Lukynumba7
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Lukynumba7
MemberIs time code the sound the control vinyl makes when it hits the needle right? And on the traktor site it gives a whole bunch of mixers that are “scratch certified”. They run $1300-1700. Those just have time code recognition so you don’t need an interface right?
November 8, 2012 at 1:29 am in reply to: LPs vs. DJs – Is it Time for Us to Finally Distinguish Between Them? #31540MemberDJ Shoni, post: 31694, member: 4435 wrote: I understand perfectly what you mean Lukynumba7 – what would say about the ones that use keyboards or midi guitars to play their music rather than MPCs/Maschine/etc. to trigger/play/perform their music? I guess what I’m trying to say here is that if they want to be seen as different as DJs, should more emphasis be placed on their visual impression as an LP vs a DJ (even if the D means Digital rather than Disc, I feel that live performers may still not want to be associated so closely with the acronym)
As long as the audience can see it, they won’t call them DJ’s. Take The Crystal Method, they have the product of a momma CDJ and daddy double necked guitar that they walk around using, its pretty sick. Also, they have alot of syths and stuff they play onstage, live. They definitely put the emphasis on being a live performer and you can see why.
MemberBreakdown time:
So as J-Duffin said before, the S4 is made with Traktor in mind. Traktor is mostly based toward EDM and controllerism with its multiple high quality effect banks, advanced looping controls, and many cue functions. It is a complex machine and can take some time to get used to if it is your first controller. However, it is EXTREMELY powerful with all of the functionalty built in to the controller and the software. There isn’t any learning curve with the controller to software because everything thing on the controller looks exactly the same on the software. Much like Mac apps, its made with to operate best with a certain set of hardware. It is really quite intuitive, IF you can get over the learning curve of Traktor(all considering you haven’t used it. If you have, THIS IS THE ULTIMATE TRAKTOR CONTROLLER!).Now the ERGO may look kinda childish with all of its lights and shiny things, not to mention it has more plastic than Dolly Parton’s face, but that doesn’t mean its a child’s toy. This thing has a fully featured FX panel, much like the S4 and S2, a cue section, and a sample bank. The only thing it is missing compared to the S4 is the detailed looping segments and it has a 2 channel mixer instead of a 4 channel mixer. Another thing it is missing is size and weight (this is a good thing). Compared to the massive S4, you can drag this from venue to venue pretty easily. Its no Vestax Typhoon, but lugging it around isn’t going to be as arduous as a task. Also, it has a convenient laptop port so you can tuck your laptop underneath it so you can focus on the music. Also, because it is raised off ground, your controller isn’t going to get completely ruined if some idiot comes in and “spills” his “adult beverage” right next to it.
If you don’t like the price of the S4 compared with the functionality of the ERGO, you might want to look into the S2. It effectively shaves off most of the unnecessary things from the S4 and puts it into a much thinner, smaller, lighter, not to mention less expensive, 2 channel DJ controller. Also, factoring the cost of the upgrade to Traktor pro from the ERGO could put you back quite a bit of cash in comparison.
Hope it helped!
November 7, 2012 at 7:41 pm in reply to: LPs vs. DJs – Is it Time for Us to Finally Distinguish Between Them? #31527MemberTo be honest, we can call them live performers all we want, its not going to change their name. If you had no knowledge that they were actually performing it live, you would pretty much label them a DJ. Its because from the floor you don’t see any of the “instruments” if there are any. You just see a person bobbing and touching stuff. However, whenever you watch a band, you see the instruments in their hands and see the lead singer’s mouth move. It all has to do with percieption and as long as 50% of the population connects EDM with DJ, it won’t be changed.
But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t learn the difference. There is QUITE a difference between LPs and DJs and part of the reason that a LP can’t show the audience what they are doing is because everything is extremely complex. They can’t exactly show Abelton to the crowd and say, “See that? I just reconstructed that bassline to help me make a transition to my next song …etc.etc….” Its much to complicated, compared to the drums, which one can hear and see and subsequently make a connection and understand.
MemberMaximlee, post: 31557, member: 2165 wrote: This sums it up in a nutshell….althou within music there is no rules… if plastering ure mix with effects and looping everything is ure thing then so be it…. i mean every dj is different… richie hawtin for example never plays the same set twice even if he play the exact same tunes in the same order and hes one of the best djs there is
Then again, Richie Hawtin isn’t a standard DJ. Once you get to the point where you have mastered DJing in a sense, then you can go off and do what he does. The use of effects effectively comes with experience and he has it. The run of the mill DJ isn’t simply going to have to experience that he does and if they attempt to do what he does, they will probably end up sounding horrible.
