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Topic: Vestax VCI-100 or Hercules RMX Dj Console?! - Page: 1

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Hey everyone...im torn between whether to get a Vestax VCI 100 or a Hercules RMX...I've been doing research on these two units and they both seem to be nice...i know there are both pros and cons to each unit..for the VCI-100 it has no built in internal soundcard meaning i have to go buy an external one and which means another extra piece of equipment...the hercules has a built in sound card, but ive seen reviews on it saying that the unit is just too shiny and if used in a dark environment with moving lights it will give off alot of glares which mite obstruct my view of what i need to be controlling...the Vestax costs $499.99 where as the the Hercules is around 350.00...im only a beginning bedroom dj but I want a piece of equipment that i can use to grow and expand with not just enough to last me at this point in time...so any input would be deeply appreciated...thanks

j1n
 
Posted Sun 12 Oct 08 @ 6:54 am
Ok, so I haven't used either, but from what people seem to say, vestax vci100 every time if you can afford it. It has "touch sensitive" jog wheels so you can use it for scratching if you ever get into that kind of thing.
 
The VCI 100 has a two layer touch wheel, the outside rim bends and the inside scratches.
It is a very nice professional feeling controller.

The RMX is also a very nice unit and sturdy.
The major difference being the RMX is more of a mixer with a sound card.
It also has inputs for use with time code and aux inputs.
If you are intending to rack the RMX, 2" angle aluminum makes this a very working, and good looking solution.
Thanks to Steve Sharp for his idea.


So it really depends on what you need.

Btw, if you are using just a laptop with it, the VCM 100 controller marries the two into a nice package.
 
As a current RMX user I'd say it works really well except that the buttons have too much travel. Kind of squishy and not crisp. I haven't tried it, but I read that the VCI's buttons are better. The touch sensitive jog wheels are a plus too. A great thing about the RMX is that the sound card is built in, so if you have a gig the only things you'd need to take are your laptop and controller. VCI on the other hand is going to require a decent audio interface, unless you go out of the mini jack (prob not a good idea). Also with the RMX, if you start getting into Timecoede Vinyl, you can hook up a turntable or any other (line in source) down the road. So you get a lot for $150 less with the RMX. Common functions and price aside, I'd say it comes down to touch-sensitive jog wheels vs. built in sound card/mixer.
 
I'm a satisfied vdj/vci-100 combo user. I used to use a dac-3 controller. The buttons didn't last long at all for me. I used it 3 nights a week for 3 months then the buttons started to give trouble.
 
I think maybe the answer is (if you have the money and you're not in a hurry) to wait a little bit then buy the vestax vci 300 when (or if?) it's supported in vdj.
 
so am I not able to hook in line in audio to the VCI-100??...im mainly going to be mixing trance/house music so i dont know how important the touch sensitve jog wheels on the VCI-100 will be for me...i know looks isnt supposed to matter buttttt i just think that the VCI-100 looks like one sweet ass piece of equipment compared to the RMX and also i heard the button and dials on the VCI are better quality than the RMX...and $150.00 is that big of a difference...i hate being torn between two options....and btw thanks everyone for the inputs
 
I recently upgarded from a Hercules DJ console to an Rmx and I must say I am impressed. The jog wheels can scratch or tempo control, at the touch of a button. As described previously the fact it is a standalone, high quality sound card makes a real difference.

It has several inputrs and outputs and the main outputs are either phono (home stereo levels) or 1/4" jack (+4dBu) connections. The latter work far better when connecting to PA amplifiers and/or beringher style mixers.

Sound quality is excellent, I have had several DJ's comment when hearing my set up, that they didn't realise I was CD/Vinyl free.

The fact it is a mixer is also advatagous. The external inputs can be either CD or Vinyl and either can feed timecode signals to VDJ or can simply pass the audio from the external kit out through the Rmx to your mixer/amp.

Headphones now support output mixing which is great for mixing and the jog wheels in tempo mode are easy to use when beat matching where VDJ hasn't quite got it right - the tension on these can also be adjusted underneath via a screw...

I haven't come across the button issue described here. But then I have upgraded froma MkI console which was far worse!!

Hope this helps,

Roy
 
I would recommend the RMX as well. The reason the buttons feel odd is they are a longer throw switch. They should last a lot longer.
 
WT...Like you I am also a house dj...more of a dance club dj and a little bit of mobile work. The VCI-100 is perfect for me. It might be for you too if you don't plan on scratching. :) You can customize the buttons so you can make tweak the controller to do what you want it to do. I personally do not like where the tempo sliders are so I made the "volume" sliders my pitch and the cross over for video segues as I don't use the crossfader for audio. I hated having to reach above the jog wheel the adjust the pitch...for me it's much easier having it where it is now.
 
