Serato dj intro= fail
Vestax flagship controller needs to use ITCH.
ALL those buttons with no features.

+1

i got a vci 400, and its friggin awesome!! not a great deal of support as yet, but i know its only a matter of time! already got an updated tsi map for traktor...so its moving already, only disappointment is from serato, even with Intro 1.0.1 release, it STILL doesnt work with the vci-400, would have been great to use it st8 out of the box with Intro rather than Virtual dj....as to Itch, i have a vci 300 as well so im no newbie when it comes to Itch...and its seems clear to me, serato have changed their business model, and we will have to pay for updates for dj intro to get 4 deck control etc, just like other dj software houses do, i think, (and i could well be wrong) Itch is dying a slooooooow death, and as customers update/upgrade/invest in new dj equipment, the Itch 1:1 with controller, is a dead business model....maybe the new Itch will be renamed pitch, or stitch who knows lol!!!!!

just my little 10 cents worth...

2) Why on earth would a high end, $1K, 4-channel controller be only compatible with entry level/2-channel Serato Intro software and not the higher end/4-channel Serato Itch software? Please tell me this is just a misprint. Or, is there another version of this basic hardware available that will work with Serato Itch and take full advantage of the four decks?

you got that bit wrong....
(although if your speaking JUST about serato, i imagine the DJ Intro release for the vci-400 WILL have 4 deck control, but dont quote me!!)

the 400 is shipped with virtual dj le 7, with full 4 deck control, fx, cues, loops and samples, str8 out of the box, and vestax have the downloadable traktor tsi file, which im already using, with full 4 deck control, fx loops, cues, and samples....i love itch, but traktor is friggin awesome!! taking a little longer to set up beat grids etc, but im making steady progress learning the program!!

ps. is their ANY Itch controllers out there that use Itches 4 deck control? as far as i can remember, ive only ever seen 4 decks in pictures!!! and again i am happy to stand corrected!!

....stand and be corrected!!

Yes there are fur deck/channel Itch controllers, but sadly only two models currently available: Numark NS6 and Allen & Heath Xone DX

Why would beginners need 4 deck control? Mixing 2 decks is hard enough, and actually is enough for most DJs.

Word!

Precisely. Just another reason why the VCI-400 makes zero sense paired with Intro and not with Itch.

+1

when you get the vci 400 its not actually paired with intro, its paired with virtual dj le 7, that disk comes in the box along with the vci 400 driver disk, u get a card saying go to serato.com to download dj intro, then when you download, you get a hardware disconnected message.
you can get a beta version but it only runs on the mac...

i imagine when anybody buys a vci 400 in january and beyond, you will get a dj intro le 4 deck disk in your box....i imagine

why not itch? strange...

^^Strange it is.........Such a dope controller for such a weak program........

I own since last Sat a VCI 400...it's amazing...but i got the same prob that everybody have here - it doesn't work. I tried to play with VDJ and i load the Traktor Pro 2 Demo and installed the .tsi-file - it was terrible.
I'm a serato-scratch user since 5 years and i wish that if i got a new software - means dj intro - for me it must work like the console is build. I bought a 4 channel mixer and should get a 2 channel software? Its like i buy a car with a 4 zylinder motor and there work only 2.
One question: i saw at the Traktor Pro 2 software a lot of effects. How many effects comes with dj intro ?

Qne more thing: It's not better to integrate a small RANE-Interface in the console ?

And how can i change the Font-Size ? In Traktor Pro i saw that you can change the Font and the Fontsize.

Excuse my english...hope you understand what i will say;)

to change font & size go to: preferences/browser details...

Won't work with Intro.......if you want to change your font size lower your screens resolution.

......@soundinsurgent, he/she said font size for Traktor Pro....not DJ Intro

My wish for x-mas: Itch for the VCI-400!
Normally I use SSL (love it!), would like to have an all-in-1 controller for several occasions.
VCI-400 is cool, but intro? No, not for a SSL user! So, please Serato:-)

Same here.

