I just picked up a Prime Go after testing it with a Rekordbox USB stick. It worked pretty well, though it had to analyze the tracks on the unit itself, which slowed me down a bit. But makes sense. After messing with Rekordbox and re-analyzing all my tracks, everything comes up in my Prime Go with messed up beat grids. Seriously? Did Pioneer screw us, again?
No XML export for Rekordbox anymore. The Engine DJ software on my Mac doesn’t seem to help at all. Is anyone successfully using the Rekordbox integration? After less than a week, I’m thinking of returning the unit, not because it’s bad, it’s very good. But since everywhere you play out requires Rekordbox now, I feel like the Prime Go is a great toy, but is too painful to use.
as a long term Serato and RB user, ive found the best solution is to do an initial upload into Engine Desktop with those software plugins then manage the library moving forward solely in Engine desktop. That is the best way to get the full experience from Prime gear, anything else is just compromise.
Running software concurrently is not difficult, just ensure your music is organised correctly on your computer.
I can understand this. Nevertheless, I decided to take my SC6000’s where I play, and swap them out with the CDJ’s. Maybe I should put them on my techrider, but I am afraid I am not a big enough name for this to work
I do come from Traktor, where I still had to connect the CDJs to my laptop, using USB. As an alround DJ which does not prepare it’s 8 hour DJ sets at all this was the only way: scrolling tracks on a CDJ2000’s screen is not an option with an extended library. Then CDJ3000’s and SC6000’s came to the market, and if I compare browsing between those devices, SC6000’s win…
Plan B could be using software like Lexicon to sync your rekordbox library to Denon?
Yep, I always prepare sets in Rekordbox and import them in engine. You always have to tweak a bit but works great. I sometimes just put my rekordbox USB in the prime and that also works great. Sometimes a little beatgrid tweak but that’s it.
Engine is not good enough for preparing sets.
Yeah, this is a no-go for me. I want to prepare all my stuff in once place and have it be right 100% of the time. That’s the point of putting in the time to get it right. No tweaking.
Engine DJ isn’t terrible, but if I can’t export that to Rekordbox format, I think I have to return this thing. Real shame, it’s such a unique piece of kit that fills a perfect niche for me. The worst part is, I’m going to end up giving Pioneer a ton of money for their gear, which I don’t really want to do. I guess that’s why they are screwing people, to get more $. Yay capitalism.
I don’t mind adjusting the beatgrid a little.
I’ve you want no adjusting I suggest a Pioneer device and rekordbox.
For me, Pioneer is overpriced and i’ll stick with Denon and do a little tweaking
Rekordbox (at least 6.7.*) does export to XML (File / Export Collection in xml format). If I read correctly, you only imported via the Prime Go unit. Did you try importing in Engine Desktop (Settings / Library / Rekordbox Library / On)? RB shows up as a tab on the left. Refresh with the circular arrow next to Rekordbox Library. Right-click on Collection and choose Import Collection. Make sure Settings / Library / Auto Analysis is OFF and it should import your grids. At least it does when I import individual playlists for tracks not already in my Engine collection.
I agree with @STU-C, “the best solution is to do an initial upload into Engine Desktop with those software plugins then manage the library moving forward solely in Engine desktop.” But, if you have a niche use for the Prime Go but mostly use RB, you could refresh the library from RB as needed (assuming the grids import correctly for you). You can also do incremental playlist imports.
I don’t disagree that the Pio gear is overpriced. And honestly, I don’t care for Pioneer gear in general. I never have. 25+ years of DJing and I’ve never owned a single piece. Hated their mixers since the DJM-500/600 days and I still do. I have been looking at the XDJ-RX3, it’s over $2000, has a slow CPU and a low-res crappy touchscreen, no wifi, no streaming options… Not appealing at all. The Prime Go is a much nicer piece of gear.
Other options: I may just get a cheap controller (no standalone) for working/playing/recording at home, with my laptop. Or, keep the Prime Go for when I can bring my own gear, and just prepare sets separately in Rekordbox for times I’m playing on other people’s gear.
Good options all around, thanks for the input.
What plugins are these? I have seen them mentioned but I’m not clear on what they are. Lexicon? Meh, I’m not going to pay $17/month for something like that.
XML export: interesting, I am going to try that. I was trying to export playlists in XML format, not my whole collection. I’ll give that a shot. So far, I have only tried using a Rekordbox USB (export playlist to USB stick), then inside Engine DJ, analyzing those tracks, I thought that would keep the unit itself from having to analyze the tracks when first loaded. The USB still works but total disaster with sync / beat grids.
I guess I’m spending my day trying to sort these issues.
I wiped my Rekordbox library and made a new one with 6 tracks. Analyzed. Added hot cues + memory cues. Exported to XML.
Imported into Engine DJ. Everything shows up fine. You can choose hot cues OR memory queues, but not both.
