Advice for a Fun and Portable Hybrid Traktor Setup

gustavjung

Hi everyone,

I'm a beginner hobbyist DJ looking to upgrade my setup for more fun and portability. Here's my current situation and goals:

• Current Setup: DDJ-400
• Goals:
  1. Add more fun and experimentation to my mixes.
  2. Create a portable setup for outdoor gigs, like playing by the sea or in nature.
  3. I am OK to have less portability but more creativity at home, but still be able to have a portable setup for outdoors if I leave 1 piece of hardware at home for example.

Background

I have experience in music production with Logic Pro and some past DJing with Traktor. I recently rediscovered Traktor's features (remix deck, step sequencer, etc.) and want to integrate them into my setup. Currently, I'm using a basic mapping for DDJ-400 to control Traktor but feel limited.

What I'm Considering

• Additional Hardware:
  • Traktor X1 Mk3 (not sure if it will be convenient to control deck faders using knobs)
  • Allen & Heath K2
  • Traktor Z1 (do I really need it if I have DDJ400)
  • Arturia BEATSTEP (Can be used for remix deck and effects)
  • Akai LPD8 (I guess control if effects will be still limited)
  • F1 (already ordered, will compare it's convenience with Touch OSC)
• Software: Touch OSC on iPad with 2 dedicated mappings available for Remix deck & Effects.

Option of a setup:

1. F1 and TouchOSC:
   • Cost: €100
   • TouchOSC with dedicated mappings for RemixDeck and effects
   • (F1 already ordered)
2. K2 and iPad with TouchOSC:
   • Cost: €200 (used K2)
3. X1 MK3 and TouchOSC:
   • Cost: €250 (X1 MK3 on sale)
4. Z1, F1, and LPD8 or Beatstep:
   • Cost: €330 (Z1 for €150, F1 for €100, LPD8 or Beatstep for €80)
   • (F1 already ordered)
5. X1 MK3 and F1:
   • Cost: €350
6. K2, F1, and LPD8 or Beatstep:
   • Cost: €380

Needs

1. Additional Channels: I need at least two more channels for tracks and remix deck.
2. Remix Deck and Step Sequencer: Full control over these features.
3. Effects Control: Full control over effects for three decks to enhance creativity.

Specific Questions

1. Using Allen & Heath K2:
   • How convenient is it to use one K2 to control 2 decks, remix deck, step sequencer, and effects?
   • Is it practical to switch between these controls on one piece of hardware, or is it cumbersome?
2. F1 questions:
   • Can F1 be used for both deck control and remix subchannels? Or us it cumbersome?
   • What features Touch OSC will cover best of all to substitute a hardware. Theoretically, it substitutes F1 completely.

Question

Given my goals and the equipment I'm considering, what would you recommend for a fun, affordable, and portable DJ setup? Any advice on specific hardware or combinations that work well with Traktor would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance for your help!Hi everyone,

pARty_bOy

Hi! with a F1 you can control a Remix Deck(a/b/c/d), play and copy/edit samples on the remix deck from the decks and whatever more, and you can switch to Midi Mode/ User Map and control 2 decks A and B, check the manual for details

https://www.native-instruments.com/fileadmin/ni_media/downloads/manuals/traktor/traktor_kontrol_f1_manual_english.pdf