When the protocols went from MIDI to HID on some hardware controllers (like the Native Instruments Kontrol S4) the signals got quick enough for using controllers to effective do all aspects of scratching on a controller from transport control to cross fader cutting.
The cross fader on the S4 is more than good enough for my use, but for those of you out there who use the cross fader active and do a lot of scratching you might be excited about the fact that you now can mount an Innofader to replace the standard cross fader on your S4! DJ Techtools gives the details
Personally I don't use the loop recorder very much, but I guess that if one is to create some Live remixing or beeing a background DJ for a rap artist or even a band, the looprecorder could be pretty usefull. I know my buddy Jaycobson uses the looprecorder for recording small loops which he bashes out on his Roland HandSonic drumpads.
This is a pretty neat walkthrough of how to use the loop recorder in Traktor Pro 2.
Created by Dubspot Instructor and Traktor DJ Extrordinaire; The infamous DJ Shiftee.
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
Tips:
1. By clicking the Deck letters you can switch modes for the decks between (Track, Sample, External). This saves you the trouble of going into the setup. :)
2. After creating a loop in the loop recorder, you can drag the loop in to a sample deck.
Turntablists
beware: Traktor is back with yet an improvement to their already top of the
class Digital Vinyl System.
This time
they’ve upped the quality and feel of the vinyl so it has got an even more
authentic feel. A regular DJ (like myself) that does use scratch a lot probably
won’t notice that much difference, because it is already pretty tight, but the
really hardcore turntablists out there probably will notice a slightly better
performance.
Alongside
with the fact that they’ve solved the way that wow and flutter influence the sync
functionality simply make Traktor Scratch Pro 2 a bit of a miracle for DJs
using turntables.
I really
liked the new layout of the sticker on the new MK 2 vinyl as well. Finally I
don’t have to add markers to them. The sticker is a very nice indicator. Let’s
hope the B side is just as good.
Qbert has been a part of the development of the new Traktor Pro 2 slipmats which I find to be pretty neat.
Also take a look at the video from Native Instruments that runs through the new features in Traktor Scratch Pro 2:
First up: I believe that matching the BPMs and blending two tracks together is the most important skill of a DJ. Off cause playing the right music at the right time and looking like you’re having a good time is more value added skills if you look at it from a clubs perspective, but to call oneself a DJ and not be able to “beatmix” doesn’t add up in my book. (This is the rule of thumb for all genres, Hip hop DJ a like)
Back when Beat Keepers hit the market for the first time I actually wasn’t a big fan because newer DJs might only use the numbers as a guide and let themselves be fooled. You’ll still need to know how to match up two tracks and there are a lot of great tutorials online how to learn this. This also applies to Digital DJs. You need to learn how to beat match WITHOUT sync to really get the experience needed to be a proper DJ! All you need is practice.
One of the main issues a lot of non-digital DJs have with DJ software is the sync functionality. Serato Scratch is probably one of the only DJ software on the market still without sync capability and I've even heard some DJ say that they will stop using Serato if they incorporate sync functionality! Tough luck! Traktor, Serato Itch, Ableton, Torq, Virtual DJ, Mixxx, Mixmeister, Mixology all have sync functionality. I believe the only option left is Pioneer Record Box, but I’m sure they’ll add it soon as well.
It is as simple as this: IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE FEATURE THEN DON’T USE IT!
The sync feature for me means freeing up more time to focus on the other tasks like planning ahead, selecting the right music, testing harmonics, working the crowd, adding more sources to the mix, playing around with effects and last but not least, mixing more effectively. All in all it simply gives me more time to focus on other things and giving the crowd more by upping my game. Just beatmixing and playing whole 5-7 minutes tracks wouldn’t be very interesting.
One of the very important things to do before any gig is to do run through of your music collection and do the picks for the night. You sit down with Traktor, Go to the Track Collection and start running through the list. This might take alot of time as you probably got alot of tracks in there and during this routine it is REALY imporant to be efficient! I've created an efficient shortcut setup that will enable you to do this very quickly.
Before you start:
Set the internal soundcard as you Monitor soundcard. This is done under Setup > Audio Setup. Select the internal soundcard of your computer. Go to Setup > Output routing and select the soundcard channels to be rounted to the internal monitor.
Create a new playlist and mark it as your preparation playlist by right clicking and selecting the option in the dropdown menu.
