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Splinter
Jul 4, 2003
Cowabunga!

Le0 posted:

So the new Macbook Pro are on the Apple store, I guess this is more than enough to use Traktor and a S4?
Any use to get the 7400 rt/min hard drive or is that just overkill?

That'll be fine for Traktor. In general 7200 rpm is good for music software, but I think you could get by with a 5400 rpm drive with Traktor (it loads everything in RAM doesn't it?). If you do want the 7200 you could save some money by buying one separately if you don't mind installing it yourself.

I'm also looking for a laptop for the Traktor S4. I'm wondering what resolution you guys recommend. I'm wary of the 1280x800 of the 13" MacBook and MBP. I'm thinking the 1400x900 of the 13" MBAir and the 15" MBP would be a better choice, or even the 1680x1050 15" MBP. Is the MBA CPU pushing it a bit in terms of power (1.86GHz C2D)? I sometimes run Ableton at the same time as Traktor, and am worried it may sruggle with that. I pretty set on a Mac at this point since I want to get into iPhone development as well, and am not confident I'll be able to tweak a PC laptop as much as my desktop to get it to work flawlessly with my Ultralite or other picky interfaces if it has troubles out of the box. However, I'm open to PC recommendations as well. I've heard good things about ADK Pro Audio laptops.

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Firaga
Jan 4, 2005
WHAT YOU SAY
Picking up the S4 tomorrow, and I'm recording a new colab mix with a buddy on Sunday. Needless to say I'm really excited!

vanilla slimfast
Dec 6, 2006

If anyone needs me, I'll be in the Angry Dome



If I was starting from scratch today I'd go for the high res 15" MBP, personally

Traktor works fine at 1440x900 as well (I have a first gen unibody), it'd just be nice to have a bit more real estate

Sjoewe
Nov 30, 2008
I totally agree, the same goes for me.

OG KUSH BLUNTS
Jan 4, 2011

The DJM-900 Nexus is stupid, pretty much its extremely overpriced DJM-800 if you don't use Traktor and CDJs.

k0konutz
Dec 27, 2006

Just be yourself, as long as that means you're a successful person.
Is American Audio dj gear a reputable brand? I've never heard of them, but I've been looking to buy a used mixer from craigslist and see that brand pop up here and there.

Follow That Fish!
Mar 8, 2007
Chaser of the stray sea-life, clad in a trench and a fedora.
Great thread this here, the OP is very good too.

I've sort of been producing music for a few years, mostly been dabbling with just software and an M-Audio controller. Not very good at it, but recently I've gotten the inspiration to play more often than I've had for awhile.

Before Christmas I went to sort of a DJ class. It was just a couple of nights, maybe eight hours on total, but it was enough to learn the basics of beatmatching on CDJs. I had tremendous amounts of fun, and have since had a slight but persistent itch to get properly into DJing. I think I'd go all digital right away though.

I almost got myself a cheap Hercules RMX to start off, but then I found out how cool the EKS Otus line of controllers are. Now recently I've gotten interested in the Traktor Kontrol S4. Basically what's happened is my issue in buying electronics in general, I tend to get progressively interested in more and more advanced (and expensive) stuff than what I could do with. :v:

The Herc would probably get me started just fine, and I could afford one of the new virtual analog synths I've also been concidering getting. Otuses look fantastic, are designed by a Finnish company, and have a pretty big nice wheel. S4 then seems very interesting for various reasons, not the least because of seamless integration between hardware and software.

Can't afford new gear right now, but will probably have to fork out for something during the spring. I feel like music production puts me into a more serious mindset, whereas DJing seemed to be fantastic entertainment. I don't think I'd aspire to do any serious work as a DJ, but it just seemed to be so much fun that I probably can't not start doing that for my own or my friends' delight. Learning beatmatching and just getting to know the basics gave me a lot of inspiration to do something with my own stuff, so maybe they just might complement each other.

