Getting a starter controller, what to look for?
Getting a starter controller, what to look for? | |
| Mai Tomsha 12.04.2012 |
Originally Posted by dripstep
And yes I have a keyboard and yes I have tried different programs using it, It |
| Somer Vanstraten 12.04.2012 |
Originally Posted by zestoi
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| Mai Tomsha 12.04.2012 |
Originally Posted by Kyle171
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| Mai Tomsha 12.04.2012 |
Originally Posted by dripstep
And yes I have a keyboard and yes I have tried different programs using it, It |
| Chasidy Heckenbach 12.04.2012 | if u mean "hot cues" then that's down to the software and how the controller has been mapped to it. i can see buttons 1 to 4 (with 5 to 8 when shift pressed too i guess) so they could be mapped to hot cues in something like traktor or vdj. download a manual for it and they should explain how it comes mapped with the software it comes with. |
| Mai Tomsha 12.04.2012 | Does anyone know if e2 has hot ques? |
| Mai Tomsha 12.04.2012 | Ye, I've found that guide earlier and have been looking through it several times. It just feels like they are really stuck-up with the mixtrack pro, is it really that good compared to other controllers? What makes it so good? the soundcard and jogwheels, ye I know, but what else? |
| Hanna Ridenbaugh 12.04.2012 | I started with the bcd3000. Great to start with. i learnt alot with it.. |
| Somer Vanstraten 12.04.2012 |
Originally Posted by zestoi
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| Chasidy Heckenbach 12.04.2012 | i'd forgotten about the bcd3000. it certainly has a lot more controls than the hercules e2, will probably last a lot longer too. u may be able to find a bcd3000 2nd hand for a decent price. the e2 will seem much more of a 'toy' compared to the bcd3000 i'm sure. here's a whole bunch of info from digitaldjtips that includes some notes about these controllers and includes just about any other controller u might be believeing of http://www.digitaldjtips.com/2011/12...rs-guide-2012/ |
| Mai Tomsha 12.04.2012 |
Originally Posted by Kyle171
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| Mai Tomsha 12.04.2012 |
Originally Posted by dripstep
And yes I have a keyboard and yes I have tried different programs using it, It |
| Xiomara Woolworth 12.04.2012 | u got a keyboard? |
| Yong Aptekar 11.04.2012 | If you don't want to/cant save up some more $$, you are very limited in selection. You will loose out on the build quality of a controller like the S2, but it doesn't mean you miss out on features. Your budget is 150, if you get a $100 controller with no sound card, your budget needs to go up to at least $200. The BCD3000 is not a professional controller, but that doesn't seem to be what you are looking for. This isn't a cheap hobby, so you either need to save more, or get something in your price range, and bite the bullet on some aspects. That being said, the BCD can take some abuse. The top and sides are plastic, but the bottom is metal. The faders are great, and very smooth. The pitch faders have a bit of resistance to them and feel nice. The knobs are all plastic, and looser than the S2/X1, but still feel good. Sound quality from the soundcard is good, and there is a mic input as well. Lots of buttons for loop in/out, cue, sync...the regular. The buttons are plastic, so not as nice as some more expensive controllers, but they still work well. Some are led lit also. Save up or settle my friend. Or find a cheaper hobby. |
| Mai Tomsha 11.04.2012 | The BCD3000 was the first controller i rly started looking at, but this is the specific controller that I have heard so much about.. How outdated it is and old and that it sucks according to some ppl, and some ppls loves it and recomends it to everyone... |
| Earlean Mundstock 11.04.2012 | After reading all your needs i would probably change mine to @ dripstep suggestion a BCD3000. if it makes any diffrent i love the mapping for the Novation launchpad for traktor and VDJ - Pros of it : All buttons mostly has a nice feel Cons: no nobs no software to dj with |
| Yong Aptekar 11.04.2012 | Built in soundcard would be a major factor for me, especially if you are on a tight budget. Without the ability to cue with headphones, you will be limited on what you can do. If you get a controller without one, you are looking at another $50-$100 for an external card. On that note, I recommend the BCD3000. Cheap, built in sound card, the ability to input a pair of turntables for a DVS setup, and all of the controls you need. The build quality isn't the same as an S2, or the mixtrack, but it IS better than the unit gets credit for. It was my first controller, and still performs very well after a year of using it. |
