digital mixing

[Rich-M]

How many peeps on here use digital controllers and mix mp3's ???

ive got a dennon mc3000 controller with traktor its the dogs danglies super easy to use with 4 decks plus sampling and tonnes of effects with traktor.

it just doesn't feel right to mix this way all the fun is removed its just too tempting to use the sync button :$

does everyone on here just use there decks or is there people who use digital or both maybe ??

cheers
Rich

 

[siman91]

Got most forms, got 1200's although 2 in the loft, 2x pioneer 800's mkII's and Allen & Heath DX which is a toy realy although suits me as the sync is useless so means you have to manually mix. Dont use FX, samplers etc in fact bit of a boring old git when it comes to mixing realy.

1200's always first then DX with CDJ's barely getting used!

S

 

[Jiglo]

I mix original vinyl and timecode vinyl using Serato Scratch Live. I could probably get away with just using the timecode for everything, but I can't be bothered ripping all my collection to mp3 or wav, so a typical mix these days I use both, where as up to around 4 years ago I was 100% original vinyl.

Last 3 sets playing out at Picks I played 60% original vinyl/40% Serato the first, then 100% original vinyl at the second, then 100% Serato at the last. I got the best feedback from Benny for the first and the best feedback from the crowd at the second, so Serato isn't a magic wand (in my hands at least ) and some people are still impressed and give you props for playing original vinyl, at least if you're playing stuff they like.

Last set I played on OSA I mixed with both, but I made 2 monumentally big fuck ups, when I loaded a new track onto a playing deck, and twice in the same set :$ It couldn't have happened with original vinyl as the worst that could happen there is you either stop a playing deck (and quickly restart it again once you realise your error), or you temporarily lift the needle off then quickly put it back on somewhere near where you lifted it from.

It does however give you the freedom to play pretty much whatever you want, that you can find or rip yourself anyway. Also Scratch Live can't beat sync like Traktor does, it's never been a feature and never likely to be a feature, so is a much closer experience for the vinyl purist, so maybe you made the wrong choice there if beat syncing takes the fun away for you.

 

[SCR101.5]

I use ableton & controllers. I do miss hands on which is why I'm thinking about Traktor/Serato, but am making do with djay on ipad until I am able to afford such luxuries.

 

[reetdad]

I use traktor pro with numark pro midi controls plus a stanton t90 deck as a second input

If the kids stop braking things and wife stops spending i will upgrade the midi to traktor s2

With the summer approaching my hope is to set some decks up in the loft so i have both digi and vinyl options

 

[Rich-M]

Can you plug decks into the digital mixer to use both vinyl and mp3 / wav files

Ive looked at the back of my mc3000 there are 2 more inputs (maybe for 2 decks or cdj's) but no earth screw ??

Ive not looked into coded vinyl so dont know anything about it. It does look interesting though. Is it expensive to get a set up ??
i wouldnt mind converting my records to mp3 or wav but dont have a clue on how to do that either

 

[Shooms]

I mix original vinyl and timecode vinyl using Serato Scratch Live. I could probably get away with just using the timecode for everything, but I can't be bothered ripping all my collection to mp3 or wav, so a typical mix these days I use both, where as up to around 4 years ago I was 100% original vinyl.

Last 3 sets playing out at Picks I played 60% original vinyl/40% Serato the first, then 100% original vinyl at the second, then 100% Serato at the last. I got the best feedback from Benny for the first and the best feedback from the crowd at the second, so Serato isn't a magic wand (in my hands at least ) and some people are still impressed and give you props for playing original vinyl, at least if you're playing stuff they like.

Last set I played on OSA I mixed with both, but I made 2 monumentally big fuck ups, when I loaded a new track onto a playing deck, and twice in the same set :$ It couldn't have happened with original vinyl as the worst that could happen there is you either stop a playing deck (and quickly restart it again once you realise your error), or you temporarily lift the needle off then quickly put it back on somewhere near where you lifted it from.

It does however give you the freedom to play pretty much whatever you want, that you can find or rip yourself anyway. Also Scratch Live can't beat sync like Traktor does, it's never been a feature and never likely to be a feature, so is a much closer experience for the vinyl purist, so maybe you made the wrong choice there if beat syncing takes the fun away for you.

