disappointed Radius 3000 or a bit mislead which one

FAT has become a "bottom of the barrel" format, that ensures decent cross-platform compatibility(especially with those USB memory sticks). FAT has limitations of 32Gigs, so past that, you need to use FAT32. NTFS has many more good reasons to choose to use that instead.

Now, you could slice up your drive into partitions and format all those different chunks, which won't take a lot of time but it is a nuisace. Each partition can hold over 32 CD's worth of stuff at 16-bit PCM 44.1K no-loss quality, which should be more than sufficient for organizing and sorting, but I would think that would get annoying for an end user(say you, when running a show). Personally, that many partitions would be handy for me, but last thing I want to do come event time is go through different drives to find what I need.

Now, we have different issues, and it has more than you want to deal with. There's not just Fat, Fat32 and the various versions of NTFS. We could go Mac HFS or HFS+, journalled or non-journalled, but then we need to get licensing from Apple to embed that into the chipset. Or, should we go to some open standard? Maybe an open 9660? Maybe some other Linux/Unix based formatting? Stall, FAT is mac/PC/linux compatible for read/writing with modern OS's. Common ground makes things a lot easier.

Once you start adding in additional layers, the device becomes more complicated, even if it's just stuff being added to a ROM in the unit because you have to roll in the latest versions of NTFS(there are at least 6 versions) as well as FAT32 and FAT.

Ideally, what the hell are you going to need with more than 32 CD's(realistically more like 40) worth of music? Notice I'm not saying 40 CD's, but rather an equivalent amount of music. It's critical. Let's just say 10 songs/CD, taht's 400 tracks, MORE than enough for any gig, but could limit your requests. Unless you're rolling for days at a time, you SHOULD be fine. You could sort your stuff any way you want onto sticks.

Then again, so many DJ's don't give a crap about quality and just rip their music to MP3. Playing anything short of FULL CD quality(which means NO MP3 at ANY quality setting, because the all suck) is a vast disservice to us all.

There's nothing wrong with things like Tractor Pro or Serato Scratch, or some other things I've seen. In the hands of a skilled operator/DJ who knows the software, it can be a very powerful and usefull option. I worked side by side with a DJ at a recent event, and I was literally standing by him most of the time to watch him work. I forget what he was using, it was mac based. He was working that relatively effortlessly. Of course, use the vinyl based options for control because CD decks can have roll-offs and filters in the AD/DA converters, which can screw up control signals.

Yes, 32GIG sticks are a bit expensive. I know, I was just looking the other day for storing a single project onto, and I decided it wasn't worth the costs right now. Of course, prices can and will drop.

If you ask me, it sounds to me like you didn't do due dilligence in advance. Then again, I can't find a manual to download to read either.

I do see the "problem", and it's one that bothers me and what let to you being angry. First the product description says "USB hard drive" To me that says "USB thumbdrive/stick or a hard drive accessed via a USB interface". I dislike this term. TO me, a hard drive is a magnetic device using rigid metallic plates, as opposed to floppy disks that use a flexible material(such as mylar).

A USB memory stick or "thumb drive" is a solid state device that works more like a FLASH ROM-type deviec. These really need to be clarified.

Can you scan in part of the manual or find me a link to the manual? My internet sucks right now and I'm lucky to be able to get anything done.

ok there was an insert it stated that the maximum SDHC card 32GB,
but the HD Link clearly indicate an external drive ready no indication of a limit to the external drive, by the way thanks for your reply, I use 320 kbps only for my rip files. master on factory CDs from ERGmusic.com
oh and just for the record I sat for an hour and really I say again I really listen to identical tracks runing though Radius 3000 connected to QD5 mixer all gains set at zero connected to XTI4000 amp connected to JBL MRX 515, no processor, all though straight factory CD offered a warmer and slightly higher recording not by much but slightly never the less than the CD that was rip into 320 kbps. again identical tracks from body & soul disk one, song "Tonight I Celebrate My Love" Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack, and Love is Forever by Billy Ocean results there is nothing wrong with anyone using MP3s recorded at 320, been in the business since 1987, enough said on my qualifications, again back to the subject at hand.

