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Sujet: Help a beginner choose his first decks!

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Hi everyone,

I understand that this might be the most common question from a newbie but appreciate anyone who is willing to add their two cents!
I'll keep it to the point and hope I can get some good answers:

- I'm a 22 year old guy using VDJ on my Macbook Pro.
- I DJ as a hobby, on the weekends, messing around with Virtual DJ connected to my electric piano (fair speakers!).
- I've always throughout my life been around and had a passion for music so have a good feel for what's going on.
- I'm fairly tech savvy and like to experiment with ways I can mix music up.

I'm looking for:

- An all-in-one system that I can plug into my Macbook Pro and go!
- It should have good capability with VDJ and ContentUnlimited.
- Sound card built in.
- Plenty of buttons to experiment with! (Love using the loop, cue points and EQ faders on VDJ)
- I have a budget of $500 (I am UK based so £350-£400).

I've done some good research and was a bit overwhelmed by the range of choice. Thought it'd be best to get opinions from the pros!
If I've missed anything, let me know.

Cheers,

Josh
 
Posté Thu 04 Apr 13 @ 2:23 pm
Some of the differences between models are:

Two mixer channels vs four.
Ability to use the mixer section standalone (i.e. it has inputs and doesn't need to be connected to the computer to work).
Decent microphone input(s). Many controllers have very limited mic sections - just a socket and volume.

So.....what are your needs in those respects, not just now but in the future, if you decide to step it up a little?
 
Hiya,

I reckon a 2 mixer would do the job just fine....once I'm competent with that I can step it up if it feels right.
Standalone might be a nice addition in case the chance comes around but for 90% of the time, I'll be connected to a computer.
No need for an amazing mic input....for the time being I'll be head down, fiddling with controls. :)

Oh and I haven't purchased VDJ yet so if that's included in the package then all the better!

Thanks,

Josh
 
OK how about the Stanton DJC4?
 
Great- I'll check it out!! Any reason in particular? Something you've used personally?
Thanks for your help,

Josh
 
Just a selction based on what you've told me so far...

Another option would be the Reloop Terminal Mix 2 (or 4 if you add some £) but they come with Serato s/w so you wouldn't get the discount by upgrading from VDJ LE to Pro full.
 
Cool-will look into it. If a package comes with VDJ LE would I be able to use ContentUnlimited on the subscription service? Or do I need Pro edition to use it?

Thanks, Josh
 
groovindj wrote :


Another option would be the Reloop Terminal Mix 2 (or 4 if you add some £) but they come with Serato s/w so you wouldn't get the discount by upgrading from VDJ LE to Pro full.


I agree with the Reloop option. Also look into the Numark N4. The thing I like about that pc of gear is that if you want to add turntables later on, the internal sound card would work for DVS on VDJ (or so I have heard on the Numark FB Page)
 
Look at the Denon MC-3000. Fits all your requirements including budget.

Most importantly check out as many reviews and videos and find a retailer so you can get hands on experience for any of the recommended controllers you are interested in.

Cheers,

Roy
 
Thanks for the tips guys! I'm going to pop into here tomorrow as they are just down the road: http://www.djdeals.co.uk/
Think it would be good to get some hands on experience.

Are there any good questions I should ask? Anything I should try out specifically as I'm able to try it out there and then?
 
I definitely agree with the MC3000 suggestion. The MC6000(released before 3000) is still a great all-in-one controller that is still used widely, though I'm not sure how high the possibility is that you'll find one within your budget. If you can get the 6000, go for it, but the 3000 will suffice.

I strongly recommend trying it out in the store if possible and ask about warranty policies should the unit be a lemon(not work properly).
 
Thanks for all your help guys....I'm not sitting here with a Denon MC3000 sitting in front of me! What a beauty! I got some speakers to go with and a pair of headphones.

Now been trying to set it up with Traktor (didn't come with the VirtualDJ bundle :() but not having much luck....everything looks right on the software apart from it's missing a crossfader and the faders dont seem to work!!
Yet when I try it with a free edition of VDJ Home....it works beautifully....for ten minutes.

Any thoughts? So tempted to get VDJ Home but unfortunately the money as gone on the decks....gutted.

Josh
 
Josh,

Damn.. forgot that Denon doesn't ship with VDJ in the UK - that's a real bummer and marketing goof!

That said, if the the mixer works the same was as the 6000, it should have two modes:

In Int Mix mode, the mixer acts like a standalone mixer so the faders are not controlling the software. Switch to PC Mix mode and now all the faders in the software should react to the movement on the 3000.

Cheers,

Roy
 
Hi Roy,

Thanks for this! I got it sorted....as with much of it, I'm sure a lot of it will be just fiddling around until I find the sounds/solution I need!!
I'm just happy to have a good deck in front of me instead of relying on a trackpad on my Mac!

I'm sure I'll get used to Traktor....the only downside being I have a tiny collection of tracks and this software doesn't have a Content Unlimited option....maybe I can download a huge database of songs online somewhere? Maybe I can casually drag from Spotify to Traktor? :D Brave thinking.

Thanks for all your help! You've bred another DJ into this world....

Josh
 
Josh,

I'm obviously not going to condone illegally sourcing music. Plus everyone starts with a small collection that grows and grows.

You should also look into record pools like beatport and djcity.co.uk. For a relatively small monthly fee you can gain access to some "all you can download" pools.

Also, next on your list should be to start saving for VDJ Pro ;-)

Enjoy getting used to the 3000. I love my 6000 so you should have a lot of fun...

Cheers,

Roy
 
If you're looking to put together a good collection of tracks quickly then a site like www.mastermixdigital.com is very useful. You can download bundles of tracks in all sorts of different genres.

If you're prepared to do a bit of extra work then you could simply buy some "100 best [genre]" CD collections from the supermarket and rip the tracks yourself using something like Audiograbber, which can be set to grab the track titles from the internet.

Just beware that some of the cheaper CD collections - especially with older tunes - may not use the original versions. They may be re-recordings (check the small print).
 
groovindj wrote :
Just beware that some of the cheaper CD collections - especially with older tunes - may not use the original versions. They may be re-recordings (check the small print).


Hate it when they do that!
 
Cheers guys! I wonder if they do any discounts on VDJ or promotional discounts? Absolutely loving the MC3000....pretty much mixes for me! :D Trying to learn to do it without sync/key lock though. :)

Josh
 
And so you should. Learning the basics is the right thing to do. Although key lock is a godsend and should be used regardless...

Discounts for VDJ are available, but usually as an upgrade from LE which comes with a controller. But not the case with an MC3000 in the UK...
 
Everybody knows i recommend the voxoa c60 over the the stanton djc.4
 


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