The ability to sync your Traktor track collection with your main Traktor computer via Dropbox is one of my favorite features in Traktor Pro 2.6.1, sharing track info including cue points, beatgrids and BPM/key information. This opens up the possibility of doing a lot of the prep work for a performance (beatgridding tracks, setting cue points, etc.) on the iPad’s inviting touchscreen and then syncing your work with your main computer before the gig. Head over here to read my full overview of Traktor DJ. – Endo

Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro

The definition of DJing has changed dramatically in the last decade. Laptops, controllers, and software have emerged alongside more traditional turntables and CDJs, smashing the barrier to entry. In today’s digital age, anyone can become a DJ. To reflect this renaissance, Dubspot has created the Digital DJing with Traktor program. In both our physical and online schools, students will learn how to DJ entirely with Traktor’s cutting-edge technology. An emphasis will be placed on the concepts of DJing rather than simply learning how to use the software.

What’s Included

• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 1: Introduction to DJing
• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 2: Phrase Mixing
• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 3: Beyond The Beatmatch

“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

More start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

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

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Dubspot’s Shiftee and his tiny friend Lil Shiftee break down the Traktor Kontrol Z2 performance routine for Native Instruments and take us through the features of the Z2 mixer and some of the functions that were used in his routine. Shiftee offers an overview of the Z2 mixer including the MIDI control features which offers intuitive and tactile surfaces where he can trigger samples in the the Remix Decks, hit cue points, and access effects comfortably. Big Shiftee is also using Maschine to control the same Remix Decks and cue points set up on the Z2.

Big Shiftee is a generous man. He’s made his Maschine MKII mapping available for free download on Facebook.

We sat down with Shiftee for a chat on his process in putting together the routine and how he used the Z2 mixer and Maschine.

So, how did you approach this new routine?

What are your favorite functions of the Z2 mixer?

In the video, it seems like you are hitting pads which trigger samples via Maschine while filtering with a knob on the mixer, can you tell us how you have mapped the mixer? Maschine?

For the Maschine, I custom mapped two main layouts for different sections of the routine. Sometimes I’m controlling samples, sometimes cue points, and sometimes both at the same damn time. Shout out to Future. I just used the default mapping for the mixer. In the part you’re describing, I’m actually using one of Traktor’s new Macro FX (“Event Horizon”) to achieve a robust alteration of the sound via a single knob. Meanwhile, I’m triggering cue points AND samples with my left hand via one of my custom mappings.  The color coding options on the new Maschine are very helpful.

Do you plan on incorporating the Z2 in your solo sets as well as Mostly Robot?

Any new projects you want to tell us about?

I just had a single and mix come out with Badman Shark on Slit Jockey Records.  The single is “EKG Riddim” and the mix is called Time To Die. Evil grime vibes. Then I have a collab EP dropping in January with Rx on the most patriotic label in the universe Hot Mom USA. Meanwhile remixes coming soon for Seclusiasis and Chaungo Records. Also be on the lookout for Vol. 2 of my mixtape project with Elijah (Butterz) called UK Meets USA (listen to Vol. 1 here), which we will be touring in 2013.  All about that GRIME.

What were your top 3 favorite shows you played this year?

Being in a band is way different than doing solo gigs.  People are counting on you, and seemingly simple things like soundcheck become way more involved.  I also learned a lot about Justin Bieber from watching the movie Never Say Never on one of my many flights.

At the end, I’m using 100% samples. The Z2 and the Maschine are controlling the same sounds, but on Maschine I can change the playback mode between “latch” and “gate” via my custom mapping. My left hand is playing drum samples while my right hand plays musical notes. Plus, it looks cooler to move back and forth. Plus plus, I need exercise.

Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro

The definition of DJing has changed dramatically in the last decade. Laptops, controllers, and software have emerged alongside more traditional turntables and CDJs, smashing the barrier to entry. In today’s digital age, anyone can become a DJ. To reflect this renaissance, Dubspot has created the Digital DJing with Traktor program. In both our physical and online schools, students will learn how to DJ entirely with Traktor’s cutting-edge technology. An emphasis will be placed on the concepts of DJing rather than simply learning how to use the software.

What’s Included

• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 1: Introduction to DJing
• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 2: Phrase Mixing
• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 3: Beyond The Beatmatch

“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

More start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

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

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In this video series, legendary hip hop producer and music icon Prince Paul is joined by his son and music partner DJ Pforreal to address the important issue of new school vs. old school. The duo address important  topics such as the increasing loudness in sound recordings and call for producers and engineers to please turn it down – more dynamics! They also talk about beatboxing (from the original Human Beat Boxer Doug E. Fresh and the The Diabolical Biz Markie to Rzhzel the Godfather of Noyze), counting BPMs, pick-up lines, basketball, and choosing the right glasses to complement your style and personality.

This is the sixth video in an ongoing series created to accompany the release of Prince Paul and DJ Pforreal’s Negroes on Ice album, currently available online and in stores.

Prince Paul (Paul Huston) is a legend in the world of hip hop who was originally part of the early 80s rap outfit Stetsasonic and later went on to create the iconic sounds of early De La Soul albums, the Gravediggaz project (with RZA), Handsome Boy Modeling School (with Dan the Automator), as well as a series of solo albums. As a collaborative guru for music production, Paul has worked with great musicians from almost every genre including Alec Empire, Linkin Park, Faith No More’s Mike Patton, Living Colour’s Vernon Reid, and Parliament keyboardist Bernie Worrell (to name just a few). Prince Paul’s calling card on almost all his productions is an intelligent (yet sometimes silly) sense of humor that sits right behind the boom-bap beats that have made his music so popular.

Paul’s most recent collaborator is none other than his son, DJ Pforreal, a young performer who has obviously inherited his father’s sense of humor as well as a knack for beat creation and lyrical delivery. Their initial project together, Negroes on Ice, is a comedy / music album that blends music and storytelling into a “hilarious, head-nodding listening experience.” In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Prince Paul explains that much of the album comes from stories that his son would tell him when he was a child. “He would come up with these outrageous things that I knew (weren’t) true, but I couldn’t get mad at him because they were just so dumb. And I knew he was lying, but he would just go on and on about it to where it would start to become entertaining.” When asked about the format of combining music and comedy together, Paul explained further. “If you’ve ever watched Adult Swim, it’s very bizarre and antic and makes you scratch your head, like, ‘What is this silly thing?’ But this is actually put into a story.”

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I’m impressed with how Native Instruments have adapted Traktor’s design to take advantage of the touchscreen interface of the iPad, and they’ve also added in some new features that even go beyond what Traktor Pro can do on Mac OS/Windows. The best example of this is how the whole interface has been designed around the two parallel waveform displays, allowing you to control playback by directly touching the waveforms on the screen! This is a more useful approach than the typical “spinning platter”-style interface offered by many other iOS DJ apps, and controlling the tracks directly on the screen gives a much different feeling than DJing on a laptop and controlling your tracks with keyboard commands or a MIDI controller. Head over here to read my full overview of Traktor DJ. – Endo

Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro

The definition of DJing has changed dramatically in the last decade. Laptops, controllers, and software have emerged alongside more traditional turntables and CDJs, smashing the barrier to entry. In today’s digital age, anyone can become a DJ. To reflect this renaissance, Dubspot has created the Digital DJing with Traktor program. In both our physical and online schools, students will learn how to DJ entirely with Traktor’s cutting-edge technology. An emphasis will be placed on the concepts of DJing rather than simply learning how to use the software.

