This year there has been alot of stuff going on for Digital DJs. The controller trend has been booming this year with alot of focus on four deck controllers and together with the release of Kontrol S4 the scene has moved more towards making more out of you performance.
Serato released The Bridge and introduced alot of products for Itch which is also a sign that controllerism is on an upwards trend.
The percentage among the DJs I know that has moved from cd to digital has increased from about 70 to about 80 percent.
I started focusing on my blog in September this year though I did some blog posts at the start of the year.
This blog is mainly about Traktor. My goal is to blog about digital DJing and Traktor every other day or once a day.
I realy like the trend of visitors to my blog and I hope you'll be visiting it in 2011 aswell.
Yes! Earlier I've posted that Traktor Kontrol S4 had some unusual high CPU requirements. The solution that Jaycobson figured out was to use the NI Audio 8 DJ as a soundcard. That reduced the CPU load quite a bit. Now that I've bought a new computer, this wasn't an issue since my new computer has an I7 processor, but I still thought that is used alot of processing power never the less.
I thought that the problem was my former computer, but it seems that the problem was a driver problem with the integrated soundcard!
It was however a great excuse to buy a new computer! Merry X-mas to myself. Posting the stats of my new computer as soon as I get some more time in front of the computer.
I love when they do these types of videoes. Some cool features and alot of nice examples on how to use the controller.
This time they've got a upgrade for the firmware and added some cool features. Check it out!
DJ Techtools has done an article about two channel mixers.
For those of you who use two channels and timecode, the mixer is at the heart of your performance. So selecting the right one is important. Picking the right one is pretty important.
Personaly I like the Pioneer mixers, but that's probably what's been served to me in clubs over the years. It's a preference thing really.
Shopping for mixers:
I recommend that you go to your local DJ store and try some out. Take notice in the feel of the faders and knobs. Ask them to connect it so you can try the faders and do a couple of mixes (You can do it in the headset if you don't want to do a preformance in the store. Set your monitor from cue to master.)
DJ Techtools did a nice article about how to build a mix, or set if you like. An informative article that look to parallells between a mix/set and a feature film. This also actually reffer to the construction of a single track.
In this example it all boils down to the example of a three-act paradigm:
I think this was a good way to attack the concept on how to build a mix/set. I've seen alot of DJ's playing sets without having a "story". Just the same type of tracks all night long. I really like the lines they draw to movies in this article where you have plots, highs and lows. This is also the key to creating a dynamic mix / set.
Your sets should be a journey through music... Not just a cheep ride with an old uncle.
I didn't get enough time to do my Youtube-segment yesterday, so it's here one day later.
What to do when your Traktor fails? (Which it almost never does)
If you are so unlucky that your computer or Mac bugs out on you durring a gig you can always just put on a random mix from an MP3 player, but what if you could do more? What if you instantly could have a great tool as a back up?
The positive side of this idea is that you can keep the set going in the same direction and not be confined to a pre arranged playlist or mix.
I think this might be a bit too "complicated" solution to the problame and from my perspective there probably is a better backup plan: I would probably recommend bringing along a couple of CD or vinyl and use them to mix with the gear that is normaly used in the club. They probably have some CD players or Vinyl, but that's changing now that they are also getting more and more digital.
PS: Make sure to bring along what ever format is supported.
My backup is normaly a CD with two or three mixes within the genres I perform and they can be played continously, so I can go from R'n'B to House or from House to R'n'B in my mixes. The total length is about an hour and that gives me more then enough time to get my Traktor back up and running. Read more and the full reviews here...
DJ Techtools share quite a nice collection of samples made ready for Traktor.
They've gathered some samples and made tracks with hotcues 1-8 that you can use to transform your DJ set from mixing to a live performance. Check it out!
I used an old backpack before, so this new bag does make me a little more proud moving from my car to the venue.
I got room for my computer (small seperate bag for that included), controll vinyl, soundcard, cables and a controller.
