Xone: DB2 Thread
Xone: DB2 Thread Posted on: 30.09.2011 by Romelia Stankard I believe it might be time for me to ditch my NI Kontrollers and get back to my Xonetacular heritage.I wonder how much a DB4 and two K2s will set me back. This thing look perfect. http://www.allen-heath.com/uk/Produc...eDB2&SubCatId= Twin DSP FX Engines :: Massive FX Library XoneB2 has more than 50 FX presets divided into 5 FX types: Delays/loopers, Reverbs, Resonance, M odulation and Damage. These are studio grade FX | |
| Romelia Stankard 05.11.2011 | firmware update went through with a new flash drive, problem still persists so looks like it is going back |
| Cliff Lohman 05.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by tomflynn
I ran same tests on db4 and the results were exactly as expected. I wont post those vids unless pioneers enrages me further by telling me that my issue is my own fault or something like that. But ya.. stay away from the djm900 at least until they sort their issues out (or just come out with a new mixer that fixes the issues and call it the djm 900a thus screwing all the nexus owners). The ONLY thing it has going for it is scratch cert which is absolutely amazing because it cant even midi sync properly to traktor (see video 3, 4 + 5 on youtube). |
| Romelia Stankard 05.11.2011 | Yeah its prob not even worth worrying about firmware this is a hardware issue |
| Cliff Lohman 05.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by Xonetacular
1. try a different brand usb drive (i know u used 2 but were they the same brand?) - ive seen certain dj gear just refuse to work with certain usb drives yet work perfectly find with others. 2. to test the usb drive compatibility - try to SAVE SETTINGS from your mixer to the usb drive and see if that works. This would either prove or disprove #1 above as potential cause. 3. Check the version of the current firmware? Its not already updated is it? 4. Did you try the mixer setting reset via the menu? And then try the firmware update right after that? 5. In the manual - on the firmware upgrade page - it talks about some method of basically getting the mixer out of a frozen firmware upgrade. While power is OFF - hold down MENU button and turn power ON while continuing to hold the MENU button. Now Im not sure what this actually does so maybe Mixarchitekt can chime in on this. Nonetheless, I cant see it doing anything that would make things any worse than they currently are. Good luck man.. and press proaudiostar to spring for fast shipping!! im pretty sure theyll do it if ur persistent (they may just do it without even having to hassle). |
| Romelia Stankard 05.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by kevz718
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| Cliff Lohman 05.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by Xonetacular
Perhaps you can take a video of the exact steps you go thru to update firmware showing the files, etc? It seems bizarre that this wouldnt work. It was one of the more simpler firmware update methods I've seen on dj products. I'll be around and can try to help for at least another 2 hours. |
| Romelia Stankard 05.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by mix architekt
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| Brant Briski 06.11.2011 | is the firmware in a folder? it should just be the file on the root level of the drive. |
| Romelia Stankard 06.11.2011 | I tried updating db4 firmware form two fresh formatted fat 32 flash drives and both the db4 could not find the file |
| Cliff Lohman 06.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by Xonetacular
fyi, i bought mine from them too as they are in my neighborhood + give really great deals on gear. It was at my doorstep 2 days after purchase with their standard shipping. I believe it shipped from michigan or something like that. So even with standard shipping, u should be able to send it back + receive one within a week. Just make sure they understand that u dont want to be waiting for them to inspect the unit, etc. You should simply get a brand new, different one. |
| Romelia Stankard 06.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by mix architekt
from what i have done with this thing it is incredible. I did the reset on the mixer and i'll try the firmware update |
| Brant Briski 05.11.2011 | xonetacular - give AM&S a call, as well as the people you bought it from and tell them your situation. you shouldn't have to suffer for their stock issue. also, did you try the reset and the firmware update? |
| Cliff Lohman 05.11.2011 | by the way - i have to say that the db4 has an AMAZING bpm detection algorithm in use. At the moment - i have the djm 900 and the db4 sitting side-by-side and im doing comparisons (as I mentioned the bpm problem on the djm900 and the lack of pioneer to recognize my problem finalized my move to the db4). Im sending vids to pioneer to see if they will actually do anything about it or whether they'll just keep not responding to me. Wont have both mixers for much longer so if anybody is curious about any comparisons, let me know and ill try to do it. My buddy is going to buy the djm900 in a week or two when he gets some cash so I got a little while with them both. The sound difference is VERY VERY noticeable - the db4 has some special sauce when it comes to sound warmth. Usually, I dont notice big sound differences like some folks who notice differences in 256 vs 192 mp3s, etc etc. But Im using the exact same tracks and there is a HUGE difference. You can hear things going on in a track when played on the db4 that you cant hear on a pioneer. Its kind of crazy.. |
| Romelia Stankard 05.11.2011 | I really hope so I'll try |
