Why isTraktor becoming the standard for djing

[aqua_tek]

You know... I had the same dilemma as you, MJ. Do I go with T3? do I go with Pro? and no matter how much I searched and asked on forums, I couldn't really read any strong opinions to skew my decision either way. To me it was pretty much 50/50. Some preferred T3, others TPro. Wasn't until I actually ran demos of both versions that I decided to run with Pro.

What took it for me, was the improved interface, improved (though some debate this) sync and grid detection, and the effects routing. In a way the interface feels a little more simplified but not in a bad way. Oh and I think that the layouts actually ARE configurable although I haven't tried this. There's a layouts tab in preferences in which you can add your own... so I'm guessing that allows you to customize them.

And once again, I haven't really found any annoying bugs in TPro. Like I mentioned, that one freeze this one time... but I'm pretty sure that came from an already malfunctioning drive, not the software itself.

[ekwipt]

Mp3s are handled as well as they could/should be imo on TSP on Serato they load straight away for me on TSP they take a few secs to load, which is annoying

TSP 1.2 update is going to rock

[TRS80]

Well I know I'll get laffed at but I've been using Torq/Xponent since '07 for weekly club gigs (edm and hip hop and retro). It's really good (IMO)

I started on vinyl 15 years ago and I'll tell you one thing I could care less about using vinyl today. Far as I'm concerned, vinyl is dead as hell and only cool if you're gonna bring some wild turntablist or relic into the mix.

As far as using vinyl to trigger files off a hard drive- I think that's backasswards.

Anyway, I"m surprised the Torq/Xponent rig hasn't been mentioned once. Some people say it's a toy but hey, it's a freekin MIDI controller, and I know from exp it works.

If I didn't choose Torq it would have been TSPro and a Vestax controller, and a soundcard. As far as Serato, damn the interface seems ancient and lacks so many features. I can't imagine using a digital rig to try to replicate some antiquated form of spinning.

Why Pioneer doesn't make a DJ MIDI controller with soundcard is beyond me.

Techniques were the standard, but these are different times. Lots of choices these days and I feel like some of the most unimaginative, boring, weak minded "DJs" just shoose something they like to think is the "standard." Dream on, there is no longer a standard except for a good mix of music. And why would anyone even care what the standard is? Like Michael Jackson says- that's just ignorant! heh

[djwack]

8 O : could you explain us what do you prefer in Tpro, that seems to excuse the bugs that annoy the other people that stick with T3?

The effects routing. T3 is really limited with the number of effects you can have at the same time and different effects per deck. TPro is much, much more flexible and powerful. I regularly experience one small annoying bug (but it's predictable and not fatal) and apart from that TPro's been rock solid for me.

Could you enlighten me on the FX superiority of TPro? It does indeed have much more FX algos to choose from, but there's still only two slots for use, FX1 & FX2. Ok, you can use both slots to host multiple effects, but if you choose to go multi, how can you adjust all the parameters of any single effect? The inability to tweak all params on a multi FX slot chain is a big deal to me, as I'd rather have 100% tweakability to the FX I use than to have many FX that I can't tweak..

I'd also like to state that it's not the bugs that make me prefer T3. It's everything else..

[8O]

Could you enlighten me on the FX superiority of TPro?

Yes, two reasons:

It does indeed have much more FX algos to choose from

and

you can use both slots to host multiple effects

Also, I often have FX1 as chained and FX2 as advanced on a favourite effect and can route any deck to FX1 or FX2. It's fine for my usage, others may have different needs, but it suits me fine and better than T3.

[supamonsta]

thanks guys,

I'll download Tpro demo and test it, it's indeed the better way to go
(I guess I'll have to backup my mp3 folders before launching it?)

For the original topic thing, I don't know if traktor is becoming the standard, all my DJ friends run either real vinyls or serato. I'm the first of us running 100% digital stuff with a midi controller, and they all laugh at me, but nevermind I'm happy with it.

But if I had 1) more $$$ for 2 turntables + mixer + timecode hardware and software, and 2) more room for this, I would have gone the technics m5g + serato or Traktor scratch pro... but I have neither 1) and 2).

Torq + xponent was interesting to me, but as I'm rude with my controllers, I wanted a tank-like thing and the vestax vci 100 is a tank. I tried the xponent, and it has lots of good functions, but seemed too fragile for me.

Cheeers

[disco judas]

Thanks to all who chimed in with helpful suggestions


So, for 3 turntables, allen heath xone92, seperate laptop running maxmsp as sendFX for for the Xone02, Stanton is what I should go for?

Im not interested in the DSP effect part of the Traktor package.


Aleternatively I want to use the xone92 as a midi master, syncing 2 laptops running Live or Max.
Anyone has experince with this?


Cheers

[supamonsta]

Ok, I had this night a good test of Tpro (4 30min-sessions).

the overall feeling is great, stability seems ok (for only 30 minutes sessions). I like the filters, the brower and gui. The effects look great, but I'm not into effects for now. I like the TSI files and the ability to choose wht to import from a tsi. I like the cover art display. I like the cue parameters and looping tools too.

