I have a great way of keeping crickets I have little to no die offs and no smell.
I keep 2000-8000 Crickets at  a time with no issues.
I use a Cricket Keeper from Armstrong Cricket. 
Click Here
For food I use only Cricket Gut load from CricketFood.com (5lb bag lasts over a year)
For water I use a 3" Round Sponge from Armstrong Cricket. 
Click Here I put it on a small plate or lid, I wash and rehydrate daily. 
I use what we call a "Cricket Condo" which is 3-5 egg crates glued on top of each other.
The "Cricket Condo" supplies plenty of hiding room for all the crickets. 
I use no substrate and i use a small hand broom and small dust pan to clean the floor out daily. 
I don't deal with die-offs  and no smell.
I hope this helps.
Robert