Summed up: Just what I want and in fantastic quality!
Yeah! It's my Birthday! Congratulations are welcome here! :)
Just passed 2000 hits for Descember, so hopefully you are up for the challenge of giving me a holla.
Also: With just one week to go, DJ Techtools have made their own las minute list of xmas gift tips for Digital DJs.
BPM 2010 in Birmingham UK was a major event this year. Alot of cool controllers where shown for the first time and we got to preview the Reloop Mixage, though in a non functioning version.
Digital DJ Tips noticed an exciting teaser on their webpage and I'm happy to inform that it looks like the heat is on for NAMM in Los Angeles 13.november 2011! Yeah! Hopefully the manufacturers didn't go all out on BPM 2010, so we will see a new build up of rumors and previews before this event. I'm excited to see if there's a new hardware rush in January! NAMM dissapointed last year when it came to Traktor, so let's hope they put out this time. :)
What I read out of the picture:
Traktor Certified
Two channel controller (might be four)
VU-meter on the channels
3 EQ knobs + Filter
on/off button for the filter on top of channel line.
Effect section with four 360 rotary encoders.
Four Hotcue buttons
Loop section with two push buttons + two 360 encoders.
Beatjump section with two rotary and two push buttons??
Alot of buttons beneath the pitch fader. Might be for Key, Master, Sync, Scratch controls...
Just last week DJ Techtools reported about Rane opening up their drivers for PC and making is possible to use their products with Traktor and other audio software.
Now Traktor Kontrol X1 is shown in a video paired up with Serato. For those of you who don't know this: It's just standard MIDI. No big news really. I just like the video with two Seratoheads mashing it out on the X1 controller. Yes... It's alot of noise put together pretty tightly, so it's a nice treat for you turntablists.
Just remember that X1 works even better with Traktor and Traktor has a better DVS. I'm just saying. ;)
Not much to say really except: YEEES! THEY'RE BACK!. I've seen some records that glow in the dark and I now know what I'm getting all my friends for Christmas. Atleast the ones that have Traktor... Or Serato! :)
I guess you need some blacklight for this to work but the UV filter on any movinghead/scanner should do the trick.
They come in Fluorescent Green, Fluorescent Blue and Fluorescent Orange.
This is the coolest midi controller on the market. Get this controller is as simple as it is genious and has, according to DJ Techtools, the push buttons on the market. It just looks fantastic and you can customize your own controller and have DJ Techtools build it or get a DIY-kit for some afternoon soldering. Love it.
This nice little pad and touchpad is a pretty close thing to Korg's Nanopad. Using a pad for controlling effects is pretty efficient since you can control three parameters with one click. X-axis, Y-axis and on/off.
The pads can give som extra buttons to mash when you are juggeling hotcues. Or use it to mash some rhytems in some sample software.
Mashing some rythems on your own and using them as loops is probably the best surprise that Traktor S4 gave us. Recording loops and adding different elements and layering them on is an amazing tool for those of you want to create some extra in addition to mixing tracks.
There are alot of nice tools out there but for me the Handsonic series from Roland stands out. Get it now and get the coolest percusion on the block.
Foot pedals can be a nice addition when your hands are bussy with something else. The Traktor Kontrol S4 is equiped (probably thanks to Ean) with a foot switch. This is used as default to start recording loops. Will be a nice addition to the previous item on the list.
Adding beats is "easy". Adding melody lines can be a bit more challenging and you probably need some background in playing on keyboard or piano to add something extra. Use some synth software and record basslines, hits, stabs or other melodic lines to take performance to the highest level.
Or just use this compact controller for controlling purposes like Ean Golden do with his Oxygen 8.
Keep in mind that the knobs on this one isn't very good, so you might want to get an extra set of rotary knobs aswell. :)
I've experienced this once on a mac, but never on a PC... :)
From DJ Techtools
The reason is simple and stated in the error message: Your hardware simply deliver enough juice to your MIDI devices.
