Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol X1 USB DJ Controller

by Joe Wallace

I use Traktor in my studio as a sort of hybrid recording tool as well as DJ mixer. I like to pull samples from my own music, mash them up, resample and resequence them to create freakish new music out of my back catalog of weirdness.

I have a Numark Total DJ USB controller that I could use in all this, but I’m lazy and just mash the buttons on the Mac instead. But this Traktor controller could get me back off the laptop keyboard. I don’t own one…yet.

The Traktor Kontrol X1 USB DJ controller is right up my alley for one important reason–there are NO SCRATCHING CONTROLS on this thing. It’s purely for controlling the effects, the settings, the triggers, volume, etc.

This is bewildering to some of my DJ friends. But I cut my DJ teeth in FM radio where controls set up like this were in wide use–it’s a familiar configuration that has the linear approach the Numark Total DJ setup doesn’t.

Maybe it’s MY DAMAGE–I just like that vertical configuration better. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the Numark…but it doesn’t make sense to my FM radio-trained DJ hands the way this one would.

Call me a wingnut. After all, you can get used to any gear setup if you play with it long enough. This just appeals to my aesthetics more, that’s all. I will say this though—I still don’t DJ exclusively in the digital realm. That’s one of the reasons why I like this configuration–I’m using three technologies at once, and the setup on the Traktor Kontrol conforms to the other stuff in my setup. When I buy this, rest assured there will be a test-drive here…

Numark Total Control MIDI DJ Mixer

I purchased the Numark Total Control MIDI DJ mixer to see whether MIDI would work for me in my studio setup. Turntabling is all about the vinyl, but I had some ideas for some bizarre dub experiments with high quality MP3s and lots of echo/reverb effects…and I must say, in spite of my early reservations, the Numark Total Control mixer did the trick, and then some.

According to the Numark hype for this DJ control surface, the unit’s 31 buttons, 20 knobs and 5 faders, “send MIDI data from the controller to your DJ software of choice” which in my case was an upgraded version of the included Numark Cue LE. If you purchase the Numark Total Control DJ mixer, I strongly suggest getting the CUE upgrade or better yet, paying for the upgraded Traktor software (a lite version comes with the Numark Total Control).

For new DJs, the most valuable thing about the Numark, aside from the tricks you can pull with the effects that are found in the upgraded versions of Traktor or Numark Cue software packages, is the fact that this DJ mixer is USB powered.

No, you can’t plug your iPhone into it, and you need the laptop and software to make the mixer work. But if you have a collection of high-quality MP3s (hopefully that you ripped from your vinyl collection, heh) encoded at good rates, this makes for a nice compact setup.

In the studio, I personally prefer a combination of vinyl, CD, and digital files, plus the hardware to run in case my computer setup chooses to crap out on me that day. I don’t gig with the Numark Total Control–there’s nothing at all wrong with it, just my personal preference. I’m a bit more old-school, I suppose, and I like the reliability of hardware….but if you want to go all-digital on a budget you could do a HELL of a lot worse than this. It’s a great starter kit for new DJs learning the ins and outs of spinning and earning money from it.

Mackie D4 Mixer

Once upon a time I edited and wrote features for a website called Gearwire.com. One of those features was on the Mackie D4 DJ production console. I talked on camera with Mackie rep Ronnal Ives, AKA DJ Buttnaked, about the Mackie D4 at a music industry trade show, NAMM 2007. Revisiting that video now (where the D4 was featured in a demo of  Mackie’s Traktion3 software),  I am tempted to pick up the D4 to integrate into my setup for Paisley Babylon, which goes back and forth between straight music production/performance and DJ sets.

The D4 connects to your Mac or PC via firewire, features Onyx mic pres, XLR outs, and sports four stereo program channels for your CD player, turntable, and FireWire inputs. The turntable inputs have Mackie-designed pres. It also comes with Traktion 3 software.

I’d love to hear from anyone who owns and uses the Mackie D4–drop a comment and let me know how you like it.
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DJ Skills: Mixing and Scratching

As much as I believe you can’t really impart what it takes to be a good DJ from a book, there are some people who insist that books like DJ Skils: Mixing and Scratching are helpful and useful to beginners. So while I can recommend a book like this to newcomers, I do so with the caveat that you really need to get some time behind the decks to learn the basics in practice, not just theory.

With that in mind, this book IS getting rave reviews. You have to recognize the ambition of a book that starts off discussing the earliest record player including the 1857 French invention of the phonoautograph and Edison’s 1877 invention of the wax cylinder phonograph.
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Numark Total Computer DJ in a Box

Aspiring latop DJs, take note…here’s a complete solution from controller to soundsystem interface--AND it’s priced to move. This starter kit is simple to learn–the Numark Total Control mixer is simple to learn. It uses Traktor LE, which is really all you need to get started learning the ropes. That said, be prepared to fork over the cash to upgrade to a full version of Traktor, as you’ll want the extra tools once you’ve mastered the basics.

I can’t vouch for the quality or lack thereof when it comes to the headphones–I only use Sony or Sennheisers. The DJ i/o box is designed to get your signal from the laptop or desktop (shudder) to a mixing board or PA system.

Your signal is run through RCA jacks into the soundboard…don’t expect XLRs out of this package, but again for those getting their feet wet in the DJ world (or DJ podcasting ) this is a nice compact package.

I strongly recommend you use a backup system including CDs and vinyl in case your computer setup tanks for any reason—including system crashes, hard drive failure and other gremlins that can jack up a gig. The Numark Total Computer DJ in a Box itself is quite reliable from my experience with the gear, but your computer’s hard drive may be another story. Don’t rely only on MP3s to get the job done, new DJs…you’ll live to regret it.