One of the reasons why i bought vdj 8 was the sandbox mode. But I am very disappointed because now after buying and trying to configure I found out that sandbox mode is only working on the master and not on the decks. Please allow sandbox mode on the individual decks. Why? Because mixers like the vms4.1 only work fine if you send the individual vdj decks to the outs of the mixer. Sending the vdj master to the mixer makes no sense. Result: unable to use sandbox mode. Will a solution be provided? When?
Posted Mon 28 Jul 14 @ 7:11 pm
This will not be possible.
Sandbox cannot work with External mixers and VMS4 is one. So imagine that you enable Sandbox on the VMS4 and somehow VirtualDj could know (knows actually),which deck is outputed at that time.
If you try to move the faders on the VMS4, even if the softwre would in theory not alter the "Master" output, you could not prevent the audio mixing that the VMs4 does. so the sound would be altered and the software could never prevent this.
Again, the VMS4 is purely an analogue dj mixer and what you see on the screen moving are actually fake actions that could be removed as well (dont change anything in the functionality, those are there just to offer users see on the screen what they do on the mixer)
Sandbox will never be able to work with External mixer setups. The only thing that possibly will be added in future versions is the Video functionality.
Sandbox cannot work with External mixers and VMS4 is one. So imagine that you enable Sandbox on the VMS4 and somehow VirtualDj could know (knows actually),which deck is outputed at that time.
If you try to move the faders on the VMS4, even if the softwre would in theory not alter the "Master" output, you could not prevent the audio mixing that the VMs4 does. so the sound would be altered and the software could never prevent this.
Again, the VMS4 is purely an analogue dj mixer and what you see on the screen moving are actually fake actions that could be removed as well (dont change anything in the functionality, those are there just to offer users see on the screen what they do on the mixer)
Sandbox will never be able to work with External mixer setups. The only thing that possibly will be added in future versions is the Video functionality.
Posted Mon 28 Jul 14 @ 9:11 pm
Thanks for you answer. Does it mean I would have the same problem when selling my VMS4.1 and replace for instance by a Pioneer DDJ-SX?
Posted Tue 29 Jul 14 @ 1:37 am
No the DDJ-SX is a different case. It offers a pure midi mixer, so Sandbox will be available.
In fact even the VMS4 could potentially offer Sandbox if you could use a different sound card (instead of the VMS4 one) , have Master & Headphones in Audio setup and use the VMS4 as pure Midi (it can be done if you delete the ONINIT key which enables the fake mode)
In fact even the VMS4 could potentially offer Sandbox if you could use a different sound card (instead of the VMS4 one) , have Master & Headphones in Audio setup and use the VMS4 as pure Midi (it can be done if you delete the ONINIT key which enables the fake mode)
Posted Tue 29 Jul 14 @ 2:41 am
Another thing worth mentioning at this point:
Sandbox is intended primary to be used for 2 deck/channel setups. It provides two 'phantom' channels for you to test a mix etc.
When you're using a 4 deck/channel setup like the VMS4, there is no need for Sandbox because you already have those two spare channels on which to test mixes etc.
If you pay attention when switching the default skin from 2 deck to 4 deck mode, there is no Sandbox. This is why!
Sandbox is intended primary to be used for 2 deck/channel setups. It provides two 'phantom' channels for you to test a mix etc.
When you're using a 4 deck/channel setup like the VMS4, there is no need for Sandbox because you already have those two spare channels on which to test mixes etc.
If you pay attention when switching the default skin from 2 deck to 4 deck mode, there is no Sandbox. This is why!
Posted Tue 29 Jul 14 @ 4:30 am
Set your VMS to pre-eq mode (or post-eq mode? I always get these two mixed up, lol).
Then you VMS will act like a pure MIDI controller.
Have a look into the manual of your VMS what these modes are and how to change them.
Then you VMS will act like a pure MIDI controller.
Have a look into the manual of your VMS what these modes are and how to change them.
Posted Tue 29 Jul 14 @ 5:31 am
The Pre and Post EQ modes actually dont change much here, as the unit requires an external sound card if you wish to use it as pure Midi (and not having tha internal audio routing). Btw, in both Pre and Post EQ modes, the unit sends Midi properly. So the difference on these modes is that one is offering pure Midi and the other one Midi + Hardware EQ. If you use it as pure Midi (aka use an external sound card) then the EQ mode is irrelevant.
