So this is the current DJ set up I’m using as of 11-26-2011, though it tends to change a lot quite frequently. Based around a MacBook Pro running Ableton Live, though I sometimes dabble in Traktor now and then too. The mixer is my trusty Xone62, had that thing since it was first released and I doubt I’ll ever get rid of it. I know it so well it feels almost like an instrument to me now, similar to my guitar. Headphones are HD-25 II’s.
The APC40 controls everything in the Live DJ sets, and for the most part I do normal A-B mixing. It also is my main controller for my laptop based live pa’s, which I’ll also record here.
Off to the right is the Machinedrum-UW Anniversary Edition, which I sometimes use in my DJ set, either to sample and tweak loops, or to add in new percussion parts over playing tracks. Not plugged into anything at the moment as I left the PSU at a friend’s accidentally. Normally the effects send from the Xone feeds the Machinedrum inputs though.
In front of the Machinedrum is the Kenton Killamix Mini, which is my DJ controller when I know space is going to be an issue. At the moment I’m using it to control Traktor Pro, which I just got for free with the Traktor Audio6 you can barely see under the laptop.
I have a long firewire cable going from the DJ station over to my Fireface400 in the studio/mastering area you can see below. If I’m recording a live set or Dj set, normally I’ll use the Fireface for this. I just got the Traktor Audio6 so I have something to use when I play out, as I was getting sick of bringing the Fireface out to gigs and having to reconnect everything to it the next day. The Audio6 is wired into the Xone too though, so I can use that for DJing at home if I want too.
Monitors are Mackie HR824’s, placed on custom built stands I made to get them at just the right height.
Here’s the set up I use for my studio and mastering work:
This is my first DJ and live set up, shared with my room mate at the time. 1200s and the DJM500 handled most of the DJ aspects, and I was using a Roladn MC505 and SP808, along with a Korg ER-1, Yamaha CS2x, and Akai S3000XL for my live pa’s. Monitors were Alesis M2’s, which we abused like no other speaker
The Dj set up from my first proper studio, 1200’s and a Vestax mixer, and an E-mu Command Station and the CS2x were for my live sets at the time. Monitors were Alesis M1 MKII Actives, which I would just rotate towards me when I wanted to DJ.
Inbetween the 1200s and my Command Station is a Red Sound MicroSync that I would use sync my hardware to the decks. Fiddly piece of crap though, was more work trying to keep that locked in sync than just beatmatching the hardware manually (which is ultimately how I still work today).
Some places I lived were nicer than others Around 2003 or so I stopped using the 1200s for DJing, and started using Live though. In this pic with the Xone and Killamix, though in the years around this period I tried or owned pretty much all the midi controllers I could get my hands on trying to find the right one.
For awhile, this was the live set up:
Rode NT3 was feeding the Pod XT, just for weird vocal effects and noises. My first Machinedrum still in this pic, along with the Korg EMX-1.
I had a Traktor S4 right when it first came out for a few months, but I just didn’t get on with it, and ultimately ended up selling it and going back to Live. More thoughts on that here:
I think at the time I was more unhappy with the state of Traktor Pro v1 more than the controller, though the metering on the S4 is sucky to this day. That and I really missed the 4 band EQ from my Xone, which is something I greatly prefer. Now that I have a copy of Traktor Pro2 which once again has the modelled 4-band EQ, I’ll probably revisit Traktor in the coming months. Likely controlled with the Killamix, or I might get another Kontrol X1.
Anyway, that’s more or less the short version of the my DJ sets, I’ve had lots more gear in my rigs over the years, but I don’t have pictures of everything. I buy and sell gear all the time to try out new ways of DJing or playing live, so this is only a really abbreviated list of what I’ve used.
Which Electribe? The ER-1 is often found pretty cheap, but it’s got a pretty distinctive sound to it, so cehck out some online demos on youtube first to make sure it will fit in with the kind of music you play.
I always recommend people try incorporating hardware into software-based sets though, it’s a really fun and challenging way to work.
This is going to sound really weird coming from a fellow owner, but what do you like about the xone so much that it feels like an instrument to you? I like mine just fine and was really excited when I got it…but I’d sell it in a heartbeat for the right price.
Just because it’s solid and I know it so well. I know exactly how far to move the volume faders, or turn the EQs to do exactly what I hear in my head. I don’t have to think about it at all. And I love the way it sounds too.
I break the 1200’s out every once in awhile, but honestly I just get bored using them. It reminds me of some REALLY great times, but that’s about it unfortunately