Don't forget that the RMX is completely software dependent though....

there is no actual mixer in the RMX.. it's all software mixing.. for example, if your computer crashes, you cannot use the rmx as a mixer to play cd's through.. the inputs on the rmx are basically sound card inputs, so anything coming into the rmx's input jacks goes through the computer, and back out via the mains....

the sound quality of the rmx's sound card is better than your average on board sound card, but if you're used to a high quality Card, the RMX will come up short in comparison to it. side by side, my M-audio delta 1010 or echo indigo dj will kick it's butt sound wise... but that's probably why those cards are $225 (almost the cost of an RMX) and the whole RMX unit is $320..

also, the eq's are software eq's so they are not as crisp, they sound like crap, and are very easy to distort. Hardware eq's are always preferred over software... it's better than nothing, but I really don't think the results are quite"professional" over a large system, i think it sounds like garbage.... Most people probably won't care, but I'm a purist... I can't stand "Dirty" sound.

You cannot re-assign the buttons on the RMX like you can with the vestax.. they've got that thing locked down so damn tight, that it's their way or the highway... It also will not assign properly should you choose to just midi map it all the way...

Another little gem is that you cannot use the Mic, and both inputs at the same time... one or the other....

lastly, the RMX is dependent on the USB power from the computer... if the computer goes bye bye, so does the RMX....
 
Steve Lynch wrote :
You cannot re-assign the buttons on the RMX like you can with the vestax.. they've got that thing locked down so damn tight, that it's their way or the highway... It also will not assign properly should you choose to just midi map it all the way...


Yes. you can assign the "six" buttons on the RMX, if you use the RMX skin in the download section. There are several options for its lay out. (Sorry to disagree Steve ;- ) )
 
does the Vestax have audio in so that I will be able to hook up cdj/vinyl later on down the road if i ever needed to?...l'm just starting off as a bedroom Dj so not having a sound card built into my mixer doesnt really bug me....I use my usb headset to cue and i have a pretty decent speaker system with a sub....so now i really wanna know is if the VCI-100 can expand out to cdj/vinyls for if i get serious into the dj game...thanks for all the inputs
 
kbk
 
kbk
 

RMX, VCI-100 and VCI-300 are all midi controllers (RMX and VCI-300 have soundcards). non of them can work dependant of software, you need a traditional mixer with multiple inputs for CD players, TT's etc.

If you want controllers with a back-up option (CD, DVD, USB Stick, HD etc) then look at the iCDX and CDJ-400's (a pair will cost you far more and are not ideal for taking into clubs or booths with limited space).

For mobile gigs I take 2 laptops, for bar/club gigs you can either take two laptops or use the venues CD players.
 

The software EQ's are ok for basic use/occasions, but I wouldn't want to use them in a top venue.

The EQ's really do need to be upgraded...
 
Don't forget that the RMX is completely software dependent though....

there is no actual mixer in the RMX.. it's all software mixing.. for example, if your computer crashes, you cannot use the rmx as a mixer to play cd's through.. the inputs on the rmx are basically sound card inputs, so anything coming into the rmx's input jacks goes through the computer, and back out via the mains....

the sound quality of the rmx's sound card is better than your average on board sound card, but if you're used to a high quality Card, the RMX will come up short in comparison to it. side by side, my M-audio delta 1010 or echo indigo dj will kick it's butt sound wise... but that's probably why those cards are $225 (almost the cost of an RMX) and the whole RMX unit is $320..

also, the eq's are software eq's so they are not as crisp, they sound like crap, and are very easy to distort. Hardware eq's are always preferred over software... it's better than nothing, but I really don't think the results are quite"professional" over a large system, i think it sounds like garbage.... Most people probably won't care, but I'm a purist... I can't stand "Dirty" sound.

You cannot re-assign the buttons on the RMX like you can with the vestax.. they've got that thing locked down so damn tight, that it's their way or the highway... It also will not assign properly should you choose to just midi map it all the way...

Another little gem is that you cannot use the Mic, and both inputs at the same time... one or the other....

lastly, the RMX is dependent on the USB power from the computer... if the computer goes bye bye, so does the RMX....
 
Oops, i liked the info in this one...
mistakenly saved it and apparently added it to thread;)

sorry for any confusion
 
Depends on what type of Djing you want to do. Rmx is a solid controller for gigging, and the built-in sound card makes it that much easier to use, but the Vestax has some amazing capabilities if you are interested in production or serious remixing. Check out djtechtools.com to see what can be done with a VCI-100.
 
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