jaakko
Hi,
I'm thinking about buying either 2 xp-10 controllers or dac 3.
Now i have hercules mk1 and numark dxm06 external mixer but not satisfied at all with hercules. I use it only as an usb soundcard.
I'm not sure am i interested in scratching - i have never tried it yet - but i'd like to give it a try. So i should buy xp-10 just for try?
if i buy dac 3, i must also buy usb soundcard ie. ESI U46 (yes, i could use hercules but it's heavy and horrible)
Also i would like to record my mixes. Now i use my hercules console line in to record, but i really would like to get rid of it. Does xp-10 have line in to record?
What about sound quality of xp-10? My external mixer is 24-bit digital, so should i have 24 bit soundcard for the best sound quality?
Doing some reasearch and math:
dac 3 + ESI U46 + vat + shipping = 440 + 99 +96 + 50 = 686 euros
2*xp10 + shipping = 2*311 + 20 = 642 euros (cheap shipping, i'm from finland:)
which one is better for me? Which one has better sound quality? Can i record with xp10s?
I'm thinking about buying either 2 xp-10 controllers or dac 3.
Now i have hercules mk1 and numark dxm06 external mixer but not satisfied at all with hercules. I use it only as an usb soundcard.
I'm not sure am i interested in scratching - i have never tried it yet - but i'd like to give it a try. So i should buy xp-10 just for try?
if i buy dac 3, i must also buy usb soundcard ie. ESI U46 (yes, i could use hercules but it's heavy and horrible)
Also i would like to record my mixes. Now i use my hercules console line in to record, but i really would like to get rid of it. Does xp-10 have line in to record?
What about sound quality of xp-10? My external mixer is 24-bit digital, so should i have 24 bit soundcard for the best sound quality?
Doing some reasearch and math:
dac 3 + ESI U46 + vat + shipping = 440 + 99 +96 + 50 = 686 euros
2*xp10 + shipping = 2*311 + 20 = 642 euros (cheap shipping, i'm from finland:)
which one is better for me? Which one has better sound quality? Can i record with xp10s?
Inviato Mon 19 Jun 06 @ 11:25 pm
Rune (DJ-In-Norway)
Wow... thats a million dollar question ;) Because it really comes down to a matter of taste.. .
A CLUB dj would prefer the XP10, as they are more in the logic of two turntables/cd-decks placed on each side of your mixer..
A MOBILE dj with a rack would prefer the DAC3 as its a rack module to be placed in a flightcase or rack at a club too. It has less of the "club dj feel", and usually placed at same level as mixer, on top or bottom it.. . Dac have far more buttons than xp10 and a LED display
As far as scratching goes, there is no doubt. Xp10 is the scratch solution, and according to Dj Magazine reviews, it works as well as Pioneer CDJ 800/1000 decks... the industry standard in cd decks;)
The xp10 does NOT have line ins, sorry.
And as you say.. The DAC does not have a soundcard at all.
The soundquality of the xp10 are great, but not sure about the bits.. guess its 16-bits.
So, xp10 vs Dac? that is really a matter of personal taste;)
A CLUB dj would prefer the XP10, as they are more in the logic of two turntables/cd-decks placed on each side of your mixer..
A MOBILE dj with a rack would prefer the DAC3 as its a rack module to be placed in a flightcase or rack at a club too. It has less of the "club dj feel", and usually placed at same level as mixer, on top or bottom it.. . Dac have far more buttons than xp10 and a LED display
As far as scratching goes, there is no doubt. Xp10 is the scratch solution, and according to Dj Magazine reviews, it works as well as Pioneer CDJ 800/1000 decks... the industry standard in cd decks;)
The xp10 does NOT have line ins, sorry.
And as you say.. The DAC does not have a soundcard at all.
The soundquality of the xp10 are great, but not sure about the bits.. guess its 16-bits.
