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

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

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

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

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How to Sync Traktor & Maschine With Only 1 Computer

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DJ Extensive Program

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

What’s Included:

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

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

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

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

After Dave Q spoke with us about the final chapter of Dub War’s monthly party, he participated in an attempt to rebuild the bond revolving around those who continue to nurture dubstep’s roots. Called Reconstrvct, it was stressed that the event was not Dub War. But Joe Nice joined the effort and they flew in London’s V.I.V.E.K. to bring the sounds of Deep Medi to Brooklyn. So it certainly felt something like Dub War. Meanwhile, Dave Q’s Twisup party went into hiding. These events foreshadowed a new chapter being officially added to the Dub War story. And tonight at Cielo, it will be told through their Funktion One sound system. Unsurprisingly, it was longtime bass maven Francois K who offered up his night for the takeover.

[Fact Mix by Pangaea (tracklist here) | Photo via SaintWoods.com]

To show they’re serious, the crew has brought along Pangaea, someone who’s had a huge impact on dubstep and its subsequent variations. As cofounder of Hessle Audio alongside Pearson Sound and Ben UFO, he’s helped cultivate a culture of creativity. And as a producer, he’s put out a series of acclaimed, brooding records. To get an idea of what his set might sound like tonight, check his recent mix for Fact Mag above. It’s diverse in rhythmic structure, full of percussion soaked in a variety of environments, and tainted by dark synths, samples and effects. Overall it’s pretty forbidding in mood – downright dungeonous at times – but has moments of playfulness and euphoria too.

Braille will bring his box of cool colors to paint the warm currents of bass as well, alongside Nooka Jones the boy wonder. And Juakali, Dub War’s longtime host, will fly over from his new home on the West Coast to join the celebrations. If you can’t make it, you can stream it on Percussion Lab radio.

Dubspot is excited to present a series of live streaming workshops from masters of production, VJing, drumming, and improvisation. The first of these will feature Brazil’s Percussivo Mundo Novo, a project led by percussion innovator Mikael Mutti, whose equally genre-busting infusions of Brazilian rhythms and music has led him to digital percussion wizardry that includes analog drums and video game controllers. On July 29, we’ll have none other than Philadelphia’s genre-melting legend King Britt and his live album experimentations with Rucyl Mills and their project Saturn Never Sleeps. On August 1st, all the way from Holland, DJ Irie will demonstrate his use of Serato and Ableton Live for his work as a battle VJ and turntablist.

DJ Irie will be coming through to show off his work as both a top-notch turntablist, and a VJ. Spinning primarily throwback hip-hop, DJ Irie combines his encyclopedic knowledge of the genre with an equally explorative visual accompaniment. DJ Irie can be seen flexing his scratch skills in this recent Ustream recording. Irie can also be seen playing at the Bowery Poetry Club and Diety NYC when he’s not hanging out at Dubspot. Check out the show details below.

DJ IRIE
Monday Aug 1st 4:30-6:00PM
Facebook RSVP

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DJ Excess, a two-time International Turntablist Federation champion and a Dubspot instructor, provides this edition of the Dubspot Podcast series. It’s a mix made up mostly of his own disco edits plus a remix of his. Disco is just one of the many styles Excess is interested in though – he came up through house music, got deep into hip hop as a result of scratching, and also digs experimental music like Philip Glass and Steve Reich (often called the father of sampling). In December he’ll go on a European tour with members of his group Ned Hoddings. But enough from us, listen to what he has to say instead:

Tell us about your history as a DJ.

Started as a deejay in my later years of high school. I didn’t want to be in school any more so I interned through City As School at Logic Records. I learned a little about the music industry at that time and I was spinning house. At the label I started getting more into scratching. We watched a world final DMC video that Roc Raida won in Italy and I decided I wanted to compete more. I saw all these house deejays who were getting gigs but really sucked. I was like, I don’t want to be that type of deejay, I want to have skills. ‘98 was my first competition and I placed 10th in the Eastern Hemisphere competition out of ten people. But in ‘99 I won a regional Eastern competition for the International Turntables Federation advancement class championships. Then I lost to some kid from the West Coast in the finals. But in 2000 I won two championships. From scratching I started getting more into hip hop. From there I just kept on doing my thing.