What’s Included

• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 1: Introduction to DJing
• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 2: Phrase Mixing
• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 3: Beyond The Beatmatch

“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

More start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

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

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I’m impressed with how Native Instruments have adapted Traktor’s design to take advantage of the touchscreen interface of the iPad, and they’ve also added in some new features that even go beyond what Traktor Pro can do on Mac OS/Windows.  The best example of this is how the whole interface has been designed around the two parallel waveform displays, allowing you to control playback by directly touching the waveforms on the screen! This is a more useful approach than the typical “spinning platter”-style interface offered by many other iOS DJ apps, and controlling the tracks directly on the screen gives a much different feeling than DJing on a laptop and controlling your tracks with keyboard commands or a MIDI controller. Head over here to read my full overview of Traktor DJ. – Endo

Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro

The definition of DJing has changed dramatically in the last decade. Laptops, controllers, and software have emerged alongside more traditional turntables and CDJs, smashing the barrier to entry. In today’s digital age, anyone can become a DJ. To reflect this renaissance, Dubspot has created the Digital DJing with Traktor program. In both our physical and online schools, students will learn how to DJ entirely with Traktor’s cutting-edge technology. An emphasis will be placed on the concepts of DJing rather than simply learning how to use the software.

What’s Included

• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 1: Introduction to DJing
• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 2: Phrase Mixing
• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 3: Beyond The Beatmatch

“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

More start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

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

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In this video, Dubspot students talk about their experiences participating in our 3-month intensive Ableton Live Producer Certificate Program in which students learn how to create, record, produce, and perform music using Ableton Live. The students discuss their individual background, how they discovered Dubspot and what they’ve learned from our talented and versatile instructors DJ Kiva, Jon Margulies, and Adam Partridge.

This program is about learning Ableton Live by going through the entire process of being an artist, by developing your own sound through a series of sketches and experimentation. You will also learn the ins and outs of this powerful software through a series of exercises designed to help you master the steps involved in producing your own music. After a level of getting familiar with the tools that Ableton has to offer, you will then develop your sonic ideas into full length songs – one per level. You will be exposed to a variety of approaches to arrangement and composition, storytelling techniques, ways of creating tension and drama in your music. At the end of the day, it is the sum total of your choices as an artist that define your sound, and levels 2 – 6 will give you the experience of actually completing tracks to add to your portfolio.

Our music production program is custom-tailored to fit your musical style. You can choose from several Digital Audio Workstations including Ableton Live, Logic Pro, or Propellerhead’s Reason.

After completing this program, you will leave with 4 completed tracks (EP), a remix entered in an active contest, a scored commercial to widen your scope, and the Dubspot Producer’s Certificate in Ableton Live.

What’s Included:

• Ableton Live Level 1: Shake Hands with Live
• Ableton Live Level 2: Completing Your First Track
• Ableton Live Level 3: Production Essentials
• Ableton Live Level 4: Sound Design & Instrumentation
• Ableton Live Level 5: Advanced Composition & Production
• Ableton Live Level 6: Taking Your EP Global

“So far the experience through Dubspot is incredible, and I can’t wait to go through the next levels. It’s just getting better each week, and I can not wait to start putting an EP together, not just being able to put a successful track together!” - Dan Carter, United Kingdom

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.

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International Record Store Day 2013

The internet can be a great tool for discovering new music, but there’s definitely something missing from the experience. Having face to face discussions with a record store clerk, an artist stopping by to drop off flyers, or the other shoppers browsing creates a stronger bond and a more fulfilling connection to your city’s music scene.

Luckily, there are people fighting to keep record shops alive and well, and this weekend they hope to capture the attention of an increasingly distracted public. International Record Store Day – which falls this year on Saturday, April 20th – has been celebrating the musical hub that is the record shop since 2008 with a celebration that extends around the world.

With a series of in-store events and exclusive releases, International Record Store Day aims to bring people out into the real world to meet one another. Special limited-edition releases are the biggest draw for collectors – this year, there are over 350 RSD releases, compared to 10 at the first event in 2008. (Coincidentally, vinyl sales are at their highest point since 1997.)

[The xx - "Sunset (Jamie xx Edit)" RSD Vinyl Exclusive]

Record Store Day special releases are mostly kept secret, creating a need to hit your local shop to see what you might discover. The special releases come from a broad range of artists, from GIl Scott Heron and The Doors to The Cure and Fela Kuti. There’s even a special GZA Liquid Swords Chess Box release.
[Evian Christ "DUGA-3" RSD Vinyl Exclusive]

Last Shop Standing

Last Shop Standing is a new documentary celebrating UK record shops that will be available on DVD this Saturday. It’s also being screened at participating Record Store Day locations internationally.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Below are some highlights from the releases that will be available on April 20 at selected shops around the world. For a full list of releases available and the shops participating, head over to the Record Store Day website for details.

• Olafur Arnalds For Now I Am Winter 12″ Vinyl (DeutscheGrammaphone) 1,100 US copies
• Bonobo The North Borders 10″ Vinyl Box Set (Ninja Tune)
• Brian Eno Brian Eno x Nicolas Jaar x Grizzly Bear 12″ Vinyl (Warp)
• Evian Christ DUGA-3 12″ Vinyl (Tri Angle)
• CSC Funk Band Funkincense 12″ Vinyl (Electric Cowbell Records)
• Cut Copy Bright Like Neon Love 12″ Vinyl (Modular)
• Foals Holy Fire 12″ Vinyl (Warner Bros.)
• King Midas Sound Aroo 12″ Vinyl (Ninja Tune)
• Moby & Mark Lanegan The Lonely Night featuring a Photek remix 7″ Vinyl (Mute)
• Ninja Tune & If Music If 12″ Vinyl (Ninja Tune)
• Sigur Ros Agaetis Byrjun 12″ Vinyl (PIAS)
• Various Artists – Black Gold Vinyl (Tru Thoughts)
• Various Artists – 50 Weapons meets Monkeytown Records 12 12″ Vinyl (Monkeytown)
• The xx Jamie xx Edits 12″ Vinyl (XL Recordings)

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In the first episode of On Tour, Dubspot instructor, DJ, and producer Abe Duque takes us on a trip to one of the most unique electronic dance music festivals in the world: KaZantip Republic. KaZantip takes place in Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula 5-6 weeks in the summer with more than 150,000 people (or “paradiZers”) attending each year. Abe Duque took a camera along for the trip to capture the sights, sounds, experiences, and people he encountered along the way. He also offers some great advice for traveling, sound-checking and preparing for your set or performance.

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In this Dubspot original series, legendary hip hop producer and music icon Prince Paul is joined by his son and music partner DJ Pforreal to compare new school vs. old school perspectives. In this episode, father-son duo tackle topics such as rap voices (from Melle Mel to Lil’ Wayne), DJ techniques (cue points vs vinyl markers), cold hard cash versus credit cards, the use of gating (digital vs analog), and handshakes!

This is the fifth video in an ongoing series created to accompany the release of Prince Paul and DJ Pforreal’s Negroes on Ice album, currently available online and in stores.

Prince Paul (Paul Huston) is a legend in the world of hip hop who was originally part of the early 80s rap outfit Stetsasonic and later went on to create the iconic sounds of early De La Soul albums, the Gravediggaz project (with RZA), Handsome Boy Modeling School (with Dan the Automator), as well as a series of solo albums. As a collaborative guru for music production, Paul has worked with great musicians from almost every genre including Alec Empire, Linkin Park, Faith No More’s Mike Patton, Living Colour’s Vernon Reid, and Parliament keyboardist Bernie Worrell (to name just a few). Prince Paul’s calling card on almost all his productions is an intelligent (yet sometimes silly) sense of humor that sits right behind the boom-bap beats that have made his music so popular.

