A few months back Allen & Heath announced a new controller, The Xone K2, “an elegant, compact controller for any DJ software with no fewer than 52 hardware controls providing up to 171 MIDI commands across 3 layers – plus the ability to link multiple units. Xone: K2 has the power and flexibility to put you in touch with everything from the essential functions to the fine nuances of your chosen software.”
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Allen & Heath have enjoyed incredible success amongst pro jocks with their  Xone: 1D and 2D performance controllers. They have a reputation for being able to take a beating at the club and still work the next day with great sound output. The K2 takes some of the form factor (layout, spacing) from the 1D/2D and applies it to a new lower profile design. The K2 looks very enticing, indeed. Small footprint, four faders, and assignable controls that could be used for DJ performance as well as DAW control. While the Traktor X1 does offer custom mapping (and I’m a fan of the mixer control template in particular), this new Allen & Heath device offers faders – a staple of may performers / producers’ needs. In addition the K2 boasts an audio interface and headphone output – making this this smallest dj controller with sound capabilities I’ve seen so far. If the sound quality lives up to the A&H legacy this should be a product worth checking out when it releases this spring.

More details on the Xone: K2 from Allen & Heath:

Xone: K2 has a high quality internal, four channel (2 stereo) soundcard.

By Mike Steyels

It’s about the sound. It’s about the feel. It’s a passion born of tradition, comfort, and necessity.

The culture surrounding 7″ vinyl in New York City is a scene driven by DJs, where casual listeners are rare. While weekend collectors and club DJs generally gravitate towards the 12″, which is named after its diameter, 7″s are the tool of a select few here. The reggae selector is the primary culprit in this corner of the world. But those with global interests are frequently involved too. Whether it be Latin sounds or the music of Africa, it often finds its way onto these nimble discs. And it’s not uncommon to see the funk and soul side of things represented either. (Punk and hardcore are devoted to the format as well, but that’s another story.)

As is the case with vinyl purists in general, 7″ record collectors firmly believe the sound of a record is simply unmatchable by any newer technology. They are also called “45s” because of the speed at which they are played on a turntable. 45s first appeared in America 1949, produced by the company RCA Victor.

“A 7″ has a wide groove and a warm, loud sound,” explains Bobbito Garcia, a longtime DJ and owner of Álala. “I’m a firm believer in beautiful, uncompromised sound and digital still hasn’t caught up. It just doesn’t hit as many points on the sound wave.”

Liondub, who has an imprint dedicated to the format called Liondub45, agrees: “7s are small, simple, they sound incredible and are so much louder than other records. Juggling mid 90’s dancehall and reggae on 7″ is by far the best experience for me as a dj…tactile, light, fast, loud and mad fun!”

“Their compact size makes for easy travel,” adds Dubspot instructor DJ OBaH. “I buy more 7s these days than 12s”

[Nickodemus - "Gimme the Music" | Wonderwheel 2011. Photo of Scratch Famous from Dealy Dragon by Gozilah.]

Many vinyl enthusiasts don’t check for digital releases at all. And a number of reggae DJs don’t even use computers. So the only way to reach certain crowds is by pressing vinyl.

Some people, like Emch from Subatomic Sound, who take full advantage of what technology has to offer, recognize this and make sure to have wax ready for them. “We typically press 45s of our most reggae and dub leaning releases because we know reggae DJs more than almost any other still play vinyl and want the songs in that format,” he tells us. In fact, the B-sides of the 45s prevalent in early reggae culture spawned the genre known as dub.

The world of 7s can be as small as the discs themselves, and many of the stores that sell them also have them pressed. “We’re a tight, small community. We all know each other,” says Mari Ayabe from Concent Productions. He sells those records in his Williamsburg shop MeMe Antenna. Alongside Concent releases are those by other local labels like the global sounds of Electric Cowbell and the beats and breaks of Bastard Jazz. “A 7″ is cheaper to produce and more affordable to purchase than a 12″,” he adds. Academy Records in the East Village has also started pressing their own rare African funk with the help of Voodoo Frank. But of course Deadly Dragon Sound is the largest purveyor of 45s. The walls of their tiny Lower East Side reggae shop are stacked high with them, including a few dozen singles they released themselves.

If there’s any indicator that 7″ culture has solid momentum in New York, it’s the brisk pace of business done at the Brooklyn Phono pressing plant. “This year we have had around 40 new labels produce 7s – not including pre-existing clients,” says Fern Vernon Bernich, who runs the plant along with her husband. And while they have four machines for 12s, their lone 7″ machine is in constant use. As is the case with many of those involved, Phono plays an active role in the community. They don’t require a minimum, allowing labels and artists to press only what they need. They also let them use their space for silk screening, make rubber stamps, and offer breaks wherever they can.

In the end, it’s just about the love. It’s the one point everybody stressed. Whether it’s the ease of use, the quality of sound, or the bond it creates, they all just enjoy it. Bobbito summarizes it like this: “I’m devoted to vinyl. I play vinyl at home and do 100 percent vinyl sets. So it just makes sense to provide for others like me.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here it is, you hooligans. You thieving scoundrels. My precious Maschine mapping for Traktor. Why don’t you just take my wallet? Or key to my car? Why don’t you spit in my food and tie my shoelaces together? Why don’t you shave off my eyebrows and paint on new ones with a magic marker? Have you no decency? Have you no compassion? Where is your common courtesy? Stealing a man’s Maschine mapping (even though he’s willingly giving it to you for free)? For shame! For Shame!!! FOR SHAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! – Shiftee

The music playing in the background at the beginning of this video tutorial is the lead track from Rx & Shiftee’s Space Ace EP. Earlier this week, the remix edition of Space Ace Remixes came out courtesy of Rad Summer. You can stream the entire EP here.

Rx & Shiftee – Space Ace by Rad Summer

Related Dubspot Courses Starting Online & in New York City:

Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Program starts February 5th Online.

MASCHINE Program starts in NYC January 30th and Online the week of January 22nd.

DJ Extensive Program

Immerse yourself in the complete art of DJing from beatmatching to stage presence. Whether you’re a beginner in search of the fundamentals or a seasoned pro looking to take your talent to the next level, our curriculum is designed to accommodate all skill levels and styles of music. This comprehensive DJ program covers everything from basic mixing to advanced digital DJing. Learn more about our DJ courses and programs.

What’s Included:

• DJ Level 1: Rookie Sessions | Essentials I
• DJ Level 2: Phrase Mixing | Essentials II
• DJ Level 3: Beyond The Blend | Intermediate Skills
• DJ Level 4: Preparation | DJ Psychology
• DJ Level 5: Classroom to the Club | Advanced Techniques I
• DJ Level 6: Club to the World | Advanced Techniques II

“I love the class, and the content! Shiftee and Endo are very funny, and very clear, so the material is easy and fun to follow! I wish my college   teachers  were more like these two!” – Leandro Martinez, Chicago IL

Native Instruments MASCHINE redefines hardware and software integration for music production and creative performance. Upon completion of this program, you will have written a full original track using multiple plug-in instruments and effects, produced a remix based on rearranged source material with your own musical additions, and made recordings of yourself improvising with both projects while creating break downs, build ups, and effect manipulations.

