Charlie Five
Is anyone else let down by the LOOPING features that VDJ has? There are so many more things that I could do with a better looping system. No I don't want to us the sampler. I want to be able to store and load loops within each track. Something similar to the cue system but able to store and jump to loops. I thought this was something that was being worked on in the past but I have not heard any talk of it for a while. Anyone who uses CDJ's or SSL no exactly what I'm talking about.
I'm limiting my creativity in my live sets by not being able to mix fast enough as I always have to create the same loops over and over. For example. I have a mix where I loop Eminem's "Two trailer park girls go round the outside..." and I scratch in Britney's - Gimme More "It's Britney Bitch" (as I think they go very well together). I don't play the whole Eminem song, just the begining loop. I mix very fast by that time and if I have to create that loop each and everytime it gets annoying by slowing everything down.
Also the GAINS...I thought something was being worked on about saving the gains. I hate that everytime I load a track I have adjust the gain. If that could just be stored I could mix faster and it would be one less thing to worry about.
Just some food for thought. Does anyone else agree with some tweaking on these issues?
I'm limiting my creativity in my live sets by not being able to mix fast enough as I always have to create the same loops over and over. For example. I have a mix where I loop Eminem's "Two trailer park girls go round the outside..." and I scratch in Britney's - Gimme More "It's Britney Bitch" (as I think they go very well together). I don't play the whole Eminem song, just the begining loop. I mix very fast by that time and if I have to create that loop each and everytime it gets annoying by slowing everything down.
Also the GAINS...I thought something was being worked on about saving the gains. I hate that everytime I load a track I have adjust the gain. If that could just be stored I could mix faster and it would be one less thing to worry about.
Just some food for thought. Does anyone else agree with some tweaking on these issues?
Posted Thu 17 Jan 08 @ 6:48 pm
J-Snip
Ahhhaaaaaa so I'm NOT the only one!
Question...do you still have 4.3r12? Do you have the looping/hot-cue issue with it or is JUST with 5.0? I'm trying to narrow this down because I don't have this issue with my 4.3r12 but do ever since v5.
Please let me know because i'm wondering if i'm the only one.
Question...do you still have 4.3r12? Do you have the looping/hot-cue issue with it or is JUST with 5.0? I'm trying to narrow this down because I don't have this issue with my 4.3r12 but do ever since v5.
Please let me know because i'm wondering if i'm the only one.
Posted Thu 17 Jan 08 @ 6:59 pm
Tear Em 'Up
Did you try using the sampler and looping from it C5?...I know White Devil uses the record loop when he mixes hip hop. He always sounds dead on too.
Posted Thu 17 Jan 08 @ 6:59 pm
DJ Marcel_1
To be accurate with the sampler you must spend some time and make sure your BPM's are correct and your CBG's are correctly lined up.
Other wise when you try to mix in the beat will be off and you'll trainreck
Other wise when you try to mix in the beat will be off and you'll trainreck
Posted Thu 17 Jan 08 @ 7:46 pm
jaakko
Very good suggestions both! Biggest problem using sampler is that it does not keep samples on tune. If you try to use this Eminem sample over other track, the sample is probably out of tune (except if the other track has exactly same BPM and key as the Eminem sample has). Talking about harmonic mixing....
There should be keylock and on all samples by default.
There should be keylock and on all samples by default.
Posted Fri 18 Jan 08 @ 3:11 am
Charlie Five
Yeah....The sampler is not even an option for me.
Posted Fri 18 Jan 08 @ 11:30 am
steve_djdawson
hmmm... it can be done, by setting two shortcuts, one to take you to a cuepoint, and the second to start the loop. adding a third and fourth on the same key for sync and play (in that order) should make you goto the cue point, loop at the default amount of beats. sync it to the other deck... and then start playing...
when you put the second shortcut to the key, it asks if you want to build up macros.
bit of a long winded workaround, but it works.
Steve.
when you put the second shortcut to the key, it asks if you want to build up macros.
bit of a long winded workaround, but it works.
Steve.
Posted Fri 18 Jan 08 @ 7:08 pm
Charlie Five
Yeah, thats pretty much how I am doing it now. Just setting up CUE points and jumping to them (live). Its just not the same though because I'm not in an official LOOP where I can pay attention to the upcoming track instead of pushing hot cues.
