The Traktor driving me mad thread inspired me to get this thread going. Maybe we can even get a sticky?
I love using Traktor and have slowly been moving away from just hitting Sync on my X1 I’ve been playing with different ways to use effects for interesting mixes and transitions.
Figured it would be cool to share ideas and chat about using Traktor, X1 and S4 etc
Most importantly how to be an interesting DJ
Good shout on this thread. Now that I have dipped a toe in, I’m all about the Traktor now!
For ages I have hung on to the CDJ way of doing things and thought if I went software it’d be Serato, but the S4 looked too good to turn up.
What I love about it is how it brings it all right back into your hands performance wise. The sample decks are amazing and blow up so many possibilities.
I am thinking about adding loads of loops from my own music to the library, then I can add them to the sample banks (8 in total) and build up a tune on the fly.
Aaaanyway, am definitely into the idea of getting the most out of this very powerful software.
One Q about the X1 though… is there anyway to nudge a tune with it should you need to? I’m still manually mixing for the large part, and therefore like the jog wheels.
I do go in for a bit of sync though when dropping loops in etc to get them on right away.
yeah shift+[beat >], it’s not the best way but works,
*cool thread! ive just turn to traktor from vinyl so im interested to learn tips and tricks!
it would be good if you could type in the bpm instead of moving the pitch unless you can do that?
[quote]bangthedj (04/11/2010)[hr]
One Q about the X1 though… is there anyway to nudge a tune with it should you need to? I’m still manually mixing for the large part, and therefore like the jog wheels.
I do go in for a bit of sync though when dropping loops in etc to get them on right away.[/quote]
dunno about s4 software but there is a ‘nudge’ type function in traktor
a good well thought out midi controller makes all the difference when mixing with traktor after playing around with a few i opted for the Vestax VCI
[quote]Mussi81 (05/11/2010)[hr]*cool thread! ive just turn to traktor from vinyl so im interested to learn tips and tricks!
it would be good if you could type in the bpm instead of moving the pitch unless you can do that?[/quote]
You can type it in on the Master tempo section, and on the individual decks, but thats to set the beat grid.
Not sure if you can set the tempo that way while playing.
[quote]Jon_fisher (05/11/2010)[hr]a good well thought out midi controller makes all the difference when mixing with traktor after playing around with a few i opted for the Vestax VCI[/quote]
Definitely, without a controller I wouldn’t be interested. Thats why the Kontrol S4 is so good, purpose built for it, the resolution is really tight.
The X1 finally made tractor what I wanted it to be.
I don’t need to touch the laptop.
An effect I’m currently enjoying is the freeze delay. If you hit this on a track in sync the effect times to the bpm, then when you have two or more tracks playing and stop the effected track the effect is synched to the new playing track it’s kinda tight.
Handy for getting out of a dubstep skank into a more solid beat.
I was playing with that the other day actually, trying to get that to work. I got it to match the tempo of the second track, but it jumped to the new tempo rather than reverberated up if you know what I mean.
I was hoping I could freeze the reverb, stop the track, play new one, sync the reverb and have it speed up over a second or two… or am I doing something wrong?
yeah it does work as you want it to.
Try this
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skSWusRx5Rg&feature=player_embedded]- YouTube
How do you embed you tube vids in to the forum anyway? 
Hmm, I got the original technique from one of Ean Goldens other videos, this one explains it even worse!
In that example the freeze echo is barely audible so it’s hard to tell.
I am likely asking too much of this, I have been testing it out going from 100bpm to 140bpm and it just sounds too harsh.
I was hoping the delay would pull itself in in a more natural manner to math the tempo.
I’ll keep experimenting anyway.
As for embedding youtube, just click on the ‘embed’ button on the youtube page, copy the code it gives you and paste it in your post.
Here is an example of how it seems to work for me.
I leave the delay on its own for a bit, then play the second tune, but dont being it in the mix (that’s whem you hear the tempo jump). It’s not the worst thing ever, but a smoother transition would have been better.
I’ve not cued the incoming track up or anything so it comes in arbitrarily, so I could prepare this to come in over a break etc I guess, but would be nice for more general use.
Delaymixeaxmple by Bang the DJ
when youve done a mix, can you copy or export a text file of your track list?
You can export as either an M3U or an NML.
How about this…
You freeze the track with the effect then stop it, whilst the new track is faded down you adjust the new tracks tempo up and the effect freeze slowly speeds up then you drop you track?
Other than that I’m not sure what you could achieve as naturally there has to be a tempo jump from each track or the effect.
That’s an excellent shout. Works quite well, even with the extreme tempo change, so for less demanding transfers should be a charm.
Nice one!
Any tips on how to best manage cue points?
Do you go through all your tracks and find the intro, breakdown etc and then save them?
This is something I have been thinking about too.
I’ve not embarked on it yet because when I do, I want to do it in batch where possible.
I might go in, set a load point, then some quick cues on the breakdown, or a vocal or something depending how motivated I feel.
for a while I did that, I even went as far as marking ‘good’ mix out points, etc but it felt very mechanical so now I just do beat grids and freestyle 