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.

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

.

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.

Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro: Pt 1/3 – The Routine w/ DJ Shiftee

Click here to view the embedded video.

Optimize Your Windows PC for DJing & Music Production Pt. 2

Click here to view the embedded video.

Digital DJing Tutorial w/ Traktor Pro 2: Pt 2/3 – Loop Recorder w/ DJ Shiftee

Click here to view the embedded video.

How to Sync Traktor & Ableton Live: Routing Audio w/ Dubspot’s DJ Endo

Click here to view the embedded video.

How to Sync Traktor & Maschine With Only 1 Computer

Click here to view the embedded video.

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.

In the second video, Shiftee explains how he uses the S4’s Loop Recorder to record layers of sounds (in this example, multiple takes of his own voice) and build unique loop combinations and compose live remixes on the fly. He uses the Dry/Wet feature to jack and forth, from his live remix to the original track. Shiftee also uses the undo/redo feature, which allows you to remove and add your latest loop layer. The bottom line, according to Shiftee is to have fun. Use the sample players in conjunction with the loop recorder to create your own drum patterns for your remixes or record your voice singing/rapping/talking over your new beats with transpose effect pitched up or down.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In the third and final installment, Shiftee looks at one of the most powerful and fun features in the S4, the Sample Decks which allows you to load and sync loops and samples, trigger them cue-point style, assign effects, group filters, volume control, the list goes on. 

Digital DJing with 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

Starting with a historical overview, students will learn the fundamental concepts of the DJ via Traktor’s intuitive interface. They will then begin to delve into the vast array of new possibilities offered by this groundbreaking software, presenting their work along the way. Students will leave with finished DJ mixes, a thorough exploration of DJing with Traktor, and a skill set and knowledge base perfect for further development.

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.

Dubspot’s Digital DJing w/ Traktor: Course Overview – DJ Shiftee & DJ Endo

Click here to view the embedded video.

In part one of this three-part video series focusing on our Digital DJing with Traktor Pro, Dubspot Instructor and 2x DMC Champ DJ Shiftee demonstrates a live performance routine using Native Instruments‘ powerful Traktor Kontrol S4 software and hardware DJ system. As Shiftee states in the intro of this video, the primary goal of our Digital DJing program at Dubspot is to teach fundamental DJ techniques and skills such as beat-matching and blending two songs, as well as expose students to crucial party-rocking tips and tricks, while utilizing some of today’s most cutting-edge performance and DJ technology. Using the S4’s versatile and powerful audio recording and processing features, Shiftee creates a live edit of hip hop classic “The Choice Is Yours (Revisited)” by Black Sheep and seamlessly blends it into “Ain’t No Half Steppin‘” by Big Daddy Kane. Below is parts 2 and 3 where he breaks down the performance.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Rx & Shiftee Space Ace PREVIEW by Rad Summer

Space Ace, the brand new EP from rising Brooklyn-based DJ/producer Rx and Dubspot’s very own Shiftee is out now on Philly-based imprint Rad Summer. The three tracks presented here are gorgeous dancefloor killers. The duo collaborated on lead track “Space Ace” and the result is a superbly well-constructed piece which is impressive in sound design, atmosphere and scope. The solo contributions “Orbit” (produced by Rx) “Landing Boots” (produced by Shiftee) are both genuinely mind-blowing; “Orbit” has a propulsive techno-house groove that is crying out to be heard on a huge sound system, while “Landing Boots” is an absolute slow burner that rounds up the EP proper.

Digital DJing with 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

Starting with a historical overview, students will learn the fundamental concepts of the DJ via Traktor’s intuitive interface. They will then begin to delve into the vast array of new possibilities offered by this groundbreaking software, presenting their work along the way. Students will leave with finished DJ mixes, a thorough exploration of DJing with Traktor, and a skill set and knowledge base perfect for further development.

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.