SSL + TTs is my Plan A.
SSL + CDJs is my Plan B.
Itch + Twitch was my Plan C.
Itch + VCI-400 equivalent hoped to be my new Plan C.

so for those of you that already own the VCI-400...

can it be used as a standalone mixer?

that is one of the reasons i'm leaning towards the NS6 so i can still hook up my TTs and SL box

I heard that there's a firmware update in the works that'll give you the option to use as a stand alone mixer, not 100% though and I can't find the site I read it at. I wanna say Skratchworks, maybe. Seems like they just rushed this thing out the door for some reason....

you say firmware update, but why would you need to update the firmware if it is indeed a standalone analog mixer? you shouldn't need a laptop to use the mixer.

As of right now something is needed to pass the sound through, like I said I'm not 100%.......... You could try it yourself??

Or better yet you could call Vestax and just ask them...........

yeah that would sound like a good idea, but being that they haven't answered any of my e-mails from back in october, it doesn't sound like a very likely solution. that's why i put this question out to the current owners.

i would be more than happy to try it for myself if i could even get my hands on a 400 here in the US.

Hey guys. Serato DJ Intro for the VCI-400 is now available : serato.com

You will need to make sure you have the latest firmware installed on your VCI-400, which you can download here :

Mac : help.vestax.co.jp (Firmware)
Windows : help.vestax.co.jp (Firmware & Driver)

Enjoy :)

nice job guys!! i told you to take your time....and you did loool! now ive got another string to my bow....life is good!!!

Once i saw it was version 1.0.5 rather than say, Intro L.E or such like, i new my hopes and predictions for 4 track control had gone out the window!!

its a vastly scaled down version of Itch, which it ALWAYS was intended to be,
Serato are looking at the bigger picture, and supporting one particular controller is not in the 'manifesto' of Dj Intro at this time.
Its just an update that now includes the VCI-400, nothing more, nor less....

Itch has the passion, traktor has the control, when those 2 concepts finaly 'marry',
I'll be in 7th heaven !!
until then..
I can play what software i like, when i like..

HALLELUJAH !!!!

I can play whatEVER software i like, when i like..

VCI-400 can't be mapped for use with SSL? being that it's not an ITCH product, it should be possible, right?

You can map some of the functions to the mappable functions in Scratch Live although you will still need to have Rane hardware connected and you will not be able to map the platters.

Sam.

:-(

Why is this the case with all the better controllers?? But its possible with the Denon MC6000 (amongst other controllers with small platters) with the use of a SSL box. Won't see it with VCI-300, NUMARK NS7/NS6...

Video for ITCH coming March 2012!!!

Hey guys,

the DJ Intro Quickstart guide is now live:

Direct download link: serato.com

Mathew.

I run a vci 300 and felt it ran worse everytime i updated itch,, now I bought the 400 and I find out I cant use 4 decks with serato wtf ,,,when are we gonna be able to use 4 decks and is it gonna cost me more and if so how much ? How can I get to use 4 tracks on the 400 with serato ,,,that s why I bought the friggen thing!

you cant use 4 decks with the vestax 300 nor 400 on any serato software, shouldve researched a bit better im afraid...if you wanted 4 decks with itch you should have looked at the numark range...

i have a 400 and a 300, i use the 400 with traktor, virtual dj le, and the 300 with Itch.

thats as good as it gets....for now

i never bought the 300 for 4 decks i bought the 400 with the 4 dack capability

now what di i do start using traktor ? i like serato i wish it would have been done already and before you say i own the s4 also and i dont like traktor and you can use 4 deck in the s4

Wow, so many comments and serato does not care, what does that say, I would be happy to pay for a complete (not baby dj) serato program, but it seams the end user (US) to Serato really mean very little, I have owned many many bits of kit, and teaching my children to play on them and being strongheld into minimal programs for high end gear (minus the booth and zones???) just seams completely tasteless after all they get their money over and over again from the manufacturers what do we the consumer mean, ?

Don't get me wrong the quality of the 400 is second to none that's why i didn't like the s4 but I per-ordered the 400 when I was told the 4 deck update was in the works. I love the 400 and wouldn't use anything else but I'm hoping to use 4 decks soon.

sending it back, i'm frustrated and vestax nor serato give a fuck, fuck em

....oh well, each to their own

Hey guys,

The VCI-400 was only supposed to work with the Intro software - which does not support four-deck control and has a more limited feature-set. There was never any mention of it being a four-deck ITCH controller. I can't say what the future of the 400 will be as I'm not sure myself.

