I’ve recently shared three separate Mixtour Pro mapping ideas — SDDE, SDVS and SDCR.
I use them together, so I thought it made sense to join the dots and explain the thinking behind what has become my Direct Four-Deck Toolkit.
The basic philosophy is simple:
Less switching. Less searching. Less resetting. More direct control.
The Mixtour Pro is a very compact controller with a lot of capability packed into it. Combined with an iPad and the amount of functionality available in djay Pro, it can become a surprisingly powerful four-deck setup while still keeping a very small footprint.
That compact footprint is one of the things I really like about it. The idea behind this toolkit is to make all that capability feel as direct and usable as possible, without losing the portability that makes the Mixtour Pro so appealing in the first place.
There is another side to that portability that I have really come to appreciate.
For me, the Mixtour Pro is a little like having an acoustic guitar sitting in the corner of the room, ready to be played.
You get an idea, pick it up and start.
There is almost nothing between the inspiration and actually trying it.
That is very different from a larger setup where you can sometimes feel as though you have to get everything out, connect it, arrange it and get yourself ready before you can even begin.
And sometimes that tiny bit of friction is enough to make you think, I’ll try it later.
The problem is, later the idea may not feel quite the same.
With the Mixtour Pro and iPad, if I suddenly think of a mashup, transition, loop or four-deck combination, I can grab it and start experimenting while the idea is still fresh.
That matters to me.
It keeps the creative moment alive.
Once you start seriously working across four decks, though, the extra layers, screen changes and repeated setup can still start using mental bandwidth that I would rather keep for the music.
That is what these three mappings are intended to address.
SDDE — Simple Direct Deck Engagement
This gives me much more immediate physical control across all four decks.
The key change is that I have created the ability to have volume control for all four decks available on one layer, in real time with no layer switching required.
Instead of constantly changing layers just to reach another deck, all four deck volumes are there and ready to use.
For me, that makes four-deck mixing feel much more natural and much less like operating two decks at a time through different layers.
SDVS — Simple Direct View Switching
The same idea applies visually.
Rather than cycling through views looking for the layout I want, I can go directly to the view I need.
It is a small change, but those small interruptions add up when you are concentrating on a live mix.
SDCR — Simple Direct Cue Recall
This one came from practice.
A four-deck transition can have four completely different starting points — a break on one track, a drop on another, drums somewhere else and perhaps a vocal or loop on the fourth deck.
Once everything is prepared, I want to practise the transition — not repeatedly rebuild the setup.
SDCR lets me recall the decks to their individual prepared Start Cues and pause them.
Reset. Ready. Go again.
What changed for me?
The biggest benefit isn’t really the number of button presses saved.
It is what happens after you remove those unnecessary button presses.
There is less hunting around the controller.
Less layer switching.
Less interruption to the thought process.
Less opportunity for simple mistakes.
Practice becomes smoother because I can repeat an idea quickly while it is still fresh in my head.
And once some of that mental processing disappears, four-deck mixing becomes more fun.
That extra headroom can go back into the things that actually matter — timing, track selection, phrasing, experimenting, manipulating energy and reacting creatively to what is happening in the mix.
For me, that is the real objective.
A polished DJ performance still needs to feel dynamic and alive. The controller should help you shape that performance in real time rather than constantly reminding you that you are operating a controller.
And that is where I think the Mixtour Pro really benefits from this approach.
You keep the compact footprint, portability and huge amount of iPad-based functionality, but make the four-deck workflow much more immediate and usable.
It becomes something you can pick up almost like that acoustic guitar — ready when the idea arrives.
These three mappings are simply my attempt to move the Mixtour Pro a little further in that direction:
SDDE — engage directly.
SDVS — view directly.
SDCR — recall directly.
Three separate ideas, but one workflow philosophy.
I’ve linked my original posts below for anyone who wants the individual mappings and more detail.
SDDE — Simple Direct Deck Engagement
Original SDDE post — Mixtour Pro: Direct 4 deck volume control, no layer switching
SDVS — Simple Direct View Switching
Original SDVS post — Mixtour Pro: Direct 2 Deck / 4 Deck View Switching
SDCR — Simple Direct Cue Recall
Original SDCR post — Mixtour Pro: SDCR — Simple Direct Cue Recall
Hopefully there is something here that helps another Mixtour Pro user simplify their own four-deck workflow.
— Rick Vincent