Exactly the same Jigz - especially the loading a new tune into an already playing deck

I played out for the 1st time in yonks last week & took 2 bags of tunes & a USB stick as the setup was Traktor / Mac.... Traktor managed to fuck up the 1st time I tried to load a digi tune

So had to go back home, grab my lappy & TTSM57SL mixer & hot swapped everything over on the fly like an F1 pit stop as other people wanted to use digi...

In the event everything went smooth as fuck & I played 70% original / 30% Serato but it proved once again how flaky technology (& especially Traktor) can be... I've also had times when Traktor decides to play backwards & there's nothing for it but a reboot.

No problems so far (touch wood) with Serato

 

[siman91]

Nice to know Shooms as considering the investment in Serato as I have approx 1/3 of my records in the garage which is not exactly practical when in the mix.

S

 

[Shooms]

Nice to know Shooms as considering the investment in Serato as I have approx 1/3 of my records in the garage which is not exactly practical when in the mix.

S

Have to say that Serato / TTM57SL is the best of both worlds for me... it feels like vinyl plus all the tune loading etc is done from the mixer so no need to arse about with the lappy at all I can also hot swap timecode / real vinyl all night long with just a click of the channel assign knob at the top of the mixer

Plus with the new Serato / Rane mixers out the TTM57SL may have dropped a bit in price (I bought for 800 dabs)... if you need a 4 channel then the Rane 68 is out... but is pricey !

Sixty-Eight Mixer for Serato Scratch Live

 

[brown29]

Serato Scratch Live is a great option.

 

[U31]

Jimbo & Shooms, my doofer ain't Serato certified so can't run it, unless American Audio pull their finger out with Serato and do a firmware upgrade at some future point...

In Traktor though, i mapped the controller so its impossible to load a new track in to a deck that's playing, you have to physically stop a deck, and it makes you think about where to send the next track.
It's not 100% foolproof but as Jim noted up there, you have stopped the deck with the transport, but its another action to load a track - if its an ooops fuck wrong deck moment, the tracks still there where you stopped it, noticeable but not a complete disaster
i'm almost certain ssl has similar capability?

 

[Jiglo]

Lol Shooms. I'm hoping the fuck up's a one off as i'm not sure i've ever fooked up that way before in a live set, so it might just have been a combo of things. I think the main one was having another laptop behind me to type in the shoutbox on, plus our mixers are battle mixers, so there's no individual channel leds to make the playing deck stand out more clearly and I didn't even want to play, it was an impromtu set because Benny goaded me into playing lol .

You're confusing the matter Dave as we're talking Serato Scratch Live and you're talking either Serato Itch or Serato DJ. Scratch Live is generally rock stable, but not sure about the 2 controller solutions.

Scratch Live does have that feature that you can turn on for locking the playing decks in the options, but I don't like having to keep stopping the deck for it to work, as I rarely do it when playing original vinyl, so it's unnatural to play that way for me. As for reloading the track again quickly that you've just taken off, you're only likely to have it handy if you've prepared a set and can see it on the page. Leave it too long and you've lost the moment anyway, especially once you've dropped that other track on.

It doesn't matter anyway. It's all stuff i'll probably learn from next time I play an impromptu set on OSA

 

[Benny-Digital]

I often (when playing out) just have a swift check of the crossfader before I assign the track.. I've still managed to do it a few times though... Lock the playing deck is a pain in the arse!

 

[siman91]

Cross fader.........now I seem to remember those. Mine gets very light use on A&H S2 and no use at all on DX.

Sliders rule.

S

 

[U31]

Yup, a quick look at the cross or line fader to which deck is live....
And i still have managed to fuck it up

 

[Benny-Digital]

Cross fader.........now I seem to remember those. Mine gets very light use on A&H S2 and no use at all on DX.

Sliders rule.

S

If you play house yes.

 

[siman91]

I'm no pro dj but I also use sliders with hardcore and techno!

S

 

[Benny-Digital]

I'm no pro dj but I also use sliders with hardcore and techno!

S

Totally different style of mixing, I love to chop hardcore up like a nutter. I get no pleasure at all from just seamlessly blending stuff together.