What’s Included:

• MASCHINE Level 1: Programming and Beat Making Basics
• MASCHINE Level 2: Sampling, Slicing and Composing
• MASCHINE Level 3: Advanced Production and Performance Techniques

Start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

Or if you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In our latest video series Road Test – dedicated to road testing portable electronic music performance and production tools and gear — Dubspot Instructor, DJ and producer Abe Duque takes various music equipment out of the comfort of the studio and puts them to use while on the road as a traveling musician and performer. He documents his findings and details the creative possibilities these tools offer in a live performance setting.

In the first installment of Road Test, Abe brings the Novation TWITCH back into the Dubspot lab after a tour in Germany where he utilized the new DJ controller as his primary DJ equipment. Presented here are the results of his experience with the Twitch – from its light, compact, durable design, tactile and precise knobs, buttons, and faders to the multifunctional touchstrip controls and Fader FX feature. As you can tell by now, the Twitch absolutely passes Abe’s Road Test. Stay tuned for more.

Related Dubspot Courses Starting Online & in New York City:

Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Program starts February 5th Online.

DJ Extensive Program

Immerse yourself in the complete art of DJing from beatmatching to stage presence. Whether you’re a beginner in search of the fundamentals or a seasoned pro looking to take your talent to the next level, our curriculum is designed to accommodate all skill levels and styles of music. This comprehensive DJ program covers everything from basic mixing to advanced digital DJing. Learn more about our DJ courses and programs.

What’s Included:

• DJ Level 1: Rookie Sessions | Essentials I
• DJ Level 2: Phrase Mixing | Essentials II
• DJ Level 3: Beyond The Blend | Intermediate Skills
• DJ Level 4: Preparation | DJ Psychology
• DJ Level 5: Classroom to the Club | Advanced Techniques I
• DJ Level 6: Club to the World | Advanced Techniques II

“I love the class, and the content! Shiftee and Endo are very funny, and very clear, so the material is easy and fun to follow! I wish my college   teachers  were more like these two!” – Leandro Martinez, Chicago IL

Click here to view the embedded video.

In the final installment of our three-part video tutorial series exploring the creative production and performance possibilities of Native Instruments versatile groovebox Maschine, Justin Aswell of innovative Charlotte, North Carolina-based hip hop group Mr. Invisible offers some practical live performance advice, tips and tricks for DJs, musicians and performers. This is an essential video tutorial if you’re looking to incorporate Maschine into your live setup. Justin Aswell explains and demonstrates ways to avoid common pitfalls many electronic musicians face when they are playing live; from using a delay effect to maintain a consistent BPM to triggering multiple hits and samples on a single to help you become more efficient when playing live.

Start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

Or if you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

Native Instruments MASCHINE redefines hardware and software integration for music production and creative performance. Upon completion of this program, you will have written a full original track using multiple plug-in instruments and effects, produced a remix based on rearranged source material with your own musical additions, and made recordings of yourself improvising with both projects while creating break downs, build ups, and effect manipulations.

What’s Included:

• MASCHINE Level 1: Programming and Beat Making Basics
• MASCHINE Level 2: Sampling, Slicing and Composing
• MASCHINE Level 3: Advanced Production and Performance Techniques

Click here to view the embedded video.

Whatever your genre of choice, whatever your skill level, Dubspot trains DJs with real-world skills. Our DJ Extensive program covers everything from basic mixing to advanced DJing techniques. Students learn to execute perfect blends, clean mixes, and create unique sounds in any style of music. In this new video, students in Level 6 of our Digital DJing w/ Traktor program, including Minstra: The King, DJ Rokin, The Architect, STRING TH3ORY, DJ Foon, and Alice D also talk about their experience at Dubspot and how they’ve developed as DJs, ahead of their graduation party at Lower Manhattan’s White Rabbit.

Related Dubspot Courses Starting Online & in New York City:

Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Program starts February 5th Online.

DJ Extensive Program

Immerse yourself in the complete art of DJing from beatmatching to stage presence. Whether you’re a beginner in search of the fundamentals or a seasoned pro looking to take your talent to the next level, our curriculum is designed to accommodate all skill levels and styles of music. This comprehensive DJ program covers everything from basic mixing to advanced digital DJing. Learn more about our DJ courses and programs.

What’s Included:

• DJ Level 1: Rookie Sessions | Essentials I
• DJ Level 2: Phrase Mixing | Essentials II
• DJ Level 3: Beyond The Blend | Intermediate Skills
• DJ Level 4: Preparation | DJ Psychology
• DJ Level 5: Classroom to the Club | Advanced Techniques I
• DJ Level 6: Club to the World | Advanced Techniques II

“I love the class, and the content! Shiftee and Endo are very funny, and very clear, so the material is easy and fun to follow! I wish my college   teachers  were more like these two!” – Leandro Martinez, Chicago IL

Start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

Or if you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In part one of the latest Shiftee Trilogy video tutorial series, DJ Shiftee demonstrates his ‘Slaughterhouse’ routine that was constructed for his appearance on the highly regarded Rinse FM radio show in the UK. In the second installment, Shiftee explains how to map LEDs and lights Traktor Pro 2 using a MIDI controllers and further sinks in the wonderful world of modifiers, using buttons not merely to control specific functions but also to change the state of the program. Please stay tuned for the third and final installment in which Shiftee gives away his precious mapping for Maschine.

Related Dubspot Courses Starting Online & in New York City:

Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Program starts February 5th Online.

MASCHINE Program starts in NYC January 30th and Online the week of January 22nd.

DJ Extensive Program

Immerse yourself in the complete art of DJing from beatmatching to stage presence. Whether you’re a beginner in search of the fundamentals or a seasoned pro looking to take your talent to the next level, our curriculum is designed to accommodate all skill levels and styles of music. This comprehensive DJ program covers everything from basic mixing to advanced digital DJing. Learn more about our DJ courses and programs.

What’s Included:

• DJ Level 1: Rookie Sessions | Essentials I
• DJ Level 2: Phrase Mixing | Essentials II
• DJ Level 3: Beyond The Blend | Intermediate Skills
• DJ Level 4: Preparation | DJ Psychology
• DJ Level 5: Classroom to the Club | Advanced Techniques I
• DJ Level 6: Club to the World | Advanced Techniques II

“I love the class, and the content! Shiftee and Endo are very funny, and very clear, so the material is easy and fun to follow! I wish my college   teachers  were more like these two!” – Leandro Martinez, Chicago IL

Native Instruments MASCHINE redefines hardware and software integration for music production and creative performance. Upon completion of this program, you will have written a full original track using multiple plug-in instruments and effects, produced a remix based on rearranged source material with your own musical additions, and made recordings of yourself improvising with both projects while creating break downs, build ups, and effect manipulations.