Firaga
Jan 4, 2005
WHAT YOU SAY
Got a chance to use my S4 live last night, I'm in love with the thing. The rubber knobs are a god send. I grip the poo poo out of my knobs for whatever reason but after 5 hours of DJing my fingers didn't hurt at all.
The EQ quality is miles better than my VCI-100, and the layout is extremely comfortable. I love that you have to press down on the jogs to turn on vinyl so I won't accidentally grab the track reaching for the effects.

Also I spent 4 hours making a collab mix with my buddy only to realize that we recorded an hour of silence because we didn't configure recording properly ugh.

vanilla slimfast
Dec 6, 2006

If anyone needs me, I'll be in the Angry Dome



k0konutz posted:

Is American Audio dj gear a reputable brand? I've never heard of them, but I've been looking to buy a used mixer from craigslist and see that brand pop up here and there.

No, they make cheap poo poo. Stay far away

oredun
Apr 12, 2007

Firaga posted:

Got a chance to use my S4 live last night, I'm in love with the thing. The rubber knobs are a god send. I grip the poo poo out of my knobs for whatever reason but after 5 hours of DJing my fingers didn't hurt at all.
The EQ quality is miles better than my VCI-100, and the layout is extremely comfortable. I love that you have to press down on the jogs to turn on vinyl so I won't accidentally grab the track reaching for the effects.

Also I spent 4 hours making a collab mix with my buddy only to realize that we recorded an hour of silence because we didn't configure recording properly ugh.

the EQ quality will be the same as the vci? its just midi...

IMO the S4 is a cheap piece of poo poo and i would be sick if i spent 1000 on that. itll be completely outdated in about 12 months. and worthless.

its cheapass plastic, they couldnt even make it metal for 1k? even numark got that right.

ShortyMR.CAT
Sep 25, 2008

:blastu::dogcited:
Lipstick Apathy
I need some help guys!

I don't know whether to post here or the dj mixes thread to be honest, but I'd rather not post there until i'm ready! kinda like a goal.


ANYWAY! For mixes what's a good way to transition into a new song? Just chop over? Or maybe use a effect or loop the last beat to try and beat match it into the next?

I'm having a hard time here.





also since im discussing effects! is less more? do you simply play the song and just mess around with the treble and bass a bit or leave as is. or do you try and throw in some loops or any effects?

edit:gramamar

ShortyMR.CAT fucked around with this message at 23:24 on Mar 3, 2011

THAT DAMN DOG
Oct 26, 2009

ShortyMR.CAT posted:

I need some help guys!

I don't know whether to post here or the dj mixes thread since to be honest, but I'd rather not post there until i'm ready! kinda like a goal.


ANYWAY! For mixes what's a good way to transition into a new song? Just chop over? Or maybe use a effect or loop the last beat to try and beat match it into the next?

I'm having a hard time here.


also since im discussing effects! is less more? do you simply play the song and just mess around with the treble and bass a bit or leave as is. or do you try and throw in some loops or any effects?

Mixing is where you are creative, there are a plenty of ways you can mix, you can watch videos or tutorials on how to mix on Youtube if you'd like. Just search 'ellaskins' on Youtube, that guy is a wealth of information. But there is no 'right' way to mix. Explore, and keep pushing the envelope.

Effects are a bit more of a personal choice. Personally I despise effects, especially djs that mash on the FLANGER button all night (I'm looking at you, Supa James on KRCK). I just use Low Pass and High Pass filters sparingly, but I prefer to stick to the EQs.

Not Jerobi
Apr 19, 2010

Frimmin' on the frim fram.
Frimmin' on the fram.

ShortyMR.CAT posted:

I need some help guys!

I don't know whether to post here or the dj mixes thread since to be honest, but I'd rather not post there until i'm ready! kinda like a goal.


ANYWAY! For mixes what's a good way to transition into a new song? Just chop over? Or maybe use a effect or loop the last beat to try and beat match it into the next?

I'm having a hard time here.





also since im discussing effects! is less more? do you simply play the song and just mess around with the treble and bass a bit or leave as is. or do you try and throw in some loops or any effects?