As the MIDI devices use alot of power these days, with LED lights flashing all over the place, you probably will experience this in the future aswell. DJ Techtools has written an article that's all about MIDI (They do make really good articles). The latest one is explaining this very issue and what to do to fix this problem.
It's monday and Youtube time again.
There are alot of four deck controllers in sale now and the argument to look elsewhere is: What do I need four decks for?? I was looking to show you a good example on using four decks.
Came across this video which is pretty old, but for those of you who haven't seen it, get ready to be amazed.
This must be a goal for any DJ.
This guy (DJ B33son) won the DJ contest that DJ Techtools had some time ago with this entry.
Also... The comments... Hehehe...
I love the S4 and I have tried it out quite alot... at home, cause I can't use at live gigs.
Reason: My computer isn't up to par.
After installing Traktor Kontrol S4 on my "DJ-computer" I was sad to see that the processor meter peeked most of the time. My computer is three years old and has a 1,6 GHz which is more then enought to run Traktor Pro, but unfortunately not S4. Jaycobson just got his S4 this week and tried it on his computer yesterday. He's got a 2,0 GHz DualCore Processor and did experience the same symptoms... However, when he connected his Audio 8 DJ and ran the audio through that it worked okay. It got about a 50% load, but no peeks.
I tried the S4 software on my stationary and work computer and the software didn't peek there either. Both computers are pretty high performance.
So... I'm looking at a new computer.
Windows® XP (latest Service Pack, 32 Bit), Vista®/Windows 7® (latest Service Pack, 32/64 Bit), Pentium®/Athlon® XP 1.8 GHz OR Core™2/AMD Athlon™ X2, 2 GB RAM
Mac OS X® 10.5 or higher, Intel® Core™Duo 1.66 GHz, 2 GB RAM
USB 2.0 port, DVD drive, 6 GB free disk space for complete installation
Rane is married to Serato. They have been living together for about five years now. Though Serato has had an affair with Numark, they are still happily married. But now there is something happening that might indicate that Rane is looking elsewhere for happiness...
"
Dj TechTools has learned that there are brand new ASIO and Core Audio drivers that allow any software to use Rane 68 mixers and SL3 boxes as multi-channel sound cards.
Alright!! But WHY???!
In worst case scenario. Your at a gig and you didn't bring a sound card you can actually get the Rane ASIO drivers, but only for PC. (Sorry Mac users...) But the drivers are in BETA, so you might want to get someone on the road to get that NI Audio X DJ soundcard ASAP.
Let's be honest. I've tried Serato and Rane TTM 57SL and I wasn't impressed about the control functions, but the quality of the Rane mixer was very nice. Let's hope they will be looking at Traktor in the future and hopefully Traktor will give some love back. :)
The classic sequencer from Propellerhead is back and this time on Ipad!
Now you can play around with Roland TR-808, TR-909 and TB-303 when ever, where ever. Create some cool retro tunes on the go...
"
ReBirth faithfully emulates dance music's three backbone devices: The Roland TB-303 Bass synth and the Roland TR-808 and 909 drum machines. Combine these with FX units, fully featured pattern sequencers and a gorgeous-looking interface and you're ready to make killer tracks on your iPad. Share your music with friends on Facebook, Twitter and more using the built in sharing features.
I often have problems creating a wishlist for x-mas. But not this year. There are so many products out there that I need and want, so I want to share it with you. So now you can look at my list and add some of the items to your own.
UDG mainly makes bags and accessories for DJs and is known for it's high quality products.
This year there are two products that catches my eye.
UDG Headphone Bag
A nice little soft-shell carrying case for your headset.
Real nice for protecting your headphones. Can also probably fit your MIDI and audio cables.
Novation Dicer is a pretty neet little gadget for those of you who use timecode vinyl for controlling Traktor. DJ Techtools recently reliesed a mapping for Traktor. Novation just made a clam-shell case for it so that you can bring them along in style. Love it!