What’s Included:

• MASCHINE Level 1: Programming and Beat Making Basics
• MASCHINE Level 2: Sampling, Slicing and Composing
• MASCHINE Level 3: Advanced Production and Performance Techniques

Start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

Or if you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

Click here to view the embedded video.

One thing I always tell my students and other DJs is, if you really want to learn how a program works, try learning and configuring the preferences. While Native Instruments TRAKTOR has proven to be the most powerful DJ program on the market, some people might have some issues with the program because it’s not configured correctly. In this article, I am going to go through the preferences in Traktor step by step to show you how to configure your Traktor setup for maximum dance floor destruction!

To get to the Traktor Preferences, click on the Preferences Icon which is the gear icon in the upper right hand side of the screen. If you’re just getting started with Traktor, I’d recommend using the Setup Wizard.

SETUP WIZARD

The Setup Wizard is great for getting started with Traktor and will help configure a lot of your audio, MIDI, screen layouts and other preferences for the way you DJ. (Pro Tip: If you already have some custom settings loaded, I don’t recommend using the Setup Wizard because it will overwrite your settings to Traktor’s default values.) Here’s how to use the Setup Wizard.In the bottom left-hand corner of the preferences window there is a button to start the Setup Wizard. Here’s what the opening screen loops like.

Next you’ll want to connect everything that you’re going to use when you DJ, including your sound card and any controllers to your computer, then click Next. Then you’re going to choose if you are using an external controller and select what manufacturer makes the controller, and the model of the controller.

After you’ve selected what kind controller you are using (if any) the next thing your going to do is choose what kind of Deck Layout you’re going to use. You can choose from a combination of track decks, sample decks, scratchable track decks and live inputs. When you’re done, the Setup Wizard will tell you what your Traktor setup will be. If everything looks good, click “Finish” and everything will be configured for you.

IMPORTING AND EXPORTING SETTINGS

In the bottom left-hand corner of the Preferences window there are Import and Export buttons. This is where you can load and save your Traktor settings such as Key Commands, MIDI and Controller Mappings, Screen Layouts, playlist shortcuts, Effects Settings, file paths and broadcasting settings.

To import settings, click on the Import button at the bottom of the screen, then load the file you want to import and choose which settings you’d like to import. To export, or save your settings, click on the Export button and choose which Categories you’d like to save. Take note that if you’re importing and exporting MIDI mappings or keyboard mappings, it’s best to do this in the controller manager, and not by using the Import and Export buttons, since this can overwrite your other mappings.

When getting setup to play live in Traktor, there are three very important sections of the preferences to check: The Audio Setup window, Output Routing, and Input Routing. Most audio problems and troubleshooting is usually done here.

AUDIO SETUP

The Audio Setup window is where you choose and configure your soundcard settings. In the Audio Device menu, you choose what soundcard you’re using (i.e. Traktor Audio 10, Traktor Kontrol S4, etc.) If you don’t have a soundcard connected, you can always use your computers built in soundcard.

Below the Audio device menu, you can choose your Sample Rate and Latency settings. The recommended setting for using Traktor on most MacBook Pro is 44100 Hz Sample rate and 512 MS Latency. This is because this is the standard sample rate used by most CDs. If you’re a turntablist, you might want to use a lower latency setting. It’s worth noting that a lower latency will give you a quicker response, but it will also stress your computer more, and possibly cause audio dropouts. Keep an eye on your CPU meters when your using Traktor. If the CPU meter is going in the reds you might need to raise your latency.

The Phono / Line section is for users of the Audio 8 DJ and Audio 4 DJ. This is where you choose if your using Vinyl timecode control (which is Phono) or CD Timecode control (which is Line). If you’re using the new generation of Audio Interfaces such as the Traktor Audio 10 or Traktor Audio 6, you have to configure your inputs using the Audio 10 or Audio 6 settings tool located in Applications / Native Instruments.

The Routing tab lets you re route the channels within Traktor. This is useful if you accidentally plugged in your RCA cables backwards and want to switch the routing without having to re-plug everything. While this is useful, it’s the best practice to make sure everything’s plugged in correctly in the first place.

The Multi-Core Processor Support lets you turn on or off the Multi-Core functionality of Traktor. Be careful with this one. If you’re running Traktor and ONLY Traktor and have Multi-Core processing on your computer, then turn this on. If your using other real time applications with Traktor or don’t have multi-core processing on your computer, make sure this is turned off as it can cause CPU issues.

OUTPUT ROUTING

The Output Routing tab is where you can configure the signal path from Traktor to your audio interface. Before configuring your Output Routing, you have to select what Mixing Mode you want to use. If you’re using an External DJ Mixer (such as a DJM 900) you would choose External Mixing Mode. If you’re using Traktor’s Internal Mixer, you would choose Internal Mixing Mode. This is good if you’re using a Traktor Kontrol S4, or only use your computers mouse and keyboard to control Traktor’s internal Mixer.

One new feature in Traktor Pro 2 is the ability to combine outputs. You can actually share the same output of two different decks on the same channel of your audio interface. For example, if you have a two channel mixer, you can run a Deck and Sample Deck through the same channel on your DJ mixer. If you’re using Internal Mixing Mode, you can select the output for the Monitor Output and your Output Master. The Output Monitor is where you can pre-listen and cue tracks in your headphones. The Master Output is where the house signal will come out of. The recording output is used to send the Master Output to an additional recording device or Mixer Input. Here are two examples of some good Output Routings.

Example 1 – Using the Traktor Audio 10 with 4 decks and an additional channel for send and return effects, or a microphone output. Notice how I combined Deck D and Traktor’s preview deck onto the same channel so I can either use the preview player or a track on channel D.

Example 2 – Using Traktor’s Internal Mixer with the Audio 2 DJ – Notice how the Master output is coming out of Channel A and the Monitor Output (where your headphones are plugged into) is coming out of Channel B.

INPUT ROUTING

The Input Routing section is where you select the inputs for each Deck, and it will also show you if your getting signal on that input. Here is an example of an input setup using a Traktor Audio 10 with up to 4 available turntable / CD inputs and an additional channel for a microphone or send effects input.

MIDI CLOCK

The MIDI Clock section is where you can choose to send MIDI clock to external devices such as MASCHINE, Ableton Live or anything else that can receive and sync to MIDI Clock. To start sending MIDI, select the check box for Send MIDI Clock. If you prefer, you can offset the MIDI clock signal to add a delay to your MIDI Clock. This is useful if you are trying to sync two Traktor systems.