Dubspot’s Digital DJing w/ Traktor: Course Overview – DJ Shiftee & DJ Endo

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In the first video, DJ Endo and DJ Shiftee take you through the three levels of Digital DJing with Traktor Pro 2 program from the crucial and fundamental DJ skills such as beat-matching and blending two songs to advanced techniques and tricks like applying chained effects, harmonic mixing, and live remixing on the fly. In Level 1, students will get an overview of the technology of DJing and its development from turntables until today, basic navigation and customization of Traktor’s intuitive interface, utilizing it’s internal mixer, learn how to count beats, dropping on the 1, setting cue points, beat-gridding, beat-matching, blending two songs, performance tips, and more. In Level 2, students will learn about song structure, how to count bars, craft seamless mixes that are not just in sync, but in phrase after an understanding of the theory and application of phrase mixing – “dynamic conversation between two songs”. In Level 3, they’ll develop an arsenal of distinct mixing techniques via advanced EQing, effects combination, harmonic mixing, and other techniques.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In the second video, Dubspot’s talented instructors and course designers DJ Endo and DJ Shiftee, who have a combined DJing experience of 22 years, offer a preview of Dubspot’s groundbreaking Digital DJing with Traktor Pro 2. Endo and Shiftee explain and demonstrate how to set accurate beat grid markers and cue points on a track, which is a lesson students will learn in Level 1. They also offer a glimpse of Level 2’s Phrase Mixing lesson in which students learn various song structures and how to blend two songs work and create seamless mixes. Last but not least, Shiftee and Endo go through advanced effects in Traktor Pro 2, which allows you to tweak tracks and apply effects for brilliant  results.

Digital DJing Program w/ Traktor Pro 2

Online classes start the week of July 3rd and NYC on the week of September 12th!

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

Starting with a historical overview, students will learn the fundamental concepts of the DJ via Traktor’s intuitive interface. They will then begin to delve into the vast array of new possibilities offered by this groundbreaking software, recording their work along the way. Students will leave with finished DJ mixes, a thorough introduction to DJing with Traktor, and a skill set and knowledge base perfect for further development.

NYC

• Dubspot’s complete Digital DJing course load
• 21 hours of hands-on instruction
• Additional instructor-supervised lab hours

ONLINE

• Dubspot’s complete Digital DJing course load
• 30-40 hours of high quality videos
• 3 hours of instructor-led chat sessions per week
• Direct video & audio feedback from instructors

Jason Emsley is an accomplished DJ, electronic music producer, and audio engineer currently based in London. He is currently instructing Dubspot’s Digital DJing with Traktor Level 2, and below is an audio feedback he provided for a student, and student testimonials.

Audio Feedback from Instructor Jason Emsley and DJ Endo +  Student Testimonials

Jason Emsley giving feedback to Dennis

Jason, 

Thank very much for providing the detailed feedback on my homework this week, I really appreciate it!  I had a few questions regarding your comment on how I let go too early on my main breakdown (I believe you were referring to the Moby “Go” breakdown, which was the first one I had).  You mention that the build up in that particular breakdown falls short of 16 bars…I went through the mix and from my best guesstimate it looks like it starts at 4.2.3 and goes until 6.1.4 (which is about 14 bars)…so what you are saying is that I needed to extend that breakdown (which by that point it had been on the two beat “hey ya” loop for awhile) by two additional bars or 8 beats before I would have cut over to the track in deck B?  

Although I think I’ve answered my own question, I just want to make sure that I’m interpreting your feedback correctly.  On a side note, I had a feeling that something was off with that transition and now I know why.  

Thank you again for all your help!

- Brian

Hmmm. Never had a teacher say “Next time just lie to me”. ROTFLMAO!  Actually I chose that spot in “Bass” because it had the back spin sound! I figured that if my drop wasn’t absolutely dead on (or was deadly boring) I could take advantage of the back spin to “liven” things up. You liked it and a couple of my classmates seemed to like it as well and that gives me a big grin.

And, thanks for your kind comments on my mix this week. I really put a lot of thought into it. I am interested in your comment that you thought that these tracks didn’t fit together. I really sort of thought they did (well, not the dubstep track obviously) but the fact that you felt that I managed to make them work is important to me.  A big part of this is simple confidence. I am much more confident about just trying things out. Prior to this course, I did not have the knowledge or skills (and lacked confidence to try). Working through the coursework helps to build some knowledge and the feedback is helping build the skills and that is helping build the confidence needed to move the needle.

Thanks for your patience, the conversation and the feedback.