What are some of your hip hop influences?

A lot of East Coast emcees like Nas and Biggie, but I definitely liked obscure hip hop like De La Soul, who weren’t that big at the time, or The Roots. Late ’90s underground stuff like Fondle ‘Em Records and Company Flow too.

How did you come to Dubspot?

I met Dan Giove [Dubspot's founder] at a DMC competition last year where I was performing. I was teaching at another school in the area. I wanted to push my teaching into more things like different Ableton levels and be in a more progressive environment, and Dan gave me that opportunity. I’m teaching DJing, turntablism, and the first three levels of Ableton.

Are you producing?

Yea, I started using Ableton for my live show, and I started using the program more for production and learned stuff on my own. I’m still always learning even while I’m teaching.

Tell us about the mix.

It’s mostly my own edits of disco tracks I like from the mid-’70s. There’s a lot of tracks I like – I’ll like the groove of the instrumental – but sometimes I just won’t feel the acapella or the lyrics or whatever. I would also use Ableton to maybe warp them a bit or put harder drums in the background and rearrange the instrumentals. And the last track is a remix I did off of Phoenix 1901. I downloaded the stems that they had put out from their album at that point and did a broken beat remix of it. You can be really creative with Ableton, but I wanted to keep the essence of mixing in there. But I’m still using some of the effects like delays.

A lot of deejays say to keep it real and stick to turntables. What do you think?

There’s a quote from this woman who did a lot of illustration for the NY Times and just had a book released. She said something to the effect of, “It doesn’t matter what medium you use to translate your idea as long as your idea is dope. That’s all that matters.” The journey and the process are great, but sometimes you need to just step back and listen to the end result. Being in a music school, you get caught up in the process of it and can get geeked out on what you used to make it. But at the end of the day, if doesn’t sound right, it doesn’t sound right.

You’ve been moving through musical genres and melting barriers. What are some of the unexpected genres you listen to now or in the past?

I still like a lot of experimental stuff. Being more of a sample based producer, I’m always digging for records. So a lot of Steve Reich, a lot of stuff on ECM, Philip Glass. Just really progressive artists from that era who are still relevant now. If you take a listen to their stuff now, it’s still progressive in the thought process. Maybe not in the way they were doing it but the concept. You can take a four bar Boney M loop and have it be an amazing, star-studded track and people won’t even know what it is. They think it’s all original but it’s just sampling. But that’s about knowing the history of where the music came from. And apparently the Boney M track is actually a cover of another song. It’s like a German classical song. That’s how all music started. That’s how dance music started.

Is your production getting out there?

I’m constantly trying to send beats to different artists. I did scratches on Fat Joe’s last album for a track called “Rappers Are In Danger”. And I’m going on a European tour in December, so I’m working on music for that. I had a group called Ned Hoddings but we disbanded, and its basically members from that. It includes Toadstyle from Chicago, D-Styles who was in Invisible Scratch Picklez, and our boy Dario who is in a group called Blah Blah Blah. It’s kind of a band with three turntablists.

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DJ Excess – Our Way Disco Mix

Bombers – “Shake”
J.R. Funk And The Love Machine – “Feel Good Party Time”
Funkapolitan – “As The Time Goes By”
D.C. LaRue – “Cathedrals”
Charanga 76 – “Ain’t No Stopping Us Now”
Golden Flamingo Orchestra Featuring Margo Williams – “The Guardian Angel Is Watching Over Us”
Bumblebee Unlimited – “Lady Bug” (John Morales Mix)
Voyage – “I Love You Dancer”
Light Of The World – “Time”
Cissy Houston – “Somebody Should Have Told Me”
Boney M. – “Felicidad” (Margherita)
Atmosfear – “Dancing In Outer Space”
Phoenix – “1901″ (DJ Excess Remix)