TIMECODE SETUP

The Timecode Setup window is where you can configure Traktor for using with Timecode Vinyl or Timecode CDs. These options are only available if you own a Scratch version of Traktor. Here are all of the other options this window:

Timecode Inputs section is where you can see the signal coming in from your turntables or CD players. If the signal is a complete circle then you have a healthy signal coming in. If it’s a horizontal or vertical line, it means a channel isn’t plugged in. If it’s a square or small circle, you need to select the correct input mode such as phono or line.

Decoder Gain will show you the volume of your timecode input signal. The higher the volume, the better your tracking will be.

Track Start Position allows you to choose what location on the record corresponds to the beginning of the track in Traktor. If the beginning of your timecode vinyls is worn out, you can use this option to make the start point further in on your record.

Turntable Speed option is where you can choose 33 or 45 RPM vinyl handling. If you choose 45, you will have to put the turntable on 45 RPM or Rotations Per Minute.

Load next track when flipping record is a feature where you can load the next track in a playlist when you flip the record over. This feature is handy for battle DJs who have planned routines who don’t want to go to the computer each time they want to load the next track.

Use playlist scrolling zone is another fun feature where you can actually use the timecode vinyl or timecode CDs to scroll through your tracks in Traktor’s browser. If you’re using timecode vinyl control, you would use the inner most grooves on the record to scroll through your tracks. If your using timecode CDs, you can use Track 3 of the Traktor CD to scroll through your browser.

If Switch to Absolute Mode on Lead In enabled, if you use Vinyl, when you place the needle on the outer most part of the record (which is called the lead – in), Traktor will switch the playback mode to Absolute Mode automatically. If you use CDs, switching Traktor’s timecode CD to track 1 will switch the playback mode of that deck to Absolute Mode.

Switch to Absolute Mode will enable the playback mode of the deck to Absolute Mode when you load a track. This is handy for those who are used to playing actual vinyl or CDs who want the time of the deck to match where they place the needle on the record. If your using controllers, relative mode, or DJ with a mouse, I would leave this option turned off since you will have to keep switching the playback mode for each track that you load.

LOADING

The Loading section is where you can configure how tracks are loaded in Traktor. Here’s what all of the loading options are for:

Loading only onto stopped deck will make it so you can’t load a track into a deck if it is playing. If this option is checked, you will need to stop the deck from playing before you can load a new track into the deck.

Stop playback at end of track will stop the deck from playing when it gets to the end of the song. If you have this turned off, the deck will continue playing even in between songs until you push the play button to stop it.

Duplicate deck when loading same track option will allow you to load automatic doubles of a track that your playing. If a track is playing in one deck and you load the same track into another deck, Traktor will duplicate that track into the new deck at the same time and speed as the deck you copied it from. You can also make automatic doubles of a track by clicking and dragging a deck that’s playing ‘s header and dragging it into a deck that isn’t playing.

Having the Load next at end of track option on will load the next track in the selected playlist into a deck when the track before it has finished playing.

Initially cue to Load Marker will allow you to use Traktor’s Load Markers. A Load Marker is a special cue point that when you load a track that has a Load marker in it, the track will Load right to that cue point.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Activate Fade In & Fade Out Markers will let you place special cue points in your tracks called Fade in And Fade Out Markers. These markers will mark when the next track will start playing and the current track will start to fade out, allowing for automatic crossfades. This option is good if you want to use Traktor in cruise mode which will put Traktor in autopilot mode allowing for playback and even syncing of your tracks for hours on end without having to be at the computer.

The Cruise Loops Playlist option is also for cruise mode, and will restart a playlist at the beginning once its finished playing the last track in the playlist.

RESETTING CONTROLS

Reset all deck controls when loading track will reset all of the deck controls when you load a new track such as the tempo fader.
Reset all mixer controls when loading track will reset mixer controls like the EQ and Filter when you load a new track. If your using the Traktor Kontrol S4, S2 or any other MIDI controller for Internal Mixing I would leave both of these options off since the knob position won’t match the software when you load each track.

TEMPO

The Tempo section is where you choose your tempo range. This is like customizing the pitch fader on a turntable, except your customizing Traktor’s internal pitch fader range, and telling Traktor how much it can increase or decrease the internal tempo. In order to pick a good tempo range, you would want to think about the speed or BPM range you want to play at during any given set. If your playing a mix of Hip Hop and House you probably want a 35 – 50 % tempo range, where as if your playing only one genre like Dubstep which is almost always the same BPM you can use a smaller BPM range like 4-8 %.

Tempo Bend Sensitivity – The Tempo Bend Buttons are the forward and backward arrow buttons in the decks in Traktor. Pushing them is like nudging the metal edge of a turntable, or the outer edge of a CD player. It will give the track a push or pull forwards or backwards. The tempo bend sensitivity adjust will adjust how sensitive these buttons are when you press them. If you want the buttons to get progressively more sensitive as you hold the button down, choose the “Tempo Bend Progressive Sensitivity” option.

Now lets talk about Sync Mode. There are two types of Sync in Traktor: Tempo Sync and Beat Sync. The Sync mode that you use determines how the sync button will behave when you press it. Tempo sync will sync the BPM of the deck to whatever deck is the master and it will also temporarily sync the phase of the deck (which will move the phase meter to the zero position). Once the deck’s phase drifts from the zero point on the phase meter, the sync button will be dimmed. Beat Sync will keep both the BPM and Phase sync’d at all times while it’s on. If you scratch a deck, the sync button will be dimmed temporarily while its out of sync, but will be re-sync’d automatically when the deck is playing normally again.

In the Key Lock section you can choose what kind of Key Lock mode you want to use. Key Lock will fix the pitch of a song while letting you alter the tempo, so when you slow the song down it doesn’t sound like evil monsters and when you speed the song up it doesn’t sound like chipmunks. Key lock is the little yellow musical note inside of Traktor. The type of key lock you should use depends on if your using scratch control or not, and how powerful of a computer you have. If you have a slower processor you will want to use Eco Mode. If you have a fast processor you can use HiQ mode. If you’re using timecode CD, timecode vinyl, or even jog wheels to control Traktor, you will want to use Scratch Mode. If you are not using timecode control or jog wheels you will want to use Normal Mode. Scratch Mode will fix the pitch all the way to + 50% /- 35% while Normal Mode will fix the pitch all the way to -90% / + 100%.

The Loops – Auto detect size option will determine the length of time that a track is considered a loop. I have mine set to 48 seconds, so any track that is under 30 seconds is automatically considered a loop, and if I load it into a deck, the loop will be turned on automatically. This is great for if you want to play home made samples you’ve made with the sample decks in a deck in Traktor.

Minimum Play Time adjusts the time you need to play a track before it is marked as played. If a track is marked as played it will be added to the history section for this session and will be marked with a check mark, and it will also show up in the Archive for the session, and its play count will be raised.

Now lets talk about the Beat Counter. The Beat Counter will count how many phrases, bars and beats you’ve played for and can be displayed in the deck’s header. A Bar is 4 beats, and a Phrase is how many bars you determine with the Bars Per Phrase slider. I have mine set to 8 bars since most dance music is made in 8 bar phrases.