Why the 400 does not have a separate booth/monitor? That's more of a Vestax question, however I believe the idea behind this is that when you bring your controller to a club to play most of the time the main output of the controller will run into a separate club mixer which will be hooked up to the mains/booth speakers. This is the case for a lot of controllers - it does seem a bit weird but from what I know that is the logic behind it.

Also, the 400 can not currently be used as a standalone mixer. I'm not sure if Vestax have plans to implement this or not.

Cheers :)

Hi Logan - Can you shed any light on why a high end, $1K, 4-channel controller was made to be only compatible with entry level/2-channel Serato Intro software and not the higher end/4-channel Serato Itch software? From the consumer side this seems like a complete mixup. It's like producing a fully-loaded Jeep that has four wheel drive, but can only be driven by kids with learners permits in two wheel drive.

i'd like to know this as well, seems like a $1,000 piece of junk to me.......i'm going to pay 1k for a good controller, than use it with entry level software what sense does this make?

i'd rather but a $250 vestax typhoon, it's going to do the same thing

It is your choice to buy the vci-400 and use dj intro.

ITCH support for the vci-400 is an issue between serato and vestax over licensing the ITCH software.

I think it is pretty obvious that vestax didn't want to pay for ITCH and therefore license it.

From serato's point of view the vci-400 is not a good product for ITCH product image.
ITCH is supposed to be perfect integration between hardware and software.
Having a controller with lots of blank buttons and no midi mapping in ITCH is not good integration at all.

Look I just want a console that plays 4 decks and uses serato thats it ,,,,I still have an s4 and maybe im gonna have to use traktor which is a little sad serato took me for 1k dollars im sure this will ring in the console community they will loose alot of faithfull djs, the 400 runs very well with traktor2 and I have that also,,,

Unlike you, many of us did our research and educated ourselves in regard to the product prior to purchasing. WE were not fooled by all the pretty knobs....... The info was everywhere, no secrets,no scams, no tricks, no hidden messages........ in black an white.
Unfortunately serato cant MAKE you read it.
I say MAN UP, It was your mistake.....learn from it. An sell that shit before it too late...lol

It wasn't a choice between Intro and ITCH, it was a choice between providing support for it in Intro and not providing support for it in Intro. Like I said, it hasn't been ruled out that it will work with other software, we simply provided support for it in Intro when we had the opportunity too.


You don't have to use it with Intro. It's just another option for beginner DJs who have the 400, it has nothing to do with ITCH at all.

@carlosleon1 ...you should just hawk that 400 and either get an Numark NS6 or a Denon DN-MC6000, SSL box, and MIDI map it for use with SSL, if you want FX, MIDI map either a Vestax VFX-1 or a NI X1.

+1 to doing research

4 channel,auto sync, lots of effex...why can't we just do the original art form of Djing
build up your skills!!! make it simple 2 turntables 1 mixer and SSL box and don't stare
on the laptop all the time!! peace

it's about evolving the artform. embrace the new technology, but stay true to the roots. these controllers are good for mobiles. carrying two turntables and a mixer, plus speakers and whatnot gets tiring over time. the VCI-300 was dope because you could throw it in a backpack or even bring it on a plane as a carry on.

Vestax has got a 380 out now. 2 channels with itch though.

So the researching continues.

I was this close to getting the 400

2 things put me off

First was Intro

Second thing was Inability to work as a stand alone mixer

But they still had to screw it by just putting HPF instead of a full Filter, I'm like "what the hell" it's just a knob why can't they just make it complete by making it a full HPF-LPF knob.
And the price $1000 Na wa ooooo

Actually what works on the 400 works good but this weekend for example I had a gig and setup the 400 next to the s4 and brought my 300 just in case after 20 minutes I had to switch to the 300 the biggest problem being how the intro software functions . I had problems with the control of the platter the itch works and the intro software works . I'm hopping there is a patch to update the intro to at least work like itch.

serato.com

djworx.com

Awesome!

What would be awesome is if the VCI's platters controlled SSL's virtual decks if an SL2/3/4 was plugged in as a dongle. Is that the case here?