So, xp10 vs Dac? that is really a matter of personal taste;)
Inviato Tue 20 Jun 06 @ 12:53 am
jpboggis
The XP10 has a very good touch sensitive platter, good quality built-in sound card and are small and lightweight (Can be easily carried around in a laptop bag.) They are also USB bus powered, so require no power adaptor.
However, the buttons are stiff plastic and can be prone to breaking if not treated carefully and they cannot be rackmounted very easily (EKS are supposed to be created a rackmount kit for them, but I don't think this is available yet.) Also, the XP10 has no indicator lights or LCD display (Not even a power indicator.)
The DAC-3 is a 19" 3u rack mount controller and has a much more solid build quality than the XP10 (Metal casing rather than plastic.) It can also be used outside of a rack with no problems. It doesn't have touch sensitive jogwheels (So not really suitable for scratching), but it very closely replicates the look and feel of a dual CD-player (Especially when used with my custom mapper :) The buttons are proper rubber buttons as you would find on most CD players.
Just like the XP10, the DAC-3 is USB bus powered and requires no power adaptor. Unlike the XP10, it has LCD displays showing time elapsed/remaining, pitch %/BPM, etc. allowing hands-on use without needing to keep looking at the computer screen. There are also indicator lights and lighted play/cue buttons.
With the DAC-3 you will need a separate sound card, so the sound quality will be as good as the sound card you choose. If you buy a suitable ASIO card, you can also use the DAC-3 in conjunction with TCV if you wish (Allowing you to use these to scratch with.) This is also possible with the XP10's too, but you will still need to use a separate ASIO sound card rather than the sound cards built into the XP10 (Which have no input for the timecode signal.)
However, the buttons are stiff plastic and can be prone to breaking if not treated carefully and they cannot be rackmounted very easily (EKS are supposed to be created a rackmount kit for them, but I don't think this is available yet.) Also, the XP10 has no indicator lights or LCD display (Not even a power indicator.)
The DAC-3 is a 19" 3u rack mount controller and has a much more solid build quality than the XP10 (Metal casing rather than plastic.) It can also be used outside of a rack with no problems. It doesn't have touch sensitive jogwheels (So not really suitable for scratching), but it very closely replicates the look and feel of a dual CD-player (Especially when used with my custom mapper :) The buttons are proper rubber buttons as you would find on most CD players.
Just like the XP10, the DAC-3 is USB bus powered and requires no power adaptor. Unlike the XP10, it has LCD displays showing time elapsed/remaining, pitch %/BPM, etc. allowing hands-on use without needing to keep looking at the computer screen. There are also indicator lights and lighted play/cue buttons.
With the DAC-3 you will need a separate sound card, so the sound quality will be as good as the sound card you choose. If you buy a suitable ASIO card, you can also use the DAC-3 in conjunction with TCV if you wish (Allowing you to use these to scratch with.) This is also possible with the XP10's too, but you will still need to use a separate ASIO sound card rather than the sound cards built into the XP10 (Which have no input for the timecode signal.)
Inviato Tue 20 Jun 06 @ 1:22 am
jaakko
Thanks for the good replies!
It seems that if I want to record my mixes, i have to buy ESI U46, no matter if i choose XP-10s or dac-3? My notebook has some sort of internal soundcard, but it has only headphone and mic input minijack. Can i use this one for recording? my mixer has basic rca outputs...
Well, I Still don't know what to choose :)
Maybe i have to tell about my dj history, so you can help me to make right decision,...
I am mobile dj. I have had many types of gigs at student parties and some private parties (weddings etc.) Of course I would like to play in a real club and sometimes there have been several hundreds of people in student parties and have a sort of club feeling.
I play every type of music from 1960s to 2000s, rock pop, hip hip trance etc. I think i have learn to mix pretty well, mainly because i have analysed, cued and commented decently all my mp3s. It helps a lot! I'm also into harmonic mixing, i have examnined all key values of the songs and commented. It's great when i sort my mp3s by comment column, i get em sorted by the key.