You can create your own setup or download my shortcuts from here.
Set it up like this:
|
Preview player: Load
1
Preview player: Back (Increment: Normal)
2
Preview Player: Forward (Increment: Small)
3
Preview Player: Forward (Increment: Big)
Space
Add to Playlist
Up
Browse: Up
Down
Browse: Down
Now you can easily rest your left pinky on the | (Pipe) key for loading tracks into the preview player, left ring finger on 1 will skip back in the track and your midle finger and index finger will be on 2 key and 3 key for jumping forward.
Your thumb is resting on the space button and if you come across a track you like you simply add it to your preparation playlist.
Your right hand will controll the up and down buttons for the list and the thumb will also rest on the space button.
You'll save HOURS on doing it this way.
Alternativly clicking the S4 browse button down you will load the track into the preview player. Once playing you can rotate the knob for scanning through the track. Click the browse button again to stop the preview player playback.
I've downloaded the latest update for Traktor Pro 2 (2.1.1) and tried it out this weekend. There are a couple of new features that I've enjoyed (like the keying of samples and selecting which to process by effects), but there is also a great setback when it comes to the general performance of the software.
I tried out the software on the internal soundcard before I did my gig and didn't experience any problems. But when I got to the gig and connected my S4 the CPU load was through the roof.
Probably because my computer has the i7 processor Traktor didn't have any glitches so I just played the whole night with the WARNING light blinking on my S4!
I looked at the NI forum to see if anybody else was experiencing the same thing. There where quite alot of posts about other problems with the 2.1.1 update, but not direcly the same. Then I remembered that I had a similar experience when I bought the S4 and used the S4 software (Pre Traktor Pro 2). What I did then was to switch soundcard from the S4 built-in soundcard with my trusted Audio 8 DJ and voila CPU load dropped and didn't show much stress even when playing with 10 audio sources, all keyed and running 4 x 3 effects. Still... Pretty important.
All in all the new 2.1.1 update is a step forward, but I guess, since they've altered the architecture, that some old ghosts come back to haunt us.
Always bring along a back-up soundcard!
Lessons learned:
When upgrading your software you should try the system out before you do the gig with EVERYTHING connected as it would durring the performance. Do a stress test on the system.
If the S4 gives you trouble with high CPU loads... Try using another soundcard.
I guess this also would go for those of you who recently puchased the Native Instruments Kontrol S2 aswell.
I recently visited New York and LA and almost every DJ there used Serato, so I had to ask what the deal was and what they knew of Traktor. The answers I got varied from the standard "It's for house DJs" to "It's for beginners only".
I noticed that the DJs at Empire Hotell, New York used Serato. I didn't think very much about the platform at that time cause the guy was on fire. However, when the DJ the next day also used Serato, I thought that it might just be the club. But when I got to Hollywood the same thing was going on there. Only Serato all the way. First guy I talked to was playing on one of LAs hottest clubs: Drais (At the W Hollywood) and his response to why he was using Serato was that Traktor was for House DJs.
I went to Guitar Center the next day and there was this guy hamering it out on an NS7. I asked if he had tried Traktor and he looked at me and said that Traktor was for beginners and that I should talk to this other guy, so I talked had a longer discussion with one of the Sales Associates on DJ gear at Guitar Center Hollywood. He had been DJing for some time himself and was very well versed in digital DJing. He said that Traktor was an Ok system but he perfered Serato mainly because it was more streamlined for R'n'B and Rap and that Traktor had a to busy interface.
So let's have a look at the misconceptions of American DJs and let me explain why they are so wrong:
"It's for beginners only"
I you concider Grand Master Flash, Carl Cox, DJ Sasha or DJ Craze beginners, then the answer is yes. But then you're probably one of the few that has been DJing for more then 40 years. The system is used by thousends of DJs in clubs and on the big stage all over the world every day.
"The interface is to busy"
Is it??
I did a cleanup on my interface and came to this simple layout. It's not very busy and pretty simple compared to alot of other systems out there.
"It's for House DJs"
Well yes. It's for House DJs. If I only played House I would most likely conclude that Traktor is the right selection due to the wide pick of effects and solid beatgridding system.
But is it ONLY for House DJs? No.
