James Gordon
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James Gordon
ParticipantOk – so whilst rekordbox is probably creating a loop of the correct duration (e.g. 4/8/16/32 beats or bars) that loop will only stay aligned with the other track as well as you have manually beatmatched it. Test this by blending both tracks and seeing how long they stay in sync without any intervention. If you want to keep the loop going for 30secs then you’ll need to manage a beatmatched blend for that duration too (I assume you can use pitch bend on loops but haven’t tried it myself). The longer you want to keep that loop going the more you’ll have to hone your beatmatching skills…
…or use sync and spend that time adding something else to the mix. Since I started using rekordbox and my DDJRX I’ve been able to add a lot more to my mixes, e.g. looping the outgoing track and keeping some of the beats in the background then layering on a 3rd track. I’d suggest experimenting with sync if only to rule out the potential cause of your issue.
Hope this helps!
ParticipantIn my experience if you have everything set up properly the loop function in rekordbox DJ is rock solid.
My first question would be about how the tracks are drifting apart – is it the beats (e.g. galloping horses), or are the tracks still beatmatched but it is the phrases that are going apart?
Secondly, how much is rekordbox doing automatically – are you using sync or manually beatmatching yourself, is quantise switched on, are you using autoloop rather than setting the In and Out points your self.
And finally have you checked the beatgrids on the respective tracks are properly set (by using the metronome in Export mode)?
ParticipantSo to provide an update I went with the DDJ-RX (4 channel mixer as Todd said) with Rekordbox DJ and have had it for about a month now, so thought I would provide my feedback for anyone else considering this controller/software combo.
In short it is awesome and I’ve been blown away by pretty much all of the functions. Whilst I was familiar with most of them the pure usability and simplicity make this controller a joy to use. It’s so simple to use it has really expanded the possibilities of what I can do whilst DJing. The biggest change for me has been exploring the sampler and using it to layer extra percussion elements, loops and sounds over tracks/transitions – in fact I use it so much the sampler has become a 5th channel for me. Being able to sync all the samples (I’ll have 4 or more samples playing at once) with the tracks just frees up time for creativity.
The FX are fun to use, and I really like how they are split across beat, pad and colour FX. My original concern still holds in that it requires finesse to add certain FX in a subtle way, but with more practice this will go away. Another plus is the ability to adjust the FX setup to your liking, e.g. assign 1 bank of beat FX controls to the decks and the other to the sampler.
I’ve discovered a few quirks to the software and controller workflow along the way, but nothing that can’t be resolved by understanding the process or keyboard shortcuts. The only thing I really miss is knobs to control the gain on individual sample slots but maybe I’ll look at adding a additional simple midi controller.
Glad I went for the 4 channel version, even though I haven’t connected up my turntables yet, as you get a few more controls than the 2 channel DDJ-RR. It goes without saying that the build quality is topnotch and everything feels solid. I’ve had no issues with Rekordbox DJ stability, despite using a lot of CPU hungry functions on a 4 year old Vaio laptop. So far I’ve not come across any downsides with the controller or software – I’m looking forward to seeing what is on the Pioneer roadmap.
So in summary I’d definitely recommend it to others and for the time being am one happy DJ!
ParticipantThanks for the input guys – think I need to go and have another play and see if I can try some other controllers for comparison. My gut feeling is that I’ll go with the original decision but it’s good to be fully informed.
If anyone has any specific comments about the Rekordbox FX let me know!
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