Paul’s most recent collaborator is none other than his son, DJ Pforreal, a young performer who has obviously inherited his father’s sense of humor as well as a knack for beat creation and lyrical delivery. Their initial project together, Negroes on Ice, is a comedy / music album that blends music and storytelling into a “hilarious, head-nodding listening experience.” In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Prince Paul explains that much of the album comes from stories that his son would tell him when he was a child. “He would come up with these outrageous things that I knew (weren’t) true, but I couldn’t get mad at him because they were just so dumb. And I knew he was lying, but he would just go on and on about it to where it would start to become entertaining.” When asked about the format of combining music and comedy together, Paul explained further. “If you’ve ever watched Adult Swim, it’s very bizarre and antic and makes you scratch your head, like, ‘What is this silly thing?’ But this is actually put into a story.”

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For more on Traktor DJ, check out DJ Endo’s Traktor for iPad overview in which he offer a deeper look at some of the key new features.

The new Native Instruments iPad app has now been released as Traktor DJ. It’s compatible with iPad 2 and above (it requires iOS 6), and it brings the full functionality of Traktor Pro to the iPad, minus a few things like external MIDI controller support or the ability to mix on four decks simultaneously (Traktor DJ for iPad only gives you two). NI have now followed up that initial photo of Hawtin with this promo video showing his first day using Traktor DJ for iPad… (more)

Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Program

The definition of DJing has changed dramatically in the last decade. Laptops, controllers, and software have emerged alongside more traditional turntables and CDJ’s, smashing the barrier to entry. In today’s digital age, anyone can become a DJ. To reflect this renaissance, Dubspot has created the Digital DJing with Traktor program. In both our physical and online schools, students will learn how to DJ entirely with Traktor’s cutting-edge technology. An emphasis will be placed on the concepts of DJing rather than simply learning how to use the software.

Register today! Online classes start the week of April 7, 2013

What’s Included

• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 1: Introduction to DJing
• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 2: Phrase Mixing
• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 3: Beyond The Beatmatch

Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Program

The week of April 7, 2013  ONLINE
The week of June 2, 2013 ONLINE
The week of August 4, 2013 ONLINE

“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

More start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

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

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As one of the central figures in the early days of dubstep, Hatcha has played a pivotal role in popularizing this sound from his position at the influential Big Apple Records record shop in Croydon, England, where he pushed vinyl into the hands of heavyweights such as Skream, Plastician, Digital Myztikz and others.  Also one of the initial dubstep residents on Rinse FM, Hatcha is one of those most responsible for the rise of dubstep – and actually coined the phrase ‘Dubstep’…  He now spins regularly on Kiss FM alongside Crazy D.

In our interview with the seminal UK DJ, Hatcha discusses the emergence of this sound sound and how he was able to contribute to its evolution over the years.  Hatcha sees himself as a DJ among producers and has set himself apart by selecting only the tracks that he deemed best and tirelessly learning his instruments. Hatcha stresses the importance of determination and drive while constantly improving your skills.  Embracing the many faces of dubstep, Hatcha has made his reputation as an ambassador for the genre in all of its forms.

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Dubspot instructor and Ableton Certified Trainer Michael Hatsis a.k.a. !banginclude finally returns with a follow up to his previous tutorial video explaining some essential warping tips and techniques in Ableton Live 9. In part one, Hatsis used a standard house track with a 4/4 drum pattern to explain how to set Live’s Warp preferences and determine track tempos. Here in part two, he delves further into more creative tips for warping: using a track with slightly more complex arrangement from Dubspot student Entransik, he shows you how to warp a song that starts with a sound other than a drum beat.

Michael Hatsis is a Brooklyn based electronic music producer, Ableton Live Trainer, and Dubspot instructor.

Music Production w/ Ableton Live

NYC COURSES
Morning Classes: March 11, 2013; Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri, 10:15-1pm
Evening Classes: March 19, 2013; Tuesdays and Thursdays, Fri 6:15pm-9pm
Weekend Classes: March 16, 2013; Saturdays, 12:00-6pm

ONLINE COURSES in session with seats still available. Register today!

From the studio to the stage, learn to use Ableton Live to create, record, produce, and perform your music. Learn about linear and improvisational styles of producing electronic music as we help you master the software’s innovative interface.

After completing this program, you will leave with four completed tracks (an EP), a remix entered in an active contest, a scored commercial to widen your scope, and the Dubspot Producer’s Certificate in Ableton Live.

What’s Included:

• Ableton Live Level 1: Shake Hands with Live
• Ableton Live Level 2: Completing Your First Track
• Ableton Live Level 3: Production Essentials
• Ableton Live Level 4: Sound Design & Instrumentation
• Ableton Live Level 5: Advanced Composition & Production
• Ableton Live Level 6: Taking Your EP Global

“So far the experience through Dubspot is incredible, and I can’t wait to go through the next levels. It’s just getting better each week, and I can not wait to start putting an EP together, not just being able to put a successful track together!” - Dan Carter, United Kingdom

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.

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In the first installment of Tricktakular: Trick Mixing, DJ Spictakular explains and demonstrates the DJing technique commonly referred to as “Double Ups.” He also offers tips and tricks for hand placement and ways that you can utilize the double up technique as a live performance or mixing effect.

Dubspot’s DJ Spictakular is an original member of the Allies Crew, comprised of A-Trak, J-Smoke, Craze, Clever, Infamous and Develop. Spictakular made a name for himself as a DJ with a charismatic stage presence, well-composed routines and precise technical control.

His routines emphasize multiple aspects of DJ performance including beat juggling, scratching, body tricks and mixing. He has won numerous individual battle titles over the course of his career, including being the Philadelphia Regional DMC Champion as well as the runner-up in the US DMC Finals (both in 1999). Additionally, when he was a part of the Allies, they were the 1999 ITF World Team Champions. The Allies have won over 14 world championships together, more than any other DJ crew in the world. Spictakular has also appeared with the Allies on Fox, NBC, CNN, MTV, VH1 and BET.

Today, Spictakular stays busy teaching the art of DJing here at Dubspot. He’s also a busy producer, with credits including tracks with Lil Wayne, D-Block and Immortal Technique.

DJ Extensive Program

Immerse yourself in the complete art of DJing: from the fundamentals of beatmatching and mixing to using effects and programming extended club sets. Whether you’re a beginner wanting to learn 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 with both Serato and Traktor.

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

Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro

The definition of DJing has changed dramatically in the last decade. Laptops, controllers, and software have emerged alongside more traditional turntables and CDJ’s, smashing the barrier to entry. In today’s digital age, anyone can become a DJ. To reflect this renaissance, Dubspot has created the Digital DJing with Traktor program. In both our physical and online schools, students will learn how to DJ entirely with Traktor’s cutting-edge technology. An emphasis will be placed on the concepts of DJing rather than simply learning how to use the software.

What’s Included

• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 1: Introduction to DJing
• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 2: Phrase Mixing
• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 3: Beyond The Beatmatch

“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

More start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

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

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For digital DJs using Traktor Pro, there are a variety of way to sync two instances of Traktor together. In the first two parts of this tutorial series, Dubspot’s DJ Endo explained how to sync the Master Clocks in two copies of Traktor manually or with a MIDI cable, without using a network connection between the two computers. Now in part three we’ll look at how to set up automatic sync for two copies of Traktor running on Mac OS X and connecting via some kind of network: either Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or by using a computer-to-computer wireless connection.

Sync Two Instances of Traktor Over A Network

One question I frequently get asked in my work as a Native Instruments DJ product specialist is, “How can I sync my Traktor setup with another copy of Traktor?” While in the first two parts of this tutorial series we’ve looked at how to sync two Traktor systems manually or via a MIDI cable, now we’re going to learn how to sync two Macs together over a network connection.