DJs like DJ Craze, DJ Rafik, DJ Shiftee and Grand Master Flash is among the DJs who actually use Traktor when performing (and most lightly not just for the money cause I haven't seen them use other systems).
There are however no videos proclainming Serato as the best platform. Atleast not in English. :)
Bottom Line
I believe that the ones that say Traktor isn't very good simply hasn't tried it.. In the end it's got alot to do with what you are used to. If you started with Serato, you probably won't like the Traktor interface. If you started with Traktor , you probably won't enjoy the Serato interface. However.... I can't see all that many reasons to switch from Serato to Traktor, but I can see alot of reasons to go from Traktor to Serato.
Traktor has:
Better sounding Algorithm.
Higher resolution on DVS.
More features and effects.
One system with options for Turntablists AND Controllerists.
Way more options when it comes to configuring the interfaces.
Case closed.
But let's give credit where credit is due:
I realy like the smart crates, track marking and some other general browser features for Serato which I hope and believe will be ported to Traktor within a short timeframe.
The Numark NS7 is a super interface for turntablists.
Serato can work with video (If you get the right equipment). Traktor can only work with music... :(
The 2.1.1 is now available for download and has been running as beta for some time now. There are a bunch of upgrades that I've listen in the previous posting, but I would like to take time to talk about some of the new features.
• Support for multi-core processors This is a MAJOR upgrade that might be under appreciated by alot of users. This means that you will be able to take full advantage of parallel processing
power from today’s mobile processors. It will reduce the load on your CPU and
it will enable some of the older computers that are having trouble with running
Traktor Pro 2 to actually pull it off. This is a huge task engineering wise, so
congrats on the upgrade NI!
• Automatic calibration jog wheel controls for S2 and S4
I actually needed to calibrate the jogs on my S4 last week. The process
wasn’t all that hard, but auto calibration is probably even easier.
• Option for additional audio headroom in the mixer
This will in my case cause some reduction in noise, since I’m playing at
about -5 dB to not peek out and for you guys who hasn’t thought about the
system peeking; this will probably make your sets sound better and remove some
of you peeking distortion.
• Option to disable the auto-save sample
Ah! Yes. My collection is being bombarded with loops and samples.
• "Jump size" indicator on mouse-over in the stripe
This isn’t new in itself, but will probably now take into account the
beat jump quantization.
• Improved Setup Wizard
Don’t use it, but probably nice to have for the newcomers.
Other bug fixes: • Speed-fader in the GUI of pace-decoupled Bends
• Pitch Bend correct behavior when you are stopped deck
• Cueing CD Timecode accuracy improved
• Core Audio sample rate matching corrected
I was looking at the video in which Ean Golden explain his S2 demo video and noticed that he had on the sampler decks some new buttons which I can't find in my newly updated Traktor version (2.0.3).
On each sampler there is a Key, FX and Cue button. The play button is also changed to show what type of sample it is... In this case one shot.
Since Ean now is a NI insider I guess he's got the newest beta relese available and is working on that platform aswell. Either that or I've missed something! :(
Ean Golden shares his secrets for the NI Kontrol S2 demo video! :)
Now this is probably the best demo I've heard from Ean and I really enjoyed the cool features that they've done. He is extreemly good at using controllers in a different way to create awesome results.
A more in depth article on the topic is also available at DJ TECHTOOLS . COM
Pioneer Pro
delivers has for a long time been the standard for CD-DJing for about 15 years
after taking the lead on Denon in the late 90s. I believe they are one of the
best hardware produces on the market and their latest teaser video of a new
product shows a whole new approach to their designs. The minimalistic design
with smooth lines is looking pretty great and I like the angled stand that
makes the buttons more accessible.
It’s most
definitely a two channel controller made for Traktor Pro 2 with possible option for C & D deck control. This places it in the
same class as the Native Instruments Kontrol S2, but has a couple more bells and whistles.
A small variation
on the layout is done where they’ve created a uniform layout of the player
section. Meaning that all the controls are similar on both sides, like if they
were separate units. This makes the pitch fader on the left deck dangerously
close to the volume fader on the mixer section. I don’t know if I like it, but
it might give some of the hard core Pioneer junkies a familiar starting point.
It’s got a
4 button sample section, a 4 button hot cue setup, full effect unit and loop
functions for each deck.