If that is the case I will eat one of my shoes.

I don't understand how this is news if there's no platter support for SSL. Didn't the VCI-400 already have a pair of line inputs? The RCA and switches have been on the back of the chassis since it was released. :-/

I believe the line ins prior to the update could only be recieved/processed in software... Now, you can use the unit as a stand alone mixer... i.e. You can use it to run a back up CD if your computer crashes.

what pisses me off now vestax announces the vci 380 which runs on itch wtf im now wondering if vestax and serato had this in mind to srew us out of an additional 1000 dollars and we'de have to buy the 380 ,,,,

Unlike you, many of us did our research and educated ourselves in regard to the product prior to purchasing. WE were not fooled by all the pretty knobs....... The info was everywhere, no secrets,no scams, no tricks, no hidden messages........ in black an white.
Unfortunately serato cant MAKE you read it.
I say MAN UP, It was your mistake.....learn from it. An sell that shit before it too late...lol


man up my ass I went on the web site and asked all the questions I did a pre order to get first dibbs now the jacked up part is vestax has a 380 comming out that is made for itch my ass im sending the shit back because unlike you I buy smart and can return it ,,,lol jagofff

that's not nice

If you decide to coment on what I post don't make assumptions of me I don't like someone I don't know to comment on what they know nothing of now the problem is vestax toook everyone that bought the 400,,, kinda funny they wait to rel;ease the 400 and then announce the 380 after they stuck us with 400 get my point and the fact that its made for itch means serato knew all about how does that make me fell hmmmmm ,,, like I got taken ... and like I said I also own an s4 that works on traktor maybe I am gonna have to switch over to traktor at least they havent screwed me ,,, I guess my reason for not being nice is the fact someone would dare to comment before knowing the whole story,,,,,

The 400 was always designed to be used with Intro or VDJ or Traktor. It works great with those programs as intended.

Where would you have possibly got the impression it would ever work with Itch?

not at all ,,what caught me by surprise is the fact that the option of the 380 wasn't even mentioned until after the release of the 400 ,,, if I would have known of the 380 and the short comings of 400 its a no brainier

While this is factually correct, it's still a bizarre biz decision. Again, It's like producing a fully-loaded Jeep that has four wheel drive, but can only be driven by kids with learners permits in two wheel drive. Vestax still to this day has no product available that's capable of 4-deck ITCH operation, and the 400 could've been. Wonder why Vestax is waiting so long to offer a 4-deck ITCH controller.

Anyway, I'll be buying a 380 as soon as it's released for my ultra-compact, all-in-one, portable 2-deck solution that the Twitch should've been but failed.

I buy smart and never need to return products. You admit you didn't no the short comings of the 400 an there's only 1 way that's possible, if would have done proper research like the rest of us you would have known the short comings of the 400 and you would not be feeling like you got taken.....WE knew NOT to buy the 400 for serato, it was a no brainier for the informed buyer. I understand you're mad now and the last thing you want to hear is the truth so you lash out an call names. hey....Its cool, you should be mad (At yourself) but i guarantee YOU will learn from this mistake. Now the fact that you blame serato speaks volumes about your inability to understand were the problem truly lies. Some of your views on vestax are even screwed the hell up.....But if you stick around here you will learn alot.

None of us knew anything about the 380, no insider information...... We ONLY knew the 400 was NOT an option.

Naa, It has 4 wheel drive you just gota use a traktor...lol its More like an Added feature for "learners permits in two wheel drive".

I ve been around the block with this stuff clearly both serato and vestax knew what they were doing I do still have an s4 that runs great on traktor I guess serato just lost another to traktor im sending it back and that's that ... as for as I m not mad at my self because I asked my salesperson all the questions i

A GREAT sales person tends to have the scruples of a Pimp. They will do,say, promise, LIE and convince you of anything in order to make that sale, nothing else matters. Ive been buying dj gear for many yrs and in my experience the sales people are NOT well informed of the products they sell. I cant remember the last time a sales person knew more about a product than me. Never trust sales people.

its ok I got a 30 day no questions asked exchange I ll just exchange it for the 380

if you have a 30 day return for a full credit? than why are you so mad?

