis, DJ Ignas, Armless - you might not heard any of these, but they are big DJ’s in Eastern Europe, and the guy still DOESN’T own any equipment
B4 doesn’t have FX send/return (it has already 4 FX units, I think). You can actually get the RMX1000 to work with the DB4, but it’s a little bit difficult and dangerous for the unit, also it doesn’t allow you to work with the 4 channels. However I like how your setup is going to be! 
) thank you for opinions MRG12EG