Vestax VCI-100

vci problems

hi all i had to take my first vci-100 back to htfr as the right jog wheel made the whole unit vibrate and didnt spin freely, my new unit is fine but only used it for about 30 mins. my problem is that both discs that came with the unit do not contain mac installs for traktor 3 le?!!am i missing something??if anyone has the mac install would they be able to email it to be i have a serial number so its just the file im missing.
thanks
ps. i would not mail order a vci-100 as the problem with the jog wheels seems to be common check the unit you buy.
other than that its well worth the £350.

thanks

djktd at hotmail dot co dot uk
kevin dawson

 

problem solved

right i rang leisuretec the vestax distributer and they said that NI forgot to put a mac install on the disc-What kind of s**T is that?!so there sending one out first class so thanks Leisuretec for the good service.if anyone has any questions about the unit let me know or vids etc and ill sort it out.
ktd

 

Funny you should say that - my flatmate has been wondering why he can't install Traktor LE on his Mac (I've given it to him as I have the full version). So I could use a replacement CD too.

 

Does the Vestax VCI-100 come with its own power supply? I just bought one today and it did not have one in the box. The manual refers to the power supply several times as if it should be included. Did other owners get one or does it just not have one?

 

nope. it doesn't come with a power supply.

 

I just bought the Vestax VCI-100 today and will give my opinions of the controller with Traktor 3.2.

BACKGROUND: This is my first Midi controller. I have only been using Traktor for the last few months in a club environment so i am no expert. I use WINXP.

PRICE: I bought it in Toronto, Canada and paid (including tax of 14%) $666CAN. The sign of the devil no less. Hopefully not a foreshadow of how the Vestax will act.

CONSTRUCTION: Solid! It is constructed of metal and is quite heavy. This should satisfy those people that do NOT like plastic controllers. However, it weighs more than my laptop (2.6kg = 6lbs) and is a bit larger. I own a Toshiba Satellite dual core.

FEEL: The controller feels great. The buttons have a click response, the two platters have the same tension (some people complained that theirs did not), faders feel right , and the buttons light up. What i do NOT like are the extra small dials for master level, monitor level, and especially, monitor select. I use monitor select constantly and this little black dial could be larger as it is used more often than many of the other dials which are proper size. Using the controller adds a new dimension to using Traktor that finally gives laptop dj's a very hands on approach. I am sure most people (even vinyl dj's) will be fascinated to see this in the DJ booth controlling a computer.

LAYOUT: The layout makes sense and will work for most people. What it does need are a few more buttons that can be programmed to whatever you want. All the buttons are preassigned using the .tks file. Since the contoller is basically made for traktor the button assignments are written onto the steel faceplate so it becomes a bit confusing if you reassign them.

FUNCTION: When i first plugged in the VCI and loaded the tks file i was expecting problems but everything worked brilliantly. I can't describe how amazing it is to see the sliders and dials on screen react to the controller. Very cool! However, i did notice that Traktor does not automatically sense where the faders and dials are until they are touched. For example, when i start Traktor the crossfader will default to the center even if the controller has it set all the way to the left. As soon as you touch it the on-screen slider will move to the left. It may be designed this way with a purpose, but i found it awkward. It is almost like you need to touch every slider and dial on the controller to reset them before you start to dj. Maybe this can be changed in software but i do not know how. Anyone? It would be great if you could control 4 decks but it is designed for 2 deck djing. A problem i do have is the location of the usb plug and power supply. Both are located on the back of the controller and when the usb cable is plugged in it sticks out almost 2 inches. This makes it impossible to place the controller flush against your laptop. The promo pics show the unit pushed up nice and tight against a macbook. This is impossible in reality if you have your unit is actually attached to the computer. The usb and power should be on the side of the controller.

OVERALL: I am disappointed that a power supply is NOT included after paying almost $700CAN for the unit. The manual refers to the "exclusive" power supply many times yet there is NOT one included. The manual is also poorly written. The Vestax is expensive but it feels and looks great. It sets the standard for the current crop of midi controllers. It will make Djing much more fun and exciting for me and the crowd. So far I am happy with it, but i will field test it this Saturday when I have 6 hour set.

I am also hoping to be able to find a place that sells different coloured face plates for the VCI-100. I have seen it in photos with a red faceplate. Very sharp! Where can i get them?

I will report back if i find any particular problems or wish to praise it further.

DJ Lazarus
http://www.djlazarus.com

 

Crap.

There goes my "it doesn't work with my laptop because it's a dual core" theory.

Back to the drawing board...