just the fact that you trust a company and they screw you,,, im not mad at my salesman he takes care of me,, but I trusted serato and vestax and im not the only one screwed by them I thgink its bad bussiness ,, I ve done sales for years and happy customer tells a few people an unhappy customer tells everyone !!!!!! Its not the money at all in one month i bought the s4 and vci 400 its the scruples of a company matter to me and in this case they both showed lack of respect for the customer I feel bad for the guys that saved there pennies and got taken by this ,,, no problem for me I got my return label and its off tomorrow,

www.lowbird.com

How original

LMFAO..........hahahahaaaaaa

listen i don't know were you been or what research you did, but i was not on the market for a vci 400 & even i knew it supported dj intro before it came to market

VCI 400 gets the stand alone mixer mode in april:) great!
But i still miss the 4 channel handling with serato software, i dont want anything else!
The VCI ist the a next step hardware and still waiting for the right serato support..

Check:
djworx.com

did you buy the 400 ?

carlosleon1 is still upset and in denial , i think its going to take a little more time before he comes around and sees the light.

--------> Watchwww.youtube.com

hey why do you worry so much im over you and the drama i got my g back and im goin shoppin for more gear im suppose to get insulted by whooo pdidy hahaha I guesss some hateraid is in order no matter you think im in a great mood laughing at you with my boys get a real name ,,,how original

Sell the S4 and keep the VCI-400 for Traktor.
VCI-400 is a beast with Traktor and it's built like tank and gonna keep you happy a long time.
Your S4 is not gonna last. After 1 or 2 year, it's pure paperweight.

relax dude im only teasing you , i prefer helping you if possible
.

do you own the 400 ?

No.
Do i have to own it to know that it's a solid peace of controller? I think everybody knows that...

the 400 is the best controler out there quality wise it just doesn't work good with the serato software im considering the 380 i think ill do that and repurchase it down the road thanx for the advise pete

Well there are some things you cant know just by simply looking at a controller, for example......
how would you compare the jog wheel response of the vci-400 vs the s4 ?

Well, just do what you wanna do. It's the only way to keep yourself happy.

Offcourse, but i live, eat & shit this stuff 24/7 in my life, so i think i know what is good and what is not.
I don't own the VCI-400, but i'm familiar to the S4's jog wheels. Based on VCI-300, the S4 is not even close.
I'm not a scratch-expert, because i'm not doing that so much, but that is my experience of those things. (and before you say anything more about "platters", i wanna tell you, that i start with vinyls in 1983, so i really know what the "platters" should be like.

I sorry but you never answered the question......how would you compare the jog wheel responsivness of the vci-400 vs the s4 ?

i can answer for pete the jog wheel on the 400 is as good or better the 300 buttttt,,,,intro has nowhere near the adjustment of control of itch which is why I dont like it for starters in your setting you can adjust platter speed of 33 or 45 which controls the ratio of spin on jog wheel to the software ,next how the the file stops when you hit the pause play button we all know when we shut the power off on a technic the platter keep spinning a bit and gives you that draging efect and when we press start stop button it stops instantly. on the 300 with itch you can adjust that in settings not on intro,,on the 300 when youve cued your file and its stoped you can spin the platter and it behaves like a record letting you spin the track forward on inrto you have to press the vynil button which kind of acts like the scratch button on itch, how is the platter great but the software on intro doesnt do it justice

The jogs on the S4 are the tightest I've seen on any controller for Traktor. (I have not used the Numark 4Trak)... The S4 jogs are pressure activated, not touch capacitance as in the VCI 300 and 400... I prefer the VCI jogs because I feel you have to constantly scratch with a "heavier" hand when using the S4. You can adjust the VCI jog wheels to your taste... plus the resistance on them is also adjustable which is nice since they are not motorized. Unfortunately, the software algorithm for scratching with Traktor doesn't sound as natural as Itch / Intro when using the VCI jogs... In addition to that, deck juggling using the jogs is much more difficult on an S4 and Traktor. (This is due to the lack of a rotational position marker in the software, and the inability of the S4 jogs to track backspins.) I feel that the VCI-300 paired with Itch, gives the same responsiveness as the VCI-400 with Intro...