It's monday again and here's what I cool stuff I found on Youtube last week.
Native Instruments did a show at Gitar Centre with some of it's profile DJs on Traktor.
DJ Shiftee does a pretty cool routine, DJ Craze does an awesome routine and some guy called DJ Dynamix does an okay routine on the S4.
A short summary:
DJ CRAZEs routine: Timecode Vinyl, Standard mixer, Traktor Kontrol X1
DJ SHIFTEEs routine: Timecode Vinyl, Standard mixer, Traktor Kontrol X1, Native Instruments Maschine
This is a review I've been waiting on for a couple of weeks.
DigitalDJTips.com has released a very nice review (that they are probably currently expanding) where they take a look at single deck midi controllers.
I think it's a very good review and I like the way they comment every controller with the manufacurers comments and what they think. Very nice Phil! Great work on the reviews and just so you know: I concur. :)
They also did a similar review earlier on standard midi controllers (two decks and a mixer). If you are looking for a controller with mixer and deck controls for two or four track systems or if you are just interrested in what's happening on the controller market at the moment, you should take a look.
Have you gone digital yet?? The toughest thing about going digital is digitalizing your music collection. Ripping music from CD and Vinyl is a timeconsuming and insainly boaring job, but it's a good way to run through all of your tracks and descide wether or not to import them.
Ripping from CD:
A pretty easy job if you have the right tools.
The biggest tast is to name your Tracks. Using EasyCDDA it's a blast. If you have been good with TrackID your tracks on burned CDs or if you are ripping directly from an excisting studioalbum the system will fill this out for you!
Ripping from Vinyl:
This is a more painstaking job, but DigitalDJTips.com just released a pretty good guide. Read it here
Giving your voice into some rather boring surveys will give you a chance to make the DJ business move forward in your direction. It's kind of a democracy and the only way to have your influence is to have your say at these polls. So go vote for Traktor to make other people understand that there really just is one DVS system worth wild
PS: I do like some competition in the market just for keeping them on their toes and prices down. I just don't want to come to a club with another Serato setup... :)
KRK has been making monitors for 25 years and I use them myself for DJing. Using studio monitor for DJing really gives away all your errors and is a great way to find flaws in your mixing techniques.
For a studio monitor manufacturer to launch a headsphones series is a good sign when it comes to the quality of the product. They are expected to keep their headphones as high end as their monitors and for KRK that's saying alot.
KRK KNS-8400
The headphones come in two models: KNS 8400 and KNS 64000.
The main difference is that the 8400s has a slightly wider frequency range of 5Hz-23kHz vs 10Hz-22kHz(Pioneer HDC-2000 however has 5Hz-30kHz).
The 8400 also have a slightly more effective element, a premium Letherette finish vs. a regular and a built-in volum control that the 6400s don't have.
The major difference in my opinion is that the 8400 has memory foam instead of cellular foam isolation. This makes the 8400s have an ambient reduction of 30 dbA versus 24 dbA for the 6400 model. You do want your headphones to be as isolating as possible, cause then you can have a slightly lower volume while performring.
Conclution:
The KRS-6400 lacks memory foam, but is priced at only $99, so if you just want some headphones for home use. They should be pretty sufficient.
The specs of the KRS-8400 don't match up to Pioneers HDJ-2000, but at a pricepoint of $150 it's a pretty good deal. Pioneer HDJ-2000 is priced at $250. I would recomend checking these puppies out next time you are shopping for headphones. :)
There is a review posted on digitaldjtips.com with a comparisson of Traktor Duo and Traktor Pro.
A pretty nice review with alot of good pointers to the fact that Traktor Duo is a pretty sweet deal for those of you who are just using Traktor to mix two tracks together.
I mostly use five effects and two of them are not included in the Duo package. (Beatmasher 2, Gate, Delay, Turntable FX, Iceverb)
The Quantize function is for me a winner. You are always in sync even though the sync button isn't active! This also makes it easier to use four decks.
