I wanted to give you a closer look at my DJ set for my Live Radio show. I find that throwing out different set up options can help other DJ’s think of other possibilities for their set ups too. It just adds ideas to the pot and might encourage people to think outside the box.
My set-up often changes, but as I had a lot of new cool tracks on a USB and felt like using the CDJ, I decided to go with this set up.
I used the CDJ 900 to access these tracks on USB, enabling me to have a ‘proper mix’ (I don’t mean any disrespect by using this term, it’s just the term I give to manual beat-matching.) I also just enjoy the feel of the CDJ as a stand alone player, rather than a controller for Traktor. Using it this way also gets rid of any temptation to hit that sync button. You simply HAVE to mix by ear.
Alternative Set up Options
Whilst it may not be necessary to use this overly complex set up, I only climbed out of bed 10 minutes before the show! This didn’t give me enough time to change things around.
There are numerous ways the set up could work, I could:
- Send the Audio from the CDJ directly to a spare channel on the S4 and set it to Live Input – This would mean that if I wanted to use deck B inside of Traktor, I would need to switch the deck flavour, from Live input to Track Deck. It would also potential use up my input for my record out and mess up the broadcast path.
- Connect the USB stick to my laptop and navigate to those tracks inside of Traktor, using the S4 to control them.
- Connect the CDJ to Traktor using a USB cable and control Traktor using the Advanced HID mode on the CDJ.
Whilst there are many options one can choose, it all comes down to personal preferences.
Traktor Tips 
Thanks greaat post
Hello… quick question: what are some good streaming hosting services for someone building a small radio station?
awesome video btw
Hi – thanks – somebody sent me this the other day – http://www.radionomy.com/en/static/createradio – I havent had chance to look at it though.
Alan. Nice to have options and you have quite a few. My question for you is how do you implement your X1 into your setup? Do you use it to control decks? Also what mapping do you use for it? The default or have you customized it in any way? I am really fascinated with the versatility of this controller for may purposes. Now that I have mapped one on my own I am seeing it in a completely different light than before. I use an S2 and it is the perfect add on to compliment the S2’s 2 deck control if I need to utilize C and D. I sometimes like to drop in a vocal and having the third deck allows me added flexibility to bring in another track while this is playing.
Yes Mark, I have used the X1 in many ways, now it’s pretty much standard mapping! I have a mapping set up to use it as a main controller including volumes of track too. You have to go without some effects control, but it’s great if you just want a mini set up for those impromptu sets.
It’s taken a back seat recently though as I have been using the S4 a lot, but I think the X1 is great for bass, mid, treble and gains instead of effects. It depends on your effects usage. A real awesome set up I just thought of might be the Numark orbit for effects and the X1 fro controlling decks and volumes.