Smart Mixing is the process of allowing technology to automate certain tasks so that you are free to have more fun with the music. That does not mean putting your software on auto pilot or taking the challenge out of djing. It means creatively setting up your controllers so that the software helps you mix better than you could before. Our own BentoSan, who does an amazing job of moderating the forums, first used the term in his article on combining Traktor with Ableton. In this article we will adopt the term into a more general use. Smart mixing can be a tremendously powerful tool that automates certain no-brainer tasks to free up your attention. Here are a few excellent examples of smart mixing that you can incorporate into your own sets right away.

Smart Knobs

When you crank up a effect you want it to increase in intensity but sometimes turning things up to 11 just does not have enough boom for the room. So why not tack on an extra oomph at the end to really knock their socks off. One example would be the fader fx mode on our VCI-100 SE. When you use the faders to increase the fx levels a 2nd effect kicks in at 50% to add a little extra flavor. Traktor Pro now makes it much easier to layer different effects and commands on a single knob much like Ableton live. Why twist multiple commands when you can crank one smart knob?

Smart EQ

Typically, you turn up one bass EQ while lowering the other to make room. Why not do both of those actions in one twist? make it so a single knob turns up the base while turning down the other tracks. In my Novation 25 SL youtube video (at 4:23), I built a low pass filter that slowly cut out the base and turned down the volume at the same time. Since this is a commonly needed combo I found myself going back to that slider time and time again.

Smart Compression

Moldover took the smart EQ concept one step further and developed his own smart compression theory. Sometimes completely cutting out the base of a track just will not work. Since many instrument and vocal parts have frequencies spread across the spectrum cutting out all the lows may kill a lot more than you want. compressors do a great job of making room for a new part without destroying a songs sound. Multi band compressors can work on specific ranges, squeezing the low end alone so that the new kick has room to pump but not killing the base line on an old track. Moldover set it up so that as a new track is brought in, more compression is applied to the low end making room for a track automatically without killing the energy
.

Smart Sync

There are a number of controls that can be used at the same time as SYNC to automatically keep tracks locked in. Double assigning a single button to loop and sync for instance, matches up phase when you need it but allows traditional beat matching for the rest of the mix. Check out this article here on the site where we go into that concept in depth.

Smart Browsing

This tip come courtesy of Richie Hawtin from his Traktor videos for NI. When he browses though the collection, that button or knob has been double assigned to also change the screen layout to maximize browsing visibility. When the “load this song” command is sent then the screen switches back to a performance layout. Check out this video for the full scoop

Smart FX.

You need some echo on this track- fast. ok, so first I need to select the echo, then turn it on, then find the right length and then turn up the wet dry mix. Oops - the mix ran out before you even got the echo working. Thats not performance mapping. Smart FX mapping would be putting ALL of those commands on one knob- The echo knob. Then that knob always works and you don’t have to think about a damn thing, just how our going to get that girls phone number before the bar closes.

Your Turn!

give us some examples of ways you combine functions to make djing fun and easy.

The digitization of dance music has mostly benefited DJs around the globe. Customers in every country have increased access to a significantly larger catalog of music, and newly formed labels can now reach those DJs without a big investment of money. It may even be reasonable to attribute the resurgence of dance music’s popularity to the inevitable conversion to an online format. After a long slump in 12-inch vinyl sales, many dance labels are making a comeback or even re-entering the market after closing their doors.

I went to several labels and producers who have weathered the ups and downs of the past 10 years and asked them a simple question: “Are you better off now that everything is digital?” Their answers may surprise you.

THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE MONETIZED

It’s easy to assume that the digital revolution has been good for everyone because online retailers are doing tremendous numbers, and most DJs are converting their collections to digital. Has that translated into more revenue for indie dance labels? “Not really,” reports Phil Cheeseman, who first joined Strictly Rhythm records (www.strictly.com) in 1992. “The amount of money made for each sale is lower, and there are still mastering, artwork, promotion and distribution costs,” he says. “We still need to see a fairly big upturn in digital sales to replace the lost vinyl sales in revenue terms. However, in time, labels with good-quality catalogs will benefit from the always-available status of downloads.”