I would start with a focus on smooth beat matching and simple/smooth transitions. If you're concerned with a smooth, continuous groove - that's the perfect place to focus. A lot of where you will crossfade will depend on the song, as some songs will build, build, build and BAM. Others will have different beat structures and you will have to see what they do in order to choose where and how to transfer to them. I wouldn't worry about large amounts of effects at all until you've mastered your choice of transition. If you want to start playing around with the channel eq's, perhaps start by slowly exchanging the bass - gradually drop the bass out of the track your mixing out of, while bringing up the bass of the new track. It keeps the original tracks sound present while introducing the new songs prominence. You will start to play with things and see how they sound, and where it is best to apply them.

It really does become a personal choice. What I have described is probably the most simplified way for you to get yourself in a comfortable position - and then play around to your heart's content.

dj bobby bieber
Oct 9, 2003

the fanciest whale

ShortyMR.CAT posted:

I need some help guys!

I don't know whether to post here or the dj mixes thread since to be honest, but I'd rather not post there until i'm ready! kinda like a goal.


ANYWAY! For mixes what's a good way to transition into a new song? Just chop over? Or maybe use a effect or loop the last beat to try and beat match it into the next?

I'm having a hard time here.





also since im discussing effects! is less more? do you simply play the song and just mess around with the treble and bass a bit or leave as is. or do you try and throw in some loops or any effects?

I HIGHLY suggest reading this book

http://www.amazon.com/How-DJ-Right-Science-Playing/dp/0802139957

vanilla slimfast
Dec 6, 2006

If anyone needs me, I'll be in the Angry Dome



melee beats posted:

I HIGHLY suggest reading this book

http://www.amazon.com/How-DJ-Right-Science-Playing/dp/0802139957

Seconding this.

Professorbx
Jan 27, 2005
Wicki Wicki
The funny thing about FX is that, if you are concentrating on doing the best mixing possible, often times FX can be left out completely. Every single time I go out and gig, I bring along a MIDI controller for controlling Traktor FX, and I notice that, the better the night went (and the more fun/thought put into the songs/mixing), the less I even touched the thing. Filters are a different matter-to me, they are just another EQ. That said, I think that the mark of a great DJ is one who both knows how to use FX with great results, yet can go a night with no FX used and have no one notice.

beeps-a-palooza
Jan 2, 2009

by T. Finn
that's true, but i always enjoy ableton's ping and pong delays. if you know how to use them right in a live setting they can really make a song/transition interesting

AKP
Oct 17, 2007

by XyloJW
zedji

AKP fucked around with this message at 15:32 on Mar 24, 2014

ShortyMR.CAT
Sep 25, 2008

:blastu::dogcited:
Lipstick Apathy
thanks for the tips

as soon as i record a small mix i'll post it here for review. i'll try out different methods and see what i need to work on.

Sjoewe
Nov 30, 2008

AKP posted:

Question:

I'm not sure whether or not I should purchase the DN-X1600 now or save up for another three months and buy a Pioneer Nexus DJM-900. I've been listening to electronic dance music for the past six years of my life, and I know that mixing is what I need to get into. Right now I'm using a iMac9,1 which was purchased roughly two years ago. Is my iMac still capable of producing/mixing quality music with Ableton/Traktor? Or is the soundcard worthless?

I've been checking out both this thread and djtechtools.com, if anyone could toss any other links my way it would be greatly appreciated.

Your message is a little fuzzy. You're saying that you want to buy your first mixer? What other gear do you use?
Wait a second.
If you are going to use your computer, don't buy a mixer (certainly not the way overpriced DJM-900) but buy a MIDI controller. If Traktor is your game a NI S4 is the way to go. If you insist on buying a mixer, go with the Denon. It's a good mixer at a decent price.