MemberI use Traktor’s multiple effects for build ups but I almost never use them in the middle of a melody. For example, I use ramp delay, formant filter, and iceverb to create a really cool delay reverb sound to help build up a track. The only time I use effects in the middle of a melody is when I am actively trying to mix a song up, and I do so with various filters and beatmasher. However, I don’t do it in EVERY SINGLE SONG! Have that song you mash-up be the high point, otherwise it just seems annoying and repetitive and can really just ruin a mix. As for looping, I do it only when necessary, like if there is a 64 count intro with a 32 count outro of a song, I will loop the 32 to make it 64 to match up.
When I do use effects on a track I rarely have the Wet/Dry turned all the way to wet, because I like to have some of the original song with with effects. The bottom line, effects should enhance the song not change it. If you change a song, its more like a remix than a mix and it should be done in a studio or a DAW. If you are going to live remix, do it sparingly.
MemberYeah, Traktor can kinda be overwhelming at first. It takes months to truly unlock all of its potential or at least understand what all the buttons do. Djay is a great start if you are starting out with a new controller. Equally, Virtual DJ is free and extremely versatile for the cost. I used to have a Mixtrack Pro but I used traktor, the reason being that I used only my macbook and Traktor for about 5 months before I bought a controller. I started out with Djay for iphone and then Virtual DJ for Macbook. Just stick at it and experiment and you will learn what every thing does in Traktor, it has alot of potential for creativity.
MemberI listen to D&B and drum step when I run (I’m more of a metronomic runner) and the beats are just the right in time with my pace. When I lift, its usually whatever new music I’m trying to memorize or familiarize myself with.
MemberBut set foot into several rock-/indie-venues and you’ll discover: no one uses beatmatching there. And it’s also not about using the sync button either, which just does exactly the same semi-automatically. We simply have no use for both, because this music is not made for it and if you try, it will sound really bad; it doesn’t suit the flow of this music at all
Thats exactly what i was trying to get at. It really boils down to what you are playing and how you mix. You have obviously tried to beatmatch or heard the product of it when you mix Indie and it isnt good. Honestly, the only thing that matters is what comes out of your speakers. If it works for your crowd, more power to you.
Obviously in the EDM world beatmatching is essential but in the Indie-sphere it doesn’t have a use. The vast majority of new DJ’s now are intrested in the surge of EDM and if you are smart enough realize your particular genre doesn’t really have a use for it, why use it? This post was mostly based towards Digital EDM mixers and not so much indie rock/ nu-dance types. If I offended you in anyway it was purely unintentional and I respect your opinion.
MemberLike Terry_42 said before, its not really essential as much with sync but everyone should still know how to do it. Even if you use software with sync, software screws up. Case in point, my Traktor grid points got all jumbled up causing sync to be useless. Technology isn’t exactly 100% fool-proof otherwise IT guys would be out of a job right about now. However, it really comes down to what you’re playing and how you mix personally.
If you play lots of house tracks with 128 bpms and intros and outros, you’d probably want to learn how to beatmatch in the case that software messes up or you have to eventually play without software (vinyl or CDJ’s). But if you play music where the tempos are all over the map and just cut from song to song anyway, its really not essential.
Also, part of the reason (my belief) beatmatching even exists is to seamlessly connect two songs (or more) without losing a beat for the people who are dancing to your music. To be honest, if you were dancing and all of the sudden you weren’t going the same speed as the music, you’d feel quite awkward. Its like if you were driving 30 mph and the speed limit suddenly changed and you didn’t notice. All the cars around you are going faster and you are going slower.
MemberInstead of just locking into one particular set, have a guideline. I know my good openers, transitions, cooldowns, and closers and I have a feeling about where to use them but whatever I feel at the time is what I play. It gives you some sort of rigidity but also allows you to be quite flexible with your music selection.
MemberI started out playing Dubstep and Electro House, and now I’m starting to mix moombahton, trap, and hip-hop/rap in with my sets. I like the groove that comes from moombahton to start off and then I’ll slow build the BMP up to fast trap and then drop it again. It’s really cool and there are a few transition tracks I use to change BPMs rapidly like, Raise Your Weapon by deadmau5 or Doomsday by Nero. I’ve never cut out a particular genre from my mixes, I just find room for newer songs some how.
MemberFatCat, post: 22871, member: 2225 wrote: True, but the clickyness of the gain knob annoys the hell out of me when using the filter for some reason/
Yeah, I don’t use the gains as filters anyway. I have my first fx unit all things for changing sounds with filter:92, reverb, and flanger and my second for chopping up beats with gater, beatmasher, and beatslicer.
Memberactually you can hold shift and use the gains as a filter or you can swap the gains for a filter and use shift for gains.
MemberGoinWild, post: 21628, member: 2366 wrote: Seems like Traktor Pro is pretty inexpensive at around $80?
I’ve been using the packed-in Virtual DJ LE….I’ll try out both Serato Intro and Traktor trial to see what’s up…
I guess my question is…is only Serato Intro compatible with Numark Mixtrack? Or, does Itch work as well?
Unfortunately not, Serato ITCH only works with supported ITCH controllers like the Numark NS7 and Novation Twitch. Its a pretty exclusive club.
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