Cue point juggling is a lot of fun, but unless you’re fine with the 90′s style sample repeats, then it’s critical to introduce musical variation for interesting results. In the video above I showcase 4 techniques useful for creating a wide palette of voicing. These techniques take a simple cue point press and transform it into a expressive instrument that can be voiced just like the quintessential scratch but with digital benefits. In the following article, each of the techniques will be broken down and explained in greater detail.
Archive for February, 2011
Stuff We Like – Great Traktor Tutorials Around the Web
Here at DJ TechTools we have a deep treasure trove of Traktor articles but with only 24 hours in the day, it’s impossible to cover everything. Fortunately, many sites, blogs, and independent DJs have followed our lead and have begun producing quality tutorials that cover great topics. This article shows a few that we particularly like. The piece above, was produced by one of our readers (Priscilla); continue reading for several more on topics like: syncing Traktor to Ableton, hooking up touch OSC in Traktor, and VST’s in Traktor.
Continue reading Stuff We Like – Great Traktor Tutorials Around the Web
Dancing: A DJ’s Secret Skill
My first exposure to “dance music culture” still feels like it was yesterday. Every Saturday night my mom would drive me to disco skate night at the local roller rink and I would skate the night away to an endless groove of disco beats. From roller skates it was only a short hop over to house music, but those early days on the rink really cemented two things in my mind. First, a deep attachment to four on the floor soul and second, a real understanding of how important it was to keep dancers moving smoothly. In today’s article, I want to talk about a DJ’s relationship to dancing and how it can really make a big difference on your dance floors.
ReLoop Contour Controller Reviewed
If you’re looking for a slim line controller that is well built and offers a wide range of controls, there are surprisingly few options on the market. The ReLoop “contour” offers such a controller embedded with a host of controls without breaking the bank. Continue reading for a full review, including pro’s and a few con’s you will want to know from contributing writer, Michael O’hagen.
Pioneer Nexus – The New DJM-900
Pioneer has now announced a new mixer in their ubiquitous DJM line of DJ consoles. Its the DJM-900 “Nexus” with direct Traktor support, USB connections and a multitude of new effects and features. At a price of $2000 its heavy on the wallet, but perhaps low enough to become another club standard. Read on for video, photos and more.
Custom Edits of Classic Tracks in Ableton – Pt. 1
Modern DJ software has nearly every feature you could ever want, but very few (other than Torq) offer the ability to warp songs. More specificaly, they can’t correct the timing of drummers playing off the grid, so old tracks can be challenging to mix with modern electronic music. The truth of the matter is that it’s probably best to correct those problems in a DAW before you hit the club, so in todays tutorial I will cover one method of creating mixable edits from un-quantized music using Ableton Live.
Continue reading Custom Edits of Classic Tracks in Ableton – Pt. 1
Ableton Tricks- Jam with Multiple Loops in one Clip
Today’s video shows an interesting Ableton technique that involves using follow actions on two or more clips to enable you to break up a loop on the fly. With Ableton, we normally don’t have the ability to easily move around within clips so much. This alternative technique adds a bit of freedom from that way of doing things. Twist an encoder until you get to the place in the song you want to hear, and then release. Your selection will break up the loop for a couple of bars before the follow actions take you back to the loop on their own.
Continue reading Ableton Tricks- Jam with Multiple Loops in one Clip
The Evolution of Traktor
Traktor was first introduced over 10 years ago, and since then, it has become an institution when it comes to digital DJing. The impact the software has had on the DJ scene as well as shaping the trends and developments is both undeniable and impressive. Looking back at the development of Traktor sparks nostalgia and warm fuzzy feelings very much like old school Nintendo does for many of us. In today’s article I will take you through the evolution of Traktor from 2000 through today.
Traktor Pro 2 – Officially Announced! (Exclusive Walk Through Video)
After a well placed teaser weeks ago, NI finally gave up the goods and announced Traktor Pro 2 today with a release date of April 1st 2011. Traktor Pro 2 is the newest succesor in the Traktor line, taking the S4 features and rolling them into Traktor Pro with a few nice extra touches. They include colored waveforms, multi channel support, and potential for up to 16 concurrent loops! Continue reading for our extensive 10 minute tour of the new software plus a breakdown of every new feature.
Continue reading Traktor Pro 2 – Officially Announced! (Exclusive Walk Through Video)
New Traktor Audio 6 and 10 Hardware Released
Native Instruments has released two new sound cards to their pro DJ line. The Audio 2 stayed off the chopping block but the Audio 4 and the Audio 8 have been replaced by a new Audio 6 and Audio 10. Both sound cards are aimed at the scratch/DVS market and come bundled with traktor LE for $279 and $449 respectively. Continue reading for photos and more info.
Continue reading New Traktor Audio 6 and 10 Hardware Released
Tracking Super Combos With Advanced Modifiers
When Ean first presented his idea of “Supercombos” within a mapping I thought, “that’s amazing, but how on earth am I going to implement that?”. Well, the concept turned out to be challenging but not impossible. The key to making it work was proper planning and a mix of mapping techniques. In this article we will show you how to track multiple button presses (and releases) using modifiers in Traktor to produce your own super combos!
Continue reading Tracking Super Combos With Advanced Modifiers
Super Combos – Controllerism Meets Street Fighter
We are always working deep in the DJTT labs on new ideas that push the limits of DJing while staying within the bounds of what might be useful in a live set. Today, I am proud to introduce a new concept that has been in development for several months: super combos. A super combo is just like the Street Fighter game, where you use a few basic controls in a very specific sequence to produce different and remarkable results. Everyone knows that with the right flick of the wrist, a simple punch gets turned in a fireball in the Street Fighter series. It’s also no secret that the Midi-Fighter is inspired by that classic game, so it seemed absolutely natural to build on the concept of using secret combos in the world of DJ controllers. Continue reading for a video demo of the new “Instant Gratification” mapping for the S4, which contains super combos, free Street Fighter sound packs and a new mix contest!
Continue reading Super Combos – Controllerism Meets Street Fighter