I have helped a lot of DJs get this working but one of the most memorable moments for me came while helping Dubfire and Richie Hawtin set up multiple copies of Traktor synced together when they were prepping for a duo DJ gig at the Exit Festival in Serbia in 2009. We set the computers up at Richie’s studio in Berlin earlier that same day and networked them, trying to get them synced together, and ended up listening to trainwrecking metronomes for quite awhile before we got it right.

Once we did get everything working correctly, we left the computers on all the way from Berlin to Serbia, and when we got there Richie and Dubfire ended up playing an epic set on three DJ mixers and four Macs all perfectly in sync in front of 50,000 people! This is also the story of how they started using “Click-2-Click” as a name when they perform together.

This was especially memorable for me because they started their set with their metronomes completely out of sync, and then Richie hit the sync button on his copy of Traktor and the computers ‘magically’ synced to each other over the network while the crowd was listening…and it was all caught on video too! (Notice how you can see me in the background nearly having a heart attack hoping it works correctly!)

By following the steps in this tutorial, you’ll be able to sync two (or more) Mac-based Traktor systems together over any kind of connection. You can use wired Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or a computer-to-computer wireless connection. In all of these cases, the process is similar: first you need to establish the connection between the two Macs, and then once that’s working, the rest of the steps to sync the two copies of Traktor together are the same.

(Also, even though we are talking about Traktor here, just be aware that the same concept works if you want to sync together any music software that supports MIDI sync, including Ableton Live or Maschine for example.)

Establishing The Connection

So first we need to get your two Macs connected. There are three main ways you can do it:

Syncing over Ethernet: This is the simplest way to connect two Macs, and also gives the stablest sync. First just connect an Ethernet cable from the first computer (the tempo master) to the Ethernet port on the second computer (the tempo slave). Make sure Wi-Fi is turned off on both computers and that the Ethernet cable is plugged in tightly. (If you want to connect more than two computers over Ethernet, you can also use an Ethernet hub and plug an Ethernet cable from each computer into the Hub.)

Syncing over Wi-Fi: This method will work well if both computers are on a stable wireless network connection. However a lot of performance venues may have locked Wi-Fi networks that you can’t access, or no Wi-Fi at all. With that said though, if you want to sync two copies of Traktor over Wi-Fi, first just join the same Wi-Fi network

Syncing via a direct computer-to-computer wireless network connection: While Ethernet might be the most stable way to send MIDI between computers and Wi-Fi is also an option, let’s say you’re playing a party in the middle of the jungle, you don’t have an Ethernet cable, and there is no Wi-Fi either. (Not an uncommon situation in the underground music scene anyway right?) Don’t worry, you can still sync two Macs together by creating a computer-to-computer wireless connection. I’ve had good success with this method myself, it seems to work just as well as sending MIDI over Wi-Fi or Ethernet.

In order to set this up on your Mac, first you need to create a computer-to-computer network on one of the computers by clicking on the Airport icon towards the right-hand side of the menu bar at top, choose Create Network and then name your network:

Your Airport icon (in the top-right part of the menu bar) should now look like this:

Then on the second computer, you should be able to go under the Airport icon and find the new network as a choice to connect to (just look for the name you just created). Click to connect and then you’re ready to continue.

Getting Connected

Now follow these steps to establish a network MIDI connection between your two Macs.

1) On the computer that is going to be the tempo master, go to Applications > Utilities and open the Audio MIDI Setup utility:

When this is opened, go to the top menu and choose Window > Show MIDI Window:

2) In the MIDI Window here, double click on the Network icon to open the MIDI Network Setup window.

3) In the MIDI Network Setup window, you want to make a new MIDI Network by going to the My Sessions window and clicking on the + button. For easy reference, name the session “MIDI Clock” by clicking where it says “Session 1” and typing “MIDI Clock”. Make sure the checkbox for the session is checked (in the box at top left), and also make sure that the checkbox for Enabled is checked as well (towards the top right). Then at the bottom where it says “Who may connect to me” choose “Anyone.”

4) Now do the same thing on the computer that will be the tempo slave. Open the Audio MIDI Setup utility under Applications > Utilities, and then choose Window > Show MIDI Window.

5) Make a new MIDI network session on this computer as well by clicking on the + button and then renaming your session “MIDI Clock.” Make sure the checkbox is checked at top right and that the checkbox for “Enabled” is on at top left, and at the bottom where it says “Who may connect to me” choose “Anyone.”

6) Once you’ve made the sessions and enabled them on both computers, you should see each other’s computers in the Directory window. Now you can connect by clicking on the name of the other person’s computer and then clicking Connect. The other computer’s name should now show up in your Participants window. Do this on both computers so each can see the other in the Participants list.

Now the two computers are able to send MIDI to each other!

Note that it’s important not to close this window during your performance or recording session. I recommend that you keep the MIDI Window in the Audio MIDI Setup application open on both computers throughout your entire DJ set, otherwise the connection might be lost.

Sending MIDI Between Two Copies of Traktor

1) To start sending MIDI from one Traktor system to another, you need to enable Traktor to send MIDI clock: go to Preferences > MIDI Clock and turn on (check) the option Send MIDI Clock.

2) Now to actually send the MIDI clock signal out of Traktor, we need to create a new MIDI device in Traktor. We can do this by going to Preferences > Controller Manager. To make a new device click the Add button under the device drop-down window, then choose Generic MIDI as shown in the image.

3) Now rename this device by clicking Edit > Edit Comment. For simplicity’s sake let’s rename the device “MIDI Clock.”

4) Next you need to choose what port to send the MIDI out through. Choose the device you created and named “MIDI Clock” as the Out-Port. Set the In-Port to None so you’re not receiving MIDI from anything else.

5) The next thing you need to do is go to each mapping in the Device drop-down menu and make sure none of your mappings are set to All Ports. Assign each mapping to that specific device it is supposed to work with. For example, if you’re using a mapping for your Maschine controller, set the In-Port to “Maschine” and the Out-Port to “Maschine.” The reason you need to do this is so that Traktor is not sending MIDI clock out of more than one device. This could cause the BPM value to be incorrectly doubled on the slave computer.

6) Now let’s go to the other computer, the tempo slave, and set Traktor up to receive the MIDI clock. On the slave computer, go to the Traktor Preferences > Controller Manager tab; now you need to make a new MIDI device to RECEIVE MIDI. You can do this by clicking on Add under the Device drop-down menu and choosing Generic MIDI.

7) Now name this new device by clicking Edit > Edit Comment. Once again for this example let’s name the device “MIDI Clock.”

8) Now set the In-Port and Out-Port for the new device. Since this is the slave computer, you’re going to be RECEIVING MIDI clock, so set your In-Port to the MIDI input of the interface or controller you’re using. As you see, in my case this is the Audio 8 DJ.

9) Now that you’ve established a MIDI connection from the tempo master computer to the tempo slave computer, you can start sending the MIDI clock signal from one to the other. To start sending MIDI clock, you need to click an option on Traktor’s Master Clock at the top left-hand corner of your screen. If you don’t see the Master Clock, you need to turn on the Global Section in Traktor by going to Preferences > Global Settings and check Show Global Section.

10) Now, to start sending clock out of the tempo master computer, go to the Master Clock section of Traktor and turn on the Play button under where it says Send (see image). Also make sure Auto is turned OFF since you’re going to be using the Master Clock to set the tempo and not a deck.

11) Now on the tempo slave computer, go to the Master Clock section and turn on the EXT button at left under Options. This tells Traktor to sync to an external (incoming) MIDI clock signal.