New function: I noticed a button
called Pulse Mode, which is a Shift function on the Vinyl/CDJ toggle for the
jog wheel. Is that a new function for the jog wheel? We can only speculate.
DJ Techtools is down for the moment while upgrading their design.
I noticed Ean was hiering on Linked In just recently, so I guess they're expanding.
Looking forward to it!
I might be bias in this debate, but I have to comment on what DJ
Techtools wrote on the topic. The latest article is very politically correct,
in the fact that it’s not appointing any winner, but it’s clear that in total
it all seems to leans towards Native Instruments. When it comes to Audio
Interface, MIDI and Effects Traktor clearly takes the win.
Even through, as the article says in the summary, it all comes down to
what you prefer and DJs that has taken a liking to either Traktor or Serato
seldom switch sides. It’s important to take in to account the newbies that want
to start digital DJing and that’s when it’s really important to point out the
best choice and take in to account what sets the two worlds apart.
Serato Scratch Live takes some points home when it comes to the customization of the interface with several different views of transport controls, some cool media library options, the fact that one can mix video and the interface option with two interchangeable USB connections.
If you wanna mix videos you also might want to take a look at Virtual DJ. Just remember that VJs are restricted to only play music videos.
I would like to boil it down to this:
In case you want a DJ setup that is as similar to a standard CD or
Vinyl setup without any bells and whistles (Read BORING), then either way is a good way to
go.
If you want to expand your performance (maybe in the future?) and want the system that
gives you both a full DVS and an option to go fully digital with a dedicated
controller; Traktor is the way to go.
Traktor has it all in one package and Serato has split the two
platforms into two softwares; Scratch and Itch.
So I've lately been asked by alot of new DJs and old DJs that want to get into the digital DJ scene what they should buy. The answer is pretty simple: Traktor Kontrol S4... That's untill today.
Traktor Kontrol S2 is the S4s little brother and is PERFECT for those who want to get into the digital DJing. My oh my what a product.
Price point of $599 with a full version of Traktor Pro 2 is pretty awesome and damn right unbeatable in the two deck class if you ask me.
It's small and versitile and for those of you now looking into trying out digital DJing... This is the one to buy. Offcause if your wallet is a little more founded you might want to go all out and get the S4.
I like the S4 layout and there is not very much that has changed. It's missing the filter knobs (but the filter effect can be found in the effects never the less).
Not much has happened on the Traktor Scene lately, but then DJ Techtools writes about this bad boy that will make alot of you MIDI freaks out there very happy. Even though the posibilities for mapping in Traktor is pretty large, the interface for creating the mappings are filled with alot of annoying quirks.
This tool is a stand alone application that is supposed to have fixed alot of the issues surounding the Traktor Pro 2 mapping interface, but to my surprise the software is only available for MAC.
WHAT?!! Please make this for PC as well!
And since I can't tell you anything more untill that happens; Read more on DJTT
I not exactly an AMAZING number, but I've got about 200 readers every day and over the last couple of months it's been pretty much flattening out. Yesterday the counter passed 50.000!
To celebrate my continuing effort to spread the good word on the amazing world of digital DJing and TRAKTOR!
Show your support by clicking my LIKE on my newly Facebook page! Cheers!
This is DJ Shiftee. He's very skilled and down right hilarious.
The DubSpot guys gives us some wise words on how to DJ. They brush on stuff like what to play when warming up, preparation, keeping up with technology and some mixing tips.
The topic of cleaning your music library is pretty hot at the moment. I started the work of running through my music a while back, just after I started Digital DJ Tips wrote an article on the topic and now DJ Techtools has posted an article with a couple of tips to sort your music. DJ Techtools also posted a couple of articles some time a go on this and I thought that it would be helpfull for those of you wanting to sort your music, but are not sure on how to do it.
I pulled out my entire music library to an external harddrive.
Took each and every track and evaluated if I wanted to keep it and if I actually had played this track in the last couple of months and copied them into different folders.
The folder structure will be different for each and every DJ. I play a couple of tracks almost on all my gigs, so I had a mainstream folder. Some gigs require more either of R'n'B or House, so I have a HipHop folder and a House folder with several sub-genre spesific folders underneath. I also have some folders for music that doesn't fit the structure and tracks I want to exclude, but still bring along like very commercial tracks or old classics.