| Cliff Lohman 05.11.2011 | id bitch at the dealer to cover a faster shipping option.. realistically, if u ship today using 2 day UPS (which isnt that much more expensive in the grand scheme for the dealer) and 2 day UPS to ship back - then u have it by end of next week. If they really wanted to show u customer service, they could do 1 day shipping and u have a new one on wed. But overevening is pretty expensive so meet them in the middle and ask for 2 day |
| Romelia Stankard 05.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by kevz718
oh well, it has got me excited to get a working one this thing is a beast if it worked right. |
| Brant Briski 05.11.2011 | is this happening with headphones connected or only with external speakers? you can try to do a full reset of the mixer via the menu, and also update the firmware with the latest version from the xone website. if those two things to not remedy the situation, you should contact your dealer immediately and have them arrange an immediate exchange. if they are giving you grief get in touch with the distributor for the states, american music & sound: http://www.americanmusicandsound.com/ contact me directly though the mixarchitekt site for anything else. |
| Cliff Lohman 05.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by Xonetacular
u did just receive it a few days ago right? im pissed off for u lol - return it and demand a refund and buy a new one so u get it in a few days if they insist on a 2-3 week turnaround.. |
| Romelia Stankard 05.11.2011 | I just hope the quality control is better on the db2 than the db4 I just got my db4 and am having issues. see here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l5AE4Am-R8 someone else on here who ordered a db4 got a complete brick last week so this isn't isolated from playing with it for a little bit this mixer is incredible, if only I got a fully working unit. Now I have to send it back and wait for a new one so this is gong to be a whole new 2-3 week process to get a working unit which really fucking sucks. |
| Audrey Pinda 04.11.2011 | This mixer makes me want to sell my soul. Esp. with the whole X-link business. |
| Cliff Lohman 04.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by fullenglishpint
i gotta say that pioneer + A&H both have my respect as far as mixers go (at least their flagship mixers).. they are just different animals and it comes down to preference. Maybe sound quality - A&H has an objective win over pio but everything else is subjective in my opinion. i absolutely KNOW theres going to be things from my pio that i will miss.. for example - the roll feature on the pioneer i believe is more flexible than db4.. it is so dam easy to layer a roll over the current track and take it in and out in seconds. I know A+H can do it similarly by routing the roll to another channel + then blending the 2 channels but not quite as quick-trigger. And post-fader fx of course. I also believe the simplicity of their color efx are cool when used right tho some people seem to believe they are unuseable/cliche/whatever (I disagree - theres a ton of combos you can use to make them sound unique). The touchstrip triggering turned out to be pretty dam sweet too (I kind of thought it would be a gimmicky thing that wouldnt get much use). That said, I believe im just looking for something new to spend my time learning and the DB4 has alot to learn about it. I had a djm700 for years and the 900 just wasnt different enough - tho I knew that going into the purchase - basically a djm800 w/ a soundcard + a touchstrip + a few new efx as far as traktor users are concerned. I believe where the djm900 DOES provide a good bit more functionality is when used with cdj2000s + rekordbox. They complement each other very well but I'm just too used to traktor to try to switch to rekordbox. I just believe that A+H has a better chance of making this a new flagship product that gets better and better and better over time keeping it fresh + fun. Whereas Im pretty sure that pio will stop making any updates and put a new flagship mixer out in a year that will be souped up further. Anyways, that's it for my thread hi-jack / pio A+H self-debate... back to the A+H product which is bad-ass! |
| Romelia Stankard 03.11.2011 | mmmmm my DB4 comes tomorrow I just hope they eventually scratch certify this thing, maybe if the DB2 gets it the DB4 will. I hope. |
| Tatum Ansaldo 03.11.2011 | I really don't believe using an external sound card will affect your sound quality noticeably. I dream of having a DB4, but right now it's a DJM-800. |
| Cliff Lohman 03.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by fullenglishpint
Dont get me wrong, it works and is manageable but theres a noticeable feeling of inaccuracy when trying to use the jogs in particular. I just set it up yesterday so maybe i need to tweak it somehow.. Are u on a db4 with ssl? If so, whats sound quality like? Im tempted to start using ssl again as i find that im not taking much advantage of traktors internal features outside of maybe one or two effects. But now that im going with the db4, im concerned that the sound quality may suffer if i go thru the ssl box. I believe i have the sl3 or 4 laying around so maybe ill do some tests. Mixarchitekt - what r ur thoughts on going thru an sl4 with db4? Wasted sound quality? Thnx |
| Cliff Lohman 03.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by mix architekt
Interesting that u remove the xfader completely.. U mean pull off the cap or literally remove it from the inside? Dont believe id have the guts to do that on a 2k dollar mixer but i can definitely see how a dj who doesnt scratch would get better performance out of the db4 by just using channel faders. Maybe ill just start mixing with channel faders and emgage the xfader for some minor scratching when needed. Have they given a release date on the k2 yet? I thought i heard december but i could be wrong. Thnx again for all ur advice and info - much appreciated. |