Nick Harris, one of the founders of NRK Records (www.nrkmusic.com), has managed to keep his label alive through the ups and downs of the dance market. While NRK has also seen its income drop, he suggests there are more factors at play. “It isn’t necessarily due to digital conversion; margins have always been thin in the independent-record industry. But the whole music industry is in decline anyhow. With the focus on entertainment shifting to DVDs and video games, there are just not the numbers of people passionately buying music nowadays.”

Selling 12-inch dance records was never a terribly profitable venture, but it still managed to fund and maintain a community of artists and labels for many years. More importantly, it provided the exposure necessary to get those artists the gigs and licensing deals that really paid the bills. Perhaps digital music is just a more convenient calling card? Cheeseman seems to think so. “That’s even more the case now as many — if not most — producers make very little from their records.” Really? If anyone was supposed to benefit from the digital conversion it should be the artists, right? So how are the artists faring now that most of their records are online?

MUSICAL CALLING CARDS

There are few more experienced or respected producers in the house-music world than Kerri Chandler. He has consistently put out quality records for more than 20 years and weathered more than just a few swings in house music’s popularity. When asked if he sees digital as a new way for artists to make money, Kerri responds, “Honestly, it’s an easier way to get the track out there, but I see it now as more of a promotional tool because everyone seems to give out the tracks anyway. It’s almost impossible to stop that. So I kind of put something more interesting on the vinyl version — artwork or something that can only be done with a true record. Inserts, signatures and stuff like that.”

So, even though digital downloads may have contributed to a resurgence in dance music, it appears that this narrower niche also suffers from the big conundrum facing most of the music industry at large. Digital is a great promotional tool, but few are making more money selling it. Chandler pointed out an important fact that most people forget. “Everyone followed the iTunes model,” he says. “However, iTunes wasn’t interested in selling songs — just the machines to play them to make their money back.” Chandler is right; Steve Jobs never intended to get rich off the iTunes store, even though its dominant sales haven’t hurt Apple any. The real gold medal was cornering the market on digital playback hardware with the iPod.

PILE IT ON

So how can an artist come up with his or her own unique strategy? Well, one thing would be giving your fans added value, a tip that comes from an industry claiming it’s impossible to make any money in the current economic climate: the airlines. Up over a crowded field, there peeks an airline that has blossomed in spite of others’ failures: Singapore Airlines. The company’s model was simple: Give customers little things they like — make their experience positive, and they will come back. Compared to the cattle-car feeling that comes with most airlines these days, it’s not surprising that Singapore is flourishing.

Some bands have caught on to the added value technique by starting to offer an interesting proposition: Buy the 12-inch vinyl album and also download the entire thing for free. That combo has contributed to an overall spike in vinyl sales in general, which jumped 36 percent from 2006 to 2007, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (www.riaa.com). This trend seems to be mostly centered around the indie-rock scene but may eventually trickle over to dance music, where there are still a significant number of vinyl holdouts refusing to relinquish their collections in favor of a laptop.

Ultimately, it remains to be seen how the profits will pan out and whether guys like Kerri Chandler and Nick Harris will continue pressing records for another 10 years. Personally, I have confidence they will. Even if digital never turns into a profitable venture, there will always be a market for creative people and the inspiring music they make

This article was taken from my column “the digital dj” in Remix magaine

There is only 2 weeks left in our digital dj contest so its time to brush off the camera and upload a video to YouTube. Not only is this possibly the best first prize I have ever seen but its a great opportunity for digital djs. We created this competition as a chance to expose the world to our readers and spread the word about the craft so this is your opportunity to show what you and digital djing can do. DjTutor.com did a great job when they created the first mini mix competition but their competition was dominated by cd players and turntables with digital gear heavily under-represented. This is your chance to show the world that controllers and software can not only compete but also do a lot more than people might imagine.

Dont just enter this competition for yourself, enter it for me and our community. I want to see 100 bad ass videos and at least 30k views by the end of the month. That will send a serious message that digital djing is here to stay. To help you in that goal here are 5 tips and tricks you can use in making your own video truly memorable.

1) Include a screen capture

Here are 2 good options with fee trials periods:

iShowu (mac) free trial

Capture Me (mac) freeware

WM Capture (win) Shareware

Cam Studio (win) Shareware

2) record to the master output of your software

we want to really hear your mix bump not the mic on your camera

3) If 10 minutes is too short make 2 videos!

4) use some of the free editing software to make it look good.