Do this when you have the chance:

Take an entire project, from CONCEPT(as in talking about it), to the first conceptions, to demo, to the tweaking of sounds, through the entire sonmgwriting process, entire recording process(and tracking most of it as a recording engineer), knowing all the gear used inside and out, mixing it down, helping master it and then also approving the masters before pressing. As in: from very start to very end. In this case, I have intimate access to the material and know it inside and out. I suppose that's an unfair advantage.

And try listening on decent speakers. Say, some KRK6000's powered by a Rickenbacker PA300 amp using 12-guage Monster cable. Oh man, such a killer combination.

You'll hear the difference. Your ear can't tell the difference. When you crank it up, the differences become obvious. At least, on a well engineered system. Then again, I'm using studio gear from the ground up and I have worked on constant ear training, so we're coming from different backgrounds. Your equipment isn't capable of showing the problems and your ears can't tell either.

Oh, and you're really bored, through them through a signal analyzer and SEE the differences you're not hearing. Have a barf bag handy, it's tremendous.

I will NEVER play an MP3 for an audience. But I'm not a DJ either. I'm an audio engineer. Been in business since 1992, been working pro audio since 1979. Worked with stars from A to Z and get calls from them all the time. To the point where it some days gets annoying.

Back to the Radius 3000:
OK, so an insert says the maximum size for an SDHC card is 32GIGs. Supporting your argument(and it is conceivable), there was no mention of the same limitations on the USB port. One CAN NOT assume one limitation over another.

I would say though with a pocket full of SDHC cards, you should be able to do your shows quite well. Couple that with affordable USB sticks and you shouldn't have too many problems. You might have some flow issues while you find stuff, but you can make it happen. 2 decks, each with a 32 gig SDHC card and a 32GIG USB stick. That's 128GIg's of music, or most likely darn close to 2000+ tracks. That's a LOT of stuff at once.

Not that I don't hear your argument, and I like it. I've ripped my entire CD collection to 16 bit PCM 44.1K WAV files onto a drive, some 700+ CD's and over 7600 tracks(I'd have to check my CD database for exact numbers). My thoughts would be a lot like yours. And I'm going to stretch it one logical step further: I'm going to RIP my entire karaoke DVD collection onto another drive, and then combine those both into one larger drive afterwards, so when I do events, I have ONE source for all my playback materials. Granted, I'm not quite going the same route you are, but the concept is the same:
"consolidating material into one location for ease of transport and convenience", and then you expect to plug it in and play. I think your idea is not only not original(no insult intended), but also logical and practical. I mean, what do you want to do? Lug around 700 CD's or a hard drive you can toss into your laptop bag? I know you're going to say "toss a hard drive into my laptop bag".

Here's what I think is going to have to happen:
More and more DJ's should be doing what you're trying to do. I think this consolidation is a wise thing. The downside is that it's a large single point of failure, so copy your work to a safety drive. But, back to this consolidation stuff. Hard drives are only getting cheaper and larger. Clearly, as you pointed out, this is going to become increasingly inconvenient for users going hard drive routes for all the reasons you pointed out. If enough users start complaining or making requests, then the company will have to adjust or lose business.

But here's another problem that is a bit more abstract. Not every DJ or user is a PC user. Yeah, kind of a new twist, isn't it? So, how to Mac folks get their stuff onto PC formatted drives? Not so easy now, isn't it? Devices likt eh Western Digital TV Player can read non-Journalled HFS+ mac formatted drives. PC's can easily read and write to Mac formatted drives using MacDrive(I use this on the PC boot for my 17" Macbook Pro and it works fantastic). I've tossed all my CD's on a Mac formatted drive so I have my cross-platform compatibilty in house.

FAT provides a common ground solution. Short of shuffling cards, there's not much you can do right now. Computer based is an option to explore. Might be your best option. It was interesting watching the DJ lining up the beats before running the next track. Just an abstract system watching a turntable act as a controller, but at the same time, pretty cool. I still don't feel "Digital scratching" sounds the same as the real thing though. Not going to say necessarily better or worse, but I'd prefer real record scratching any day.

You can't win this fight. You've lost. But that doesn't mean the fight is dead. The fight now has to head in the direction of the next round of gear. It's hard to make everyon happy, but the best way to learn is to hear it from the users. I don't work for American Audio, but I hear what you're saying and I agree and something needs to be done in future projects.

