Sign In:     

Forum: General Discussion

Topic: First Night with iCDX, not impressed.... - Page: 1

This part of topic is old and might contain outdated or incorrect information

Gear:
Pair of ICDX's
Rane Empath
DJ-iO
CUE
Toshiba Laptop

I was using the American Audio CDI-500's. The players are great, used them for a couple years now. I am getting tired of lugging around CD's and I do realize that digital DJing is the future. I didn't want to loose the table top players or the "feel" of table top mixing. Thus the new purchase of listed gear.

Last weekend I used the ICDX'S as a stand alone CD player. I hate the CD driver in the ICDX'S. Could it get any louder or vibrate any more than it does!?! I have to SHOVE the CD into the player to load it correctly. The CDI's grabbed them right away and pulled the CD in, no shoving the CD in the player.
Can the plater on the ICDX's get any cheaper also!?! Why wouldn't they use the touch sensitive wheel like every other player? The push down platter to scratch is ridiculous.
What I did like is the flash memory card I loaded in back of the player with some new remixes I didn't have on cd yet. It was really cool. I didn't have a chacne to plug my I-pod so I can not give a review on that.


Once I hooked the ICDX's to the CUE software I was unimpressed. I thought the buttons on the player would match every thing in the CUE software. My biggest grip on is the platter now doesn't work to pitch bend songs, only scratch and there isn't a button on the player that is linked with the "sync" button on CUE.

I'll have to mess around with it some more and make my mind up then. Think I should of went i-Dj2 instead.

The biggest feature I love about the cue software is the real time recording and also the online broadcasting.
 
Posted Wed 12 Sep 07 @ 4:06 am
Jeremy it is great for the benefit of the VirtualDJ users that you listed your impressions here. But, I think you should post the same on the Numark Forums. This is where the Numark staff watches more closely.

I am sorry you feel so bad about the iCDX. I have one and enjoy it considerably. The default mapping of the buttons are lacking and I am sure will be improved upon in the near future (if I can ever get started on writing my mapper for it).

One note, did you try pushing the scratch button to turn off the scratch mode. I think you will find it will act like a nudge instead of a scratch. Also, for minor pitch bending the pitch bend buttons I find are pretty responsive. I have never had load problems with CDs. Yes the audio gain is underpowered, it's definitely not a Denon or Pioneer quality/level.

Again, I hope you post this on the Numark forums as well.

cstoll
 
Will do Cstroll.

I left everything hooked up in my basement. I'm heading back down tomorrow for round 2.
 
I have had my two iCDXs for six months and love them. I use them all the time and they are great. I agree it would be nice to have a sync button on the iCDX but I have grown used to my mouse for that. You will get used to the push to scratch feature, and once the platters are broken in..they are pretty nice. I have noticed ticky tackey trouble with the CD drives..but nothing to gripe about in a big way. I hope as you get used to them you will see how cool they are.
 



Button 7 turns on and off scratch mode for the jogwheel
 
Hi Jeremy G

I'm sure if you perservere with them you will end up being happy with them.

Check out this independant review http://www.skratchworx.com/reviews/icdx.php

They breifly touch up on how it takes a while to get used to the Touch Sensitve Jogs, but once you do, you are off and away!

Still... if you decide you don't want them, i'd be more than happy to give them a good home for ya :)

 
I'll work on it a little more, but I have the scratch function off and still the jog wheel doesn't let me use it as a pitch bend when using CUE. It works fine when I play a CD or mp3 file form a flash drive.


Another down side on the recording aspect I just found out. Since I am using a Rane Empath mixer it doesn't control the internal mixer, thus when I hit record, it records everything. Even when I am cueing up the next song in my head phones. I understand I can use the parameter knob on the icdx to control the internal cross fader, but what a pain in the butt.
 
digimixer wrote :
Hi Jeremy G

I'm sure if you perservere with them you will end up being happy with them.

Check out this independant review http://www.skratchworx.com/reviews/icdx.php

They breifly touch up on how it takes a while to get used to the Touch Sensitve Jogs, but once you do, you are off and away!

Still... if you decide you don't want them, i'd be more than happy to give them a good home for ya :)



I'll keep you posted... I might be selling them off. If I am staying CD, then I'll use the CDI-500's
 
Well, I have tried it the jog wheel being a nudge with CUE and it just doesn't work. Can anyone confirm it does or doesn't work on your end?
 