 

Volume Fader Resets After Each Track Load

Everytime I load a new track the vertical fader returns to full volume...Im sure its a midi setting returning to default but I cant fig how to shut it off..Any suggestions??...Oh did DJ Smex's jog wheel fix and it worked like a champ!

 

Found It

Its not a midi setting its in Deck Preferences Loading Un-Click reset controls when loading a track...I love answering my own q's...Hope this hlps...

 

When I had problems with Windows, a fresh install always seemed to sort things out. Perhaps you could try this as a last resort. Or even re-format!
Gotta love Windows!

Sorry if it has been suggested/ covered before, good luck though.

G

 

Thanks Garret. Yep, a few people have suggested this and it would normally be an option for me but not this time for various reasons.

I'm STILL having the same problem but am determined to get this sorted!

 

Lazarus, congrats for this amazing review! I can't wait to get my hands on mine.

About resetting the controls, it's a common problem on every midi device I tried. The current version of Traktor DJ Studio 3 however does remember all controls states when it starts, maybe T3LE doesn't have this feature yet. But even with this feature you'll eventually find yourself doing the resets before any session, because some knobs and faders will change their position during transportation.

Nice observation about usb and power connectors placement.

 

Jinja, sorry to say that, but regarding live audio performances on XP, you'll need to keep Win XP on the edge. Really consider backup and doing a fresh install. Even Vista didn't get too much better on this aspect, it's lame how MS implement USB device detection and management.

 

I've done a quick browse of the forums but couldn't find any info on Traktor LE playing of .wma files on a Mac and on how the controller and Traktor work together (latency) on a Macbook (bog standard 1.83 - nothing else running).

I'd be using the VCI and Macbook to replace my turntable and cds setup - I'm too old to lug vinyl around...

Sorry if this has been answered - like I said I did a quick search.

 

Aha - I don't need an answer off the specs page, Traktor 2 supports wma on Windows but does not on a Mac - that's why I'm asking the question to users. Cheers.

 

Well, I've got some good news - I'm playing with my VCI-100! But the bad news is that it's not with my laptop! I've plugged it into my sister's laptop and it has worked straight away - grrr! Ah well, at least I get to play a little until I sort my laptop out.

How dare you! I keep my laptop in tip-top shape!

A fresh install MIGHT fix it but I can't do one I'm afraid. And judging by the crap on my sister's laptop I'm more positive than ever there is a specific software issue that's causing MY laptop's issues. Audio is about the one area of computers that I never really paid much attention to. And now I feel like I'm getting a trial by fire! The rest of my system setup is sh1t hot I promise you.

I know what you're saying though. It's amazing how a reinstall of Windows magically cures all ills!

 

I always used to say that Windows installations are kind of biodegradable...

 

The tweaks that work...

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep06/articles/pcmusician_0906.htm

 

Hi people!

I am a proud but very frustrated owner of a brand new VCI-100, delivered yesterday lunchtime. I use Traktor DJ studio 3.1.1 and so far my VCI 100 and traktor are not on speaking terms, so for the past day i've been glued to this thread trying to work out what's going on. my problem seems to be exactly the same as DJ Jinja's, everything lights up, the data send led blinks when i touch anything and device manager assures me 'this device is working properly', but the VCI does not show up in the midi interfaces part of Traktor.

I've tried most of the things suggested on this thread, to no avail. when i downloaded and ran MIDIOX, it told me that i had no midi inputs, despite the VCI being plugged in at the time. the only thing i havent tried yet is the suggestion a few pages back of copying the 'c:\windows\inf\wdma_usb.inf ' file from a machine where the VCI does work, this is because i've tried installing traktor le and the vci on my girlfriends desktop (intel pentium 4, 2.4ghz win xp sp2) and exactly the same thing happens (ie nothing!) ..does anyone have a copy of this file from a working system that i can try?

Anyway, I'm trying to run it on my acer aspire 3000 laptop with an amd sempron 3000+ chip and 512mb ram. (also win xp sp2). At the monment i'm using either onboard sound (super-shonky DS realtek AC97) or my stanton scratchamp connected via pcmcia but i'm hoping to get my shiny new audio kontrol sound card in a few days. I dont use a usb hub, just the ports in the side of my laptop. up until tyesterday i used my oxygen 8 keyboard as a traktor controller with no problems at all.

I'm desperate to have a play with this thing, it looks so cool! so if anyone could help i'd be very grateful!!!

Tom

 

Hi all,

I am not sure if the following has already been mentioned in this thread, but if you have the problem that the VCI-100 MIDI port does not appear under Windows, it might be worth to visit the following RME web page and try the suggestions mentioned there:

http://www.rme-audio.de/english/faq/10entrye.htm