New gear advice
New gear advice Posted on: 12.05.2013 by Silvia Simmons Hi,I only got interested in Djing last September and got my first controller, a U-mix Control Pro 2 at Christmas. I have practiced a lot with it and my mixing skills have improved immensely (i.e. I was terrible and now I'm alright ), but I am wanting to do more advanced things and I am feeling limited by the controller. Also I feel that if I ever manage to get a booking somewhere (that is not a house party at my Uni halls ) then turning up with that controller may make me seem very amateurish. I would like to have four channels, as I am experimenting with mashups, and upgrade to either Serato or Traktor. I was looking at the Novation Twitch for its controllerist approach or the Numark NS6. Is there a different way of going about it such as a mixer and CDJ's that would be better? Bearing in mind this is still a hobby so I don't want to be shelling out a couple of grand just yet I have recently bought an LPD8 to give me more control over sample banks and loops. I have been doing a lot of believeing and I am just not sure which way to go so I thought I may as well ask the pros. Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated | |
| Dedra Kreinbring 13.05.2013 |
Originally Posted by SlvrDragon50
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| Silvia Simmons 12.05.2013 | Hi, I only got interested in Djing last September and got my first controller, a U-mix Control Pro 2 at Christmas. I have practiced a lot with it and my mixing skills have improved immensely (i.e. I was terrible and now I'm alright ), but I am wanting to do more advanced things and I am feeling limited by the controller. Also I feel that if I ever manage to get a booking somewhere (that is not a house party at my Uni halls ) then turning up with that controller may make me seem very amateurish. I would like to have four channels, as I am experimenting with mashups, and upgrade to either Serato or Traktor. I was looking at the Novation Twitch for its controllerist approach or the Numark NS6. Is there a different way of going about it such as a mixer and CDJ's that would be better? Bearing in mind this is still a hobby so I don't want to be shelling out a couple of grand just yet I have recently bought an LPD8 to give me more control over sample banks and loops. I have been doing a lot of believeing and I am just not sure which way to go so I thought I may as well ask the pros. Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated |
| Lillia Datson 13.05.2013 | Im no pro, still in the bedroom, but i started on a numark total control with an LE version of traktor, then made the jump to an S4 and Traktor Pro 2, and it's seen me well through little gigs and lots of bedroom mixing, as well as providing the tools to nail the basic's with, and provide some more advanced features as iv'e progressed. |
| Bunny Sockel 12.05.2013 | S4 or the CNTRL:R by livid http://lividinstruments.com/hardware_cntrlr.php |
| Emelina Paglia 12.05.2013 | U-mix Control Pro 2 is one of the most basic beginner controllers ever, but it doesn't matter if you "look amateurish," what counts is that you play good. You are limited though and won't be improving much by only using that (in my opinion). If you're planning on using a laptop software then stick to controllers. I personally use CDJs and a DJM, which I paid $2000 used, and that gear
prepares me for clubs and I don't use a software. If it's just a hobby, then don't worry if it looks amateur for now. What's your price range? If you buy a controller (which I recommend for your needs, unless you want to start scratching or DJ at clubs or eventually not use a software) it should be about $500-1000. Look into it, but don't settle for something cheap. If you will just keep what you have. Don't waste your money for nothing and do A LOT of research. Know exactly what you want (be very specific in the features you want) and find out which have those features. You'll be left with a hand full of options and then get the one in your price range. EDIT: I forgot to mention. I'd recommend some controllers, but I have never used and rarely read about it. Check out the DDJ-S1 or DDJ-SX. |
| Patria Fotos 12.05.2013 | I, like many here, started out on a MixTrack Pro. But chose your software first. I played with VDJ, Serato and TRAKTOR but in the end, TRAKTOR was what I was looking for. No one would be happy about going out and paying $500-$1,000 on a higher end controller only to dislike the software. |
| Yong Aptekar 12.05.2013 | If you are just "alright" don't worry about a new controller, get better with what you have. You've got an lpd8 now, so you have more buttons and knobs to learn to integrate. Don't rush, take your time, and wear that controller out while saving up for bigger and better, you will be happy you did. |
| Dedra Kreinbring 13.05.2013 |
Originally Posted by SlvrDragon50
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| Silvia Simmons 13.05.2013 | Thanks for your input Big Panda, I can see myself doing this for quite a while so I reckon I will make the investment. I didn't believe to check the price of software, I believe I shall go with Traktor. I shall see if I get any interest from clubs and bars, if so I believe I will get some second hand CDJ's, like makar1 suggested. |
| Gaynell Rydberg 13.05.2013 | Denon MC3000 and MC6000 are very good as well. |
| Alphonso Deitchman 12.05.2013 | If you want to be prepared for club CDJs, you can get a pair of 800 Mk2s along with a 2 channel mixer for around the same price as a new mid-range controller like the S4. |
| Dedra Kreinbring 12.05.2013 | There are a million threads very similar to this, but I am bored so will force upon you my own views, and they will probably be very different to other peoples. Cheapish - Traktor S2, Serato Novation Twitch - Both 2 channel Expensive - Traktor S4, Serato Reloop TM4, Serato Pioneer DDJ-SX. I have never touched an NS6 so can't comment on it, but I started on a mixtrack pro, and numark did a good job of that. The Twitch has a slightly different workflow to the others (no jogs) so first try and have a play and see if you like using jogs or not. Traktor is much cheaper than Serato. I upgraded from a MTP to an S2, and then bought an NI F1 and X1 and also got given an LPD8. If you can see yourself doing this for a while, get the best you can afford, if not, buy the cheapest you are comfortable with and see where it takes you. Another tip which I never considered when starting out, is buying 2nd hand. If you get a good condition one of certain controllers, then you will be able to sell it on for pretty much exactly what you paid for it if you don't like it. To be honest, whatever you get you will love, and your workflow will adapt to the shortfalls of your gear. Pick a software, and then pick hardware |
| Silvia Simmons 12.05.2013 | Thanks for the reply, I have read through it many times and can't decide :P I don't know whether to go with a Novation Twitch or NS6. I noticed that almost all clubs have CDJ's but like you said, very expensive |
| Dedra Kreinbring 12.05.2013 | As far as controllers go, head over to Digital DJ Tips . com and they have an ultimate controller guide for 2013. Happy reading . CDJ and mixer will prepare you better for a club, but isn't the most cost effective way. |
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