After I moved the keepes back in to my folders, I whent through my tracks (using Tag & Rename) and renamed the files to the format of "Artist - Title (Remix)", filled out all the ID tags and added images to the tracks.
I loved the way Phil Morse put it: Your music library is like laundry.
If you don't clean it regularly it'll really pile up and be a REAL mess. It's aweful to do it all at once.
My notes on playlists
I (normally) have three types of playlists in three different folders.
Profil
Music
Sets
Profil
Each venue has a different flair to it though often many tracks are played at all the venues. I create a profile playlist for each venue. I run through my track folders that are relative for the venue, and being VERY selective, I put tracks into the profile playlist. Bi monthly I clear my profile playlist and do this over again.
Music
I have one for HipHop, one for chillout, a couple of house playlists and so on... You get the drift.
Sets
I create some set lists for when I'm doing performance pieces or mix tapes. These playlists are sorted after the order I play the tracks in.
I also sometimes import folders as playlists... That's the great thing of using folders to sort music.
Preparation list
While I play I sometimes stumble upon tracks that I want to play that night, but it doesn't fit at the time. I then have an empty preparation list that I add tracks into to not forget to play them.
This competition is quite simple.
Just write the answer to a pretty simple question and your name, send it all to wintraktor@native-instruments.com and wait for the draw.
As the DJ-scene
moves more and more into the digital age and controllers take a larger part of
a DJ setup, the question is where does the mixer fit in and how does it evolve
to still be an essential part of the setup? Enter the next step in Mixers:
Built-in soundcard and buttons for application control. I believe that this
type of mixers will be more and more seen in clubs all over the world in the
years to come, but is this mixer the one?
I haven’t
had hands on experience, but judging from what Pioneer normally deliver on
their mixers this is a best buy item if you are using Traktor with time code
and need the perfect center piece.
In the
review they get hung up on the fact that they think the unit VERY pricy,
but it’s actually about as expensive then the CDJ-800. Ok, so you lose two
channels and mixer the effects, but you gain the built-in soundcard and Traktor
tuned layout.
The thing I
don’t like about the layout of mixer is actually that there are only two
channels and yes, if you compare it to other two channel mixers, it’s a bit on
the pricy side, but not all that much.
The thing
that stuns me is the fact that Pioneer makes a fully integrated unit ONLY for
Traktor and choose to send control signals via MIDI! WHAT? Why wouldn’t they
develop a HID driver like the Kontrol S4 has?
To sum it all up
This is the ultimate unit for DJ’s using time code and Traktor DUO. If
you’re looking for a unit for the Traktor PRO you should check out Rane Sixty-Eight.
Is your soundcard making alot of unnecessary noise?
Some times the AC adaptor to your computer can create some unwanted noise that sounds terrible. The reason for this can be quite many, but I've learned that some laptops are better on this then others. Right now I'm using a high end laptop from HP and I've changed the power supply to the one that's for the docking stations. It's quite alot bigger, but the noise is almost gone.
I've also experienced that if you put your power adaptor on a different electrical circuit then the one the amps are plugged in to there is alot less noise beeing generated.
1. Use a rugged power supply (Overcompensate)
2. Use a different electrical circuit then the amps are using
3. Use a good external soundcard
4. Use short and good cables (A good shielded USB and good audio cables)
5. Move the soundcard as far away from your laptop as possible.
I figured the old dark and gloomy design was out of date and updated my blog with a much more viewer friendly and brighter layout.
The result is actually that more people click on more links, so thank you everyone for reading on.
Also there is a new feature that makes it possible to schedule posts. Most news are posted at once, but videos that I find about and other gems makes me able to make this blog a bit more interesting for you readers. '
I think this can be a new trend, and I'm definitely jumping on.
With all the new time that track collections, playlists, sync and visual assistance that now free up time for finding tracks, cuing up and beat matching this can be something to fill the time with.
Be careful to not overdo this!
Train while you're playing in your headset or practice at home to find some tracks that you can perform with in front of a crowd and drop it like there’s no tomorrow.
Great idea! Kudos to DJ Techtools! I can see a lot of new packages being made.
After a long and hard run-through of my music library I finaly got to try it at my resident venue this weekend. It was simply amazing to work with! All my tracks where there and even the tracks that I wanted to experiment with was super easy to find and manage now that I don't have to run through thousends of tracks. I whent from about 7500 tracks (about 2000 was loaded in the library) to about 300 tracks.