The outside part of the jogwheel is the pitch bend. It works fine on my end but yeah it is quite sensitive so just slight movements are fine.
 
Ok, it just works differently when connected to CUE.

With a CD in, you can spin it a lot before it grabs the track to slow it down or speed it up.
 
OK, after using these for several weeks I came to the conclusion that the positives out way the negatives. I still don't like how the pitch bend woks with the jog wheel when connected to CUE. It sounds like the pitch bend using the jog wheel is missing the key lock. I just wished it worked the same as when a CD is inserted.

It takes me a little longer to set up now. More wires, laptop stand, etc... but like I said, the positives out way the negatives.
 
Positives of Digital
- Ease of finding music
- Dont have to lug around music box
- Can carry more music
- Custom cocktail and dinner muisc play lists (don't have to burn a cd to do this now)


Negatives of Digital
- 15 minute longer setup time
- wires wires wires (usb - 2 for iCDX, 1 for DJiO, 1 for HD, Power for laptop)
- Don't like the pitch bend via jog wheel when connected to CUE. Seems to be missing the key lock feature you have via CD.
- Laptop blocks the EQ on the mixer
 
Jeremy G wrote :
but like I said, the positives out way the negatives.


Jeremy G, Well said. I have to say, it is refreshing to hear an intelligent, grown up, first impression and review. You said you were not too happy with some of the limitations, but there was no crying, blaming, yelling, or whining. You took some advice, went back and played around with it some more, and now have a different view. It may not be all that you thought it would be, but your quote above sez it all. Good Luck.
 
Glad you liked the review....

Got some pics of the new set up also.







 
Those Tower Speakers on either side are those the Bose Towers?

How do they sound - I would expect very nice.

Do you have the Sub Tucked under the table and hidden by the Table Skirt?

Very Clean Set-up BTW
 
Very impressive setup. I'm looking to have a very similar look also. Just getting my roadcase made this week to fit icdx's & nuo4.
I've been trying to find a laptop bracket holder but can get a hold of one that delivers to New Zealand.

With the wires and stuff. Can't you have a permanent usb hub for all your devices and also a permanent power supply hub part of your roadcase. That will save the hassles with too many wires being disconnected and connected.
 
DJ Marcel_1 wrote :
Those Tower Speakers on either side are those the Bose Towers?

How do they sound - I would expect very nice.

Do you have the Sub Tucked under the table and hidden by the Table Skirt?

Very Clean Set-up BTW


Thanks for the props. (Yup the tower speakers are the bose L1's)Some love the Bose some don't; I love them a lot. The sound quality is amazing and the name recognition a huge benefit with my couples and their guets.
Yup I have the subs hiding under the table. I believe it adds to the overall classy setup of the bose.

Incase your bord here are some of my setup pics from the year.
http://bose.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/867107664/m/4541065654

l_rids wrote :
Very impressive setup. I'm looking to have a very similar look also. Just getting my roadcase made this week to fit icdx's & nuo4.
I've been trying to find a laptop bracket holder but can get a hold of one that delivers to New Zealand.

With the wires and stuff. Can't you have a permanent usb hub for all your devices and also a permanent power supply hub part of your roadcase. That will save the hassles with too many wires being disconnected and connected.


Make sure you post up some pictures of the road case, I would like to see it for sure.
I am thinking about getting a coffin case with the laptop mount integrated into it. One less thing to setup and take down.

I thought about the hub idea, but I don't have any more room in the back of my case for it. Heck I can't believe I got what I have in
there now. Thanks for the ideas though.


 
I also use the bose Towers... And love them. The only thing is that its a more pure sound so you don't have the deep base. But can play outside with hardly any distortion. I love the fact that I can set up one tower for coctails in the garden / lobby and one and be inside playing to the crowd with the other. Wedding ceramonies love the setup due to the type of throw it does. You know when the wedding party has to walk a mile to get to the spot but they want you to play their music loud enough for their walk.. So usually it's uncomfortable to the crowd nearby. Not anymore!!!
 
Saturday night I was at the Hyatt by the Pittsburgh Airport and the Seattle Seahawks were in the room down the hall from us. The BOSE sound traveled so well when the doors to the wedding reception were open they were bitching about it being to loud while they were having meetings.

Opps.... Like that would have helped their game on Sunday. LOL
 
87%