The master clock is mainly for those of you who want to use external software like Abelton. Or if you want to connect to other Traktor DJs and play together on two or more computers, but still have the option to sync.
The thing for me about Traktor is that it DJing is now so much more then just mixing two tracks. It's about exploring the possibilities of music and fully enjoy what Native Instruments Traktor is all about. I also seldom use deck C & D, but I'm getting there. It's about expanding your realm as a DJ and reaching another level of experiencing and presenting music. So do you realy want to be stuck on two decks and limited effects?
Read the review and see what you think. Personaly I would go for Traktor Pro. The pricepoint isn't that much higher. Atleast not now when the prices are 50% off!
I've been getting som feedback that you might want regular segments, so Mondays will now be Youtube-day! I'll look through youtube and find some cool tips on DJing in general and share it, so while I'm finishing a couple of touches on my Traktor Kontrol S4 Mapping for Traktor Pro (teaser), you can take a look at the cool videos on how to setup turntables and mixers from the all mighty DJ Q-bert. ENJOY!
For those of you that are not familiar with the Traktor Bible you should probably check it out ASAP.
It's the holy grale for newbies and gives in depth description of everything you need to know and probably don't even want to know about Traktor.
They are extremly good at updating it and you can now get alot of cool material on the S4 allready!
Also they have some great free software available that makes working with Traktor a bit easier.
I found this sign posted right next door. Seriously... I can't understand
why my neighbours have the need to put up a sign to let us know about
their childrens mental capabilities... Or does the sign contain a
deeper message? You tell me!
After searching Google for some fresh info about Traktor I got this header: Traktor is the best MP3 DJ software. Opening the website made me laugh a bit. Talk about a retro website. Recommend updating.
This awesome looking controller from Denon is being released December 1st. As far as Traktor Pro goes, this is probably the one controller top two controllers suited for the layout, though it's got some extra controller functions that are more geared towards Digital DJ. The S4 controller is made for the S4 software, but can also be used in MIDI mode and send MIDI signals to Traktor Pro. In my opinion this controller would be just as suited for Traktor Pro as the Kontrol S4.
Denon has always delivered high end products for the last 20 years. I guess this controller is no exception.
It is made to be mounted in a 19" rack and is suited for the dark nightclub environments with it's very good lighting distributions.
My conclusion will be that if you are looking for a four deck controller for Traktor Pro. I would have to try this controller before I chose a controller, but it would still be a tough choice between the S4 and the DN-MC6000.
Last week digitaldjtips.com wrote about the Itunes plugin called TuneUp. This week they deliver yet another cool review of a pretty essensial tool for DJs who organize their tracks in Itunes. I said last week that I'm most likely to start organizing because of TuneUp. This plugin seals the deal.
This software focus on what's important for DJs like Key, BPM, Genres and coverart.
Use this software to keep a good consistency, analyse your tracks and create, maintain and even autogenerate playlists.
This is probably one the best Traktor Kontrol S4 Tutorials online. It's made by the guys at DubSpot which is a DJ school / workshop sittuated in New Your. pretty high end school for DJs and producers.
November 16th Native Instruments released new drivers for all their products in the Audio X DJ range, the Kontrol S4 and Kontrol X1. Make sure to have the latest driver installed at all times. You can download the driver by using the Service Center or go directly to the driver download below. I recommend using the service center to check for updates regularly.
Controller editor is the software that makes it possible for us to get an overview and edit the standard midi layout for the Native Instruments controllers. The new version 1.3.2 was released 17.11.2010 and include some new features that are long over due.
New features in versjon 1.3.2:
* Brings Support for Traktor Kontrol S4
* Brings Multi Controller Support for Traktor Kontrol X1
Super sad fact:
You can't edit the excisting version of S4 mapping to Traktor and there are no standard copies of it either. So if you want to make your own S4 mapping, you have to start from scratch. Good luck.