Ofcause I'm not that veritile and if I'm doing a job where I'm not what to expect I'll bring along my harddrive so that I can try it out.
One of the errors I did when converting from hardcopies to digital was that I felt I had to rip everything. That just grew as I was pretty careless of adding new tracks to my library from my promotional sources and was buying ALOT more tracks then I should have done.
From now on:
Only add tracks that I know I'm gonna play.
Regularly (weekly) go through and remove tracks that are beeing "phased out" folder which I purge monthly.
After I buy a track I'll put it into a stage folder for qualifying it and tagging it with correct information before putting it in a correct folder in my collection library.
Stop buying tracks that I don't use for DJing. (Use Wimp or Spotify)
I read this piece by Phil Morse on Digital DJ Tips about how he cut down his music database from 10.000 songs to about 5-600 and I laughed a bit cause I'm actually in the middle of doing the same thing!
I've copied my entire music database out to a portable harddrive, deleted the music on my computer and I'm only copying back the tracks that I like or "need" (I still play a couple of places where I need ALOT of different music still). I sort them into a couple of folders, but keeping the structure as flat as possible. After the sorting is done I'll will run through the tracks and tag them properly and add album art to the few that are missing it.
The reason for doing this is EXACTLY the same as Phil's, so read what he said and I suggest you do it yourself as well. I would like to point out the first reason in his list. Focus on the tracks that you like and don't fill your Track Collection with stuff you don't need.
So Native Instruments announced that they are going to give all S4 owners a free upgrade to Traktor Scratch Pro 2 which basically enable the user to access the timecode of Traktor. The package contain the software and two timecode Vinyl and CDs. Value: $139.
This offer is for all new users registering purchasing from July 2011 and existing users have got 3 months to register their upgrade.
You can upgrade your S4 Traktor Pro 2 License to Scratch Pro 2 license HERE.
For the discount you'll need to enter your e-voucher sent from Native Instruments.
If you haven't recieved it yet? Contact Native Instruments directly NOW!
This is what I have been talking about for some time now and what I've refered to as: Best of both worlds. Combining controllerism and turntablism into a very versitile system. The problem earlier with MIDI is that it just isn't quick enough to use for instance for crossfader cutting, but the S4 is using HID which is WAAAAY faster.
In my eyes. This is the ultimate setup!
Now I would just like to get the full HID mapping available so that I can mess with it or that DJ Techtools makes their own mapping soon.
Oh... and DJ Techtools is running a special on this setup if you'd like to get started today. :)
Just remember that you can also run audio directly through Traktor when using these kinds of setups.
This awesome video gave me a great idea! It simply shows how you can easily create your very own wireless MIDI controller! Get on the dancefloor and join the crowd... still connected to you trusted Traktor. :) Don't need it to spin, but that is a pretty cool visual effect.
First off the sending of Midi is done by M-audio MidAir.
Controllerism.com is the home of the everything you might imagine in the controllerist domain. From DJing to the more elaborate musician setups. This can be a very nice place to go to get some inspiration for enhance you performance and incorporating more innovating gadgets to either simplify or create a more visual representation of what you do. I believe that a DJ in motion is crucial for a good performance. Even in smaller clubs.
They’re launching a controllerist competition which I’m looking forward to see some performances from. If you’re located on the US west coast you should take time to visit this and get some ideas of yourself.
The sky is the limit!! (This is probably for Ableton though)
The guys at DJTT wrote an article last week about the components that can be used and listed pros and cons each one. You should read it. CLICK HERE
Traktor is great for mapping LEDs aswell as buttons!
Just yesterday they listed some cool DIY controllers that are out there.
Traktor is like made for this and no other DJ software can compete when it comes to MIDI mapping and creating your own ways of working with music.
I got a call from a friend who had some trouble with Traktor Pro 2 and CD timecode. He had no trouble with Vinyl, but once he used CD there was some problems with the Timecode. The symptomes was that transport mode changed from relative to internal playback.
The reason to this was very simple, but took some time to figure out. After trying to calibrate the decks and getting: Unkown medium I figured that it had something to do with the signal. The soundcard input was sat to Phono and the line signal from the CD players resulted in a way to high signal on the input channels.
Solution: Change the input type to Line instead of Phono.