What about the GAINS? No one wishes that you could store the gain exactly where you want it? That way next time you loaded the track you wouldn't have to adjust it....
What about the GAINS? No one wishes that you could store the gain exactly where you want it? That way next time you loaded the track you wouldn't have to adjust it....
Posted Sat 19 Jan 08 @ 12:43 pm
spinnaJ
CHARL1E F1VE wrote :
What about the GAINS? No one wishes that you could store the gain exactly where you want it? That way next time you loaded the track you wouldn't have to adjust it....
What about the GAINS? No one wishes that you could store the gain exactly where you want it? That way next time you loaded the track you wouldn't have to adjust it....
Yeah, i totally support about the gain issue.
Posted Sat 19 Jan 08 @ 2:27 pm
Double O
The looping is also a half beat off. It loops back to the first beat immediately after the last beat. For exampl: VDJ does this 1&2&3&4loop It should be 1&2&3&4&loop Consequently, if you try mix a song into a loop, you will be out of sync after one complete loop.
OO
OO
Posted Sat 19 Jan 08 @ 2:33 pm
Rune (DJ-In-Norway)
1) Auto Gain for samples is on the to-do list
2) VDJ is also working on a new BPM engine, currently beta tested, that is a great improvement
Generally speaking, BPM is almost always dead on for my style of music already (house/dance/electro/funkmix urban), but it struggles with some of the more modern 2-step, drum-n-bass, and urban tunes...
Not so much in BPM (does that too), but even more so with the CGBs ( computer generated beatgrid).
LAST one (CGB) is used to sync loops (if you are using auto loop) and samples (beatlock).
And for any sofware, AUTO features needs a perfect analyze of the song (BPM/CGB's).
One can of course be a "real" dj and loop manually ;) (I'm a bit joking now, but its true though..hehe)... But on the serious note, AUTO features need perfect BPM/CGBs... and where songs dont have that you need to do so manually.
There will always be improvements made in the software to make both better, but there will never be a time where any software can get ALL songs correct (its not a human ear) ;)
So, at times, one have to be a real dj, regardless of what one use (auto hardware bpm in cd players etc are off often too.. )
:)
Posted Sat 19 Jan 08 @ 2:38 pm
steve_djdawson
it sounds like you may have misunderstood my way of doing it as mine takes you into a proper loop.
My method will take you to the Cue point, then sync, loop AND play, without you having to keep pressing the hot cue button.
One key press should be all you need, I tested this and it works rather well, so much so that I may start using this technique to speed me up some. :)
My shortcut list looks a bit like this for setting this up:
[Z] goto_cue(#)
[Z] sync
[Z] play_and_loop(8)
My method will take you to the Cue point, then sync, loop AND play, without you having to keep pressing the hot cue button.
One key press should be all you need, I tested this and it works rather well, so much so that I may start using this technique to speed me up some. :)
My shortcut list looks a bit like this for setting this up:
[Z] goto_cue(#)
[Z] sync
[Z] play_and_loop(8)
Posted Sat 19 Jan 08 @ 3:34 pm
Dj Xeo
there is a setting under gain to do exactly what youre askin, if you load a new song it plays at the default gain (as set in the MP3) and if its been played before it uses what you had it set to last.
Posted Sat 19 Jan 08 @ 8:41 pm
sjursjur
agree about the loop thing. When it comes to the sampler, there should definetively be a manual bpm adjustment knob/slider for each channel, because not all songs are dead on beatwise all the way through. Even electronic music made partly from analogue devices have some drift in bpm (Daft Punk for instance). If we have to rely soley on the beatgrid we are severly limited and handicapped when things starts to trainwreck.
been asking for this for a couple of years... seems like such an easy feature to add - I mean the pitch-function is allready there, just not the manual option.
been asking for this for a couple of years... seems like such an easy feature to add - I mean the pitch-function is allready there, just not the manual option.
