- Main Entry: 1smart mixing
- Pronunciation: \?smärt ?miks\
- Function: noun
- Etymology: from Old English smeart/ akin to Greek mignynai to mix
- 7 a: aided mixing <software enviroment>b: operating by automation <a smart machine tool> c: intelligent 3
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.
Continue reading ‘Mix Smart’
In one of our tutorials 2 weeks ago I showed you how to layer 2 filters on top of each other and assign one knob to many different functions on those 2 filters. This “super knob” is a handy way to create wild sounds with minimal effort. In that case the desired effect required a Zone 92 LP filter on the deck and a HP filter on the master effect. So if you suddenly get inspired to create some wild filter builds in the middle of a set, you would probably want to have 2 controllers dedicated to that function. A button to engage the required effects and the super knob to tweak them out. So how do you make one button do that?
Continue reading ‘Instantly Load Effects’
In response to the handy feedback icon you see on your left hand side of this site I will be starting a “FX Fundamentals” series and go through many different uses of FX that you can use inside Traktor or any other software. First on the list is filters, the work horse of a dj’s effects arsenal. Along with a basic overview of the different filter options, I will go into multi mapping a single knob to many parts of a filter and layering 2 filters for even more effective results. Check out the video bellow for the scoop.
Continue reading ‘FX Fundamentals- Filters’
With a limited number of physical knobs to control an ever increasing number of software goodies you need to find a way to get more out of your control surface. Using a single knob to control more than one parameter is one of the best ways to do that. A good example of this is the effects section of my VCI-100SE. Each effect in Traktor has 4 knobs and 4 buttons but my vci-100 only offers 2 knobs per effect. How can this be effective? Super knobs!
Continue reading ‘Super Knobs’
As many of you know, I have been working on a special layout for the VCI-100 that is in the beta stages. You can download, test and give feedback on the current version here. In the mean time I stumbled on this crazy midi mod that got me REALLY excited (which is rare) so I wanted to share it. I mix externally with the vci-100 so all the central controls are dedicated to effects. However sometimes I need to quickly cut out a song and I have been using the input faders to do that by engaging the reverb to 100%. Each channel fader engages the reverb, fades in the mix and then at the top freezes the effect. So, if you quickly flip the fader up you get a really clean cut with a cool reverb tail. Then I was thinking instead of 2 faders, what if the cross fader did the same thing for both decks but in opposite directions? So when you move the cross fader to the left the right decks cuts out with a adjustable reverb trail and when you move it to the far right the left deck cuts out with a reverb tail? Continue reading ‘NEW VCI-100 mod and the “super” crossfader’
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