I mostly play radio edit versions, so when I mix, most of time I use "last beat - first beat" mix and it works quite well. Sometimes i can use intro - outro mixing when there's only drums on the other song, it works great too. Sometimes i have to use loop to make intro and outro to same lenght. These were all my mixing tricks.
I have used to use only my mixer, mouse and keyboard shortcuts and it is good combination. But now i want to have more pro feeling. So xp-10s or dac-3 would be a good idea. On my keyboard i have go-to-cue shortcuts, loop 4,8,16 shortcuts for both decks and cbg-grid moving shortcuts. I'd like to use these shortcuts on real controller. With keyboard shortcuts i sometimes make mistakes by pressing wrong deck buttons, ie. i press goto cue 1 or play/pause for the deck that is currently playing, thats annoying!
I think led lights/display would help with that, but also placing xp-10s on the left and right side would help me to not to make such mistakes.
Common problem when doing intro-outro mixing is that the beat is sightly off. I tried to use hercules jogwheels to fix it but they didn't work at all, the beat went even more off! Now i have to use mouse to drag beatline to fix it and that works ok. Is dac3's jogwheel any better than hercules mk1 jogwheels? It is not touch sensitive either so Is there any difference? How easy is fixing beats when using xp-10?
Sometimes when i play RnB and hip hop i think i would like to try scratching, ie. scratch some sample of a song that is coming next. But i think at the parties i am playing, i could use scratching only a few times at night. Also i'm not sure if i ever learn to scratch so good i dare to use it live :) I have crossfader slope on my mixer so i can change crossfader behaviour suitable for scratching. What beatjuggling means exactly? How does it differs from scratching? I have heard that word few times but never have understood what it is.
Generally, i hate mixing with mouse. I would like to use my fingers when mixing. I like the idea with xp-10s that i could stop and start record with my finger but does it help mixing at all if i don't scratch? Can i do everyting else but scratching with dac-3 jogwheels?
Is dac-3 only good if i buy rack? Can you suggest any good rack for numark dxm06 mixer and dac-3? How much they cost? I would probably buy it from here (as well as everything else, except dac-3): http://www.thomann.de/thoiw2_index.html
Or if i buy xp-10s, how much they suffer from putting them in the bag and carrying around all the time?
1 more question. With hercules i used to accidentally touch jogwheels while using crossfader and buttons, doest this happens easily with dac-3 or xp-10?
Well that's my story. Thanks for reading and sorry for consuming your time! I asked a lot of questions... But most of all, should i buy dac-3 or xp-10s? I'm REALLY confused....... :)
It seems that if I want to record my mixes, i have to buy ESI U46, no matter if i choose XP-10s or dac-3? My notebook has some sort of internal soundcard, but it has only headphone and mic input minijack. Can i use this one for recording? my mixer has basic rca outputs...
Well, I Still don't know what to choose :)
Maybe i have to tell about my dj history, so you can help me to make right decision,...
I am mobile dj. I have had many types of gigs at student parties and some private parties (weddings etc.) Of course I would like to play in a real club and sometimes there have been several hundreds of people in student parties and have a sort of club feeling.
I play every type of music from 1960s to 2000s, rock pop, hip hip trance etc. I think i have learn to mix pretty well, mainly because i have analysed, cued and commented decently all my mp3s. It helps a lot! I'm also into harmonic mixing, i have examnined all key values of the songs and commented. It's great when i sort my mp3s by comment column, i get em sorted by the key.
I mostly play radio edit versions, so when I mix, most of time I use "last beat - first beat" mix and it works quite well. Sometimes i can use intro - outro mixing when there's only drums on the other song, it works great too. Sometimes i have to use loop to make intro and outro to same lenght. These were all my mixing tricks.
I have used to use only my mixer, mouse and keyboard shortcuts and it is good combination. But now i want to have more pro feeling. So xp-10s or dac-3 would be a good idea. On my keyboard i have go-to-cue shortcuts, loop 4,8,16 shortcuts for both decks and cbg-grid moving shortcuts. I'd like to use these shortcuts on real controller. With keyboard shortcuts i sometimes make mistakes by pressing wrong deck buttons, ie. i press goto cue 1 or play/pause for the deck that is currently playing, thats annoying!
