[linux-audio-user] Re: dj-ing hardware under Linux

[Loki Davison]

On 3/10/06, Paul Winkler <pw_lists at slinkp.com> wrote:
> On Thu, Mar 09, 2006 at 10:08:12PM -0500, Paul Davis wrote:
> > On Fri, 2006-03-10 at 11:40 +1100, Loki Davison wrote:
> > > actually feels like real equipment. Though really, YOU NEED A MIXER.
> > > No, you can't use one in a program. No. You can't. End of story. No
> > > mixer, in any software allows you to cue properly (listen to track not
> > > currently going to master in headphones) or have nice smooth
> > > eq/levels.
> >
> > with all due respect, although you might not consider it the right tool
> > for the task, ardour will allow precisely that, and via h/w control if
> > you want it. you just need an audio interface with at least 4 outs.
>
> I think it's largely a matter of physical UI. DJ mixers are really not
> complicated, but they are very well suited to the job they do. The one
> key feature is the crossfader.  Without that, forget it.
> Ardour is of course more than flexible enough, but that's almost
> irrelevant.
>

Truthfully, the crossfader thing is a myth. About the ui you are
totally right though. In my now 6 years of djing i have never used a
crossfader for a single mix, same as nearly all djs in my genres.
However, nice smooth transitions are not possible without  nice faders
or knobs. If you had ardour connected up to some nice, long, smooth
midi faders (with enough resolution) or nice knobs it could do the job
well. I really mean you need something with hardware. The herc
consoles look like crap plastic. Good cue mixing (easy to change FAST)
smooth eqs and variable slope (if scratching and mixing) make this
quite a challenging collection of knobs required. So either lots of
expensive midi hardware or a tool actually for the job.

My mixer is actually a turntablist mixer and looks like 
http://www.ecler.es/download/img_general_hak320.jpg
but many djs dream mixer and certainly mine has no faders or crossfader at all.
http://aes.harmony-central.com/113AES/Content/Allen_Heath/PR/Xone-V6-large.jpg
mmm oh so sexy. ;-) The new urei is also without a crossfader and it's
forbare was one of the most famous mixers ever.
http://namm.harmony-central.com/WNAMM05/Content/Soundcraft/PR/UREI-1620LE-lg.jpg

Loki