- Dennis

Jason,

This was by far the best feedback I’ve gotten from either course 1 or 2. Thank you very much.

I’ll definitely take another crack at using some EDM tracks to practice my EQ-ing. This probably wasn’t the best genre to use for my first EQ sesh. I jus tlike playing that sort of music.

Yeah at the 3 minute mark I was definitely slowly fading in the lows. Mainly cause like you said these tracks are rich in content, so for me to just bang the low end from one track to the next didn’t appear to work very well (I gave that a couple of tries).

Thanks again!

- 

Mike

This is really valuable. Thanks for this feedback Jason.

Zack

DJ Endo is a DJ Product Specialist for Native Instruments who has trained DJ gurus such as Grandmaster Flash, Pete Tong, DJ Skribble, DJ Craze, Dubfire, Victor Calderone, Nic Fanciulli, Oliver Huntemann, DJ Dan, Donald Glaude, David Morales, Junior Vasquez, Dubfire, Steve Lawler, Carl Cox, JoJo Flores, Sharam, Klever, and Nic Fanciulli among others in Traktor Scratch Pro. Endo is currently a Traktor instructor at Dubspot in Manhatten as well as the tour manager for Dubfire and Nic Fanciulli.
Classically trained at Berklee College of Music, Endo is a teacher of harmonic DJ mixing, and a serious proponent of the Mixed In Key music software.

DJ Endo giving feedback and tips to Dennis

DJ Endo giving feedback to student Leonardo

Click here to view the embedded video.

When a DJ is about to start mixing in a new track, they must do a couple things to make sure that the track will mix correctly. They must adjust the gain so that the tracks are equal in volume. They also must find the “one” of the track, which is usually the first kick drum, or section when a beat comes in. They then will play the track starting on the “one”, and then beatmatch the two (or more) tracks, and do creative EQing, effects, and loops in their mix. In my previous articles and videos, I talked about how to use Traktor’s “Autogain” feature to match the volume of your tracks, how to set Beatgrids to make your beatmatching perfect in Traktor, and also how to Mix Harmonically to help you program your sets better. Here is another feature in Traktor that will speed up your workflow. It’s called setting “Load Markers.”

In Traktor Pro, you are able to set as many Cue Points as you would like to, enabling you to jump to any point in a song quickly and in sync with a click of a button. In Traktor Pro, there is a special kind of cue point called a “Load Marker.”

A Load Marker is a special Cue Point that marks the specific beat of a track that you want to load to each time you play that track. A track with a Load Marker will automatically load right to this special Cue Point, saving you the time to manually cue to this point in the track.

Load markers come in handy for tracks that have dead air in the beginning, and also tracks that have ambient intros that you would like to skip over. Some Traktor DJs that I know use Load Markers religiously are hip hop legend Grandmaster Flash, and house and Techno guru’s Dubfire, Victor Calderone, and Pete Tong.

For DJs like Grandmaster Flash, Load markers are used to jump right to a specific drum break in the track, and allow them to jump into each track quickly. Grandmaster Flash uses a combination of Load Markers, and also Traktor’s feature called “Load next track when flipping record” where you can load the next track in a playlist when you flip the (timecode) record. So each time Grandmaster Flash flips the record on the turntable, the next track loads, and it loads right to the beginning of a drum break!

For DJs like Dubfire and Pete Tong, who play using all MIDI controllers, and use 4 decks in Traktor, Load markers are a lifesaver because they save them finding the first beat of each track. Dubfire also uses my Triple Macro for “Cue / Play / Sync” which I described in a previous video, and using load markers that are mapped to “Hotcue 1” are very crucial to his workflow, since he has a button to jump to the load marker, play the track, and beatmatch the tracks with one button.

For DJs like Victor Calderone, who use Pioneer CDJs to control Traktor, Load Markers are very handy because rather than having to seek through a track using a CDJ, Traktor will load each track right to the Load Marker when you load them into a deck in Traktor, and will essentially map the load marker in Traktor to the “Cue” button on the CDJ.

Here is how to set a load marker in Traktor:

1) Set your mouse control mode to “Snap” mode in Traktor Preferences / Transport. This will make it so you can directly click on a beat in the song to set a perfect cue point.