I think led lights/display would help with that, but also placing xp-10s on the left and right side would help me to not to make such mistakes.
Common problem when doing intro-outro mixing is that the beat is sightly off. I tried to use hercules jogwheels to fix it but they didn't work at all, the beat went even more off! Now i have to use mouse to drag beatline to fix it and that works ok. Is dac3's jogwheel any better than hercules mk1 jogwheels? It is not touch sensitive either so Is there any difference? How easy is fixing beats when using xp-10?
Sometimes when i play RnB and hip hop i think i would like to try scratching, ie. scratch some sample of a song that is coming next. But i think at the parties i am playing, i could use scratching only a few times at night. Also i'm not sure if i ever learn to scratch so good i dare to use it live :) I have crossfader slope on my mixer so i can change crossfader behaviour suitable for scratching. What beatjuggling means exactly? How does it differs from scratching? I have heard that word few times but never have understood what it is.
Generally, i hate mixing with mouse. I would like to use my fingers when mixing. I like the idea with xp-10s that i could stop and start record with my finger but does it help mixing at all if i don't scratch? Can i do everyting else but scratching with dac-3 jogwheels?
Is dac-3 only good if i buy rack? Can you suggest any good rack for numark dxm06 mixer and dac-3? How much they cost? I would probably buy it from here (as well as everything else, except dac-3): http://www.thomann.de/thoiw2_index.html
Or if i buy xp-10s, how much they suffer from putting them in the bag and carrying around all the time?
1 more question. With hercules i used to accidentally touch jogwheels while using crossfader and buttons, doest this happens easily with dac-3 or xp-10?
Well that's my story. Thanks for reading and sorry for consuming your time! I asked a lot of questions... But most of all, should i buy dac-3 or xp-10s? I'm REALLY confused....... :)
Inviato Tue 20 Jun 06 @ 10:20 am
jaakko
I answer myself to one of my question.
Could this solve my recording problem?
So i can connect my mixer output to my notebook's internal soundcard mic input?
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3913841
It would be grate if i don't have to buy usb soundcard if i want to record mixes with xp10's.
Inviato Tue 20 Jun 06 @ 2:27 pm
Rune (DJ-In-Norway)
You can use the mic input, BUT then the recording would be mono.
An external soundcard's input in stereo would be better.. .
By the way, just want to mention real quick that the Hercules mk2 is a GREAT console.
Super resonsive, good build and nice jogwheels... and nothing like all like mk1 (that is quite crap! yes)
If you are a mobile dj, and used to the mk1, the mk2 could be something you might want to check out...
http://www.etcetera.co.uk/products/HER102.shtml
regarding the question in the post above, I'll try to answer later, gotta eat dinner ;) hehe
But maybe someone else can answer before I get back... :)
An external soundcard's input in stereo would be better.. .
By the way, just want to mention real quick that the Hercules mk2 is a GREAT console.
Super resonsive, good build and nice jogwheels... and nothing like all like mk1 (that is quite crap! yes)
If you are a mobile dj, and used to the mk1, the mk2 could be something you might want to check out...
http://www.etcetera.co.uk/products/HER102.shtml
regarding the question in the post above, I'll try to answer later, gotta eat dinner ;) hehe
But maybe someone else can answer before I get back... :)
Inviato Tue 20 Jun 06 @ 4:59 pm
jaakko
Yes i have considered hercules mk2 but i think it has same big problem as mk1 does: i would still accidentally touch jogwheels all the time while trying something else, that's annoying.
Inviato Tue 20 Jun 06 @ 5:22 pm
Rune (DJ-In-Norway)
true... I only use it with external mixer..
So all I use are the jogweels, and the buttons..
If you also use the crossfader, it does get in the way... and the mk2 is kinda to small for a stand-alone mixer.
