So I don't have an iPad and if I get one it will be purely for DJing. I could do with not wasting the £550 so I just want to sanity check this by you guys to be honest.
Currently I use Ableton and have mapped the features I want to a midi controller. I'm a big believer in simple mixing - straightforward transitions using minimal FX, EQ doing most of the job. Therefore I think I have a good opportunity to ditch lumbering around an expensive laptop, controller and soundcard by moving to an iPad setup with Traktor and an N.I. Z1.
So the way I look at this, I really couldn't give a rats arse about any DJ snobbery that some people have towards iPads / controllers, and I'll have the things I need:
Waveform and location within the track
Cue points
FX if I want them (probs delay the most)
Z1 covering crossfader, EQ and filters
Has anyone had good success with this setup or are the realities of it a bit more fiddly than you want?
Originally I was going to get some CDJs and Mixer so I could guarantee all the tech I need would already be in the club, but it's a shit tonne of money.
i've seen people use ipads, so it must work. give it a try, if its a purely a money thing. why not? save some cash. always a good thing right? i'm pretty sure i've seen deadmau5 use multiple ipads. and i believe one of our members, @[Only registered and activated users can see links. Click here to register] , uses one to live perform. or has used one.
honestly, i think its a bit gimicky. but for something simple and quick, suppose it makes sense. whatevs.
Whatever works for you, it's up to you. I would personally rather have the feel of even a control surface's turntables because that's comfort to me and I like to twiddle around with tactile controls as opposed to smudging around on a screen - I use a kontrol s2 that I managed to grab on sale. CDJ's are going to run you into the ground price-wise from what I've read and heard, but even a simple cheaper plastic controller would be more tactile that a touch screen.
My biggest concern would be with how much signal an iPad can push...but if you are using the sound card in the Z1 should be solid...
I agree with Boretron...touch seemed badass for production...before I got a tablet. My Nexus is great for lots of stuff, but I feel like it isn't responsive/accurate enough and I would fuck up the mix.
I have been toying with Maschine as a DJ controller in Traktor...I'm not sure I am a fan. I am thinking of just getting a plain old analog DJ mixer and using the I/O on my interface and routing the audio out of Traktor to that. I can handle using the mouse to load tracks and hit play.
Just to be clear guys, I already have a well mapped out, well gigged setup - it's more of a question of if this can replace.
It's about if the iPad is going to be a good enough / tactile enough solution for my cue points, track loading and viewing the track waveform / current playback location. A few of you have said it's filddly, but if talking about cue points as the only real time sensitive task (albeit a big one) would you change your mind?
EQ, x-fade, filters, soundcard etc all dealt with externally (either taking my soundcard and using the club mixer or a Z1, either would work for me as well used to the standard Rane / Pioneer mixer options 99% of clubs have)
Does traktor DJ come with a connector for the ipad or does the Z1 do that via it's connection to the ipad? How do you get two separate signals out from the ipad is what I'm asking.
Does traktor DJ come with a connector for the ipad or does the Z1 do that via it's connection to the ipad? How do you get two separate signals out from the ipad is what I'm asking.
Yep, Z1 interfaces directly with traktor dj via the standard USB to lightning cable. Same for my sound card (so it's either mixing within the Z1 and sending the master out to a channel on the club mixer, or using th soundcard to output 2 stereo channels into 2 channels on the club mixer and using that to mix)
Does traktor DJ come with a connector for the ipad or does the Z1 do that via it's connection to the ipad? How do you get two separate signals out from the ipad is what I'm asking.
Aside from Z1, there's also the $10 Traktor DJ cable
I can't really say I am a fan of the Traktor iPad app. The best place I've used it is during live gigs. It's really good for playing music during the intermission. You just queue a couple of tracks up and hit play on the next one near the end of the previous. But I can't even bring myself to do more than cue a track with it. Obviously with something like the Z1 it would provide a much less tap heavy method of navigating and controlling the interface.
Also, as far as I can tell there is no integration between Traktor DJ (ipad app) and Traktor Pro. When I accessed tracks on my iPad, no beat grids, hot cues etc. Of course, maybe there is a way to do this. Unfortunately, I just haven't found the tablet app compelling enough to investigate.
Then there's no remix or sample decks or decks C & D. From the looks of NI, they are slowly rolling in some of the new features from Traktor Pro (like Flux Mode). But I cannot see them ever encompassing the full Traktor Pro feature set.
Put it this way, I liken the iPad app to Traktor LE that originally came with the X1. Traktor LE was a great introduction. But without being able to upgrade to the Pro feature set I can't see it replacing my laptop any time soon.
it certainly looks great, but the lack of hitting a real button can cause slip-ups and I don't really know how bad lag can get on ipads but I'd figure it'd better to use real gear.
it certainly looks great, but the lack of hitting a real button can cause slip-ups and I don't really know how bad lag can get on ipads but I'd figure it'd better to use real gear.
This is my concern, with a button you 'know' it's happened without having to be directly looking at it. Basically, I just need to borrow an iPad and find out really...
so u launch clips from your ipad? i dont like it but hey
That's what I'm trying to work - will it be good enough!? Launching cue points needs to be rock solid, can't be needing to hit it twice and miss the beat
