Who doesn’t use jog wheels and what genre of music do you mostly play.
I recently started using a Xone 42 and two X1’s and this is such an awesome set up, but only when I play EDM/House music. When I play open format I feel very limited with out any type of jog wheels. I have two technic 1200’s but really I don’t take those anywhere with me. Too heavy and too much to carry around. Had thought about adding some CDJ’s but that could get expensive. Goal is to have a mobile set up with enough controls to use 4 decks, and effects banks in Traktor but still have some decent jog wheels. I thought the NS7 could be the answer - but aside from the no spinning platter support. It has its limitations as well. I thought perhaps the rotary knobs on the X1;s would cut it, but they don’t.
I might just go back to using the VCI-100 and add the two X1’s ---- but man, thats overkill on buttons and knobs =O
I messed around with it last night. I think Im going to map the rotary knobs for scrolling thru tracks on decks C+D as volumes. Control all 4 effects banks with X1’s and then some sort of shift function to control EQ’s for decks C+D. It really a ton overkill on buttons, but reduces the amount of “shift” functions. I need to get smart on mapping presets.
However, the sound quality coming from the Xone 42 is much better and crisper than the VCI. This is on two M-Audio 8 inch studio speakers and audio 8 card.
If there was a traktor controler that had jogs similar to the capabilities of the VCI300 and Itch, this could really workout. NI needs to make some updates!
The quality of the sound using the Xone is much better. The eq’s are more responsive, so is the gain, it also has a volume control, and the added filters. However without the filters just EQ’s and Gain - the quality of the sound is crisper and more controllable.
You should say “external with the Xone 42” vs. “internal with no outboard mixer”. The VCI doesn’t have anything to do with the sound quality. It’s just a midi controller. But out of curiosity, why are you using the Audio 8 plus the Xone? I thought that unit had a sound card built in…?
Its my understanding the internal sound card is only one channel. If I want control of 4 decks I need an Audio 8, plus I was using two channels timecode with TT 1200’s.
You’re saying that putting the sound from the audio 8 through the Xone 42 adds a certain quality to the sound.
I can sort of understand that… i think.
I’d have though the less “going through” devices the music was, the less effected and more true to the original production it would be…
I’m not disputing that to one’s ears it sounds better, though it seems odd to me and perhaps slightly negligible.
I can understand that you would find the Xone 42 more tactile to use than the VCI.
What about VCI + Xone 42 + 2 x X1s then in external mode?
I mean that is a little more portable than the 2 x Turntables. Personally i’d say the xone is slight overkill but if you think it sounds better than fair enough
yes. it adds a certain sound quality. Just feels more precise and a bit more accurate. This is however on two studio monitors. Not sure if it will all sound the same once it blasting on a PA system. The sound is not THAT much of a difference - but at home where “I” hear it every day it was noticeable.
Ive read a few debates on the topic of external vs internal sound quality.
But, yeah the 42 and VCI are overkill together…i’ll probably stick with the VCI and fix the map a few things to my current workflows. Its also a question of portability. What can I stick in a case, show up, plug two speakers and jam!
i haven’t tried it yet, but from what I read is that the line faders are not midi, so they need an actual line into each of them and need to be used externally - thus requiring a sound card.
I could be wrong…i’ll have to read the manual, but my understanding is the USB is to play from one dedicated source/line, lets say an itunes player into that one line.
well its not really the ability to play 2 or 4 decks…its more with jog wheels being usefull when playing hip-hop. I enjoy playing open format - but lugging around TT 1200’s suck, and CDJ’s are too damn expensive. Im not a scratch king, but will baby scratch a song in and cut over. Or using the jog wheel to drop a cue point right on a word. Now, thru in being able to do this AND control 4 decks (I really only use 3 and the 4th is a sample dropper) — well I cant find a good solution for this thats portable and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg?
Hmm, interesting, I don’t anything about it, but seems like a weird idea on their part…
If it doesn’t work though, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with feeding your audio 8 to the Xone, as long as you’re not overloading, and you like the sound.
I like jogs too. I like scratching, but honestly for me the main thing is that I don’t like pushing buttons to nudge pitch around. It just feels better to turn a wheel. I’d totally dig having two VCI’s if I could.
Dude, the 42 is awesome. It really is - the filters and eq’s are so precise it makes transitions sound seamless.
Well with the X1’s I can control 4 decks, and the rotarys can be used as volume controls so no really issues there. i don’t need 4 jogs as I won’t be scratching on all of them, and I use my 3rd and 4th deck to drop samples or keep a loop going. So I can make the VCI and X1’s work.
The downside to that is - the jogwheels really weren’t made for any time of scratching and the 42 is a better mixer. I really think i’m in no win situation - just have to figure out which set up works the best in my case without having to continue to buy more and more stuff.
yeah thats another thing with just using X1’s that the to control the pitch its a button that moves ever so slightly. So if your staying within the same bpm range all night your good. but if you are climbing up in BPM’s its much faster to adjust the pitch with a slider than it is a button.
The X1’s + Xone I think are awesome if your playing EDM all night.