I agree the only con is not being able to adjust rpm and stoping speed I think vestax makes the best controler in the world

I can't, because i haven't touched the VCI-400 and i already told you that.
Why you keep asking?
Do you think that 400's jogs are not so good as the 300's, or what?

carlosleon1 & thebeatworx say all you need to know about jog wheels. I don't have to make more analysis for that matter.

And, my thoughts about jog wheels (to you), has nothing to do about that, i told carlosleon1 to sell the S4 and keep the VCI-400.
So, what are you really trying to say?

obviously this a business problem not a technical one.

+1 for VCI-400 + Itch !

ok i have some questions which are theoretical. using actual pro equipment for so long it has been a challenge for me to accept that a controller is useable in a real gig. however i think I'm ready to jump in.

without the 400 having ITCH/video support I had been leaning to the 380. then I saw the DDJ-SX this morning and i am really thinking that is the move, 99% sold on that and gonna preorder it.

after the announcement of the DDJ-SX today, and Serato DJ full version being a free upgrade for ITCH users but a $200 upgrade for Serato DJ Intro users - doesn't this seem like you will be able to at some point upgrade the VCI 400 to run Serato DJ? which would then unlock the 4 deck control we all want?

the reason I ask is this - I am definitely way more of a Pioneer fan than a Vestax fan (at least for last 10 years or so). however, the VCI 400 is a more flexible unit since it can run VDJ, Traktor, and Serato. so I could possibly rent it out to more people, and if 2 years from now Serato has totally flopped and Traktor is running shit, then I am not locked in...

i realize we won't know specifically until November when it drops but if anyone has any intel to help me decide now i would be appreciative.

Hey Solomonic,

This is correct. The VCI-400 will be able to be upgraded to be used with Serato DJ for $199. Serato DJ will give 4 deck control for 4-deck controllers such as this one :)

You can choose to be notified when support is ready for your controller here:

serato.com

Cheers,

Sam.

Solomonic, all you said is right! but as far as i see, you seem to me very decide already ;)

didn't work well on Safari (Mac)

What didn't work? Once it's clicked you will be informed.

on Chrome it ask my email. on Safai nothing. should i supposed it took my email since i am already logged in?

thanks i just managed to find this page with all the supported controllers that will get upgraded. serato.com

Vladimir - actually I'm not convinced either way yet. my dj partners who i get input from are normally 100% pioneer but there is concern all around with lack of flexibility on something that has a very specific use... i realize it can be a 4 channel mixer with built in efx so its still not a bad deal... but then neither is the VCi400. definitely think the pioneer looks nicer overall in the pics, and i have been using serato since the day it came out. actually still using my same original SL1 box at home, which if i go for the pioneer i will sell. already have SL3 and SL4 for gigs. but this new box will be primarily for video mixing and visuals so it doesn't matter.

Serato - i know you can't give us too much info yet, and i maybe have to wait and see... but can u tell me this - i have a gig i need a machine for by Nov 30th. is it likely that the other hardware will be unlocked for use with Serato DJ "shortly" or am I better off going with the DDJ-SX due to knowing I can get one in time.

this might be a dumb question but I'm just grasping this whole merger into Serato DJ... can i use Serato vinyl/cds in the analog channels of either device? like 2 decks are platters, 2 decks are external controlled by timecode? or would they still need to be plugged into an SSL box... and if they do, and are, can u have both the SSL box and a Serato DJ controller plugged in at same time? sorry if this is crazy I am just thinking about the different configurations when we have guest djs.

well i guess i really need to read before i post these long questions. 400 not getting it til Winter 2013 which it says on the DJ Intro Users page.

Hey Solomonic,

This doesn't affect Scratch Live or Rane hardware. Only Serato DJ controllers (DDJ-SX), Intro and ITCH controllers will be supported in Serato DJ.

To use DVS you will still need Scratch Live and Rane hardware.

BTW



not "everybody" lives on northern Hemisphere. this kind of announcement should be made with calendar dates :S

Will the VCI-400 (and Novation Twitch for that matter) running Serato DJ have the same crazy jumping to stored loop behavior like a hot cue does on the VCI-380 or will it behave normally like SSL and every other ITCH controller?

It will give you both options so you can do what you like :)