| Tatum Ansaldo 03.11.2011 | Really? I use cdj-850s with SSL in HID mode and the accuracy is excellent. |
| Cliff Lohman 03.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by fullenglishpint
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| Tatum Ansaldo 01.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by kevz718
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| Brant Briski 01.11.2011 | kev - all of my tracks have loads of cue markers; i use them more of a visual reference to the structure of a track, and if i'm scanning a tune, i can quickly jump through each section via the midi map i've made for the DB4. i'm working on new maps for the K2's right now that are based on my 4D tsis, this would add a seek function on a rotary encoder that allows you to zip around a track efficiently. i may have to consider where that can land on the DB4 map, but it's getting incredibly packed with controls as it is. as for the xfader bits, unfortunately i've been physically removing the xfaders from all of my mixers for a few years now, so i don't have much to contribute to the discussion of fader feel. but i will say that at the moment, the DB2 has the edge on the DB4 because the DB2 fx can be assigned post xfader; for scratch styles and tweaky bits, it results in amazing things. it will be a while before fully post fader fx land on the DB4; aux send mode is very, very useful in the mean time. also - sound quality differences between the two are minimal - the differences are a byproduct of the internal routing... it's incredible fidelity from start to finish. |
| Asha Kravetz 31.10.2011 | O_O When i get the extra cash.... My s4 is going out.. DB2 and 2 X1's or K2's... |
| Cliff Lohman 31.10.2011 |
Originally Posted by mix architekt
Few things came to mind as i thought about the switch to db4.. Wondering if u could give me ur thoughts.. 1. What do u use in place of jogwheels to find parts of a track? Just beatjumps via midi and hotcues? 2. Is it just me or does the xfader have a unique cut that takes some getting used to? I used the middle curve on xfader and it always seemed like the 2nd track coming in took a while to actually hear.. I dunno its hard to explain. Curious if it is unique like that for a reason or if maybe the demo version i was using was a little banged up. The other thing that made me believe that maybe its supposed to be like that is that theres no visual marker for middle of xfader (i believe it was the E in the XONE logo that was the best visual of middle of xfader if i recall). Is it perhaps that xones are more geared towards channel fader mixing? Do u use the xfader? 3. I like to do some basic scratching and i found the sharp curve to be adequate. I believe im going to keep 1 deck and then go midi for my other channels. Since theres no scratch cert yet, ill just take my scratch samples and throw em on a usb key/cd and use that as live input. That should satisfy my need for occasional scratchinge. Then if scratch cert comes along in future, itll be a bonus. Any other creative ways uv seen folks do basic scratching using traktor + db4 that i may be overlooking? Thnx again for ur input, much appreciated. Kev |
| Cliff Lohman 01.11.2011 |
Originally Posted by JDFS
Anybody know if db2 sound quality would differ from db4? I dont believe it will. I can vouch that db4 sounds amazing in person. |
| Basil Forshee 31.10.2011 | Well, the first hands-on video off the DB2 is a fact. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m3_J...&feature=feedu Yes, it's Mix Architekt! Unfortunately this video shows us stuff we already know. I'm waiting for a video which let us hear the sound quality and the filters! |
| Cliff Lohman 30.10.2011 |
Originally Posted by souldancer
have fun w/ the db4! |
| Cliff Lohman 30.10.2011 |
Originally Posted by LoveFyi
Nonetheless, the db4 is ridiculous with its efx and when coupled with the filters + loopers - its got plenty of combos itself.. it was alot easier to pick up on it than I thought it would be.. in fact, the way they display the efx parameters gives u such a good handle on what the efx are actually doing to the frequencies which is really cool. With pioneer efx, it was pretty much trial+error/make sure ur bass is turned down or ull blow a speaker up.. |
| Shalon Jaranilla 30.10.2011 |
Originally Posted by kevz718
and i hope it will because i just ordered a db4 |
| Cliff Lohman 30.10.2011 |
Originally Posted by mix architekt
The scratch cert thing just sucks tho.. What to do with my decks.. |
| Cristobal Madhavan 30.10.2011 | Awesome. I agree the effects in traktor aren't as good as the on board dedicated made for effects DSP chip, but I believe they'll get there and have made an insane ammount of improvement, especially since traktors12 made it into the production world. Improved quality hopefully would just be a software update. Thanks everyone for the responses. |
| Brant Briski 30.10.2011 | well, take a look at our ilive systems closely and meditate on the various elements that are present on every input and output of the systems and you'll get an idea of what's possible. :-) you may even have some suggestions of what you'd like to see. DB4/2 is the offspring of that dsp, and there's lots more to come. it's also worth noting that the ilive from firmware version 1 to the current 1.83 are like entirely different consoles enable entirely through firmware updates with no hardware add ons. |
| Cristobal Madhavan 30.10.2011 | Xlink, Yea maybe it'll come out of its shell. I'm not really seeing a benefit of a cheaper 2D at the moment(k2) but maybe they're headed to something more. Here's for hoping. Wonder how they plan on making the db4 more performance producer friendly by updating firmware. Probably add on related. |
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