| Chasidy Heckenbach 11.04.2012 | response as well. a cheapo controller may not be able to process your movements and convert them into midi signals to your software as quickly. in reality tho this tends to affect jog wheels more than most other controls, tho if u want to slam a fader u may feel some lag maybe on a cheapo controller and if u wanted to rapidly tap buttons maybe there too... most controls on most medium priced controllers are probably ok. the jogs on my hercules mk2 are very laggy but i believe thats more down to how they've been made physically rather than the electronics. sometimes the buttons don't quite work on first press, but they're so squidgy it's hard to tell sometimes. that controller doesn't get used much now anyway. re: outgrowing... not at all. even if u forked out the cash for a NI S2 controller u may well still outgrow it sometime as it only provides a *fairly* basic set of controls. modular controllers like the midi fighter or other units can always be used as well as another controller tho. in any case - it doesn't sound like you're looking for a controller that u won't outgrow - you're looking to spend the bare minimum to get a taste of whether u actually like the whole dj'ing thing or not. |
| Mai Tomsha 11.04.2012 | I understand they arent build equal I was just conserned if some midi controllers might have slow respons or something like that and that would be why they would be outdated, I dont know but outgrowing a controller before the soundcard, thats only for the budget controllers I guess? |
| Chasidy Heckenbach 11.04.2012 | midi is how most controllers "talk" to the software. just know that not all controllers are created equal but no point trying to dive into any details. banks are where one button or sets of buttons can control more than one thing, like maybe a controller has a button that switches half of it between controlling deck A verses deck C. stuff like that... if it was me i'd look for a controller with a soundcard builtin as it'll work out a lot cheaper. you want a soundcard with two stereo outs, one for the main output and one for your headphones. u can get the native instruments audio2 soundcard for only 100usd now with traktor pro included but as u want to save cash i'd stick with looking for a controller that comes with one builtin. you'll probably outgrow the controller long before the soundcard that comes with it... |
| Mai Tomsha 11.04.2012 | Thanks for all of your replies, really helps me out What do you mean with this midi-implentation and banks, is it if they are pre mapped for different software or? And would the smartest move be to go for a controller without a soundcard? Seems like the soundcard is what needs to be up to date rather then the controller since it should work aslong it is compatibel and in decent shape I guess |
| Chasidy Heckenbach 11.04.2012 | main diff are build quality of the overall unit, how good the feel of the faders and pots are (there can be big differences there), the feel/response of the buttons and overall how many controls it has. there can also be a massive difference in sound quality if looking at controllers with builtin soundcards. some controllers have a much better midi implementation than others, builtin "banks" and also how well u can control the led colours of the controls as well as what colours u can select and other options like whether it has the option for builtin blinking or not etc etc some controllers offer touch strips as well as other controls and the quality of jogs differs massively from one controller to the next as well as whether they are "touch sensitive" or not, i.e: whether just touching them sends out any commands to your software or whether u need to actually move them before anything happens. digital dj'ing is too new for many controllers to really be "outdated". in some ways the vci100 is but only because it was once the best of the best, now it is lacking compared to the newer high end controllers. at the end of day u (mostly) get what u pay for... my first dj controller was a cheapo hercules console mk2, which has pretty nasty buttons and very laggy non touch sensitive jogs, but it does the job *and* has a half decent soundcard builtin. i went for that first as i used to dj with technics 1200's years ago and wanted to see if i wanted to dig deeper into the whole digital/midi thing or not. i've since dug quite a bit deeper |