12) When you’re ready to sync up, push the Sync button in the Master Clock section of the MASTER computer. You should now see the BPM indicator in the Master Clock of the tempo slave computer start moving and sync up with the tempo master.

13) This will get your two computers to sync to the same tempo, but to get both computers PERFECTLY in sync there is one more part to this process. There is usually a little latency or time lag in this process of sending MIDI clock, so you need to turn the metronome on in both copies of Traktor and beatmatch the metronomes using the MIDI Clock Sending Offset bar in Traktor.

To do this, go to Traktor’s Master Clock section and turn on the “Tick” for both computers.

14) Then make sure that Traktor’s mixer section is showing on both computers: go to Preferences > Mixer and turn on the Filter, Key, Gain, Cue, Balance checkbox.

15) Now turn on the headphone button on Traktor’s mixer for one of the decks on each computer; this will send the metronome sound out of that channel.

For example, if I turn on the headphone button for Deck A, the metronome will play through whatever output I have set for Deck A. Do this on both computers so you can hear both metronomes together. Most likely the metronomes will be playing out of time with each other and you will hear a ‘flamming’ sound.

16) Now on the tempo master computer, go to the Traktor Preferences and click on the MIDI Clock tab. In the MIDI Clock tab, there is a slider that adjusts the Sending Offset.

You need to slide this back and forth until you can hear that both metronomes are ticking in sync. If it sounds like the two computers are completely out of sync, you might need to go back to step 12 of this tutorial and hit sync on the tempo master computer’s Master Clock to get everything back together. Then adjust the Sending Offset further until you find the right number that will keep the metronomes in sync without flamming.

Now that both of your computers are in sync, you’re ready to go. Just start playing tracks and everything should sync up automatically (as long as you’ve beatgridded your tracks correctly of course!).

If it sounds like the two computers are drifting out of sync during a performance, you can always go back to step 12 and click the sync button in the Master Clock on the tempo master computer. Also if a particular track you play sounds a bit out of sync, you might need to use the pitch bend buttons on Traktor’s decks to adjust the phase of that track so it matches your DJ partner.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. For more tutorials visit our blog homepage or our YouTube channel. For more info about me, check out www.djendo.com. Happy mixing. Peace! - Mike Henderson a.k.a. DJ Endo

Related Dubspot Courses:

DJ Extensive Program

Immerse yourself in the complete art of DJing: from the fundamentals of beatmatching and mixing to using effects and programming extended club sets. Whether you’re a beginner wanting to learn 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 with both Serato and Traktor.

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

Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro

The definition of DJing has changed dramatically in the last decade. Laptops, controllers, and software have emerged alongside more traditional turntables and CDJ’s, smashing the barrier to entry. In today’s digital age, anyone can become a DJ. To reflect this renaissance, Dubspot has created the Digital DJing with Traktor program. In both our physical and online schools, students will learn how to DJ entirely with Traktor’s cutting-edge technology. An emphasis will be placed on the concepts of DJing rather than simply learning how to use the software.

What’s Included

• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 1: Introduction to DJing
• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 2: Phrase Mixing
• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 3: Beyond The Beatmatch

“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.

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

http://blog.dubspot.com/files/2013/02/Endo_Traktor_Sync_3.jpg

A 2×4 DJ setup (two DJs, four decks) can be a lot of fun! You can mix tracks in and out more quickly, you can layer sounds or loops over the other DJ’s tracks, or even get a bunch of simultaneous layers going for a frenzy of sound. But to keep everything from falling into cacophony, you’ll need to keep everything synced together so there are no trainwrecks when you begin to mix.

For digital DJs using Traktor Pro, there are a variety of ways to sync your two computers together. In the first part of this tutorial series, Dubspot’s DJ Endo explained how to sync the Master Clocks in two copies of Traktor manually by adjusting their Master Clock settings. Now in part two Endo explains how to set up sync between two computers running Traktor by using a MIDI cable. While this may not be quite as stable as sending MIDI clock over a network connection (which we will discuss in the next post in this series), it still does the trick quite well and is also the easiest method to set up, so let’s look at how this works…

Sync Two Instances of Traktor With A MIDI Cable

To set this up, you first need to make sure that both computers have some kind of interface or controller that gives you MIDI in and out ports. Most audio interfaces and DJ MIDI controllers will provide this, or you might use a dedicated MIDI interface, any of these will work. Then just connect a standard MIDI cable from the MIDI out port of the computer that will be the tempo master to the MIDI in port on the tempo slave computer. This is the only physical connection you need to make, but then you need to follow these next steps to send MIDI from one copy of Traktor to another:

1) To start sending MIDI from one Traktor system to another, you need to enable Traktor to send MIDI clock: go to Preferences > MIDI Clock and turn on (check) the option Send MIDI Clock.

2) Now to actually send the MIDI clock signal out of Traktor, we need to create a new MIDI device in Traktor. We can do this by going to Preferences > Controller Manager. To make a new device click the Add button under the device drop-down window, then choose Generic MIDI as shown in the image.

3) Now rename this device by clicking Edit > Edit Comment. For simplicity’s sake let’s rename the device “MIDI Clock.”

4) Next you need to choose what port to send the MIDI out through. Choose the device you created and named “MIDI Clock” as the Out-Port. Set the In-Port to None so you’re not receiving MIDI from anything else.

5) The next thing you need to do is go to each mapping in the Device drop-down menu and make sure none of your mappings are set to All Ports. Assign each mapping to that specific device it is supposed to work with. For example, if you’re using a mapping for your Maschine controller, set the In-Port to “Maschine” and the Out-Port to “Maschine.” The reason you need to do this is so that Traktor is not sending MIDI clock out of more than one device. This could cause the BPM value to be incorrectly doubled on the slave computer.

6) Now let’s go to the other computer, the tempo slave, and set Traktor up to receive the MIDI clock. On the slave computer, go to the Traktor Preferences > Controller Manager tab; now you need to make a new MIDI device to RECEIVE MIDI. You can do this by clicking on Add under the Device drop-down menu and choosing Generic MIDI.

7) Now name this new device by clicking Edit > Edit Comment. Once again for this example let’s name the device “MIDI Clock.”

8) Now set the In-Port and Out-Port for the new device. Since this is the slave computer, you’re going to be RECEIVING MIDI clock, so set your In-Port to the MIDI input of the interface or controller you’re using. As you see, in my case this is the Audio 8 DJ.

9) Now that you’ve established a MIDI connection from the tempo master computer to the tempo slave computer, you can start sending the MIDI clock signal from one to the other. To start sending MIDI clock, you need to click an option on Traktor’s Master Clock at the top left-hand corner of your screen. If you don’t see the Master Clock, you need to turn on the Global Section in Traktor by going to Preferences > Global Settings and check Show Global Section.

10) Now, to start sending clock out of the tempo master computer, go to the Master Clock section of Traktor and turn on the Play button under where it says Send (see image). Also make sure Auto is turned OFF since you’re going to be using the Master Clock to set the tempo and not a deck.

11) Now on the tempo slave computer, go to the Master Clock section and turn on the EXT button at left under Options. This tells Traktor to sync to an external (incoming) MIDI clock signal.

12) When you’re ready to sync up, push the Sync button in the Master Clock section of the MASTER computer. You should now see the BPM indicator in the Master Clock of the tempo slave computer start moving and sync up with the tempo master.

13) This will get your two computers to sync to the same tempo, but to get both computers PERFECTLY in sync there is one more part to this process. There is usually a little latency or time lag in this process of sending MIDI clock, so you need to turn the metronome on in both copies of Traktor and beatmatch the metronomes using the MIDI Clock Sending Offset bar in Traktor.