But I use it at club 2-3 times a week with external mixer, and it works great for that:)
Regarding your questions higher up in this thread.
XP 10 have far less buttons than DAC3 (less mapping possible), but have a far better jogwheel, with touchsensitive platter (gives a real vinyl scratch feel), that DAC3 does not have.
And as said, the DAC have a LED display that shows you track info, bpm and more... Quite nice, if your VDJ pc monitor is placed away from you.
The DAC3 jogwheels are a lot better than the mk1 jogwheels, yes...
The mk1 jogwheels.. .well.. they are kinda bad, sadly.... (MK2 is far better.. actually damn good).
Beatjoggling is playing the same track on both decks, with a few beats apart, and joggle between them with fast crossfader movement.. to create an effect.. :)
If you are not dead hardcore scratch dj, the DAC3 jogs can do fine for basic scratch..
And you can do everything else (and scratch) on the Dac3 jogweels... such as nudge, browse music files.
this thread might give you a little inspiration:
http://www.virtualdj.com/forums/49853/General_Discussion/Show_us_your_gear_-_for_inspiration_and_ideas_to_others.html
So all I use are the jogweels, and the buttons..
If you also use the crossfader, it does get in the way... and the mk2 is kinda to small for a stand-alone mixer.
But I use it at club 2-3 times a week with external mixer, and it works great for that:)
Regarding your questions higher up in this thread.
XP 10 have far less buttons than DAC3 (less mapping possible), but have a far better jogwheel, with touchsensitive platter (gives a real vinyl scratch feel), that DAC3 does not have.
And as said, the DAC have a LED display that shows you track info, bpm and more... Quite nice, if your VDJ pc monitor is placed away from you.
The DAC3 jogwheels are a lot better than the mk1 jogwheels, yes...
The mk1 jogwheels.. .well.. they are kinda bad, sadly.... (MK2 is far better.. actually damn good).
Beatjoggling is playing the same track on both decks, with a few beats apart, and joggle between them with fast crossfader movement.. to create an effect.. :)
If you are not dead hardcore scratch dj, the DAC3 jogs can do fine for basic scratch..
And you can do everything else (and scratch) on the Dac3 jogweels... such as nudge, browse music files.
this thread might give you a little inspiration:
http://www.virtualdj.com/forums/49853/General_Discussion/Show_us_your_gear_-_for_inspiration_and_ideas_to_others.html
Inviato Tue 20 Jun 06 @ 6:53 pm
jpboggis
Quote :
It seems that if I want to record my mixes, i have to buy ESI U46, no matter if i choose XP-10s or dac-3? My notebook has some sort of internal soundcard, but it has only headphone and mic input minijack. Can i use this one for recording? my mixer has basic rca outputs...
It seems that if I want to record my mixes, i have to buy ESI U46, no matter if i choose XP-10s or dac-3? My notebook has some sort of internal soundcard, but it has only headphone and mic input minijack. Can i use this one for recording? my mixer has basic rca outputs...
If you decide on XP10's and don't wish to buy the U46, one possibility might be a basic USB or PCMCIA soundcard that you could use in addition to the XP10's as an input for the recording.
Quote :
I mostly play radio edit versions, so when I mix, most of time I use "last beat - first beat" mix and it works quite well. Sometimes i can use intro - outro mixing when there's only drums on the other song, it works great too. Sometimes i have to use loop to make intro and outro to same lenght. These were all my mixing tricks.
I mostly play radio edit versions, so when I mix, most of time I use "last beat - first beat" mix and it works quite well. Sometimes i can use intro - outro mixing when there's only drums on the other song, it works great too. Sometimes i have to use loop to make intro and outro to same lenght. These were all my mixing tricks.
Scratching probably isn't all that important to you. I'm not into scratching, but it's sometimes fun to have a go when at home. I've tried the XP10, but found TCV far easier and can obtain better results.
