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Any DJ's using Torq Xponent?

Q

questmcoupe

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 21, 2008
44
0
Dallas, TX
I've been a DJ for 10+ years using vinyl but lately I've been looking into going digital to do some local gigs that are already setup with A/V...all I would need is a laptop and some sort of interface. I'm really liking the Xponent from the specs and videos I've seen on YouTube. I would like to hear some people's opinions on it and maybe other suggestions.

EDIT: I'm using an iMac 2.8 24" at home but will be purchasing a MacBook or Pro...I'm thinking a Pro will work better for playing audio without interruptions...what do you guys think?

Thanks
-Joe
 
If they already have set ups, they should have Rane TTM-57SL or Scratch Live already. All you would need is your mac and install Scratch Live.

Try looking up Vestax VCI-100 or VCI-300. Since you already have tables, A Rane mixer with Scratch Live in it already, TTM-57SL, or buying the Serato box if you already like your mixer.. I have Traktor Scratch use it with my air.
 
I'm not a DJ so I have no comment on that M-Audio rig, but I do a lot of programming/performing of live computer music and I think you may want to check out MaxMSP + Ms. Pinky (http://www.cycling74.com/products/mspinky). Out of the box, Ms. Pinky lets you use vinyl records with time code information to control audio (and/or video) scratching on your computer. If you already have a pair of turntables and a mixer you will be able to do a lot more cool stuff for the money with MaxMSP + Ms. Pinky.

MaxMSP is a visual programing environment that if you master it, lets you create pretty much any live computer music software you can dream up. If you don't feel like teaching yourself MaxMSP, Ms. Pinky also comes with some premade Max patches for doing audio/video scratching so you don't need to do any of your own development.

When I said you have all the hardware you need for Ms. Pinky, that excludes a couple of things. When you are talking about doing sound out from a laptop, are you thinking of getting an external audio interface so you can go 1/4" out from your computer vs. the headphone jack? While it is another piece of gear, it will sound better, and you could use some of the money you save on the M-Audio rig if you get MaxMSP + Ms. Pinky instead. Also, you may need to get a second phono amp (I've seen a stereo phono amp with no mixing that is only a couple inches square) because of your signal flow.

[turnables+Ms.Pinky vinyl] -> [phono amp] -> [audiointerface+computer] -> [sound out goes to your DJ mixer, no phono amp needed in this stage]

I don't know if this interests you, but there is a video processing add-on for MaxMSP called Jitter (included free with student copies of MaxMSP) and Ms.Pinky + Jitter would let you get into VJing.

As far as MacBook vs. MacBook Pro it depends on two things:

1. do you want to do video DJing? I'd get the Pro if you can afford it if you do, although the new integrated graphics should be an improvement.

2. are you getting an external audio interface firewire is usually a better choice because of the way the protocol works firewire 400 > USB 2.0 for streaming audio or video (to interfaces or to HD). The one downside of firewire interfaces is since they allow for better datatransfer, you usually will get much more ins/outs in a firewire interface and for that reason they usually cost more. If you only ever need stereo in/out, USB 2.0 may be fine if you want to save some money.

Let me know if any of that doesn't make sense.
 
thevibesman said:
...to check out MaxMSP
Click to expand...

Hey I'm currently using Pure Data (made by Miller Puckett who I understand helped create MaxMSP) at University, and really enjoying it! What have you made in MaxMSP? My friends in the year above are currently using MaxMSP, but I haven't seen any of their work.

Also, on topic, I can vouch for Torq, my friend uses it with one turntable and loves it. Although the way I understand it, if you already have turntables, Serato Scratch Live would probably be better.

JC
 
vibesman, thanks a bunch for the detailed info.

I'm wanting to be more mobile meaning not have to take my tables and vinyl with me everywhere, that's really the whole reason for me wanting the Xponent.

I hadnt thought much about VJing, but that would be pretty cool to get into aswell.

As far as interfaces, I was planning on just getting a DJ interface. I was thinking of getting a Duet before I saw these other DJ interfaces, but again, that would mean I would still be moving ALL of my equipment to every gig.