2) Now turn on the Preference for “Initially Cue To Load Marker” in the Traktor Preferences / Loading. This will activate your Load Markers.

3) Click on the first kick drum of the track, or part of the track where you want to load to by hovering over the track and clicking on the white beat marker that you want to load to.

4) Set a Cue Point on this beat by opening Traktors Advanced Panel and click on a blank Hotcue slot in the cue window.

5) Click on the Cue Type drop down menu and change the Cue Type to “Load.” Traktor will change the Cue Point to a Load Marker and you will get a yellow cue point in the track, and in the Cue section. Now Traktor will always load to this cue point (Load Marker) when you load this track into a deck.

6) You can additionally map this Cue Point to Hotcue Slot 1. This is good to do if you have a beatmarker for the track as well as a load marker. That way you don’t take up two Hotcue slots in the Cue section. You can do this by clicking on Cue point 2 (The Load Marker), then clicking on “Map”, and then click on the Hotcue Slot 1.

This will assign the Load Marker to Hotcue Slot 1, but will not delete your other cue points. They will just be hidden, and not mapped to the assignable Hotcues.

Endo is a DJ and product specialist for Native Instruments and lives in Brooklyn. Listen to mixes from him at www.djendo.com.

Learn how to map Triple-Macro Hotkeys with Traktor. In this video Native Instruments DJ Product Specialist and Dubspot Instructor DJ Endo takes you through the steps on how to customize your keyboard mapping and map multiple commands to a single key. Endo demonstrates this by creating a MIDI/HotKey command (map/Mapping Triple Micro HotKey) which allows you to “do three things in one action,” just by pushing a key! This enables you to jump to the first cue point, play and enable sync all with a single key press.

Here is a handy Trick you can do in Traktor Pro that will save you a lot of time mixing in your tracks. It is called a Cue / Play / Sync button. This command is called a “Triple Macro” and will perform 3 actions at the same time with one click of a button. Setting double and triple macros will increase your workflow dramatically since you are saving 2-3 steps with one click of a button.

The following trick is a one button solution to beatmatching and DJ mixing.

This command works best when you have correct beatgrids set for your tracks, with all of your beatgrid markers mapped to Cue Point slot 1 in Traktor Pro (in the Cue section).

Before I explain how to set this command, here is the reasoning behind why I use this magic button in my DJ sets.

When mixing with Vinyl or CDJs, before you can mix your next song in, you have to first find the first beat (Cue) or “the one” of your track. Then you have to play the track, and then adjust the tempo and nudge the track forwards and backwards and change the pitch (tempo) until both tracks are in phase (beats are synchronized) with each other, and then you have to keep the two tracks beatmatched (sync’d) manually until the mix is over. With todays technology, why not just take these 3-4 steps and make them into one step?

When setting this keyboard shortcut or midi command you can perform all three of these actions with one click of a button, and save all the time you would spend cuing the track up, playing the track and manually syncing the track, saving you minutes in each mix. This trick is great for any DJ who plays using MIDI controllers or Hotkeys to DJ in Traktor.

To program this command to a MIDI Note or Keyboard shortcut:

1) Open Traktor’s preferences
2) Go to the controller manager

3) Select the device “generic keyboard” or choose your MIDI device.

We are now going to make our three commands

PLAY

1) Click on the “Add In” button
2) Select “Transport” / “Play Pause.”

3) Click on the “Learn” button
4) Push the button or key that you want to assign as your “Cue / Play / Sync” button. You should then see a MIDI note or keyboard letter appear in the box next to learn.
5) Select the deck you want to assign this to (I always choose “Device Target” so whatever deck is highlighted is the one I’ll be playing
6) Set your interaction mode to “Direct”
7) Change the “set to value” field to “1″ (1 this means ON where 0 means OFF). * note – You might have to change the interaction mode to “0″ and then back to “1″. Its a small bug in older versions of Traktor.*
8) The “Type of Controller” field will be “Button”

SYNC

1) Click on the “Add In” button
2) Select “Tempo” / “Sync”