Quote :
I have used to use only my mixer, mouse and keyboard shortcuts and it is good combination. But now i want to have more pro feeling. So xp-10s or dac-3 would be a good idea.
I have used to use only my mixer, mouse and keyboard shortcuts and it is good combination. But now i want to have more pro feeling. So xp-10s or dac-3 would be a good idea.
Both with DAC-3 and XP10 you can use most of VDJ's functions directly from the controller without having to touch the laptop. The DAC-3 takes this further by also showing you useful information on its LCD displays without needing to look at the laptop screen.
You can also browse files using both controllers. The XP10 has arrow keys that can be used for browser navigation. The DAC-3 has up/down buttons and the SHIFT+jogwheel can be used in my mapper for fast navigation up/down the file list.
Quote :
On my keyboard i have go-to-cue shortcuts, loop 4,8,16 shortcuts for both decks and cbg-grid moving shortcuts. I'd like to use these shortcuts on real controller.
On my keyboard i have go-to-cue shortcuts, loop 4,8,16 shortcuts for both decks and cbg-grid moving shortcuts. I'd like to use these shortcuts on real controller.
Both the XP10 and DAC-3 allow cues, loops amd FX to be triggered directly from the controller. The XP10 has a built-in mapper that can be used to re-assign any of the buttons to trigger VDJ functions. The DAC-3 presently does not have this, but will do when I have time to finish v2.0 of my DAC-3 mapper. With my current custom mapper, you will probably find that you do not need to remap the buttons anyway.
My DAC-3 mapper allows 4 direct access cues, FX #1-3, loops 1/2/4/8/16/32, manual loop in/out/exit and triggering of samples 1-10. You can adjust FX parameters directly from the DAC-3 using the jogwheels. Video features (Including auto crossfading) can also be controlled directly from the DAC-3 using my mapper.
The XP10 allows direct access to 3 cue points, FX #1-3 and 4 buttons for triggering loops.
Quote :
With keyboard shortcuts i sometimes make mistakes by pressing wrong deck buttons, ie. i press goto cue 1 or play/pause for the deck that is currently playing, thats annoying!
I think led lights/display would help with that, but also placing xp-10s on the left and right side would help me to not to make such mistakes.
With keyboard shortcuts i sometimes make mistakes by pressing wrong deck buttons, ie. i press goto cue 1 or play/pause for the deck that is currently playing, thats annoying!
I think led lights/display would help with that, but also placing xp-10s on the left and right side would help me to not to make such mistakes.
With the keyboard this is easy to do because it's not always easy to see which key you are pressing, especially in low light. Controllers such as the DAC-3 and XP10 have a more logical layout (Designed for DJ'ing, not typing!), so you are less likely to press the wrong button.
On the XP10's, the two decks are physically separate, so providing you remember which one is playing, you won't hit a button on the side that's playing. One of the problems though is the lack of indicator lights, so if you get distracted and forget which side is active, you may end up pressing a button on the wrong deck unless you double-check the laptop screen first to see which is active.
On the DAC-3,. the controls for both decks are side by side on the same controller, but it's easier to distinguish which one is currently active thanks to the lighted play/cue buttons (Very useful in low light.)
Quote :
Common problem when doing intro-outro mixing is that the beat is sightly off. I tried to use hercules jogwheels to fix it but they didn't work at all, the beat went even more off! Now i have to use mouse to drag beatline to fix it and that works ok. Is dac3's jogwheel any better than hercules mk1 jogwheels? It is not touch sensitive either so Is there any difference? How easy is fixing beats when using xp-10?
Common problem when doing intro-outro mixing is that the beat is sightly off. I tried to use hercules jogwheels to fix it but they didn't work at all, the beat went even more off! Now i have to use mouse to drag beatline to fix it and that works ok. Is dac3's jogwheel any better than hercules mk1 jogwheels? It is not touch sensitive either so Is there any difference? How easy is fixing beats when using xp-10?
