For the last year or so i’ve been messing around with some midi controllers in Traktor and have been thoroughly enjoying it, however, a guy at work is moving to Australia and has offered me up some Gemini DD turntables for nothing so i’ve said i’ll take them. I mixed vinyl years and years ago before Traktor etc was even in production but i see now a lot of guys using this time coded vinyl and wondered what was involved in getting setup?
I’d like to keep costs down as much as possible in case i just don’t get back into vinyl and decide to stick to the controllers and end up getting rid of the decks so wondered if anyone could advise a starting place and roughly how much £££ / $$$ i’d be looking at to get rigged out.
For Serato DJ setup the minimal setup is a Denon DS-1 audio interface (299$). With it you will get cables, SeratoDJ licence+DVS enabled, timecoded vinyl and cd’s. It should be on sale this month I think.
For Traktor, the minimal setup is Audio 6 pack (299€, you’ll also get TSP2 licence, timecoded vinyl and cd’s.
You can also buy a used SL2 interface for SeratoDJ (you can also get for cheap SL1 card but it will only work with the older Serato software /which many still use/ - Serato Scratch Live) or a used Traktor Audio 4 interface with TSP2 licence.
Also, please note - with SL1, DS1, Audio 4 interfaces you cannot record timecoded set (not enough free inputs on the interface to plug master/record output from mixer)
Sounds a lot more reasonably priced than i was expecting to be honest! I’d be looking to continue using Traktor now as i’m so familiar with it so it sounds like the Audio 6 is worth a look. As i’ve already got Traktor is it not possible to grab a second hand Audio 6 device and use that in conjunction with the license i already have?
Is it still just standard RCA connectors that then convert to USB? Presumably i still need a mixer of some description, does the output of the mixer just connect into the Audio 6 box or is it the decks themselves or how does it all work?
There are also cheaper options than Traktor/Serato if you are willing to try something different. Mixvibes cross can use any soundcard with 2 inputs for DVS and is pretty cheap, and then you have Mixxx which can also use any soundcard with 2 inputs and is totally free!
Xwax is a very decent and minimal system. I’ve been using it for a while with Serato timecode vinyl and a NI Audio 4 soundcard. It runs stable and fast. Before I had the Audio 4 I used two Behringer UCA222’s, which you should be able to pick up for a very reasonable price.
But if you want to use xwax some knowledge of the Linux operating system is required, or you should be willing to get your hands dirty. I occasionally got a crackling sound caused by buffer underruns, so I had to tweek the system to handle the audio thread faster.
So if you’re tech savvy and would like to have no nonse DVS system you should definitely try xwax. Otherwise you’re better off using one of the commercial DVS’s.
You could always get a Native Instruments Kontrol Z2, price has been reduced massively (£419 in the UK) which is a standalone mixer, audio interface, timecode vinyl and CDs and you get a Traktor Scratch Pro license (Scratch license is different to normal Traktor license). Or get a used pioneer DJM-T1 which is the same kind of thing but better IMHO however, has been discontinued so 2nd hand is your only option.
They are more expensive than just an audio interface but when you factor in you will need the scratch license and timecode vinyl its not that much more. Plus they are standalone mixers with midt controls so you could sell your other stuff.