First off:
I know that this is a Traktor Blog, so music video mixing isn't very relevant, but I guess this is a nudge in the direction that DJing with music videos is getting closer and maybe Traktor will be able to do so in the future. If you want to mix videos today, the way to go is probably with Serato or Virtual DJ.
I did a post about video mixing and Traktor earlier which you can read here...
The guys that gave us Mixed in Key and Platinum Notes has created a tool for creating music videos in a flash. It's still in BETA, but it allready works perfectly! I've tried it and it was REALLY simple and the results where very nice.
This will, from my perspective, be the way to go if I some time in the future Traktor will support video.
I love these DJ Techtools videos where a DJ shows us their dirty secrets and reveille what's in their bag. Check out the post @ DJTT
James Zabiela is a Tech House DJ from Southhampton UK.
He's a reference for Pioneer and even helped them develop the CDJ-2000 and CDJ-900. He's a really technical advanced DJ with a lot of tricks up his sleeve, so looking behind the scenes might give you some tips to evolve. :)
I just noticed an article at Digital DJ Tips about external effects for Traktor. DDT always gives great answers as they did in this post aswell, but I would like to elaborate though.
Question: Can I use other effects then the ones installed in Traktor when DJ with Traktor? Answer: It's a bit more complicated then it should be and you're not able to add any effects to the default effects list, but you can route your sound so that you will be able to use external effects pr. channel.
Why haven't NI made VST support for Traktor yet?
What we really want is an option to add VST plugins into the effects library.
They had VST support earlier on, but I guess they removed it. :(
I recon this has something to do with performance and alot of external factors running into the Traktor environment making it unstable. Nobody want that right?
I've used Virtual DJ with VST plugins (on earlier versions) and there was alot of issues surrounding this, so I don't blame Native Instruments for simply sticking to the best ever standard effects pack for a DJ software ever produced. Love that they are making new additions to it and further expanding it.
Solution:
How can I use external effects with Traktor? :)
By using the SEND option on the effects parameter instead of INSERT you can route any signal through an effects send option making it possible to add external effect units or route it through an internal VST effect chain. Watch out for latency issues through. :)
Hopefully this video from the DJ Podcast will elaborate and get your ideas flowing. Recommend going to their site to watch a WAY better version of this video: Visit the video website here
The super duper large digital magazine Engadget commented on Stantons SCS.4DJ! I mentioned this controller some time ago and I believe it's a very good concept that I hope Native Instruments also explore closer. :)
According to Engadget, the unit is at sale on Best Buy this month for a price of $500.
12InchSkins.com has released alot of cool skins for Traktor Kontroll S4 like the floresent one shown above.
There are alot of other nice standardised skins available aswell as an option to create your very own design!
You can download an Illustrator or Photoshop template with embeded instructions on how to kreate your design. Smart and simple!
Prices aren't that bad either and they ship world wide.
The new skins are fairly easy to apply and the (rather long) instruction video below shows you how to do it.
Torq 2.0 is released and frankly I'm not impressed by the new features.
Can anybody tell me why some companies are using amateurs to showcase their software?
The video down below is a preview of the new (PATENT PENDING) Traq Morph mix effect from Torq. It simply sounds awefull. The only thing that actually might be cool to have is the filter option. A tip to all Traktor users: You can do this by some midi remapping allready, so don't go getting Torq quite yet. :)
One final comment about the video:
If your showing of a DJ software you might want to ATLEAST keep the tracks matched rhytmically. Listen to the final example. Awesome beatmixing skills! Three thumbs up.
The new store is pretty well directed to the different types of DJs out there. Segmented into Bedroom DJ, Club DJ, Touring DJ, Turntablist and Controllerist. Pretty neat profiling.
There are some small bugs with the image maps where you point the courser over the purple boxes next to the gear and get unit name and price, but that's probably fixed pretty soon.
Heavy duty and very precise unit that has one of the best features on the market: Super faders and Super combos.
It's got loads of space between the controllers, but I'm not very impressed by the box it comes in. It's a bit dull, so I'm hoping they can upgrade that soon... If not I might have to dismatle it and do some amendments on my own. The standard Midifighter looks way better, so I'm probably gonna wait just a bit longer before ordering one so they can get some to do some changes to the design or give us more options for the casing. Maybe they'll create an option for us to create a decal to put over it like the overlays for VCI-100 that they made. That would be awesome!
