Timecode for General DJing

[franke]

I've had a passion for hip-hop music for al ong tiem now, and this last year I've really wanted to DJ. Now that I have the capital to do so, I am looking and studying hard in to what to get. I really really want to use Traktor Scratch A6 and hook it up to 2 turntables and a mixer.

But not only do I want to play at parties, but I really want to incorporate my DJing in to music production more than anything. YYou never see DJ Premier, DJ Quik, DJ Jazzy Jeff, etc with a midi controller, but I Feel that may be the easiest option for multi purpose DJing... Unless my noobiness is shining through and I don't realize something.

[B.Frank]

Controllers are a legit option, especially if you want to play parties. Easy to transport and just as easy to set up. If you go for a more traditional setup it's gonna be a big pain to carry around.

Just because those guys don't use controllers doesn't make them useless. If you've ever watched an NI promo video you'd see some popular djs/producers doing some pretty impressive routines with whatever product NI is trying to sell.

[mostapha]

I really want to incorporate my DJing in to music production more than anything

Mind if I ask why? Or, more specifically, what you want to accomplish…

They don't seem like the kind of things you can really combine in a meaningful way. I must be missing something.

[Boomcie]

I think the OP means something along the lines of what DJ Premier does

[Finnish_Fox]

I think the OP means something along the lines of what DJ Premier does

Sooooo... a hip hop DJ and producer?

[franke]

^^^ yes exactly. Beats were originally made by looping parats of songs and drum breaks. Now you can use programs like reason and ableton to do them, but I always htought it'd be fun to listen to old funk, soul, and jazz albums and looping them in to beats.

But, I just purchased the NS6 Hopefully I can do these things with it.

[sephi]

Out of all the controllers out there, the NS6 is pretty nice. Let us know how it goes.

[mostapha]

Beats were originally made by looping parats of songs and drum breaks.

Absolutely. And you might get something you want out of DJing…and the NS6 is certainly not a bad option. But if you want to make beats based off sampling, you might end up happier with Maschine or an MPC. Completely different animals, though.

[KLH]

I just purchased the NS6 Hopefully I can do these things with it.

As you're looking to two both DJing and production, the NS6 should work quite well. You can use ITCH, use TTs/CDJs without a computer, and ITCH will (eventually) support the Bridge - which will provide integration between ITCH and Ableton Live.

Seems like a versatile choice to me.

-KLH

[spiz]

Get turntables. You can use the interface to record real records from them if you wish to sample. And honestly, it sounds like you kind of want them... I did when I first started and just ended up buying them down the road. You might as well get them now, and get separate equipment for production. All you really need is a daw... Keyboard / maschine / mpc are all useful in addition to this, but you can get started with just the mouse and keyboard, then get a feel for what you really want as you discover your limitations, workflow and production strengths/weeknesses...

And I really suggest splurging or waiting around to find a good deal on tables... controllers just aren't the same.