To do this, go to Traktor’s Master Clock section and turn on the “Tick” for both computers.

14) Then make sure that Traktor’s mixer section is showing on both computers: go to Preferences > Mixer and turn on the Filter, Key, Gain, Cue, Balance checkbox.

15) Now turn on the headphone button on Traktor’s mixer for one of the decks on each computer; this will send the metronome sound out of that channel.

For example, if I turn on the headphone button for Deck A, the metronome will play through whatever output I have set for Deck A. Do this on both computers so you can hear both metronomes together. Most likely the metronomes will be playing out of time with each other and you will hear a ‘flamming’ sound.

16) Now on the tempo master computer, go to the Traktor Preferences and click on the MIDI Clock tab. In the MIDI Clock tab, there is a slider that adjusts the Sending Offset.

You need to slide this back and forth until you can hear that both metronomes are ticking in sync. If it sounds like the two computers are completely out of sync, you might need to go back to step 12 of this tutorial and hit sync on the tempo master computer’s Master Clock to get everything back together. Then adjust the Sending Offset further until you find the right number that will keep the metronomes in sync without flamming.

Now that both of your computers are in sync, you’re ready to go. Just start playing tracks and everything should sync up automatically (as long as you’ve beatgridded your tracks correctly of course!).

If it sounds like the two computers are drifting out of sync during a performance, you can always go back to step 12 and click the sync button in the Master Clock on the tempo master computer. Also if a particular track you play sounds a bit out of sync, you might need to use the pitch bend buttons on Traktor’s decks to adjust the phase of that track so it matches your DJ partner.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. For more tutorials visit our blog homepage or our YouTube channel. For more info about me, check out www.djendo.com. Happy mixing. Peace! - Mike Henderson a.k.a. DJ Endo

Related Dubspot Courses:

DJ Extensive Program

Immerse yourself in the complete art of DJing: from the fundamentals of beatmatching and mixing to using effects and programming extended club sets. Whether you’re a beginner wanting to learn 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 with both Serato and Traktor.

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

Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro

The definition of DJing has changed dramatically in the last decade. Laptops, controllers, and software have emerged alongside more traditional turntables and CDJ’s, smashing the barrier to entry. In today’s digital age, anyone can become a DJ. To reflect this renaissance, Dubspot has created the Digital DJing with Traktor program. In both our physical and online schools, students will learn how to DJ entirely with Traktor’s cutting-edge technology. An emphasis will be placed on the concepts of DJing rather than simply learning how to use the software.

What’s Included

• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 1: Introduction to DJing
• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 2: Phrase Mixing
• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 3: Beyond The Beatmatch

“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.

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

http://blog.dubspot.com/files/2013/02/Endo_Traktor_Sync_2.jpg

After winning the 2012 DMC US National DJ Battle in New York City in August, DJ Precision traveled to London where he competed in the 2012 DMC World DJ Championship and landed in second place, just behind winner DJ Izoh of Japan. As Precision states, second place is decent but for a competitive turntablist champion, not good enough…!

In this video, DJ Precision demonstrates and showcases his extraordinary skills behind the decks by performing part of his routine from the 2012 DMC World Championship, and encourages DJs to learn fundamental DJ concepts and techniques, hone their craft, cultivate their talents, and strive to take their music one step beyond.

DJ Precision is one of the most respected and talented turntablists in the world. He is the youngest member of the internationally acclaimed X-Ecutioners and an original founding member of Ill Insanity and the Lo-Livez crew.  Keep up with him on Facebook and Twitter.

Precision is a four-time DMC national champion, including the 2007 DMC USA “Six Minute Showcase” title. He has toured the globe opening for acts such as Ludacris, the Roots, and the Black Eyed Peas.

Turntablism Extensive Program

Turntablism is the art of manipulating turntables like an instrument. Starting with the fundamentals of scratching and beat juggling, the program focuses on developing proper technique, optimal practice habits, creative exploration, group DJ performance and performing full-blown turntablist sets.

What’s Included

• Turntablism Level 1: Spice Foundations
• Turntablism Level 2: Boot Camp & Tasty Combos
• Turntablism Level 3: Mild | Improvisation & Teamwork
• Turntablism Level 4: Medium | The Next Level
• Turntablism Level 5: Hot | Building Routines
• Turntablism Level 6: Mucho Caliente | The Modern Turntablist

Dubspot Turntablism Program in New York City; sign up today!

February 13, 2013  in NYC – Wednesdays, 9:15-11pm
April 18, 2013 in NYC – Thursdays, 9:15-11pm
August 7, 2013 in NYC – Wednesdays, 9:15-11pm

DJ Extensive Program

Immerse yourself in the complete art of DJing: from the fundamentals of beatmatching and mixing to using effects and programming extended club sets. Whether you’re a beginner wanting to learn 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 with both Serato and Traktor.

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

Dubspot DJ Extensive Starting in New York City:

February 13, 2013  in NYC – Wednesdays & Fridays, 7:15-9pm
February 26, 2013 in NYC – Tuesdays & Thursdays, 3:15-5pm
March 6, 2013 in NYC – Wednesdays & Fridays, 5:15-7pm

Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Program

The definition of DJing has changed dramatically in the last decade. Laptops, controllers, and software have emerged alongside more traditional turntables and CDJ’s, smashing the barrier to entry. In today’s digital age, anyone can become a DJ. To reflect this renaissance, Dubspot has created the Digital DJing with Traktor program. In both our physical and online schools, students will learn how to DJ entirely with Traktor’s cutting-edge technology. An emphasis will be placed on the concepts of DJing rather than simply learning how to use the software.

What’s Included

• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 1: Introduction to DJing
• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 2: Phrase Mixing
• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 3: Beyond The Beatmatch

Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Program

The week of April 7, 2013  ONLINE
The week of June 2, 2013 ONLINE
The week of August 4, 2013 ONLINE

“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

More start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

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

/files/2013/02/Precision_Blog_4.jpg

Sync Two Instances of Traktor

A 2×4 DJ setup (two DJs, four decks) can be a lot of fun! You can mix tracks in and out more quickly, or you can layer sounds or loops over the other DJ’s tracks, or even get a bunch of simultaneous layers going for a frenzy of sound. But to keep everything from falling into cacophony, you’ll need to keep everything synced together so there are no trainwrecks when you begin to mix.

For digital DJs using Traktor Pro, there are a variety of way to sync two instances of Traktor together. In this first of a series of tutorials about getting Traktor in sync, Dubspot’s DJ Endo explains how to sync the Master Clocks in two copies of Traktor manually, without using a network connection. After this we’ll look at how with a MIDI cable or a network connection in future posts.

Syncing Two Traktor Systems Manually

The easiest way to sync two Traktor systems together is by manual sync.

To set this up, just set the Master Clock on each Traktor computer to the same BPM value, and then use the Master Clock Pitch Bend in Traktor to get the beats perfectly in sync. Simple!

This method is how a lot of digital DJs perform back to back with each other since it’s the easiest to set up and doesn’t require you to adjust any network settings between computers or connect any cables. Once you get both clocks perfectly in sync, both computers will be marching to the same beat and you can play together all night.

In fact, one advantage of this method is once you get the clocks perfectly matched, all other things being equal they will not go out of sync and the BPM won’t fluctuate at all. This can be a bit of a problem with the other sync methods that we will look at later, which use network or cable connections to transmit automatic BPM sync. However this can also be a disadvantage, because if you change the BPM on one computer, the two clocks will no longer be in sync and you will have to manually re-sync them.