After the long wait (and lots of videos showing off the new features) Traktor 2 is finally in stores and we’ve got new media for the celebration. In this brand new Native Instruments promo video, 5x DMC World Champion DJ Craze performs a brilliant new turntablism routine utilizing NI’s next generation of Traktor Scratch DJ gear (with their patented Traktor 2 Technology), including the just released Traktor Scratch Pro 2 along with Maschine and Kontrol X1. Craze is nothing short of incredible here; effortlessly demonstrates the performance possibilities of Traktor Pro 2 gear by creating a live dubstep remix of Kanye West’s “Monster” blending it with  Flux Pavillion “Got 2 Know”.

When it comes to matching the latest technology with world-class turntablism skills to produce next-level routines, Miami’s DJ Craze is the ultimate choice.

In this video, the 5x DMC World Champion showcases the power of the new Traktor Scratch generation by creating a live dubstep remix, controlled by his golden Technics turntables and two controllers.

Kontrol X1 is used to play a live beat using one-shot drum samples in Traktor’s new Sample Decks, while Craze also triggers various other samples and cue points with his custom white Maschine controller. A beat juggling section in the middle leads to the finale where Craze combines fast cue-point juggles and vocal samples with the integrated Traktor effects.

www.native-instruments.com/traktor

Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Program

Three levels / 12 sessions / 21 hours of hands-on instruction + labs

Courses:

• 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

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. 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.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Earlier this month, Native Instruments unleashed Qbert’s Breakfast of Champions – an incredible performance footage featuring the scratch icon himself Qbert alongside 2X DMC Champ, Dubspot’s very own Shiftee, and globe-trotting, clubrocking-turntablist DJ Rafik devouring Native Instruments next generation of Traktor DJ gear. In this new tutorial video, Breakfast of Champions: The Exposé, Dubspot Instructor Shiftee demystifies the spectacular performance, explaining the process and setup and demonstrating the individual part each performer played. Qbert played the drums, Shiftee played vocals and melodies, and Rafik was on bass.  The setup: 4 turntables (+ 4 internal decks!) and 2 mixers going through one soundcard – the new, advanced DJ audio interface Traktor Audio 10. They also have Maschine, functioning here as a MIDI controller for two turntables, Traktor Kontrol X1 to execute effects (beat masher!) And last but not least, limited edition Thud Rumble Skratchy Seal vinyl! Check out the original Breakfast of Champions below -

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Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Program

Three levels / 12 sessions / 21 hours of hands-on instruction + labs

Courses:

• 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

Register for Online Classes starting Apr 17, 2011 (3 months) here!

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. 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.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Native Instruments never cease to surprise us with incredible performance footages! NI unleashed this unexpected clip from featuring a trio of the world’s finest scratch DJs including DJ icon Qbert, 2X DMC champ and Dubspot Instructor Shiftee, and DJ champ/clubrocker/producer Rafik getting down with the next generation of Traktor DJ gear. In this clip, the three champs are performing on 4 turntables with one Traktor Scratch Pro 2, Maschine – which here is used as a MIDI controller for Traktor, and Traktor Audio 10.

Want to know how Qbert, Shiftee, and Rafik put together The Breakfast Of Champions performance? Stay tuned to Dubspot for  DJ Shiftee’s Breakfast Of Champions Expose! We’ll unveil the video in which Shiftee demystifies this fantastic performance.

Traktor Breakfast of Champions description:

See the world’s scratch elite devour the new generation of Traktor DJ gear in this spectacular performance.

Traktor was on the menu at a Breakfast of Champions recently, hosted at Qbert’s crib in San Francisco. Witness a three-way jam session with DMC Champs Qbert, Shiftee and Rafik performing on 4 turntables with just one Traktor Scratch Pro 2 system in this video, making full use of the 10 inputs and outputs of the included Traktor Audio 10 interface.

Native Instruments Maschine is used as a MIDI controller for Traktor. All Traktor generation 2 products like Traktor Scratch Pro 2 or its included Traktor Audio 10 interface (also available separately) will hit stores worldwide on April 1st.