Chris
You are a good man, and I have learned it is okay to agree to disagree as I do with the whole MP3 issue, to all that uses MP3s ripped at 320 kbps and in such an environment with equipment that offer no real tangible degregation that would be the average night club or DJ not a music engineer, for the installs that I'm in and the rig that I have I'm sure that I'll be just fine. It amazes me however that no matter what anyone purchase there is always something they could have purchase better. If money was no object. Well money obvious is an object as view by American DJ Audio and the whole designed team who's sole goal is to make quality professional items that rivals the likes of the products that you have mentioned. The average club owner does not either want to invest into products like what you or others have or have no need to invest in the products like that. As you have mentions. Through out my 20 years plus in the bussiness I have develope key professional products that have proven themselves to be worthy of the professional circuit. My products are limited by choice to what is appropiate for my situation and those are American DJ Audio, American DJ Lights, JBL MRX line, Crown Audio, and DBX Drive Rack. This line far exceed any average club and mobile requirements out there. But again thanks for the education in engineer sound, but I think I'm going to be alright as my career in the Mobile and Club DJ closes.
Back to the subject at hand,
The Radius 3000 gives us the opportunity to take our DJ mixing to the next level however under the false lure that you can hook up and external hard drive with no limit to the amount of said Hard Disk drive via USB link and control your music without the use of a PC beit MAC or any other base system. There is no need to be bitter as I'm not I would have purchase the players just for the fact that you can have the ability to slap in a thumb drive for a song or two if the need arise. But be aware you are limited to 32GB no matter how it is inserted other than investing into software programs like Serato, or Tractor. Big ups to all that have and continue to contribute.

I feel that the concept behind carrying your media on a single(or at least backed-up) single large format media(such as a BIG hard drive) is a wise move. After all, especially since YOU, as a DJ, might have a clue as to what the people want at a gig, might run into the reality that what you thought people wanted was NOT what they really wanted.

For example, the trash music genre known as "hip hop". I won't go into why it's trash, but it is, because it's too big to flush. But at any rate, let's say you bring hip hop, and your client is not really into it.... Man, are you screwed! Maybe they wanted oldies for example, because they are geriatric or whatever. At any rate, having a lot to easily fallback onto will be a big bonus.

32gigs of full 16-bit 44.1K PCM audio is a LOT of stuff to carry around on one compact media. I suppose your best bet is to sort into categories and then stuff onto sticks and cards, and label with a Sharpie(and then cover that mark with packing tape so it won't rub off). Then a card of what you're finding to be "most requested stuff".

You are right about club owners: They don't want to invest anything into anything outside of booze. Most clubs around here are in two categories: crappy and "clean". Even so, the clean ones don't want to invest, but the crap ones are just falling apart. I mean that literally, sadly enough. DJ booths reeking of pot, unine and cigarette smoke, gear gummed up to the point of catastrophic failure(that's why it failed and burned up), and then they want me to come in and pull a miracle out of my butt to make it all happen. Total budget for total system overhaul: $5 in booze(and I don't drink). That's what club owners expect.

Since I don't do the DJ thing, I don't have to deal with those issues. I tell people "go tell the band what you want to hear, because I'm just mixing and no, I'm not with the band". Still, 400 songs on average for those hard to find 32GIG cards and sticks is a lot to deal with. I can do 4-6 hours on a 4GIG, but that doesn't give me a lot of variety should it need to be mixed up. That amount works fine on my iPhone since I'm playing for me.

I'm sure soon, internal hard drives will be standard, using some sort of common platform format that can be accessed via Mac or PC and a USB port. I say less than 5 years. Hard drive prices have to come down more in the 1-2 Terrabyte catagory, as well as improved reliability, lower heat. I recently had a Seagate Extreme overheat(1.5 Terrabyte) and fail because the case design is pure crap.

Ola irmaozinho quemsabe este link pode te ajudar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMf2WuHvV-4
um forte abraço DJ Otavio belo horizonte MG Brazil

Did a gig over the weekend. We played "Guess which one was an MP3".

I was right 100% of the time. And this was in a LIVE situation. His source, so he knew what he was spinning.

Let me say this though:
Scratching. He does do scratching. Now that I'm really paying attention, scratching via actual vinyl sounds MUCH better than digital. Digital isn't bad, but given the choice, I'd rathe the DJ scratch vinyl.

I love new stuff, I love old stuff. Sometimes, the old stuff just works out better.