Both my DAC-3 mapper and the outer rim of the XP10 jogwheel allow fine pitchbending using the jogwheel, which makes it very easy to make fine adjustments and bring the beats in sync. The DAC-3 also has standard -/+ pitchbend buttons.
You cannot adjust the CBG from the DAC-3 or XP10 (Although you could remap buttons on the XP10 to do this), but if you beatmatch either by ear or by lining up the waveform peaks, you probably won't need to do this anyway.
I've never used a DJ console, so I can't compare the two, but the DAC-3 jogwheels are free spinning and allow fine adjustments (When using my mapper.) You can also do quite effective spinbacks using the DAC-3 jogwheels, saving the need to use FX for this.
The XP10 jogwheels are larger than both the DAC-3 and DJ console, but due to the touch sensitivity are not ideal for spinbacks (Great for scratching though as previously mentioned!)
Quote :
Sometimes when i play RnB and hip hop i think i would like to try scratching, ie. scratch some sample of a song that is coming next. But i think at the parties i am playing, i could use scratching only a few times at night. Also i'm not sure if i ever learn to scratch so good i dare to use it live :) I have crossfader slope on my mixer so i can change crossfader behaviour suitable for scratching.
Sometimes when i play RnB and hip hop i think i would like to try scratching, ie. scratch some sample of a song that is coming next. But i think at the parties i am playing, i could use scratching only a few times at night. Also i'm not sure if i ever learn to scratch so good i dare to use it live :) I have crossfader slope on my mixer so i can change crossfader behaviour suitable for scratching.
You can create some very basic scratching effects with the DAC-3 jogwheel and an appropriate sample loaded to the deck or with it cued up to a suitable part of a song.
Quote :
What beatjuggling means exactly? How does it differs from scratching? I have heard that word few times but never have understood what it is.
What beatjuggling means exactly? How does it differs from scratching? I have heard that word few times but never have understood what it is.
From Wikipedia:
Beat juggling is the act of manipulating two or more identical samples (e.g. drum beats, or vocal phrases), in order to create a unique composition, using multiple turntables and one or more mixers. This can involve pauses, scratching, backspins and delays. It could be seen as fingertip sampling, and the turntable and mixer combination could be seen as an instrument from which sounds are made, from the sounds of other instruments (samples).
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_juggling)
Quote :
Generally, i hate mixing with mouse. I would like to use my fingers when mixing.
Generally, i hate mixing with mouse. I would like to use my fingers when mixing.
I've never used the mouse much myself (Apart from when testing the VDJ trial) - I switched from using CD players to VDJ, so needed the same level of external control.. I started off with timecode CD's, then moved onto XP10's (Allowing me to also control VDJ functions such as FX and loops as well as optionally use TCV alongside them) and then the DAC-3, which very closely matches the look and feel of a professional dual-CD player.
Quote :
I like the idea with xp-10s that i could stop and start record with my finger but does it help mixing at all if i don't scratch? Can i do everyting else but scratching with dac-3 jogwheels?
I like the idea with xp-10s that i could stop and start record with my finger but does it help mixing at all if i don't scratch? Can i do everyting else but scratching with dac-3 jogwheels?
You can mix just as effectively by pressing play at the appropriate time to start the music, as you would do on a normal CD player. However, if you are used to vinyl and prefer to hold and then release the 'record' to start playback, the XP10 allows this thanks to the touch sensitive platter.
With my mapper, the DAC-3 allows vinyl-style cueing of the music while paused and a fine pitchbend while the music is playing.
Quote :
Is dac-3 only good if i buy rack?
Is dac-3 only good if i buy rack?
Although it's intended to be used in a rack, it can also be used stand-alone outside of one. It has rubber feet on the bottom.