3) Click on the “Learn” button
4) Push the button or key that you want to assign as your “Cue / Play / Sync” button. You should then see a MIDI note or keyboard letter appear in the box next to learn.
5) Change the Assignment to “Device Target”
6) Set your interaction mode to “Direct”
7) Change the “Set To Value” field to “1″. * note – You might have to change the interaction mode to “0″ and then back to “1″. Its a small bug in older versions of Traktor.*
8) The “Type of Controller” field will be “Button”

CUE

1) Click on the “Add In” button
2) Select “Cue / Loops”
3) Click on “Select / Set + Store Hotcue”

4) Click on the “Learn” button
5) Push the button or key that you want to assign as your “Cue / Play / Sync” button. You should then see a MIDI note or keyboard letter appear in the box next to Learn.
7) Change the Assignment to “Device Target”
8) Set your interaction mode to “Hold”
9) Set your “Set To Value” field to “Hotcue 1″

You will notice that all three of the commands you just programmed will be highlighted. This means that the same button is doing three separate things at once.

Once you are done programming, press play a track in Deck A, then load a track into Deck B
Click on the deck header in Deck B so the deck is highlighted
Click on your “Magic Button” (whatever button you chose) and you will be in the mix!
You will notice that the PLAY button is ON, the SYNC button is ON, and the track jumps to CUE POINT 1 when you press the button.

Usually when I’m DJing with strictly controllers, I will just leave sync on the whole set, and click my “Magic Button” on “the one” for each mix. Since all my load markers are mapped to cue point 1 and all my Beatgrids are done perfectly I know that when I hit the “Magic Button” all of my beatmatching is done and my mix will be phrased correctly (on the 1), so I can now focus on more creative things such as beatjumps, loops and effects.

If you do not know how to do beatgrids correctly, here is a video I did on how to do perfect beatgrids.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here is an older video that Richie Hawtin did on how to set Double Macros

Click here to view the embedded video.

Happy Mixing!

- DJ Endo

+

Was this helpful to you? Do you have questions? Leave us a comment below! DJ Endo is a DJ and product specialist for Native Instruments and lives in Brooklyn. Listen to mixes from him at www.djendo.com.

Beatgridding in Traktor

Traktor Scratch Pro and Traktor Pro have proven to be the industry standard in DJ Software.  Traktor can help your DJ workflow tremendously depending on how much work you put into preparing your tracks.  Whether you are using Vinyl, CD’s, MIDI controllers, or even a mouse, Traktor has a very handy button called the “Sync” button.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The proper use of the Sync feature is commonly misunderstood in Traktor.  A common complaint with Traktor is “I press the sync button, and everything goes off.” This problem occurs because Traktor needs to know where the downbeats are in your tracks, as well as the speed (BPM) of your tracks. This is where beatgrids come into play. Beatgrids are the backbone of Traktor.

A Beatgrid is a series of Gridlines set across your tracks that mark the downbeats of your track, and tell Traktor the BPM of the track.

They are like Warp markers in Ableton Live, except setting a beatgrid in Traktor is much easier.  Once you set a beatgrid for your track, the BPM reading of your track will be accurate to the 1/1000th of a BPM, and if you are mixing it with another track that is beatgridded you can visually mix using Traktor’s Phase Meters.

Below is my method of beatgridding in Traktor. Some artists I’ve trained such as Victor Calderone, Dubfire and Nic Fanciulli use this method religiously for every track they play.

I would do all of your beatgrids in your headphones since the music is directly in your ear. I would also recommend doing beatgrids at home or on the flight to your gig, and not live at the gig.

1) Make sure Traktor’s Auto Beatmarker function is turned on by going to Preferences / File Management / BPM Detection Range / and turning on the option “Set Beatgrid when detecting BPM Range”. With this option enabled, Traktor will automatically set a beat marker in your track where it thinks the first downbeat is located. You also might want to change the BPM detection range to the Tempo (BPM) range that you usually DJ at.

2) Next you want Traktor to analyze your new tracks when you load them into a Deck. You will turn on this option by going to the Traktor Preferences / File Management and turning on the option to “Analyze New Tracks when loading into Deck”.  So, when you load a track into a Deck in Traktor for the first time, Traktor will Analyze the gain, transients, and BPM – and with the Auto Grid function turned on, it will place a beatmarker where it thinks the first downbeat is in the track.