Chitin
Apr 29, 2007

It is no sign of health to be well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society.
Is there any particular reason Virtual DJ doesn't seem to get a lot of respect? I've heard it criticized for stability reasons but anything else? Looking at the feature set it seems pretty robust...

vanilla slimfast
Dec 6, 2006

If anyone needs me, I'll be in the Angry Dome



I think most pro DJs regard it as "babbys first dj software"

I've never used it personally, but I've also never seen any DJ (local or national/international touring) that I respect use it, so that's a strong enough indicator for me

And stability is kinda like...THE most important thing. So if it can't do that well, it doesn't really matter how robust the rest of the featureset is

TheWevel
Apr 14, 2002
Send Help; Trapped in Stupid Factory

Chitin posted:

Is there any particular reason Virtual DJ doesn't seem to get a lot of respect? I've heard it criticized for stability reasons but anything else? Looking at the feature set it seems pretty robust...

because the only people that use it are using pirated versions. these are also the same people that get the scratch live vdj skin and tell everyone that they're using scratch live.

dj bobby bieber
Oct 9, 2003

the fanciest whale
my new dj mix

http://soundcloud.com/filteredfriday/melee-teachers-part-1

critique and comments welcome

Professorbx
Jan 27, 2005
Wicki Wicki

Chitin posted:

Is there any particular reason Virtual DJ doesn't seem to get a lot of respect? I've heard it criticized for stability reasons but anything else? Looking at the feature set it seems pretty robust...

Because it has the stigma of being the most cracked DJ software on the planet, and, VDJ has a habit of releasing new "Milestone" releases (5,6,7) that, while rock stable later, need way more time in the oven than they give them before release.

Cowboy.
Jan 13, 2004
...

ShortyMR.CAT posted:

thanks for the tips

as soon as i record a small mix i'll post it here for review. i'll try out different methods and see what i need to work on.

Can I preempt this by recommending not posting a beginner mix if you know it sucks?

If you scour the various DJ threads on SA this happens regularly and people just come down hard on beginners and tell them to dig deeper. Basically, if it contains Deadmau5 more than once (and personally that's being generous), or really any artist more than once, start there. This is of course me assuming that your mix isn't going to be particularly noteworthy, feel free to prove me wrong, but seriously, if the track list is uninspiring people are just going to tell you to start by digging deeper.

I haven't posted any mixes for exactly this reason - plus my mixes aren't quick, exciting and don't really seem to jive with most of what other people are into; in short, they suck so I spare people. Record your sets and listen to them, you'll know where you're going wrong.

Fawkes
Apr 6, 2004

Is there a significant reason people are recommending a MacBook Pro instead of an ordinary MacBook?

I've yet to use the one I'm typing on in a live environment, but I've been Boot Camping to Windows 7 and messing about with its version of Virtual DJ just fine. The program's never been without resources and I've recorded a couple of mixes without issues.

This MacBook has been upgraded to 4GB of memory, so that might be part of it.

Splinter
Jul 4, 2003
Cowabunga!
2 reasons I'd go with the pro over the macbook are the new macbooks don't have a firewire port and the resolution is pretty low (1280x800). I have a firewire interface, and there are a lot of interfaces out there that are firewire only.

AKP
Oct 17, 2007

by XyloJW
bazooka bazooka

AKP fucked around with this message at 15:33 on Mar 24, 2014

Professorbx
Jan 27, 2005
Wicki Wicki

AKP posted:

I currently have no gear other than my mac, what I'm trying to do is purchase the DJM-900s or the Denon x1600s then have them hooked up to my mac. I'm already planning on purchasing the Traktor X1. I just don't want to waste my money on CDJs, I'll just use my computer.

If you are just using your computer, buying a DJM or DNX1600 makes no sense, and neither does the X1. The mixer makes sense when you are doing traditional mixing WITH CDJ's or something else. Get a Traktor S4. You will save money and have experience that will carry you between the controller side AND the traditional due to the addition of jog wheels.