The Mouse Control section describes the behavior of the decks when you click and drag directly on the waveform view in a deck. These are the different mouse control modes:

In Vinyl Mode, Clicking the waveform will stop the track. It’s like putting your hand on a record on a turntable. Holding the mouse and dragging it back and forth works like scratching or spinning a record.

In Snap Mode, the Mouse arrow will always snap to the nearest beat or transient in the track, marked by white lines on the waveform. If you click and hold on the beat, it will play as long as the mouse button is held down. If you right click on the beat, the deck will play starting where you clicked.

The Cue Play button or CUP button will play a track starting at a temporary cue point and can behave in two different ways depending on the Cue Play (CUP) Mode.

Instant Mode will instantly start playing the track when you push Cue Play.

On Release Mode will start playback after releasing the Cue Play button.

In Traktor’s preferences there’s four sections of the preferences where you can make custom layouts, and fully customize different “screen sets” for how you DJ. The four sections to create and edit your layouts are Decks Layout, Decks, Mixer, Global Settings, Browser Details, and Layout Manager. Here is what each section of the preferences does in detail:

LAYOUT MANAGER

To create a layout in Traktor, you will go to the Layout Manager.

To create a new layout, click on the Add button, and then rename the layout by clicking the “Rename” button. You can reorganize the order of your layouts by clicking on the Move Up or Move Down buttons, and you can rename your layouts by clicking on the Rename button. Once you’ve created your layouts, you can click on the name of the layout and customize it using the Decks Layout, Decks, Mixer, Global Settings and Browser Details sections.

DECKS LAYOUT

The Deck Flavor is what kind of deck you will be using. For each Deck (A,B,C and D) you can choose it to be a track deck, sample deck or live input. A Track Deck is used to play whole songs, but can also play loops and any other audio files. A Sample Deck is made to play clips of audio shorter than 48 seconds and can play loops or one shots, and a Live input is used to route external audio sources into a deck in Traktor.

The Deck Layout section is where you change the deck size. For each Deck Size, different things are showing or hidden in the Deck. For example Micro view shows only the stripe (or waveform overview) and the play button. Essential view shows a larger waveform display and track overview but has minimal deck controls to make it easier on the eyes, and Advanced mode has all of the deck controls and Traktor’s Advanced Panel visible for quick access but takes up more screen real estate.

If you are in Advanced view, you can actually choose which Advanced Panel you see underneath the Decks.

Move panel gives you controls for BeatJump, and loop editing.

Cue panel gives you controls for triggering, editing, naming and deleting cue points

Grid panel gives you controls for editing Traktors beat grids.

If you want to show 4 Decks, you can check the option “Enable Deck C & D” and you will have 4 Decks showing.

If you want to see the Tempo Fader inside the Decks, check the “Tempo Fader” box for each Deck that you want the tempo fader shown.

In the Platter / Scope section you can choose if you want to see the Timecode Scope or Platter in the decks or not, or if you want to have them minimized. If you choose “Off”, the Platter isn’t showing. This is good if your not using any timecode control.
If you choose Minimized – The Platter / Scope isn’t showing but its easily accessible by clicking on the maximize arrow inside the decks. This is good for DJs who sometimes use timecode control, but not always.

Choosing Platter shows a sticker view of the deck. This is good for turntablists who use Relative Mode and use a sticker on their record to mark the location on the vinyl.

Scope shows a picture of the timecode scope (which is the same picture you would see in the timecode setup window of the preferences). This will give you a good visual reference of the signal coming into Traktor from your Turntable or CD player.

DECKS

In the Decks section, you can edit the info that’s displayed inside of Traktor’s decks, and choose how the decks are displayed. In the Deck Heading section you can edit what information you see at the top of the Deck.

Show Cover Art will show you the tracks album artwork in the decks

Show Phase Meter switches Traktor’s Phase Meter on or off – which is Traktor’s way of visually mixing

Permanently Show Sample Deck Indicators Switches the Sample Deck Indicator slots on or off, allowing you to see the Sample Deck’s Cue, Key Lock and FX Indicators.

Top / Middle / Bottom Row will let you choose what info is stored in the Decks Heading. The top row is the biggest so it’s best to put the most important information at the top.

In the Miscellaneous section, you can edit the appearance of the decks.

Grid Mode choose how bright the beat markers or transient markers are in the decks. Full will show bright beat markers. Dim will give you dimmed beat markers. Ticks will give you dots above where each beat marker is and invisible will only show you the wave form with no beat markers.

Full

Dim

Ticks

Invisible

Also in the Miscellaneous section, Show Minute Markers will add a marker in the stripe view of the Decks marking each minute of the track.

Track End Warning will make the entire Deck blink Red when there is a certain amount of time left in the track. You can set the time for the Track End Warning here.

Play Marker position is the red marker within the deck that will show you the current playback position within the track. At Zero, the Play Marker will be at the beginning of the deck. At 50 (which is the default) the Play Marker will be in the Middle. At 100, the Play Marker will be all the way to the right.

Stripe View Fit will switch the stripe view from the length of the timecode vinyl or cd to the length of the actual track that’s loaded.

Default Zoom will determine how far a deck is zoomed in or out when you launch Traktor.

Color Mode gives you different color options for the decks waveforms. The options are Infrared which is similar to the old Traktor Pro colors but more fiery, Spectrum which are multicolored waveforms that are color coded due to frequency, X-Ray which was the default Traktor S4 waveform look, and Spectrum which gives a blue waveform.

Spectrum

Infrared

X-Ray

Ultraviolet

MIXER

In the Mixer Section, you can customize what you see in Traktor’s mixer, and how the mixer sounds and behaves.

In the EQ Selection you can choose the EQ Type. Traktor has four built in internal mixer algorithms that you can choose from. The “Classic” mixer has a Classic 3 band EQ. The P600 is an Emulated Pioneer DJM 600. The Nuo4 is an Emulated Ecler Nuo4 mixer and the Xone is an Emulated 4 band Xone 92 mixer.

In the Filter section you can choose from two different filter types. The Ladder filter is very similar to the Pioneer DJM 800 filter, this filter is also used in the Traktor effects section.

The Xone filter is an emulated Xone 92 filter, which is also used as the Filter:92 in the effects section.

In the Crossfader section you can customize the crossfader and choose how long your auto crossfades will be in Cruise Mode. The Auto Crossfade Time slider adjusts the time it takes to auto crossfade between tracks in Cruise Mode and the Smooth / Sharp slider adjusts the crossfaders curve.

In the Level section you can control the Master Levels in Traktor. If you want each track to be the same volume when you play it, turn on Set Autogain When Loading Track. This will use Traktor’s autogain values to adjust the internal gain for you, so you don’t have to mess with the gains on your DJ mixer.

To Prevent clipping, you can turn on Enable Limiter. This is recommended for people who mix using Traktor’s internal mixer. If your using an External mixer, its best to turn this off and make sure your master levels stays out of the red for the best sound quality.