On the mac you just cant beat imovie. Its free and has some incredibly easy to use professional features. you might also consider trying:

WINDOWS:

Jashaka
The worlds first open source, hardware accelerate editing and effects system! Well worth to check it out.
http://www.jahshaka.org/

Virtual dub
A powerful freeware video editor with lots of features, including a choice of compression codecs, splitting, addition of audio tracks.
http://www.virtualdub.org/

Zwei-Stein
Zwei-Stein 3.01 is a freeware non-linear, non-destructive video compositing and editing system which offers many advanced features unavailable elsewhere.
http://www.thugsatbay.com/tab/?q=zweistein_download

MAC OS X:

iMovie
Apple iMovie ‘05 is an excellent (and free) video editor for the Mac platform, with advanced video editing features and a lot of addon and plug-in support.
http://www.apple.com/ilife/imovie/

Jashaka
The worlds first open source, hardware accelerate editing and effects system! Well worth to check it out.
http://www.jahshaka.org/

HyperEngine-AV
Multimedia authoring software for capturing, editing, organizing, processing, and exporting video, audio, and text to create DVD quality movies and slide shows.
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=131273

more choices

5) Get a 2nd close up cam shot.

Put your point and shot camera on a tripod to get the full shot and then use your computers web cam to shoot a close up of your equipment so we can really get a good look at your skills.

6) bust out a light!

lighting is what will make or break a good movie so move a few extra lamps into your room and set them up in the following way for a great shot. Check out this link for more info

Dont forget

This video will not only enter you in the competition but will be a great promotional tool for gigs. What better way to show how you really spin then a rocking video? Right now we have 168 people registered for the competition and only 14 video responses. Thats an amazing chance to win some great prizes relatively easily and also have a lot of fun. In the past year I have made 40 + videos on you tube and they were all a blast to shoot. Dont get scared off by the camera or the technical details, its all so easy your grandma could do it- mine does!

12 months ago I set out to create a mapping for our readers that would tap into the hidden powers of Traktor 3 without requiring a giant controller interface. Using the VCI-100 as a template, I designed a layout that made working with controllerism creative, fun and straight forward by combining many functions on single buttons knobs and faders. That work caught the eye of Vestax and became the VCI-100 special edition controller, which 100 lucky people own today. After that limited run sold out almost immediately we created a firmware upgrade kit and overlay package that allowed regular VCI-100’s to upgrade their own controllers and get the special edition performance.

With Traktor Pro, Native instruments has included many of our custom features including direct FX selection and dual filters into their software directly. This allowed me to duplicate and even improve on all of the functions that we created for Traktor 3 but with one major difference. The new mapping will work with every single VCI-100 out there including firmware versions 1.2 and 1.3! That means if you own ANY VCI-100, you can download the TSI file and try out our performance concepts of our VCI-100SE layout for free.

GET THE TSI FILES

Sign up bellow and you will immediately receive an email with links to the download. Your email is required so we can let you know when changes or updates are created for our Traktor Pro mapping. Your email will never be used for any other purpose

Installation

You want to import the TSI file inside Traktor’s prefrences window under midi mapping. The files contains the midi mapping and effects settings that match the VCI-100SE. Its important that you load both so the FX slots match up. You do not need to load any other settings.

Cool new Stuff

• you can use 4 FX at one time on each deck with direct access to all of them
• visual indication if an effect is on
• deck C control is expanded to all deck controls
• deck copy ALWAYS works
• juggle mode and fader fx mode can be used at the same time
• all modes are more obvious visually when engaged
• all VCI-100 owners can use the file
• always on filters!
• you can enable/disable fader FX above the faders
• pitch bending is working much better in CDJ/JOG mode
• You can now shorten and lengthen loops in the loop section
• SCRATCH/JUGGLE are now SCRATCH/CDJ-JOG

Overlays

If you enjoy the TSI and want to have your VCI-100 properly labeled then check out our overlays in the store. They are back in stock but going fast so get one while you can.  In the mean time check out the image bellow for a complete list of the functions.

Known Bugs if using firmware 1.2

• The Flanger ON button on Deck B controls Deck A Cue
• The B-Masher On button on Deck B also controls Juggle mode
• The Cue C monitor is the same and Cue B

these are NOT bugs with our Special Edition mapping but a hardware issue that has been in the VCI-100 in firmware versions 1.2 and 1.1

this is a brand new file so there are chances that you may find errors. If so please please report them here where you can contribute your own changes and ideas on how to make these mappings better.