3) To make sure you can hear Traktor’s Metronome over the track that you’re beatgridding, set Output routing to  “EXTERNAL” mode by going to the Traktor Preferences / Output routing and changing the output routing to “External”. Also make sure you have an output set for Deck A. For example, if you were using your built in output (Mac’s built in speakers or headphone output), I would set the output for Deck A to Output 1 and 2.

4) In the Traktor Preferences set the Mouse Control to “SNAP” mode by going to Preferences / Transport, and changing the Mouse Control Mode to “SNAP”. This will make it so you can click directly on the transients (kicks, snares etc) inside the track with your mouse. Also Make sure the option to Highlight Beatmarkers is turned on in Preferences / Global View Options

5) The next thing you will want to do is turn the “Cue” button on for Deck A on Traktor’s Mixer, and also turn the tick button on in the Master Panel. This will make it so you can hear a metronome over the track loaded in Deck A.

6) Next open your “Grid” panel in Traktor by clicking on the Arrow beneath the “Active” button in Deck A, and then click on the “Grid” button to open the Grid panel.

7) Now, load a new, unanalyzed track into Deck A in Traktor. When Traktor is finished analyzing the track, you’ll notice a white marker in the Track. This is your auto-beat marker. You’ll also notice a series of evenly spaced white lines across the track. This is your beatgrid. Each of these white lines is where Traktor thinks the beats are in the track.

8) Zoom in as far as possible on the waveform by using the + and – buttons in the deck. Click on the top waveform (in the deck) and click on the first kick drum in the Track with your mouse. You can sample the kick drum by clicking the mouse button and holding it. It is best to set your grid markers on the first beat of a bar.

9) Once you’ve found the first kick drum, set a 4 beat loop starting at this point by clicking on the number “4″ beneath Deck A.

Now click on the play button and listen to how the Metronome lines up with the Track.

10) While the loop is playing, you will want to shift the grid left and right with the top 2 MOVE GRID Buttons. This will shift the entire grid left and right. Keep moving the grid left and right until the metronome is perfectly in sync with your track. If you are new to doing beatgrids, I recommend shifting your grid far to the left and far to the right of the beat, so you can hear how it sounds when the tick is off beat, and then adjusting it back onto the beat – not unlike tuning a guitar. If you need to move the grid faster, you can hold the control button. In this step you are only using the TOP 2 Grid buttons. Do not touch the bottom 2 yet.

11) Now that you have the first 4 beats perfectly synchronized to your metronome, let the track play by clicking on the loop button (4). Now you are going to listen to see if the metronome stays on beat with the track as you skip forward in the track. If it does, then skip through the song by clicking on the waveform and listening at different points of the song to make sure its on beat, then skip to the end.

If the metronome is drifting off beat, listen to the track from the beginning and use the bottom 2 BPM INC / DEC buttons to make the grid lines closer or farther apart. This is also changing the BPM value. Usually for tracks you buy on Beatport you will not have to use the bottom 2 buttons. You will just need to shift the grid left and right, and maybe change the BPM from 127.999 to 128.000.

12) Now set a 4 beat loop at the end of the track, preferably on the last measure of the track that has percussion. Listen to how the metronome lines up with the last 4 beats. If it lines up perfectly, then you are done. If not, use the BPM INC/DEC buttons to compress and expand the grid until the metronome perfectly lines up with the last 4 beats. Now your BPM reading will be accurate to the 1/1000′th of a BPM. Usually if you’re BPM shows up as an even number like 128.000 this means that you don’t have to touch the bottom 2 grid buttons, and that you only need to shift the grid left and right.

13) Once you are done, and the metronome perfectly lines up with the track from beginning to end, click on the LOCK button to save the beatgrid to the track. This will save the beatgrid to the tracks ID3 information and will make it so if you send the track to another Traktor user, they will have your beatgrid, cue points, and loops inside the track. If you do not click the lock Icon, Traktor will still remember your beatgrid in your Traktor collection, but will not write the beatgrid to the actual track.

Now that you have a beatgrid set, you can use Traktor’s SYNC button to keep all of your tracks perfectly synchronized, and they will never go off beat, and all of your loops, and effects will be perfectly on beat.