Posted Sun 20 Jan 08 @ 10:53 am
Dj Xeo
a separate pitch slider for each sample? do me a favour..............
every sampler out there relies on having an accurate bpm
it think the biggest problem is not a wrong bpm but a slight drift in the grid, for example when a song doesnt have a TOTALY constant BPM it can only be in phase for part of the song.
there is a way to resolve this without 12 separare pitch sliders :S (oh my god that was a bad idea, no offence)
at the moment the sampler does two things
- the pitch of the loops are set to match the song automaticly (so they are a matching BPM) and will stay in time with the song
- the 'beatlock' makes sure that the sample is played at the correct moment
its only this last point that messes up samples used on songs with an out of phase CBG but correct BPM.
at the moment we have quantization (they call it 'sync') for 1 beat, half beat and quarter beat. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantization
if we had an additional option for no quantization then the sample would play the INSTANT you pressed it and at the START of the sample not mess you up trying to sync to a CBG that is wrong!
been asking for this for a while so i hope people are getting it this time through?
every sampler out there relies on having an accurate bpm
it think the biggest problem is not a wrong bpm but a slight drift in the grid, for example when a song doesnt have a TOTALY constant BPM it can only be in phase for part of the song.
there is a way to resolve this without 12 separare pitch sliders :S (oh my god that was a bad idea, no offence)
at the moment the sampler does two things
- the pitch of the loops are set to match the song automaticly (so they are a matching BPM) and will stay in time with the song
- the 'beatlock' makes sure that the sample is played at the correct moment
its only this last point that messes up samples used on songs with an out of phase CBG but correct BPM.
at the moment we have quantization (they call it 'sync') for 1 beat, half beat and quarter beat. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantization
if we had an additional option for no quantization then the sample would play the INSTANT you pressed it and at the START of the sample not mess you up trying to sync to a CBG that is wrong!
been asking for this for a while so i hope people are getting it this time through?
Posted Sun 20 Jan 08 @ 7:05 pm
santd
Deckadance can keep loop/samples in time with the music. They use a master keylock. They even have a master tempo for the decks and samplers to lock on to.
I wish I could take all the DJ software I own and make one perfect product.
I wish I could take all the DJ software I own and make one perfect product.
Posted Mon 21 Jan 08 @ 11:12 am
sjursjur
Dj Xeo wrote :
a separate pitch slider for each sample? do me a favour..............
there is a way to resolve this without 12 separare pitch sliders :S (oh my god that was a bad idea, no offence)
there is a way to resolve this without 12 separare pitch sliders :S (oh my god that was a bad idea, no offence)
Uhm... I don't see why it would be such a terrible idea. You don't have to use it if you don't want to. It's probably a very easy feature to add and if you are worried about a slider taking up space in a skin, well it doesn't really matter how the feature looks... it could be a slider, a knob or nothing but a bpm-indicator.
Anyway I was a little hasty when I wrote my previous post. One manual bpm control for the entire sampler (and not all twelve channels) is probably more than enough anyways, but being locked to the auto-feature makes the sampler a lot less flexible than it could (easily) be.
For instance: when using tcv the active deck changes when you cue or nudge one of the turntables, which means you cant scratch while a samle is playing, beacause then the active deck changes as well, and you end up scratching the sample... So basically we should at least be able to choose deck the sampler should get it's BPM from (and that shouldn't nececarily be the active deck).
Having the option to nudge the sampler would not be a bad idea either... imo
Posted Mon 21 Jan 08 @ 2:21 pm
Charlie Five
dj-in-norway wrote :
One can of course be a "real" dj and loop manually ;) (I'm a bit joking now, but its true though..hehe)... But on the serious note, AUTO features need perfect BPM/CGBs... and where songs dont have that you need to do so manually.
One can of course be a "real" dj and loop manually ;) (I'm a bit joking now, but its true though..hehe)... But on the serious note, AUTO features need perfect BPM/CGBs... and where songs dont have that you need to do so manually.
Yeah I'm not talking about a loop being created for me, I'm talking about me creating a loop (as we currently can) and having to ability to SAVE it and ACCESS it anytime that track is playing. Just as I would with a hot cue but instead in jumps right into the loop.
Posted Mon 21 Jan 08 @ 5:36 pm
KEVWEBNY
charlie five why dont u just make your own track - just record the emenin loop and then mix or scratch the britney track
Posted Mon 21 Jan 08 @ 7:10 pm
Tear Em 'Up
KEVWEBNY wrote :
charlie five why dont u just make your own track - just record the emenin loop and then mix or scratch the britney track
I could be wrong..but C5 was using that as an example..he wants to loop and scratch and blend on the fly...is what I got from his he described.
Posted Mon 21 Jan 08 @ 7:15 pm