What about Firmware 1.3?

We managed to duplicate almost all of the SE functions in PRO using the 1.2 firmware but there are still a few things that 1.3 uniquely offers. For example, the freeze function at the top of the faders and knobs is not possible in pro without 1.3. The problem of duplicated buttons (mentioned above) was also fixed in 1.3. Those that have an SE or recently upgraded will get the full SE performance on the effects section. Remember you can always switch back and forth using the technique found in this video.

The TSI file is backwards compatible so we will continue to support the 1.3 firmware in our TSI files in the coming months but eventually 1.3 will be phased out as I work with NI to implement all the unique functionality directly into the software.

We are getting emails and even phones calls left and right from people asking about using Traktor Pro. for those of you that downloaded the demo and are not quite sure how to get started with the basic transport controls- this video is for you. I go through  button by button and show how to use the basic transport controls in Traktor Pro which include:

• moving around inside the song
• Setting a cue point
• storing a cue point
• mapping it to a hot bue
• creating a beat grid
• using loops

The good news is that using Traktor pro is actually much more streamlined than previous versions. You just need to know what is what, so check out this video for some simple answers.

Those who do a lot of heavy scratching and crossfader tricks on their VCI-100’s have some minor complaints about weight of the fader being too light. Luckily however one of the users of our Forum going under the name of PaddyDj has successfully integrated a Pro X Fade into his VCI-100. We were able to get hold of PaddyDj who was kind enough to make a wiring diagram that will make doing this mod just that much easier.

Step One

First you you need to take off the bottom face plate of the VCI-100, this is a simple process just use a small screw driver to remove the 5 screws as shown in the picture.

Step Two

Now we need to remove the Two screws either side of the VCI-100 which are highlighted in this picture.

Step three

Now we need to remove the four screws on the side of the VCI and one screw under the VCI. The process of taking apart the VCI-100 was best described in this video Ean made for the VCI-100 firmware mod. If your doing this mod it also might be a good opportunity to perform the Ean Golden 1.3 firmware mod while the unit is open if you have not already. Either way your going to need to perform the first step in this video:

Step four

The next step is to remove wires on the VCI crossfader making sure not to damage the wires by pulling them out of the socket they go into . What this picture does not show is that the these wires and the pin connectors are actually housed in a plastic socket, they will have to be removed as described blow.

Each wire will have to be carefully removed from the plastic sockek using something pointy as shown in the picture below, the aim is to push the connections out of the small plastic housing without keeping the pin conections intact to the wire.

Step five

Connect the wires from the previous step to the pins shown on the Pro X Fade pins as shown in the next picture.

Last Step

The last step is to simply put your VCI-100 Back together. You can use the same screws and same holes you uses to screw in the VCI-100 crossfader to screw in the Pro-100 X Fade.

Once its done it should perform a little something like this:

Now all is left to do is enjoy your handy work !

A big thanks from DJTT goes out to PaddyDJ for prodiving the pictures, video and details for this mod.

Today is Friday, October 31rst so that means its time for tricks and treats in digital dj domain. Here is the letter of the week:

I just read your tagging tutorial and you mentioned you will/did? do a part 2. I looked around (maybe not thouroughly enough) but I could not find it. I am looking forward to purchasing a vci-300 in the future and started tagging my files and would like to see how you and others do it.

Any help on this would be great.

Stephan

Thanks for the letter Stephen, and for pointing out we never did a tagging part 2. For those that didn’t see the first one I recommend you start by reading that article here. There are so many ways to go about organizing your music and I am sure our readers will have many more great suggestions than I do. Here is one trick I have employed that works really well and will be even more relevent in Traktor Pro.

Color your Tracks

Since most of our tracks don’t have any album artwork why not make your own and have them actually mean something to you? Here is a little system that I implemented myself:

• RED: Must play/ High Energy
• Blue: Chill/Early
• Orange: Medium Energy
• MegaPhone Icon: Vocal Sample

This is just the tip of the iceberg but the point is clear. Create visual associations of your music so you can quickly and effectively select songs by color. Perhaps you might want to use colors that fit the Camelot scale?