Syncing The Master Clocks

Follow these steps to manually sync two Traktor computers using only Traktor’s Master Clock:

First, to see the Master Clock, go to the Traktor Preferences by clicking the little gear icon at the upper-right hand corner of the interface. Within the Preferences, go to the Global Settings tab and turn on the option Show Global Section. Then next to where it says Left, choose Master Clock.

You can also show the Master Clock by clicking on the metronome icon in the upper left hand side of the Traktor interface:

Now you should see Traktor’s Master Clock in the upper left-hand corner of the screen, showing a value in BPM. Let’s quickly look at the Master Clock and the different tools that we’ll be working with:

If the Master button is turned on (lit up orange as in this image), it means that the Master Clock is controlling Traktor’s Master Tempo. In this mode, if you press sync on one of the decks in Traktor, it will synchronize that deck’s BPM to the Master Clock.

The + and – buttons will increase or decrease the tempo of the Master Clock. The <| and |> buttons are the Master Clock Pitch Bend buttons, which will nudge the Master Clock forwards or backwards. Pushing these buttons is similar to nudging a turntable forwards or backwards, except that you are actually nudging up to 4 turntables at once! The Tick button here will play an audible metronome (a tick tock sound) along with Traktor’s clock. These are the controls that you can use to sync the computers together.

From here, now that the Master Clocks are running at the same speed, you need to get them exactly in sync. To do this, you can either play tracks on both computers and sync them together that way, or else turn on Traktor’s metronome tick to match the clocks together. It’s generally more convenient to simply start playing a track on one computer and then mix in on the second computer and get the sync lined up that way, you can do this right at the beginning of your set. In this case you’re just nudging the beats together just like you would with vinyl or CDs, but you will only need to do it once and then the Master Clocks on the two computers should run in sync after that. Remember, though, that using tracks to sync the Master Clocks is only an accurate method if both tracks you are using to sync are correctly beatgridded in Traktor. It’s more accurate to use the metronome to sync because you are using the same sound and same clock source on both computers, so it is very easy to hear when they are not lined up right. However you generally need to do this before your gig starts, and there isn’t always time. In any event let’s look at how to sync them up both ways.

Syncing With Music

First of all, you should put both computers in Master Clock mode: Auto is turned off, and you are setting Traktor’s Master Clock to be the tempo Master. If this is set correctly, your clock should look just like it did in the previous image (see above).

Now enter the same BPM in the Master Clock field on both computers by simply double-clicking on the BPM value and typing it in.

Now, push the “Sync” button and the “Quantize” (Q) button in Traktor so that the tracks will start in perfect time and perfectly on beat. I generally like to turn the “Snap” (S) button on as well so loops and cue points are perfectly snapped to the beat. That way, whenever I trigger a loop or jump to a cue point, Traktor will always keep the timing solid and prevent trainwrecking.

Next, push the play button on any of the decks that has a track loaded. The deck will now start in perfect timing with the Master Clock’s beat phase and BPM as long as Quantize is on.

Now use the left and right arrows in the Master Clock section to nudge the beats on one or the other computer until their metronomes are playing in perfect sync together.

Once you have the beats matched, all of the decks in Traktor will be in sync with each other and with your DJ partner’s computer. Your tracks should all sync up assuming the beatgrids are correct. If the beatgrid is a little off for some of your tracks, you can use the deck pitch bend buttons to nudge that deck forwards or backwards, without taking the Master Clocks out of sync. Just use the forward and back pitch bend buttons in the deck to nudge the track forwards or backwards.

Personally, I beatgrid every track I’m going to play with a metronome so I know that every track will be perfectly in sync once I have the Master clock synced. Beatgridding is the backbone of Traktor.

Syncing With The Metronome

Alternatively, if you have time before your gig starts or backstage to get your two computers in sync, just go ahead and use the metronome.

To sync with the metronome, you should first put both computers in Master Clock mode as before and then type the same BPM in the Master Clock field on both computers.

Then, click on the Tick button for both computers so you can hear the audible metronome click.

Once you have typed the BPM into both computers and turned both metronomes on, use the left and right arrows in the Master Clock section to nudge the beats on one or the other computer until their metronomes are playing in perfect sync together.

Once you have that done, turn sync on for every deck in Traktor on both computers so all the decks are synced to the Master Clock. (Use the Sync button in the top left corner of each deck to turn this on).

It also helps to turn the quantize setting Q on as well, so every song will start smoothly on its downbeat. Now once you start playing tracks, as long as the beatgrids are set correctly for your tracks, everything will play in perfect sync.

Now that your Master Clocks are matched and all of your decks are in sync mode, its time to throw down with your DJ partner and rock the house!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. For more tutorials visit our blog homepage or our YouTube channel. For more info about me, check out www.djendo.com. Happy mixing. Peace!

- Mike Henderson a.k.a. DJ Endo

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So, how did you approach this new routine?

What are your favorite functions of the Z2 mixer?

In the video, it seems like you are hitting pads which trigger samples via Maschine while filtering with a knob on the mixer, can you tell us how you have mapped the mixer? Maschine?

For the Maschine, I custom mapped two main layouts for different sections of the routine. Sometimes I’m controlling samples, sometimes cue points, and sometimes both at the same damn time. Shout out to Future. I just used the default mapping for the mixer. In the part you’re describing, I’m actually using one of Traktor’s new Macro FX (“Event Horizon”) to achieve a robust alteration of the sound via a single knob. Meanwhile, I’m triggering cue points AND samples with my left hand via one of my custom mappings.  The color coding options on the new Maschine are very helpful.

Do you plan on incorporating the Z2 in your solo sets as well as Mostly Robot?

Any new projects you want to tell us about?

I just had a single and mix come out with Badman Shark on Slit Jockey Records.  The single is “EKG Riddim” and the mix is called Time To Die. Evil grime vibes. Then I have a collab EP dropping in January with Rx on the most patriotic label in the universe Hot Mom USA. Meanwhile remixes coming soon for Seclusiasis and Chaungo Records. Also be on the lookout for Vol. 2 of my mixtape project with Elijah (Butterz) called UK Meets USA (listen to Vol. 1 here), which we will be touring in 2013.  All about that GRIME.

What were your top 3 favorite shows you played this year?

Being in a band is way different than doing solo gigs.  People are counting on you, and seemingly simple things like soundcheck become way more involved.  I also learned a lot about Justin Bieber from watching the movie Never Say Never on one of my many flights.

At the end, I’m using 100% samples. The Z2 and the Maschine are controlling the same sounds, but on Maschine I can change the playback mode between “latch” and “gate” via my custom mapping. My left hand is playing drum samples while my right hand plays musical notes. Plus, it looks cooler to move back and forth. Plus plus, I need exercise.

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NI’s Kontrol F1 + Traktor Pro 2.5 Update — Tutorial + Overview w/ DJ Endo

In this video tutorial, Dubspot instructor Mike Henderson a.k.a DJ Endo explores the creative possibilities of NI’s F1 DJ controller and  Traktor. In past versions of Traktor you could create and play one-shots and loops in Traktor’s dedicated sample decks; with Traktor 2.5, you can take playing and creating samples to a whole new level with Traktor’s Remix Decks, which allow you to store up to 64 samples on one deck.

DJ Shiftee’s Traktor + Maschine ‘Slaughterhouse’ Routine (Rinse FM, Joker)

“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 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.” - DJ Shiftee

Dubspot Presents: The Traktor Kontrol F1 Finals w/ DJ Shiftee – The Routine Breakdown!