You can see the full Traktor range and preorder products at www.native-instruments.com/traktor

Digital DJing w/ Traktor Pro 2 Program

Three levels / 12 sessions / 21 hours of hands-on instruction + labs

Courses:

• 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

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. 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.

Click here to view the embedded video.

To mark the release, NI just unleash a series of tutorials introducing, explaining, and offering tips for S4 – from how to install and activate the Traktor S4 software and connecting the sound output correctly to an overview on browsing and loading tracks into the S4’s track decks and beat matching and mixing.

Traktor Kontrol S4 Part 1/4: Getting Started

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Traktor Kontrol S4 2/4: Playing Your First Track

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Traktor Kontrol S4 3/4: Mixing In A Second Track

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Check out Dubspot instructor and 2x DMC champ DJ Shiftee previewing the S4 in August and performing special routines using the Sample Decks and Loop Recorder, and outlines his 5 favorite features!

The Traktor Kontrol S4 DJ System in Action

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“Shiftee’s Fav 5 New Features”

1.  Sample Decks.
Holy moly these are a lot of fun!  One-shots, synced looping options, cue-point style triggering, group filters & volume control, individual sample filters and volume controls, the list goes on and on!  You can even scratch the samples with the jog wheels!  I also love that each sample deck has its own mixer channel, so you can EQ and cut up your sample/loop compositions.  Did I mention the loops stay in sync with your tracks regardless of tempo!?!?  I can’t wait to incorporate samples of me making sandwiches into my DJ sets.

2.  Loop Recorder.
This takes me back to my loop station days.  Build your own loop combinations and live remixes using this feature.  The Dry/Wet feature is particularly dope: make a remix and go back and forth with the original.  It also has a slick undo/redo feature where you can remove and add your latest loop layer.  Fun Idea: Use the sample players in conjunction with the loop recorder to bang out your own drum patterns for your remixes.  Extra Fun Idea: Rap over your new beats with transpose effect pitched down to sound like a G.

3.  New Sync.
Traktor Pro S4 has a new sync ability, namely you can now load into a synced deck.  In other words, SYNC now is independent of phase.  You can scratch and drop in the normal way knowing your tracks are matched with tempo.  For the deckless DJs out there, have no fear.  There’s still a synchronous start, meaning if you hit play from a stopped deck it will play in phase.  Also, phase syncing is still an option.  If you still have your socks on, I don’t know what to tell you.  If you don’t own socks, I recommend argyle.

4.  New GUI
Traktor Pro S4 has a new GUI that looks like Xzibit and the Pimp My Ride crew teamed up with Tyra Banks and America’s Next Top Model to give Traktor a full body makeover.  Inner and outer beauty in full effect, while still maintaining its original essence.  Slick new color choices and lots of nice subtlety involving menus and buttons.

5.  Built-In Filters
The Kontrol S4 has built-in channel filters that must have been made by Outkast because they sound oh “so fresh and so clean clean.”  The filters are direct, in other words, you can feel the end points of the knobs.  2 thumbs up, 1 big toe up (one of my big toes is currently injured, so I can’t raise it, otherwise we’d have a 2 thumb + 2 big toe up scenario).

I personally can’t wait for this bad boy/girl to have real deal turntable compatibility.  In the meantime, sandwich samples, here I come.”

Tomorrow, October 26th, Ableton and Serato will kick off The Bridge Tour 2010, a series of events taking place in several North American cities that will celebrate the official release of the co-developed DJ/producer program The Bridge. The celebration starts here in NYC tomorrow at Webster Hall with the incredible Rob Swift of the legendary X-Ecutioners, Dubspot Instructor DJ JP Solis, and special guests. Other stops include Los Angeles, San Fransisco, Miami, and Montreal with topnotch DJs and producers including Poirier and Lunice in Montreal, and DJ Revolution and DJ Spider in Los Angeles.