I've been of the air for a while and I've descided to pick it up again and deliver the best tips for you Traktor Addicts!
Hope you'll join me and subscribe. :)
Check out this video explaining the Traktor Pro 2 mapping that's also included in the package along with the Serato Itch. All though there are some buttons missing for full feature controll they've solved the lack off effect buttons pretty nicely as long as you use the effects the way they intended. Looks like it will work best with a single effect pr. bank and not grouped... Still a very neatly layed out controller for the controllerist.
The newly released controller from Stanton is a step closer to what I would believe to be a natural step in the DJ controller revolution. As of this moment digital DJing is pretty relient on a controller, a computer and some kind of software. The SCS.4DJ is a controller in it's true form, but it also has built-in software that makes it able to simply stand alone without any computer. You just need a source with music.
The Stanton SCS.4DJ is a bit heavy on price if you're only looking for a controlle, but you do get alot value for the money if you're not looking for the complete Digital DJ experience. This is a very good buy if you're simply looking to get a stand alone DJ unit for playing digital media.
The future?
I believe that we'll se more units like this with complete units that houses total soltuion with both software and a controller surface. No more computer issues. Just plug and play with a nice software. Hopefully we'll also see units with Traktor aswell. :)
Only thing I see is that you would need a larger display to get the full experience. It might be a simple connector of some sort to connect to a monitor setup in the future digital DJ booths or maybe the screen is mounted like on a laptop computer.
For the turntablists this would be integrated in a mixer and one could use it with full timecode support...
I would LOVE to see a product like this with the Traktor system built in to it, though it would need to have some more buttons.
If you're a prowd owner of Kontrol S4 and one of those who hasn't got the free Traktor Pro 2 license yet.
Call Native and they'll fix it within a couple of minutes.
One of my favorite online stores are celebrating the Traktor Pro 2 release and if you purchase anything from Beatport now you might be lucky and get a Traktor Pro 2 license aswell.
New features in Traktor Pro 2 means new possibilities when integrating with Ableton. DubSpots Traktor expert DJ Endo does an awesome video on the topic. A must to view for any Traktor addict.
As anticipated earlier this week (due to a mysterious choice in the Traktor auto configurator) Pioneer has launched their first ever dedicated Traktor mixer.
As a central unit in a standard Mixer/Vinyl/CD setup the option to play directly through via line or phono aswell as an option to use the internal USB soundcard (48 kHz / 24 bit) is available.
It's a two channel mixer for a four channel software. One can either work with the A or B decks loop and hot cue functions or switch to sampler mode. Sampler mode will probably use C/D decks. Meaning that you must assign A/C to output channel 1 and B/D to output channel 2. This is one of the new features in Traktor Pro 2.
The most used functions are available directly:
Browsing section (Folder controll*)
Effects section
Loop control
Transport controls
Hotcue
(Relative/Absolute mode*)
Sync (Master*)
Snap (Quantize*)
Effect bank assignment buttons (Tempo bend*)
(Tempo Tap*)
Features that I like alot:
Doubleclicking the Shift button will toggle the function.
The TAP function that is the shift function of the cue buttons.
Hotcue / Loop / Sampler section (Sampler is for deck C/D)
Speculating: Midi section
I have no idea at this moment what this section does!
There's only one Midi socket, so It's not a "quick swop" function where two Traktor instances can use the mixer at once like the Rane 68.
Maybe the mixer has two midi channels so that each button has two separate functions (in addition to the shift function). To what end I do not know. The Utility/Wake Up might be that it starts a small application on your computer in addition to start the computer if it is in sleep mode or something. Can be good if you have a desktop computer that's hidden away and just a monitor available.
A/C and B/D markings
It's a two channel mixer and I can not find A/C or B/D button anywhere...
Which takes me to the question: Why!!??
It might be because it's meant to be used with the sampler which will be always activated. Remember that you can allocate one or more decks to one audio sources in the new Traktor Pro 2.
Play mode
The Active button most lightly toggle the loop and indicates wether or not it is activated.
The Play Mode I'm not sure about, but I think it might have to do with the sampler function and if so it will toggle between looping or one shot samples.
Sample level
Since there is no volum controll for the C/D decks. This might adjust volume on all the samples.
So you can either use loop OR sample... Would be nice to have both functions available at once though.