Another setting that will help you control your levels in Traktor is the Headroom setting. This will give you more digital headroom and will help prevent you from having to adjust the Master Level knob. If you are only mixing two tracks, -3db is usually acceptable. If you’re mixing four tracks or multiple samples, -9db is recommended.

In the Mixer Layout section you can choose what will be displayed in Traktor’s Mixer section.

EQ + Fader will show the EQ section and volume fader on Traktor’s mixer

Filter + Key + Cue + Gain + Balance will show all of these in the mixer section

Crossfader will show Traktor’s crossfader section, which allows you to adjust your monitor output, cue mix and assign the decks individually to the crossfader.

BROWSER DETAILS

In the Browser details section you can customize the Browser section of your layouts.

Show Preview Player will allow you to show Traktor’s Preview Deck, which is used to pre-listen to tracks before you play them out in Traktor.

Show Cover Art will display a cover art window in the lower left hand corner of the browser.

Show Playlist Favorites will display shortcuts to your favorite playlists, or folders on your computer.

Show Track Info will give you a zoomed in version of whatever track is highlighted in your browser and it will show you the artist and title of the song in bigger letters.

Show Status Bar / Error Messages will display the bar that shows error messages at the bottom of your browser.

Allow Inline Editing in List Window will allow you to edit track names, and info in the Browser section by double clicking and typing. Currently, this will only work in Traktor playlists, the Explorer and the Track Collection and will not work in the iTunes node.

The Font & Font Size menu will allow you to change the font in Traktor and also change the size of the font.

The List Row Height will let you create more space between tracks in the browser to make it easier to read.

GLOBAL SETTINGS

The Global Section is the section at the top of the screen, which gives you access to your Effects, Master Clock, Master Levels, Loop Recorder, Audio Recorder and more. In the Global Section part of the preferences you can choose which Panels to show in the upper left and upper right hand side corners of the screen. You can choose either Master Clock or Effect 1 for the left side and Audio Recorder of Effect 2 on the right side.

Fullscreen Resolution determines the zoom factor of Traktor’s Full Screen view. If you set it to Desktop, Traktor uses the native resolution of your computer at a 1:1 ratio. When using another view, Traktor appears zoomed in.

If you have Switch to Fullscreen on Startup selected, Traktor will fill your entire screen when you launch the application.

Tooltips are a great way to learn Traktor if your just getting started with the program. If you have “Show Tooltips” enabled, short descriptions will pop up when you hover your mouse over different sections in the program.

Deck Focus will let you decide what deck is the “Focus” deck either on the hardware or software. If Software is chosen, you can click on a deck’s header to make it the focus deck.

If Show Value when over control is checked, any knob that you hover over will show its value.

The Reset Hidden Dialogs button will reset all dialogs that have been hidden by clicking on the Don’t Show This Again checkbox.

EFFECTS

The Effects section is where you can customize Traktor’s effects panels and choose which effects will be available to you. Traktor has two different effects modes – Insert and Send Effects.

Insert FX is the most popular used mode since there are no extra cables needed. When the effect is in Insert Mode, it’s placed in the signal chain right before the channel filter, and you can control the dry wet amount with the dry wet knob.

Send Effects Mode requires you to use an extra input and output of your soundcard. It receives input from an external source and feeds it through your effects chain and out of another output of your soundcard.

In the Effects section, you can also choose if you want to use two or four effects units, providing you with even more options for creative effects chains and effects routing combinations.

If the Restore parameters when switching FX box is checked, each time you switch effects, it will change all of the parameters to whatever default value you set.

In the FX Panel Mode box, you can set each of your FX panels to be either a group effect of a single effect. Single mode gives you four knobs and four buttons to control only one effect. Group mode will give you 3 FX in each panel with one button and one knob to control each effect.

Group FX

Single FX

In the FX Pre-Selection window, you can choose which effects you want to have available to you, and remove effects that you don’t use very often. To add an effect to your arsenal, click on an effect from the available effects window and click “Add.” To remove an effect from your arsenal, click on an effect in the “Pre-Selected Effects” window and click “Remove.” If you’d like to re-order your effects, you can click on the effect you want to move, and then click the Up or Down buttons to move it up or down in the list.

MIX RECORDER

The Mix Recorder section is where you can choose how you are going to record your sets in Traktor and where they will be stored.

If you’re using an External DJ Mixer, you will want to choose an External source and then select your input. If your using the Audio 10, a good input to choose is the Input FX Send (EXT) so you can plug in your DJ Mixer to the Main inputs of the Audio 10.

If you’re using Traktor’s Internal Mixer you would choose the Internal option. This is good for users of the Traktor Kontrol S4 or Traktor Kontrol S2, or for people who DJ only using their mouse and keyboard.

In the File window you can choose the folder that your recorded sets are saved to. I like to set my folder to the Desktop. You can also choose a prefix for your recording so it adds a prefix to your file name.

The Split File at Size option is good if you want to split your recordings into CD length sizes. A typical CD can hold 700 MB of audio. If 700 MB is selected, Traktor will split the file at 700 MB. I like to select the maximum size of 2048 so my recordings aren’t split, so I can go back and split them myself manually afterwards.

LOOP RECORDER

The Loop Recorder section is where you can customize the behavior of the Loop recorder.

Record Latency will adjust the latency, or delay of the loop recorder when your using it in External Mode.

Overdubbing will adjust the percentage of time that it takes for recorded audio to fade out when you’re overdubbing.

FILE MANAGEMENT

The File Management section is where you can point to where your music and collection folders are, and choose how Traktor handles and manages newly imported files.

The Music Folders section is where you can point to different music folders on your hard drive. Be careful when choosing this option because if you choose Import Music Folders at Startup it will import all the music in the folders that you point to. You might not want ALL of your music in Traktor. I personally just point to only my new music folder.

If Determine track-time automatically (before analysis) is selected, Traktor will automatically determine the track time before analyzing it.

If Analyze new imported tracks is selected, any time you import a track either by automatic import, dragging it into a deck, or adding it to the track collection or Traktor playlist, Traktor will automatically import the track for you.

If Analyze new tracks when loading into deck is selected, Traktor will automatically analyze new tracks when you load them into a track deck. Be careful with analyzing tracks while your playing live because analyzation can raise the CPU load.

File Structure Mode will determine how your tracks are organized when you export a playlist. If you choose None, Traktor will simply copy your tracks to the folder you choose and won’t organize them into subfolders. If you choose Flat, files will be named in a 01 Artist – Title format during the exporting process. If you choose Artist, Traktor will separate the tracks your exporting into subfolders based on the artist name. The same goes for if you choose Label. You will have subfolders of tracks separated by Label.