| Mai Tomsha 11.04.2012 | So basicly it comes down to the number of buttons at last I guess and its not that i dont want jogwheels, its just that it isnt that important for me Well I have tried different programs and have been messig around with it, its just that playing around with the keyboard is first of all rly hard and secondly, I get no feeling at all, and when I dont have a second soundcard yet it gets boring becaus i dont get any good results from my speakers since i cant try stuff out for myself first But have I gotten this right, when it comes down to it, the main differense is the number of command possibilities? I mean I hear a lot like "that controller is old and outdated" do they mean the soundcard then and not the midi-controller itself with its commands ment ofc? |
| Chasidy Heckenbach 11.04.2012 | build and quality of the controls is the first thing, but that isn't going to matter if u just want something to try out and aren't bothered how long it lasts for. just be more careful on a cheaper controler you get far less controls on some controllers. for just starting out maybe the minimum is all u need but if u do get into it you'll soon be wanting extra buttons for mapping more hotcues, loops, various instant effects so u can get to them quickly, full control over all effects units maybe, control over sample decks or the new remix decks and/or the loop recorder. the list goes on and on... stripping it all back to basics u don't even *need* a controller if u just want to experiment. u can map your keyboard to controls in traktor or vdj, use your mouse to load tracks and u already said u don't want jogs (personally i love jog wheels) if i were u i would believe about downloading the free version of vdj and/or mixxx and trying them out just using your computer keyboard and mouse and take it from there. no cash wasted then if u don't like it... |
| Mai Tomsha 11.04.2012 | I understand it is about the budget, I would like to go as low as possible as long as i get a controller that can give me the functions I may need for now. My main question is just what differense is it from controller to controller? is it all about the functions and construction or is there something else? |
| Chasidy Heckenbach 11.04.2012 | as CionniAsDj says it really depends on budget. just checked and ebay in the uk has mixtracks new for not much over 100gbp so not sure how much cheaper u want to go. if u don't care about jogs then all u really *need* is a set of buttons and pots/faders. ideally u also want a soundcard as well that you can monitor your mix out of separately from the main outs, but u could always get an addon soundcard later. the icon idj does a lot for the money. quality isn't awesome but it does have pretty decent jogs (for what they're worth to u) i've had some fun mixing two decks in traktor with nothing more than an akai lpd8. not designed to be a dj controller but for the money gives u 8 decent pads + 8 pots to map and has multiple banks. i've heard some pretty decent things said about the hercules e2 - given how cheap it is. looking 2nd hand isn't a bad idea either... |
| Mai Tomsha 11.04.2012 | Up to around 150 I believe, I just need a controller that have what I need to start. Do you know the difference between controllers? I mean if controller A and B would have the same functions, no build in soundcard, alike construction, what else is different between them? Why would one of them be better than the other? |
| Somer Vanstraten 11.04.2012 | Low low budget controller : Hercules mp3 e2. I believe you can't go cheaper. Or you should search for second hand gear What's your budget? |
| Mai Tomsha 11.04.2012 | I could go for the mixtrack but I rather not, I would like to go for something cheaper due to my budget, I just don't want to spend to much on something I might not continue on doing... But what makes the Mixtrack so good except for the jogwheels (which I don't really care about)? I can compare the Mixtrack to alot of other controllers, it has the same functions both made of plastics, can be used with the same software etc, what makes the Mixtrack so much better? :O I'm looking for more than a DJ to GO, I want the 3 band EQ, hot ques, some effects and looping ofc, more than that, Is there anything else a controller would need? Or could get? :S Thanks for your replies! |
| Earlean Mundstock 11.04.2012 | Well 1) maybe what you can do with the controller example dj to go. you can do the basics: Stop,cue,play. maybe one with a built in sound card. You can look for one that dose most of the basics like has eq nobs, jog wheel, and that would be like the mixtrack. 2) I'm new to djing and have no idea 3) Whats your budget? - if its around $250 i would go with the mixtrack pro |
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