IMO the DJ should be the one deciding when the track starts, not the equipment.
When I press cue, I want it to react to what I’m doing, not to be controlled by the beat grid etc.
I encountered something earlier today when I was using Ableton Link from VDJ to my Maschine+. For some reason the left deck cue was not reacting every time I pressed it. Put me right off! I found myself unable to bring the track in on beat. I ended up turning Link off, completing the mix then putting it back on again.
Sync is for setting the tempo of the tracks, not for compensating for inability to hit the cue on time.
I didn’t ask the question. I just said what is important in professional environment. Part of it is predictable behaviour of the dj gear, and cue was and should never be sync dependant.
This goes for all types of sync.
Options are great but I would never in a million years want the CUE button quantised as a main feature, even though I use sync and quantise often. It would have to be a menu option. Most gear/software that I’ve used doesn’t do it so it would feel strange, almost ‘robotic’ if it did. If every bit of DJ kit did it then I’d agree but it doesn’t. SYNC synchronises the play/launch buttons. CUE isn’t quantised as it isn’t a true play button. It is a reminder… a “cue” or marker (which is a marker at the point of playback). In Traktor, the CUP button is CUE+PLAY (what you want). This needs to be a feature request.
If needed I’ll tap freely on the CUE button to my own timing just like I always have done in Serato DJ. I expect the track to only lock the beat when PLAY is pressed. I’ve only known Traktor to have this quantised CUE/CUP PLAY button? I remember it when I had my old Kontrol S8.
The Traktor CUP feature isn’t quite the standard way. The true purpose of the CUE button is to stop the playing track and return it to its initial cue point (or to set a new initial cue point). It can also be held down to temporarily play the track when paused (which is what you use it for). There are eight hot cues that are quantised to play with and will do an excellent job. Hitting that CUE button repeatedly isn’t recommended as it’s not a performance button. Those hot cue pads will stand up much better than those transport buttons ever will! They are rubberised and they feel good when performing and hitting over and over agin.
From the manual:
Cue: During playback, press this button to return the track to the initial cue point and stop playback. (To move the initial cue point, make sure the track is paused, move the platter to place the audio playhead at the desired location, and then press this button.) If the deck is paused, press and hold this button to temporarily play the track from the initial cue point. Release the button to return the track to the initial cue point and pause it. To continue playback without returning to the initial cue point, press and hold this button and then press and hold the Play button, and then release both buttons.
As you can see from the post above, four out of five software choices don’t work this way so unfortunately I can’t join you on this.
Of course, it is always better if it is optional to use or not any feature. And I already know all you exposed on your answer.
I prefer the Traktor way and have CUE sync’ed. On almost ten years using Traktor I rarely used CUP on traktor, always CUE and PLAY. Maybe you feel it some “robotic”, but I feel more accurate. And I always have option to deactivate Sync if a want a more human touch.
I agree on you about CUE is a marker but if I have BEAT or BAR Sync activated any process involves track play imo should keep sync On.
I believe it isnt by default. And it doenst turn off sync either (Denon does): CUE being quantized or not is more a function of the sync that immediatly kicks in when playing 2 tracks together…
However, in Traktor CUE can be quantized, which is also the reason I never turn quantize on in Traktor: I can repeatedly pess CUE in for example 8th notes, and when I finally keep CUE pressed, sync will make sure the beatgrids align. Then pressing play while still holding CUE allows me to release CUE. Works that way on both Pioneer and Traktor, as far as I can remember…
I was shocked to see that the dimensions of the ‘Prime 4’ very closely match the ‘RX3’. It’s just funny to me that the ‘RX3’ is touted as the less-featured, albeit more mobile friendly alternative to the ‘XZ’. Yet, the ‘Prime 4’ exceeds the ‘XZ’s’ feature set, and still manages to be mobile friendly.
Aww man, it really is a shame that the mind share is still totally in Pioneer’s corner. They sure as shite don’t deserve it anymore. Release inferior products, yet peeps are falling all over themselves to blow all their money buying their products. If Denon had pressure sensitive platters & smart playlists, Pioneer wouldn’t have a leg to stand on anymore.
I bought the original CDJ-800 and remember getting loads of abuse from people about not real DJing… funny thing is they all want to use Pioneer now and I got a massive head start on all the tricks and techniques you can do with them.
I’m indifferent. However, I have some friends that absolutely refuse to use anything but pressure sensitive platters. I understand why. I don’t often scratch, so it doesn’t make a difference to me. But, if I did, I would prefer the pressure sensitive platters to those that are static sensitive. And frankly, as far as reliability is concerned, static sensitive are loaded with issues. Hell, something as simple as the power leads not being adequately grounded can throw static sensitive platters into a frenzy.
Ive had capacitive jogs on a controller for over 6 years now and never known them to be anything but reliable… but I don’t scratch just use them for cueing etc so maybe that experience is different.