Native Instruments unveiled their Traktor Kontrol F1 DJ controller with a video featuring Dubspot instructor and turntablist extraordinaire DJ Shiftee showcasing his skills alongside the one and only Greg Nice. Dubspot correspondents Jim Albert and Bob Barkley were live to cover the event at the Native Instruments F1 Finals in Long Island City, New York. In this exclusive footage, the reporters breakdown Shiftee’s performance, from his flawless double-time beat juggling and backspinning abilities to his teammate Greg’s tremendous wordplay and energy. Albert and Barkley offer analysis of key moments in an overwhelmingly entertaining manner. And do stay tuned for the half-time report and post-game interview with the man himself…

Traktor Pro Guide – Preferences Pt 1/4: Audio Setup + Timecode Configuration

In this four-part video tutorial series, Dubspot instructor and Native Instruments DJ product specialist Mike Henderson breaks down everything you ever wanted to know about Native Instruments’ Traktor 2 preferences. Throughout the series, Endo will be exploring Traktor’s inner-workings and explaining the myriad of features and creative DJing possibilities Traktor offers. In part one of the series, Endo walks us through Traktor audio setup and timecode configuration, revealing all the nuts and bolts and showing you how to make Traktor work the way you want it.

DJ Shiftee’s Traktor / Maschine Tutorial Pt 2/3: Using MIDI to Map LEDs + Modifiers

In the second installment of the Shiftee Trilogy video series, the Dubspot instructor and DMC world champ explains how to map LEDs and lights Traktor Pro 2 using a MIDI controllers and further sinks in the wonderful world of modifiers. “For many years, I sought to unravel the vast wonders of LED mapping and modifiers.  My quest took me to the farthest reaches of the land, places like Tibet, Pluto, and New Jersey.  Finally I encountered the truth I was seeking on a warm summer’s day in my apartment.  The only place I needed to look was within… Traktor!  Let me save you a very costly and pointless trip across the world in my tutorial on the very same subjects.” – DJ Shiftee

DJ Shiftee’s Traktor / Maschine Tutorial Pt 3/3: How to Midi Map + Free Mappings (Settings)

In this video, Dubspot DJ instructor, DMC World Champ, music producer and demanding critic of sandwiches DJ Shiftee shares one of his most prized possessions–his Maschine mapping file for Traktor! In part one, he demonstrated an incredible routine using Joker’s “Slaughterhouse” track. In part two, he went into the complex world of LED mapping and modifiers. And now for the final installment of the Shiftee Trilogy, our generous instructor takes you through his Maschine settings, offering a detailed explanation of his mapping setup and showing you some very cool options for mapping to pads, along with some basic functions for cue points setting, looping and syncing.

DJ / Producer Tutorial: How to Use Traktor Pro 2.5 Remix Decks w/ Maschine Projects

In this video tutorial, Dubspot instructor Matt Cellitti shows you how to create your very own Remix Sets inside Traktor Pro 2.5, specifically using Maschine as a way to export your projects and use them in your Remix Sets. This tutorial is an example of the easiest way to break out stems from your Maschine project and organize a new Remix Set. Go take your productions live!

Dubspot @ Harvard – DJ / Producer Workshop Recap Video w/ DJ Shiftee + Dan Freeman

Back in May, Dubspot instructors and Harvard alumni Sam Zornow (a.k.a. 2X DMC Champion DJ Shiftee) and bassist/singer Dan Freeman of C0 headed up to Cambridge, MA to present a workshop on DJing and production at their old alma mater.  In this recap video from the Harvard workshop, Shiftee demonstrates some digital DJing and performance techniques with Native Instruments’ Traktor Pro and Maschine, while Dan Freeman offers some production and performance tips in Ableton Live.

Controlling Traktor w/ Pioneer CDJ2000s Pt 1- Dubspot Tutorial w/ DJ Endo

In this series, Dubspot instructor and Native Instruments product specialist DJ Endo explains how Pioneer’s CDJ2000 integrates directly with Traktor, offering sound output though the CDJ, extensive MIDI control, and visual feedback through the CDJ’s screen. In this first video of the series, DJ Endo explains how to set up audio preferences, update firmware, and get your gear ready to work together.

Controlling Traktor w/ Pioneer CDJ 2000s Pt 2 – Dubspot Video Tutorial w/ DJ Endo

In this second installment of our two-part series, DJ Endo gives an in-depth analysis of the advanced HID mode integration between the CDJ2000 units and Traktor and introduces some of the features and creative possibilities opened up by this powerful hardware/software combination.

Dubspot Original Programs: Stylus Sessions – Experimental Streaming Lab

Stylus Sessions is an open lab for new millennium turntablists and DJs to showcase skills and collaborate in a creative noncompetitive environment. In this video recap of the first Stylus Session, DJs Excess, Precision, Spictakular, and the legendary Cutmaster DC are on deck.

Dubspot Student Experience – DJ Course: Student Testimonials + Graduates Perform

Students in Level 6 of our DJ Extensive Program talk about their experience at Dubspot NYC and how they’ve developed as DJs and performers ahead of their graduation party at Lower Manhattan’s White Rabbit.

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DJ Extensive Program

Immerse yourself in the complete art of DJing: from the fundamentals of beatmatching and mixing to using effects and programming extended club sets. Whether you’re a beginner wanting to learn 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 with both Serato and Traktor.

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

Dubspot DJ Courses Starting New York City:

Class just started December 5th in NYC; sign up today! Wednesday + Friday, 5:15-7pm
December 13th in NYC – Tuesday +Thursday 7:15-9pm
January 2nd in NYC – Wednesday + Friday 11:15am-1pm

Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro

The definition of DJing has changed dramatically in the last decade. Laptops, controllers, and software have emerged alongside more traditional turntables and CDJ’s, smashing the barrier to entry. In today’s digital age, anyone can become a DJ. To reflect this renaissance, Dubspot has created the Digital DJing with Traktor program. In both our physical and online schools, students will learn how to DJ entirely with Traktor’s cutting-edge technology. An emphasis will be placed on the concepts of DJing rather than simply learning how to use the software.

What’s Included

• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 1: Introduction to DJing
• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 2: Phrase Mixing
• Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Level 3: Beyond The Beatmatch

DJ Online Courses:

December 2nd – Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Program
February 3rd – Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Program

“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

More start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

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

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Prince Paul (Paul Huston) is a legend in the world of hip hop who was originally part of the early 80s rap outfit Stetsasonic and later went on to create the iconic sounds of early De La Soul albums, the Gravediggaz project (with RZA), Handsome Boy Modeling School (with Dan the Automator), as well as a series of solo albums. As a collaborative guru for music production, Paul has worked with great musicians from almost every genre including Alec Empire, Linkin Park, Faith No More’s Mike Patton, Living Colour’s Vernon Reid, and Parliament keyboardist Bernie Worrell (to name just a few). Prince Paul’s calling card on almost all his productions is an intelligent (yet sometimes silly) sense of humor that sits right behind the boom bap beats that have made his music so popular.

Paul’s most recent collaborator is none other than his son, DJ Pforreal, a young performer who has obviously inherited his father’s sense of humor as well as a knack for beat creation and lyrical delivery. Their initial project together, Negroes on Ice, is a comedy / music album that blends music and storytelling into a “hilarious, head-nodding listening experience.” In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Prince Paul explains that much of the album comes from stories that his son would tell him when he was a child. “He would come up with these outrageous things that I knew (weren’t) true, but I couldn’t get mad at him because they were just so dumb. And I knew he was lying, but he would just go on and on about it to where it would start to become entertaining.” When asked about the format of combining music and comedy together, Paul explained further. “If you’ve ever watched Adult Swim, it’s very bizarre and antic and makes you scratch your head, like, ‘What is this silly thing?’ But this is actually put into a story.”

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