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Vestax VCI 300, SSL and Serato Itch


djdiggla

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I am looking for an all-in-one DJ controller for both gigs (possibly) but more so for work/personal travel so I can practice when I am away from home.

 

I had been looking at the VCI 100 but recently read it would not really work with SSL. My understanding is the jog wheels and fader would be useless!

 

So I looked at the Numark NS7 but its WAY too big and destroys the whole purpose.

 

I saw the Manilla Ice vids on youtube with the VCI 300 and he says it great for everything from cutting to mixing. My reading up on it led me to the understanding that it uses Serato ITCH, not SSL... Kinda dumb IMO. Can I still use it (in its full glory) with SSL??? ...it seems not. Has anybody fucked with ITCH who has Serato? I really don't want to have to totally redo all my crates and all kinds of shit like that! Why can't they just make it work with SSL too?!! Argh!

 

Any other options I am missing? Is Rane coming out with a mixer/jog wheel controller?

 

Can anybody explain ITCH in conjunction with SSL to me??

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basically, itch is dj software much like traktor is. it has inbuilt eqs, faders, etc. scratch live is not designed with all in the box djing in mind, and so you have to have, at the very least, an external mixer.

 

the vci300 is a midi controller with an audio interface built into it. the whole hands on interface, ie the jog wheels, sliders, knobs, etc, aren't doing anything to the audio. they're controlling, via midi, the itch software.

 

the vci300 is designed specifically to run with itch, and so everything on the controller is logically hooked up to the software and there's no setting up or guesswork involved. the vci100 is just a standard midi controller and will work with whatever you connect it to, pretty much- although traktor is the obvious choice. you just have to set it up. there is more more scope with a vci100 and traktor for things like fx and this 'controllerism' thing than there is with the 300, because at its heart it's just a miniaturised 2deck and mixer setup- no fx or anything- but as the 300 has an audio interface built into it and is specifically twinned with itch, it's more straightforward. not only that but apparently the jog wheel is four times more precise.

 

finally, itch and scratchlive will share libraries- any setup you've done in scratchlive will immediately transfer to itch- no setting crates and cues back up :)

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Word. Thanks guys! That all makes a lot more sense now.

 

And just to make sure I am understanding this right, the 100 will not work with SSL as a substitute for decks/CDJs and a mixer right? (Nor the 300 for that matter)

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It's fair to say that SSL won't adequately work with either the 100 or 300. ITCH is a cut down SSL - designed to work hand in hand with specifically designed hardware. Don't worry that it's not SSL - it's made to act like decks and a mixer, and as the video shows, it performs incredibly well.

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  • 2 months later...

My buddy iExist using the VCI and he loves it. All his turntables do is collect dust now. Poor rane mixer needs love. I've seen him bust out some really nice cuts on the VCI as well. He's rocked a few party's with it and his whole set up fits in his back pack!!! We've come a long way from all the wax and turntables we had to carry everywhere. My poor back will never be the same.

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yeah im diggin my vci. its not the same as vinyl tho.. as im sure you already knew. you cant rely on the FEEL as you would on a record, you sorta need to pay attention to your computer screen.. the cut on the fader isnt great. but thats typical for vestax mixers IMO. from what i also read, the fader 'issue' is a firmware issue and can be updated..

 

i am impatiently awaiting updates!

 

the controller is great tho. it was quite a transition for me since i've never really worked that in depth with cue points. or any equipment outside of vinyl for djing...

 

i have a feeling the next dj controller will be nothing but platters faders and buttons -- all waiting to be customized.

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those controllers look handy man, you would of thought they could make one that emulates vinyl and still be pretty small tho.

 

its nice when theres decks set up and you can just bosh along with ur backpack, bet itd be nice with a controller to have that feeling all the time!

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those controllers look handy man, you would of thought they could make one that emulates vinyl and still be pretty small tho.

 

its nice when theres decks set up and you can just bosh along with ur backpack, bet itd be nice with a controller to have that feeling all the time!

 

 

Yeah, when Jordan says "i gotta unload" and then he shows back up with his laptop and VCI in a towel under his arm I wanna kick him in the balls! he takes that thing to work to do mixes on his breaks. Talk about "the Breaks!"

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Correct me if I'm wrong but it might be worth mentioning that scratch live doesn't support midi control of the the turntables yet, so if you want to use jogwheels to control the decks with serato you have to get the VCI-300 Itch thingumy.

 

I guess that Serato aren't rushing to add midi control of the virtual turntable rotation as they'd rather you bought itch.... they might add it at some point though. They've just added video to the SL1 after all....

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