BUT :

some BASIC things annoy me:

- BPM detection and SYNC function don't seem to be good enough for now, the sync often "desyncs", the transfer of "master" from 1 deck to the other is strange... anyway I don't know why but the SYNC option seems less easy and automatic than in T3.

- PITCH FADER : the precision is approx the same as in T3 LE, but : in T3LE I was able to adjust the pitch with steps of 0.2% (fader range 10%). it is not really precise, but It was ok to adjust the pitch at 125.00 for example.

in Tpro : with a fader range of 10% the precision is with steps of 0.19%, and with a 8% fader range it is steps of 0.16%. On paper it seems better than T3LE, but the reality is different : you just can't manually fix the tempo at 125.00. It's 124.91 or 125.11. That's all the choice you got. Or use the sync button, but with a sync option that is really less stable and reliable than in traktor 3...

I'll wait for the 1.2. release. I don't know if this problems are to be solved, but for me traktor can't be PRO with such annoying BASIC problems....

NO MANUAL BEATMATCH + UNRELIABLE SYNC OPTION !!! ???

is that PRO ?

Well, I'll give it more test time, but for now... I prefer traktor 3 LE to Traktor "Pro" !

Any opinions, or tips to solve those BPM/SYNC/PITCH problems?

Cheeeers

[NapalmBob]

@ 80 & djwack:

You can assign a control to effect selection and even choose which effects to include and the order they scroll in.



@ monstrejumo:

I actually hate how it displays cover art, thank god its gui is customizable. I only have the two decks showing without all the controls in the middle but with the browser thing taking up half the screen.

To get the decks to sync properly look in the global section up top is a tempo thingie, switch it to manual. Now the sync buttons sync to this manual tempo rather than the other track. You can control it or just click the numbers and punch in what you want. Sync up both tracks and now they should jump to the same decimals when you move each fader, sometimes...

[starving student]

ok so this dude wants to sell me his vestax-vci-100 (silver) it's in mint condition a couple of months old and not a scratch on it, and a boxed traktor 3, how much should I pay for this?

[drewbixcube]

Double click on a clip, enter MIDI map mode, and assign MIDI control to Loop, Position "Set", and Length "Set". The downside to this method is that the mappings are global, meaning they apply to all clips. Therefore, with this method, it is impossible to loop one track while another track is playing (i.e. they'll both loop). Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be much interest in changing this behavior: http://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=108117

your looping instructions are correct but the mapping is only global in that you don't have to remap for every clip. only the clip/channel which is highlighted and playing will loop, clips playing in other channels won't. map midi/keyboard buttons to highlight each channel and you're set.

OK, I'm bumping this a la thread jack style... This doesn't work. The biggest issue with this is Live's inability to select clips on launch via MIDI. Found in preferences, select on launch enables Live to do just that, but (and correct me if I'm wrong) only when a clip is launched with a mouse. I have MIDI set up to launch clips, select tracks, and enable loops, but unless the clips are on the same scene, I cannot control looping options for more than one song/sample at a time. In order for this to work how I'd like it to, Live would need to select the currently playing clip when a track is selected and/or select on launch when a clip is launched with MIDI.

Back to topic, above is the main reason I prefer DJing with Traktor. I can set up one button to instantiate a 4 bar loop (or any division thereof)... and I only need one button. There's no need to set up a loop, then select a different track to do it again, etc. etc. This is key for me.

I still use Live in conjunction with Traktor however. Now more than ever. I've been in possession of an APC for about a week now, and I'm plugging away on a Live set that uses the APC grid to control and navigate through Traktor's functions. No Max/MSP, no Bome's, no IAC or MIDIyoke, just good ol' fashion intuitiveness.

I'll post its beginnings in the next day or so.

[starving student]

I might have asked this before but what is the diff between traktor scratch and Trpo and T3, i understand that i guess in T scratch you can 'scratch' or whatever but I mean besides that, interface or anything else wise what's the difference?

[drewbixcube]

The only difference is vinyl/CD control. If you own T-Pro, you already own Scratch. You just need the interface and timecoded CDs and/or vinyl. I think it's the same for T3... but I'm not sure.

[starving student]

The only difference is vinyl/CD control. If you own T-Pro, you already own Scratch. You just need the interface and timecoded CDs and/or vinyl. I think it's the same for T3... but I'm not sure.

what I've got is T3 so I'm trying to figure out what I'm missing outside of the scratch stuff,

[drewbixcube]

Ah, sorry, I misunderstood. I upgraded from T3, but I didn't use it that much TBH. Function wise, it's all still there, but there are some things that got improved. Whether or not the upgrade is worth it for you is, well, entirely up to you.

I've become a big fan of the new MIDI modifiers, which have taken the place of MIDI pages. The new FX are good too. There's also Traktor Duo, which I'm pretty sure is a fully functioning version with a two deck limit. Do you have anything specific you'd like to know?