In the BPM Detection window, you can choose your analyzation range. This means when Traktor analyzes new tracks, the BPM detection won’t detect any BPM outside of the range you choose, so I would recommend setting a BPM range that is 10 BPM slower (Min) and 10 BPM faster (Max) then what you would typically DJ at.

Set Beat-Grid when detecting BPM will automatically set a beat marker for you where it thinks the first beat of the song is. It will then place a series of evenly spaced white lines across your song where it thinks each beat is.

Store Beatmarker as hotcue will automatically place the beatmarker it set for you as a saved cue point in the cue panel. I like to have this turned off so it doesn’t take up the extra cue point slot.

The Directories tab is where you point Traktor to where your Traktor collection is stored and where your iTunes Music Library is stored. If iTunes is working correctly in Traktor, and you aren’t having any problems loading samples or having collection problems, don’t touch this section. If your iTunes library is missing in Traktor, point the iTunes Music Library to your “iTunes Music Library.xml” file located in Music / iTunes. To change any of the directory locations, just click on the “…!” button and then locate the file or folder.

CONTROLLER MANAGER

The Controller Manager is where you can Load, Edit, Save and manage your controller and keyboard mappings. Since the controller manager is such a deep topic, we will be covering this in other tutorials and also cover this in our online Digital DJing with Traktor online class.

In the Device Setup Window, the Device menu is used to select which device you want to view and edit. If you want to Import a mapping, you can click on the Add button. If you want to change the name or delete the mapping you can do so by clicking on the Edit button. Additionally you can choose the MIDI In-Port and Out-Port. By default the In-Port and Out-Port will be set to All Ports. You will want to change this manually to whatever corresponds to the controller your mapping.

The Assignment Table lists all the commands for whatever device you have selected in the Device menu.

The Device Mapping and Mapping Details section are where you can further edit each MIDI command.

I hope that by this point you will have configured Traktor to your own personal needs and learned a lot about how Traktor works under the hood. Enjoy you’re newly customized Traktor setup, and don’t forget to PLAY IT LOUD!

Mike Henderson aka DJ Endo is a DJ product specialist for Native Instruments and lives in New York City. Listen to his mixes on SoundCloud. Keep up with him on Twitter and Facebook.

The very first Dubspot Podcast of 2012 is here! This one is a ridiculously good live mix from record collector/vinyl archivist, writer, artist, one of the original kings of diggin’ Amir Abdullah. As part of the legendary crate digging duo Kon & Amir, he’s spent the better half of the last two decades salvaging some of the greatest music you’ve never heard, and presenting them on critically acclaimed mixes, compilation albums, and 12 inches. Originally from Boston, when he relocated to New York, he joined fellow record collectors and DJs including Ge-Ology, The Twilite Tone, OP!, Jon Oliver, and I Love Vinyl founder Scribe to form the all star, dynamic sound system behind the beloved I Love Vinyl parties. Bringing the music directly to the people. Listen to the podcast and check out our interview, in which Amir talked about everything from growing up in a musical household in Boston (he’s the son of a jazz record collector; his also mother played gospel and soul music, while his siblings listened to disco and boogie) to moving to to New York and joining the I Love Vinyl collective, touring Europe and Asia with his music partner Kon, appearing on the Gilles Peterson radio show, and much more.

Title – Dubspot Podcast 027: Amir (I Love Vinyl / Wax Poetics) – Live Boogie Mix by Dubspot

DUBSPOT INTERVIEWS DJ AMIR

Dubspot: Please introduce yourself.

Amir: My name is Amir Abdullah a.k.a. DJ Amir, originally from Boston, but I’ve been in New York for seventeen years. I grew up in a musical household. My father was a Jazz record collector, and my mother listened to gospel and soul. My siblings listened to jazz and disco. These are some of the things that influenced me to do what I do today, which is collecting records and DJing.

Dubspot: How long have you been collecting records, DJing, and working in the music industry?

Amir: I have been collecting records for for 30 years and DJing for 10. I worked in music industry as an executive for fifteen years. I’ve been able to see both sides of the music. So music is my life.

Dubspot: Let’s talk about the mix. You recorded this live, right?

Amir: Yeah, I did it live. I was at this party called I Love Vinyl. We have it in Brooklyn at Southpaw but we also sometimes have it in Manhattan Le Poisson Rouge. It was during CMJ yeah.

Dubspot: What made you focus on that specific sound?

Amir: I chose that particular mix of songs because, well, at every I Love Vinyl, I try to play different stuff. I try not to play the same stuff. So at that time, in October I believe, it was still warm in New York, so I was playing warm type of music. Since I was going first, I wanted to warm up the party with some soulful music and get people dancing. I played a lot of soulful boogie music. It still felt like summertime just the tail end of summer.

Dubspot: Tell us about I Love Vinyl.

Amir: It’s been going on for two and a half years. It’ll be three years in May this year. The concept was created by this guy DJ Scribe, He came to me and the other four DJs and said “Hey, I have the idea of doing this all vinyl party” and it just worked. I was a little hesitant at first because there are six of us, and I wondered how we were going to pull off a party with six people. Also, having to drag vinyl crates along was crazy since it’s heavy and can be worn down. But it just worked.

Dubspot: Before I Love Vinyl, what other parties were you playing?

Amir: I’ve played all kinds of parties. I’ve traveled overseas a lot. I’ve been to Asia four times to DJ, and I’ve been to Europe almost 30 times to DJ. I’ve DJed everything from festivals to small club venues, to big club venues. I play really deep disco and funk and soul and latin- music that is just timeless and it feels good even if you don’t know who it is.

Dubspot: How do you balance the push and pull of what the crowd wants when you play out versus what you want to play?

Amir: Well, I’ve been fortunate enough that I’ve not been in too many situations where I have to play something that I don’t want to play. For the most part, when I’m playing in a club I’m playing what I want to hear. I feel like I have a good feeling or a good intuition of what people like or what will make people move. Even if you don’t realize it, it gets you into a mood to dance and to have a good time. I’ve never really had to deal with people coming up to me like “Hey, can you play Lady Gaga?” I’ve had that happen to me before and I just politely say it’s not that type of party and I show them the flyer. It’s just soulful disco or whatever, usually people will understand but you know obviously sometimes you have people that just are not hearing that and they just want to hear what they hear on the radio and I have to say go home because you can hear that stuff for free on the radio. But I’ve been fortunate enough to not have to deal with that too much.

Dubspot: How do you introduce crowds to new types of music?

Amir: You try to mix it in with well-known records. You can’t just play a party with stuff the audience have never heard. You start with something familiar and then you slip in a song they’ve never heard, but it’s in the same kind of mood, the same kind of key, and it’s still danceable. Most people will respond to that. They’re going to respond to like the music that’s moving them. You see it in peoples faces like “I don’t know what this is” but their body is still moving. You when it’s bad when they’re looking up like what is this and they’ve stopped dancing.

Dubspot: Besides your traditional DJ setup, do you use anything else when playing out?

