I had the chance to play with this Native Instruments Traktor controller the other day. All I can say about it is that it is very well-built and the sound quality is awesome. That being said, it is pretty heavy and twice the size of my tiny Hercules controller. Quality like this does come at a price and I am pretty sure that it ain’t cheap! But I must say that Traktor software is incredible. It does take some getting used to, and it is totally different to the Virtual DJ software that I am so used to using. The specifications are available on the Traktor website here. The controller, by itself, obviously has more buttons and controls on it than my Hercules which means better and greater functionality and options for the more discerning DJ. While I am all for simplicity, I suppose there are others who will appreciate what this controller is capable of doing. The one I was using was hooked up to a Mac Mini but the website claims that it works fine on Windows XP, Vista and 7. Maybe next time but for the time being, I am quite happy with my Hercules DJ controller.
I use a special USB cable for my Hercules DJ controller to my IBM x61 notebook. When I bought that Hercules controller, I was supplied with the afore-mentioned USB cable and all was well. However, I began to think…what happens if the supplied cable screws up? So after digging around my spare parts box, I came across another USB cable except that cable did not come with a ferrite collar like the supplied USB cable. So I went down to the local hardware cum electronics store and bought myself one.
According to Wikipedia:
Ferrite beads are used (in a way similar to inductors) as a passive low-pass filter. The geometry and electromagnetic properties of coiled wire over the ferrite bead result in a high resistive impedance (resistance) for high-frequency signals, attenuating high frequency EMI/RFI electronic noise. The energy is either reflected back up the cable, or absorbed resistively within the ferrite core and dissipated as low-level heat. Only in extreme cases will the heat be noticeable.
So in a nutshell, it prevents interference in the cable from RFI. The last thing you need is a song skipping in the ,middle of the set. So a $3 investment fixed that. Go and get one for your DJ controller USB cable now! It just might save your ass.
I do not yet have this controller but I know what I may upgrade to when my current controller goes bust. It is gonna be the Hercules DJ Console 4-Mx, the one in the picture above. Unlike the one I currently have, this one has got 4 channels instead of two and last I checked, would cost about $700 here in Singapore. Here are the specs, as taken from the Hercules website:
Large DJ station for mobile computer DJs
- 2-deck/4-deck metal DJ controller to mix 2 or 4 stereo audio tracks
- 2 stereo out (for mixing & previewing) + 2 stereo in (for analog gear)
- Mobile metal controller: a large mixer (40x25cm) with included carry bag
2 large jog wheels with touch detection
- Jog wheel size: 12cm diameter (4.7″) x 1.9cm height (0.75″)
- Weight sensors, to detect the hand’s weight on the jog wheel top
- Great for scratching and seeking within audio tracks
2-deck & 4-deck control
2 shift buttons to turn deck A into deck C, and deck B into deck D
- 2-deck for standard DJ mixes, when mixing 2 audio tracks
- 4-deck mixing: double the controls when you mix 4 tracks
VIRTUAL DJ7 LE included: 4-deck DJ mixing software
- For Windows XP/Vista/7
- For Mac OS® 10.5 & 10.6
It does not look to shabby but I am also looking at the Vestax models as well as the Numark NS6. So many choices are available here and it looks like I may face some choice issues. But the Hercules is fun and easy to use so I think I may go for that.
This was the setup of the New Years Eve gig that I did yesterday. As you can see, the Hercules controller is set up to play music and it performed faultlessly. The sound company supplied four Wharfedale Titan 12s and this was the amplifier rack containing two Aual Audio amplifiers. Mixer is the standard Yamaha 16-channel mixer. It was a good night and we had many satisfied guests. I suppose that is what matters most.
I bought this Hercules DJ Console MK4 MIDI controller today. Cost me less than $300. Pretty well-built unit for the price and performance is pretty good. You get Virtual DJ LE with this and it is more than good enough for what you may put this baby through. I hooked it up to an old Lenovo Thinkpad X61 and it was able to handle the goods. These were some issues with some MP3s but I put that down to the old computer and the dodgy USB port. I was mixing with it for a greater part of this evening. The only downside is that it does not have gain controls. But for the price, you pretty much a have a solid unit. My first foray into the digital world. Lets hope the digital world is kind to me.
I saw the DJ at a recent party I went to using this small gadget to control a laptop PC running Virtual DJ. This thing is small and I do mean small! It is selling at a very cheap price too. I heard that Hercules, the maker of this DJ controller, first came to prominence in the computer industry making sound cards and computer peripherals. There are many other companies making controllers like these but this is the first time I have seen something so small. Interesting little gadget this is.