As for the 4 decks setup offering more or less what Sandbox does, well, this is not very accurate. The advantage of enabling Sandbox, even if more than 2 decks are available, is not only that you prelisten the track and see how it ends. There is more than this.,
- You prelisten the playing track without trying to find it in the Browser and load it to a free deck (time savier)
- You can try to mix the playing track with any other loaded tracks and try a mix...so the mixer is also free to work with.
As for the 4 decks setup offering more or less what Sandbox does, well, this is not very accurate. The advantage of enabling Sandbox, even if more than 2 decks are available, is not only that you prelisten the track and see how it ends. There is more than this.,
- You prelisten the playing track without trying to find it in the Browser and load it to a free deck (time savier)
- You can try to mix the playing track with any other loaded tracks and try a mix...so the mixer is also free to work with.
Posted Tue 29 Jul 14 @ 2:16 pm
groovindj wrote :
If you pay attention when switching the default skin from 2 deck to 4 deck mode, there is no Sandbox. This is why!
Ah, I had thought that the sandbox button just couldn't fit on the skin, so I added a custom button. Generally, I use a 4 deck skin, however usually use one deck for samples/pellas, and the two primaries for tracks. Even with this setup, Sandbox mode is still effective.
Posted Tue 29 Jul 14 @ 2:47 pm
djdad wrote :
As for the 4 decks setup offering more or less what Sandbox does, well, this is not very accurate.
I was merely paraphrasing what you've said yourself....
djdad wrote :
If someone uses 4 decks, then most likely he could use a spare deck to load the same song and preview it.
:-)
Posted Tue 29 Jul 14 @ 5:08 pm
Yes, if its just for previewing, then a spare deck does the job of course. Probably my other comment was to excuse the lack of Sandbox of the default 4 decks skin :P
Posted Tue 29 Jul 14 @ 5:22 pm
Your input was useful. I now reconfigured my setup and I am using my Roland OctaCapture in combination with the VMS4.1.
The Audio is now configured as follows:
Master going to Octacapture Asio OUT 1 & 2, and redirected in the Octacapture mixer to OUTPUT JACK 1-2 of the OctaCapture Card.
Headphones going to Octacapture Asio OUT 3 & 4, redirected in the Octacapture mixer to OUTPUT JACK 3-4 of the OctaCapture Card, to which I connect my headphones
Preview going to Octacapture Asio OUT 5 & 6, and also redirected in the Octacapute mixer to OUTPUT JACK 3-4 of the OctaCapture Card, which means using the same headphones.
So I now mainly use the VMS4.1 as MIDI controller instead of as soundcard.
In case my PC fails I can still connect many external devices to my octacapture and redirect them also to the master output.
And I have one button assigned to switch ON/OFF the sandbox mode in the controller assignments.
So I can perfectly use sandbox in 4 Deck mode, without having to browse or copy deck 1 or 2 to deck 3 to prelisten in Deck 3.
Sandbox also makes sense in 4 Deck mode !
The problem is that the Sandbox is not visible in the 4 Decks skin. Could you add it in the 4 Decks skin? Would be appreciated. Thanks.
The Audio is now configured as follows:
Master going to Octacapture Asio OUT 1 & 2, and redirected in the Octacapture mixer to OUTPUT JACK 1-2 of the OctaCapture Card.
Headphones going to Octacapture Asio OUT 3 & 4, redirected in the Octacapture mixer to OUTPUT JACK 3-4 of the OctaCapture Card, to which I connect my headphones
Preview going to Octacapture Asio OUT 5 & 6, and also redirected in the Octacapute mixer to OUTPUT JACK 3-4 of the OctaCapture Card, which means using the same headphones.
So I now mainly use the VMS4.1 as MIDI controller instead of as soundcard.
In case my PC fails I can still connect many external devices to my octacapture and redirect them also to the master output.
And I have one button assigned to switch ON/OFF the sandbox mode in the controller assignments.
So I can perfectly use sandbox in 4 Deck mode, without having to browse or copy deck 1 or 2 to deck 3 to prelisten in Deck 3.
Sandbox also makes sense in 4 Deck mode !
The problem is that the Sandbox is not visible in the 4 Decks skin. Could you add it in the 4 Decks skin? Would be appreciated. Thanks.
Posted Fri 08 Aug 14 @ 4:55 pm
Please excuse me if this has already been discussed but it seems to me that sandbox could be used with an external mixer if you had the option of routing it over the audio channel of the non playing deck instead of a headphone channel. Then you could position the crossfader on your analog mixer 100% on the current playing deck and cue up the sandbox mix in your mixers headphone output.
Posted Mon 20 Oct 14 @ 3:15 pm