Hey people first time on this forum have to say liking it so far. Have read and learned alot from here.
Just have a quick question. I was in Ibiza and have only came back the last few days and I noticed that some of the DJ’s didn’t use CDJ’s or vinyl they were using traktor X1 mk2’s and a 4 channel mixer. I never thought of doing that or heard of people doing it. Now in the last few months I have really been getting into DJing and have been using my friends DDJ- Errgo for practice and I’m decent but would love to have my own gear. I’ve been shopping around for gear and have been thinking of getting 2 traktor X1 mk2’s and a traktor Z2 mixer with traktor scratch pro and remapping 4 of the nobs on each X1 mk2 to control EQ and gain for that deck (fx=gain, fx1=high, fx2=mid and fx3=low), and leaving the other 4 as they are. Now I know someone will say just get a DJM 850 but I cant afford any Pioneer mixer that is 4 channel and has USB for traktor.
So here is my question.
If I was to connect 2 X1 mk2’s to a Z2 mixer and remap 4 nobs (fx=gain, fx1=high, fx2=mid and fx3=low) on each X1 mk2 to control EQ and gain like on a mixer, would it work since the Z2 mixer is a 2+2 mixer and can control 4 channels?
I dont see why this setup would not work since there both native instrument products and all I’m changing is the fx nobs.
If you’re going the controller/MIDI route you could just get a 4 channel MIDI mixer like the CMD MM-1, as the timecode and external mixing features of the Z2 are a waste of money in your case.
I was thinking that, but I want something I can bring to parties and events and a Z1 is only 2 channel I actually need at least 3 channel’s. Also in the future I may pick up Stanton STR8 since there’s about 300 disco vinyl from the 70s and 80s. So that’s some of the reasoning behind the Z2 aswel, but mainly the fact it’ made for traktor.
If you have the capital I’d get the z2, (assuming you eventually want time code) it also has the bonous of coming with a sound card
now the cmd mm1, an X1, and whatever soundcard will also be a great choice.
Here’s a useful hint, really consider if you NEED 4 channels. I know alot of like to have them because when we gig it’s an easy central piece or if we want to add more things it’s great. However alot of the time (unless you’re extensively looping yada yadda) you wont actually be using 4 channels. Instead you might have a remix deck or some other things going on.
TLDR: Actually consider if you’re going to need 4 channels, it might sound nice now but not be use as often.
THIS. Most of the guys that have 4 channels typically only use the 3rd for loops and samples, and rarely even touch the 4th deck. This can all be accomplished with the remix decks.
I run my timecode vinyl through my Z2 as normal, and decks C & D through the Z2’s dedicated C&D knobs for volume
I remapped my Z2 so that when I hold down the orange cog button (top middle of the mixer) that it acts as a shift button, so when I hold that, I get a lot of the deck A/B functions but for C/D:
COG + Left Loop Encoder - Deck C Tempo Adjust
COG + Left Loop Encoder Press - Deck C Tempo Reset
COG + Right Loop Encoder - Deck D Tempo Adjust
COG + Right Loop Encoder Press - Deck D Tempo Reset
COG + Left Sync - Deck C Sync Toggle On/Off
COG + Right Sync - Deck D Sync Toggle On/Off
COG + Left REL/INTL - Deck C Pause/Play Toggle
COG + Right REL/INTL - Deck D Pause/Play Toggle
COG + Any Gain or EQ on LEFT side of mixer will control Deck C functions
COG + Any Gain or EQ on RIGHT side of mixer will control Deck D functions
COG + Left Filter - Filter for Deck C (see below)
COG + Left FX1 - Deck C Filter On/Off Toggle
COG + Right Filter - Filter for Deck D (see below)
COG + Right FX1 - Deck D Filter On/Off Toggle
COG + LEFT Load (orange A button) - Load Selected Track From Library into Deck C
COG + RIGHT Load (orange B button) - Load Selected Track From Library into Deck D
so technically I can control all 4 decks with only a single X1 and Z2
Not sure if that helps you get some insight on how it might work for your needs, but I figured I’d share
That is an excellent mapping idea. Definitely going to have to steal that! I’m wondering what your experience with the pick up is though? Like when you release the cog and then adjust say, channel A’s eq’s after adjusting channel C’s eq’s? What happens then?
I normally don’t have any issues since I’m not having a lot of decks live at once, but now that I think of it, if I wanted to run multiple decks live and adjust lets say deck A and C eq’s (left half of my mixer) there might be a jump if I dropped the Bass on Deck C then tried to adjust deck A (not vice versa though since I have my settings mapped to soft take over). I guess I could alter the A/B decks to do soft takeover too but ehhhhhhh, I have no need at the moment.
But another option would to as you said just map the X1 as a second set of EQ’s.
If you wanted to retain the X1 functions for FX and such you could probably map them under the midi mode instead of over the NI’s standard mode so you’d have 2 X1’s in one pretty much