Amir: I use two turntables and a mixer. And if it’s not vinyl, then I’m using Serato. I’ve only recently started using Serato, and that’s pretty much it.

Dubspot: How do you think the concept of DJing has changed over the past 10 years?

Amir: Definitely with the introduction of Serato and the greater influence of CDJs, DJing has changed a great deal in the sense that technology provides you with more access to your collection of music to play out. You can be more well rounded without having to carry tons of crates of records to gigs. And you can play a lot of stuff that were never on vinyl at all. You can play a lot of remixes and edits that you can do yourself or that someone else has done that you know so that opens up a lot of things. But on the flip side of that, I think that because of the technology and it giving you a lot of easier access to music, you definitely a segment of the population who think it’s easy to DJ and a lot of us make it look easy but there’s a lot of hard work to it. It’s not an easy thing to do. It’s an actual job. And if you’re a serious DJ you take it seriously as a job that you go to 9 to 5 and you try to do the best that you can. I think with the advent of technology everybody and their mother think they can DJ now. And it wasn’t like that always. Ten years ago, there were still people that wanted to DJ but you had to have a lot of character to do the hard work of learning how to DJ because it wasn’t easy. There was at the least CDJs but when people were rocking CDJs, it still was something that only house DJs used and very few people were using it. Most people were still dragging their vinyl to gigs. It’s definitely changed. Sometimes technology can make things better but sometimes it can make things a little worse.

Dubspot: Where do you go to find records and what do you look for?

Amir: I look for it all. I look for new and old records, but at this point since I’ve been collecting for thirty years, and I definitely look for records for specific reasons, either records to DJ out or records to put on the next compilation. I look for jazz records that I don’t have that I can listen to at home to add to the collection. A lot of times I’m looking for records that I’ve never seen before and I’ve never heard of the artist or the label. It could be a genre of music I know nothing about, or could be music from Indonesia – funk beats from Indonesia or something like that. I always wanted to keep an open mind with music, and I don’t want to have a prejudice to any type of music.

Dubspot: What are some of your most treasured finds, recent records that you can’t get out of your head or can’t stop playing?

Well, there are a lot of those but I used to work at a record store called A1 Records, and there are just massive amounts of records in that store. Sometimes, I just can’t keep up. One day I was working there and there was a record just laying on the ground. It was not in a sleeve or in a jacket and a few people that were working there were so busy doing what they were doing that they were stepping on the record and I happened to pick the record up and it was one of the rarest disco 12” records out there! I cleaned it off, and it wasn’t too badly scratched so I bought it from the store for like a dollar because nobody there knew it so they were like you can have it. That was a gold find. I love that song and I always will. I wont play it out too much because I don’t want to ruin it or lose it so I have it as a file on my computer so I can play it out of Serato, but I’ll definitely have the original. But there’s so many records like that that I’ve gotten for free or close to being free just because not everyone is going to know everything about records. As much as you think you know about records, the more you learn about records the more you learn to know nothing. And that it’s just a continuous process- that you continue to learn.

Dubspot: Tell us about a record that you heard and didn’t like it the first time you heard it, something that grew on you?

Amir: Yeah, I go through that a lot. I might have bought a record like ten years ago and you listen to that record and you’re like “eh, I don’t like that record.” Then you listen to it now, and you’re like “wow, what was I thinking this track is incredible!” It’s all because what happens is your musical tastes mature. Like how you grow as an adult in life, and how some things that you didn’t like ten years ago “oh you know what it’s actually not that bad.” It’s the same thing in music, your music tastes change. You may have never been into disco, and you might be into disco now or vice versa. It’s all about your musical tastes changing and you evolving as a person, your music taste changes and evolves as well.

Dubspot: Are you surprised by any particular sound you’re into right now?

Amir: Yes, ten years ago I wasn’t really into Brazilian music, and I didn’t really care for it but over the past couple of years, I’ve really gotten into Brazilian music. I feel kind of bad because I got into it a little later than I should have been. I probably could have been playing Brazilian records back then but I didn’t really care because I was all into disco or breaks or hip hop or something else. That’s why you gotta be able to keep an open mind because you could be missing out on something really precious in music.

Dubspot: Any advice for up and coming DJs?

Amir: My partner Khan and I have been very blessed for the last fifteen years to do what we love and that’s to put out music whether it’s from a mixtape or an album or a compilation album, 12” edit or a remix 12”, touring the world, going on Giles Peterson’s radio show and touring with Giles Peterson. Things are great to me. It’s a blessing that I get to travel the world free, that’s an amazing thing and I would encourage people that are really into music whether it be production wise or DJing to really follow your passion because it can pay off in the long run. You just got to have the strength and the passion to follow through on them.

Like I said you have to look at it in the long term when you practice your craft and really take it seriously and try not to follow everybody else. Try to blaze your own trail so that you can find that niche for yourself or find a way for yourself to be successful. Being successful sometimes equals a lot of heartbreak. They’re a lot of times where you’re going to be tested and you might want to give up but you cant, you have to keep with it if it’s something you truly love. You got to have the strength and the character to get through these hard times. It is hard for everybody right now, but hard times bring out the most creative people and the creative juices in a lot of people to make great things that are culturally significant or add on to culture in a significant and positive way

Part 1 – Routine with “Slaughterhouse” by Joker

Click here to view the embedded video.

“This is a routine I put together for my recent appearance on the legendary Rinse FM (big shouts to DJ Wonder for having me on!).  It’s meant to show my softer side. Yes, you may know me for my manly feats of strength and untapped primal aggression on delicatessen waiting lines.  When you think Shiftee, you probably think of a brute force who opens jars, lifts heavy boxes, and attends the gym regularly (big shouts to my trainer Sergi for keeping me toned!).  But there’s more to me.  I take long walks on the beach.  I gaze wistfully at setting suns and old people.  I once watched a trailer for The Notebook and felt something deep inside (it was indigestion, but still).  Please watch the following video, and get to know the real me.” – Forever Yours, Shiftee

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DJ Extensive Program

Immerse yourself in the complete art of DJing from beatmatching to stage presence. Whether you’re a beginner in search of the fundamentals or a seasoned pro looking to take your talent to the next level, our curriculum is designed to accommodate all skill levels and styles of music. This comprehensive DJ program covers everything from basic mixing to advanced digital DJing. Learn more about our DJ courses and programs.

What’s Included:

• DJ Level 1: Rookie Sessions | Essentials I
• DJ Level 2: Phrase Mixing | Essentials II
• DJ Level 3: Beyond The Blend | Intermediate Skills
• DJ Level 4: Preparation | DJ Psychology
• DJ Level 5: Classroom to the Club | Advanced Techniques I
• DJ Level 6: Club to the World | Advanced Techniques II

“I love the class, and the content! Shiftee and Endo are very funny, and very clear, so the material is easy and fun to follow! I wish my college   teachers  were more like these two!” – Leandro Martinez, Chicago IL

Start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

Or if you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.