Right now, I'm looking at getting the Torq system; the Vestax units seem to do about the same and from the videos I've seen of the Torq in action, I think I would be pleased.

As far as a laptop goes, I guess I'll see what comes up in the classifieds within the next couple of weeks, but I would like a Pro.

Thanks again everyone for your input.
 
If all in the one is what your looking for, Vestax VCI-300 with Serato ITCH will do the trick.

If you need to do Video DJ and staying on the Mac, Serato Video SL is your only choice. You are going to need to bring your tables and buy their mixer, TTM-57SL with Video-SL.

On the PC, since your going to have a All-In-One unit, PCDJ Vj will work.

A good website for info about controlers like these, all in ones, djtechtools.com.

Just one thing from one dj to another, know that with a All-in-one, when it is down, your done for the night. With tables and mixers, a lot of bad things have to happen to put me down for the night. I have stop using tables in the middle of night and only use the Traktor software only for the rest of the night. You been a DJ for 10+, you know that something is wrong with the computer, you can swtich to a from time coded vinyl to a regular vinyl til you figure out what is wrong. You do not get that with an all in one.
 
freak, you bring up a great point and I cringe at the thought of something happening in the middle of a show. We've all been there before but it was usually something as simple as swapping out needles or turning the amp on and off if it overheated.

I'll give this some more thought before I pull the trigger since I would need some sort of backup plan in case the computer froze or something.
 
Yeah, I know what you mean about wanting to travel light. At one point I was claiming that I liked laptopping because it was a lighter gear load than playing vibes, fender rhodes, or other physical instruments....well, that has changed and now I keep adding more and more gadgets to the master setup. I'm working on some of my own iPhone software so soon I may be back down to laptop+interface+amp (+iPhone).
 
xparaparafreakx said:
If you need to do Video DJ and staying on the Mac, Serato Video SL is your only choice. You are going to need to bring your tables and buy their mixer, TTM-57SL with Video-SL.
Click to expand...
.

Only choice other than Max/MSP/Jitter + Ms. Pinky as I described above. This software was originally for Mac and while version 5 of Max for Windows is much better than v4, from my experience being forced to teach on Windows, there are more bugs in the Windows versions.

Not only is this solution less expensive (at least from what my quick googling showed be about the Serato+Rane combination. The only thing you would need to buy other than the software (comes with timecode records) might be a phono-preamp since you need to phono-amp the timecode signal before it goes to the computer (the line-out from computer going into mixer does not need phono-amplification).

I don't DJ, but I use Max/MSP/Jitter in live performance a lot and while I have had problems during setup, I have not once had a during performance crash (during development, yes). As long as your maintain your HD and test all software/OS updates well before performance, almost all live electronic music tech problems are due to human error not software (at least as long as you are using relatively stable software).
 
questmcoupe said:
I've been a DJ for 10+ years using vinyl but lately I've been looking into going digital to do some local gigs that are already setup with A/V...all I would need is a laptop and some sort of interface. I'm really liking the Xponent from the specs and videos I've seen on YouTube. I would like to hear some people's opinions on it and maybe other suggestions.

EDIT: I'm using an iMac 2.8 24" at home but will be purchasing a MacBook or Pro...I'm thinking a Pro will work better for playing audio without interruptions...what do you guys think?

Thanks
-Joe
Click to expand...

check out serato scratch live.
im usng that along with a ttm56 2 sl1210m5gs and mbp.

its a solid setup.
the only thing that can go wrong while djing with this setup is getting a dirty needle.
the dirty needle screws up the signal and makes serato play the track with distorition.
 
DJJONES said:
check out serato scratch live.
im usng that along with a ttm56 2 sl1210m5gs and mbp.

its a solid setup.
the only thing that can go wrong while djing with this setup is getting a dirty needle.
the dirty needle screws up the signal and makes serato play the track with distorition.
Click to expand...

Any reason why your not using a TTM57SL?
 
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