Quote :
Can you suggest any good rack for numark dxm06 mixer and dac-3? How much they cost? I would probably buy it from here (as well as everything else, except dac-3): http://www.thomann.de/thoiw2_index.html
Can you suggest any good rack for numark dxm06 mixer and dac-3? How much they cost? I would probably buy it from here (as well as everything else, except dac-3): http://www.thomann.de/thoiw2_index.html
That mixer isn't really ideal for mounting in a standard 19" rack case, but it should be possible with an adaptor kit. To determine the size of the case you would need (Available rack space), you would need to know how many rack spaces the mixer will take up when mounted (1u = 1.75 inches) - The DAC-3 is 3u. Most flightcases typically offer 8u, 10u or 12u rack space on the top, or a separate 2u/3u cd player section (You would need 3u for DAC-3) and a 4u or 6u mixer section.
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Or if i buy xp-10s, how much they suffer from putting them in the bag and carrying around all the time?
Or if i buy xp-10s, how much they suffer from putting them in the bag and carrying around all the time?
Providing the bag is padded and there is ample room for them (They don't take up much space), they will probably be OK.
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1 more question. With hercules i used to accidentally touch jogwheels while using crossfader and buttons, doest this happens
easily with dac-3 or xp-10?
1 more question. With hercules i used to accidentally touch jogwheels while using crossfader and buttons, doest this happens
easily with dac-3 or xp-10?
Because you will be using a separate mixer, this is far less likely to happen. Also, on the DAC-3, the jogwheels fine pitchbend (With my mapper), so if you did knock them by accident, it will be less audible. The layout of the DAC-3 is less cramped compared to the DJ console (Looking at pictures of it), so it's less likely you will hit other controls at the same time.
With the XP10 the two controllers are physically separate and the buttons are also reasonably spaced out, but you do have to be careful not to accidentally touch the top of the platter when pressing the buttons near this (I.e: Stops the music!) Also, you need to be careful with where you place the XP10's - Electric cables and other metal objects can interfere with the operation of the jogwheels.
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Well that's my story. Thanks for reading and sorry for consuming your time! I asked a lot of questions... But most of all, should i buy dac-3 or xp-10s? I'm REALLY confused....... :)
Well that's my story. Thanks for reading and sorry for consuming your time! I asked a lot of questions... But most of all, should i buy dac-3 or xp-10s? I'm REALLY confused....... :)
It does really depend on your preferences - If you prefer the dual-CD player style layout and/or are used to using dual-CD players, the DAC-3 would be most suitable. If you prefer separate decks and/or scratching is important, the XP10's are probably better (Plus the convenience of built-in soundcard.) The DAC-3 is better suited to rackmounting in a case than the XP10.
Ideally you could do with trying them both - This might be possible with the DAC-3 in a shop (Although you might have to use it with PCDJ :( ), but unlikely for the XP10 that can only be purchased mail order from EKS (Unless you have a friend that owns these.)
Inviato Tue 20 Jun 06 @ 7:33 pm
jaakko
Thanks Jpboggis et al! I think i go now for DAC-3. I think i don't need scratching that much. As for soundcard i think i keep my hercules mk1 for a while and replace it with esi U46 someday in the future when i get more budget :)
It's sad that one cannot remap any buttons on dac-3 yet. I hope you will finish your version 2.0 soon! Thanks for all the help.
It's sad that one cannot remap any buttons on dac-3 yet. I hope you will finish your version 2.0 soon! Thanks for all the help.
Inviato Tue 20 Jun 06 @ 9:57 pm
mp3jrick
Make sure you have svs pack 2 loaded on your machine.
Still not sure why, but it could cause dead buttons and crashes.
JBoggus did an excellent job on this mapper, it will save a loop in version 4.0, meaning if you restart the track you don't have to reset the loop, it's loaded and waiting for play already.
There are lots of adjustments including random transitions for video, print the user guide for it, it's very configurable.
Still not sure why, but it could cause dead buttons and crashes.
JBoggus did an excellent job on this mapper, it will save a loop in version 4.0, meaning if you restart the track you don't have to reset the loop, it's loaded and waiting for play already.
There are lots of adjustments including random transitions for video, print the user guide for it, it's very configurable.
Inviato Wed 21 Jun 06 @ 12:13 am