Beatgrids still off
I tried re-analyzing the tracks in Engine DJ, I figured this would fix the beatgrids. Nope. They seem to remain locked to the Rekordbox grids that import incorrectly. Bummer.
Sorry that didn’t work right. I imported some select playlists for tracks with variable BPM and those grids came through ok. All-in-all though, I found warping with Ableton Live to be the better solution for variable BPM. Then they grid correctly in any software in perpetuity.
Check with Mix Master G on those grids converting. If that works, please let us know. For some reason I thought the actual grids don’t export. If you look closely at the info. it says
“Cues and loops will be converted to Engine Prime with their names and colors.
D*Cu will convert key, bpm and the first beatmaker [sic] to Engine Prime.”
Nada on the grids.
OR you go with a widely supported ecosystem, which has a premium price for the gear, and has less innovation than you’d expect for that premium price.
OR you go for an ecosystem with a lower price and more innovation, but it has a much more limited spread. You must fiddle with conversion tools, or drag your gear to gigs yourself.
I don’t know why people arent just using Engine desktop as it’s intended… it’s almost like we’re in an age where folk care more about the laptop software than the actual DJ device.
I have a full time job and other commitments outside of DJing, yet I can find time to buy, organise, analyse and export music on 3 different software apps…. And that’s before accounting for the fact I still actually collect vinyl too.
Anyone selling a device they like using because they have ‘issues’ with desktop software that does pretty much the same as all other desktop software is making a poor decision imo.
Good for,you that you are still committed like this to DJing. Personnally, I only perform if there is an audience in front of me, so managing my music collection feels like work. If thats a good thing or bad thing is a completely different discussion (I still get a lot of good responses, so I must be doing something right ). But Managing my playlists in 3 different locations, no, really, not doing that… beatgrids, loops, I dont care, but my playlists is where I do spent a lot of work, and I expect them to be usable on the device I use without much hassle.
So I really understand the criticism: its not about the desktop software itself, its just because that there is no standardised format like there used to be (CD, Vinyl….). The digital DJing age segregated everything, and because Pioneer was in the right place at the right time they cemented their number one position due to this segregation. Thats not Denons fault, its Pioneers, if it is any (because even if Pioneer would make rekordbox an open format, the question still is if other brands want to use it…)
If you want to break out of this monopoly you cannot just show up with a USB stick, you have to be prepared to do a lot of library work (which you do) or drag your gear around (like I do). But in the end, I used to drag around 8 vinyl crates and 10 CD crates, for which I had to find place behind the DJ booth. Now I drag around 3 flightcases (SC6000 + x1850), for which I have to find place on the DJ booth. OK, a USB stick in rekordbox format is less work, but hell, 3 flightcases is still a big improvement over that vinyl/CD collection from back in the day…
Oh, and USB stick with just a bunch of MP3s organized in folder is just as crossplatform as a knife and fork… Its just because we want beatgrids playlists, and a lot of other goodies that we are stuck with the formats they are stored in…
My solution Johan is to use my computers folder system to organise my music, I then replicate that in the software as playlists, that way whichever software I’m using it’s a simple case of just dragging the relevant folder into it to add new music.
Eg my House folder contains house music, I then have a House playlist in RB and Engine, and a House crate in Serato, all 4 are in sync and get updated when I add new House music to that folder.
Ive heard of such systems, but what do you do if you want a “house” track from the “nillies”, which seams to be commercial enough to be deemed “peaktime”?
I have a lot of tracks appearing in multiple playlists (to have different ways to get my track-picking juices flowing), and in your system, I have to add 3 copies of the same track to get the same result? Or not?
If you notice ive got my own ‘Old-Classic House’ folder, then various other types of House… with other genres split too. I think the date of the old house goes up to about 2004/5, with anything newer just being House.
What I’ll do on the night is sort by ‘date added’ when im not using BPM, Then I can either look for my latest tracks or ones I added earlier. I get that it isnt very good for wanting the track in multiple playlists but I kind of just pick a playlist and then it stays in there, occasionally moving if I think it was defined wrong when I first bought it.
On the screenshot you can see how I have RB laid out to mirror it, Serato and Engine are identical too, so no matter what platform im on everything is the same as far as finding music goes.
I think your whole system indeed boils down to the fact that a bunch of MP3s in a folder structure is still crosscompatible. Having close to 40.000 tracks in my library and playing a large variety of styles however, I find it too limiting, and thus I sentence myself to using a proprietary library format… choices…
I agree that prepping tracks with loops and cuepoints at home is pretty much a waste of time: learnt to DJ without a loop memory, I can still do it when I need to…
). But Managing my playlists in 3 different locations, no, really, not doing that… beatgrids, loops, I dont care, but my playlists is where I do spent a lot of work, and I expect them to be usable on the device I use without much hassle.