The Bridge Tour will travel to 8 cities in North America with product demonstrations to showcase The Bridge, the collaborative DJ/producer program co-developed by Ableton and Serato. Product specialists and clinicians will present the many diverse features of the program such as producing mixtapes and remixes, as well as performing live integrating both Serato Scratch Live and Ableton Live. Designed to capture real-world experiences, artists participating in the tour include Rob Swift, DJ Revolution, DJ Spider, DJ Tina T, Poirier, Lunice, and many more.

Tuesday, October 26 at 7p
Webster Hall with DJ Rob Swift, JP Solis, & Special Guests
124 East 11th St, NY 10003

Thursday, October 28 at 8p
Turntable Lab with DJ Revolution, DJ Spider & Special Guests
424 1/2 N. Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles 90036
(afterparty at SPiN Hollywood hosted by Turntable Lab)

Tuesday, November 2 at 8p
Wonder Bar with Special Guests
186 Harvard Ave, Allston 02134
(afterparty at Wonder Bar hosted by Music Ecology)

Thursday, November 4 at 8p
Minna Gallery with J-Boogie & Special Guests
111 Minna St, San Francisco 94105

Tuesday, November 9 at 8p
Platinum Records with DJ Tina T
915 E. Pike St, Seattle 98122

Wednesday, November 10 at 8p
Hoy Como Ayer with DJ Rob Swift
2212 SW 8th St, Miami 33135

Tuesday, November 16 at 8p
Studio Le Space with Lunice, Poirier and Rilly Guilty
4532 ave Laval, Montreal, Quebec

Thursday, November 18 at 8p
Spybar with DJ Spider
646 N. Franklin St, Chicago 60654

The Bridge Tour is free to the public. Various after parties associated with the tour may include admission fees. For more information and to register for an event, visit The Bridge Tour 2010

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Ableton and Serato present The Bridge — a natural link between Ableton Live and Serato Scratch Live. Ableton’s Jeff Milligan shows how The Bridge spans the gap between DJing and playing a live set, by allowing DJs to seamlessly integrate Ableton Live into a Serato Scratch Live setup.

Shiftee’s Excellent DMC Adventure

Alright, here it is! Two-time DMC World Champion and Dubspot Instructor DJ Shiftee takes the legendary gold turntables on a time-traveling journey through DMC history. Shiftee’s performance in this video is nothing short of extraordinary. “This video is a tribute to all the incredible DJ Champions from DMC’s glorious history.  I’ve spent countless hours over the years studying masters like Roc Raida, Q-bert, Craze, and A-Trak.  My goal: to one day stand in their shoes.  Literally.”

PRAISE FOR “THE GOLDEN YEARS”

“One of the most memorable events in DMC history.” – Tony Prince, DMC Founder

““YOU ARE CRAZY!!!! THAT NEW ONE ISSSSS CRAZY!! HAHAHA …. IM STILL LAUGHING!!”  – Craze, 1998/1999/2000 DMC World Champion

“Shiftee killed it, what an original idea. Brings back great memories. But also, the routine is ill! RIP Roc Raida.” – A-Trak, 1997 DMC World Champion

“I love originality, that’s why I love DJ Shiftee and this video.” – Q-Bert, 1992/1993/1994 DMC World Champion

“I haven’t been entertained like this in quite a while.  The styles, personalities, and energy are all there in great detail and accuracy!” – Cutmaster Swift, 1989 DMC World Champion

CREDITS for DJ Shiftee The Golden Years

DJ Shiftee
http://djshiftee.com
http://twitter.com/djshiftee
http://facebook.com/djshiftee
http://soundcloud.com/shifteemusic

PRODUCER/DIRECTOR: John Carluccio
http://cinqua.com
http://battlesounds.com

SPONSORED BY: Dubspot DJ/Production School
http://dubspot.com

DJ Shiftee “Hot Chip DMC Routine” Tutorial/Breakdown

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DJ Shiftee breaks down his routine using Hot Chip’s “Out at the Pictures” as seen in The Golden Years video.