OG KUSH BLUNTS
Jan 4, 2011

AKP posted:

I currently have no gear other than my mac, what I'm trying to do is purchase the DJM-900s or the Denon x1600s then have them hooked up to my mac. I'm already planning on purchasing the Traktor X1. I just don't want to waste my money on CDJs, I'll just use my computer.

If you didn't start on traditional hardware, or have a huge hard on for skratching than don't buy traditional a dj equipment. Listen to ProfessorBx. Go with a S4 or NS6/7.

AKP
Oct 17, 2007

by XyloJW
bazooka bazookabazooka bazookabazooka bazooka

AKP fucked around with this message at 15:33 on Mar 24, 2014

Stuntastic
Jul 11, 2009

weed cave weed saves

AKP posted:

I'm planning on using Ableton - All of my friends tell me that learning to beatmatch is a complete bitch, Ableton can do it flawlessly.. Unless my friends are full of poo poo and exaggerating,
I have more faith in you guys knowing more than them.

Uh pretty much any software can beatmatch and Ableton Live is much clumsier on the whole in my opinion if you're just straight up DJing; my friend who is an effects junkie routed Traktor through Live for fx processing but unless you're doing some wonky poo poo like that you'll probably be better off with something more basic.

Professorbx
Jan 27, 2005
Wicki Wicki

AKP posted:

I'm planning on using Ableton - All of my friends tell me that learning to beatmatch is a complete bitch, Ableton can do it flawlessly.. Unless my friends are full of poo poo and exaggerating,
I have more faith in you guys knowing more than them.

If you are planning on using Ableton, then you have even less reason to get a mixer. In fact, it will seriously limit you. Get an APC40 (or, if you are ballin, a Vestax VCM600/Novation Launchpad combo) and a good interface (Focusrite Saffire Pro 14 is a good option). A mixer makes literally no sense.

tehk
Mar 10, 2006

[-4] Flaw: Heart Broken - Tehk is extremely lonely. The Gay Empire's ultimate weapon finds it hard to have time for love.

vanilla slimfast posted:

If I was starting from scratch today I'd go for the high res 15" MBP, personally

Traktor works fine at 1440x900 as well (I have a first gen unibody), it'd just be nice to have a bit more real estate

I went with the new high res 15" MBP and it is perfect for traktor and maschine. The only issue is that Traktor's GUI does not render in full screen if you use spaces.

Every week or so I find myself disassembling my neatly cabled hardware and dragging it piece by piece to another little party leaving my desk a mess when I return. I've had enough and I am looking for flight case suggestions. Do they sell cases where the items are meant to operate in place? If so how does that work with power adapters and cables? Right now my equipment consist of a macbook, S4, Maschine, and a M-audio 8x8.

Sjoewe
Nov 30, 2008
Contact a flightcase-builder, talk to him about what you want now (and the future!). He could hook you up with a custom case where you only need to connect a power line and one audio-line out. Most standard cases for digital equipment are only so-so.

vanilla slimfast
Dec 6, 2006

If anyone needs me, I'll be in the Angry Dome



AKP posted:

I'm planning on using Ableton - All of my friends tell me that learning to beatmatch is a complete bitch, Ableton can do it flawlessly.. Unless my friends are full of poo poo and exaggerating,
I have more faith in you guys knowing more than them.

Ok so it's pretty clear you don't know what the gently caress you actually want to do

I'd suggest picking up and reading the "How To DJ Right" book linked earlier in the thread before spending any money.

dj bobby bieber
Oct 9, 2003

the fanciest whale
Everyone should read that book. I read it after 7 years of DJing and it really changed my outlook on life

dj bobby bieber
Oct 9, 2003

the fanciest whale
This is pretty legit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxgKCmGVnG0

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chrix
Jan 3, 2004

Football man, the guy with the football plan





If you can't beatmatch, it's going to be very hard for me to respect you as a DJ, let alone refer to you as a DJ. Leaning on the software (Traktor, Ableton) to do the hard work for you takes the whole idea of being a DJ and throws it in the toilet. At that point, you're a glorified jukebox.

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