You’ve seen the teaser videos, you’ve heard the rumors, you’ve read the debates, and now all the secrets have been revealed! To celebrate Traktor’s 10-year anniversary, Native Instruments has just unleashed the next Generation of Traktor Products, and the next generation of the leading digital vinyl system in the world, Traktor Scratch Pro 2!
Along with the new Traktor Pro 2, Traktor Duo 2, Traktor Scratch Duo 2, and Traktor Scratch Pro 2 software, Native Instruments have also just released the next generation of their Audio Interface family, the Traktor Audio 2, Traktor Audio 6 and the Traktor Audio 10. Lets have a look at them…
As DJing is evolving more rapidly than ever, Native Instruments is continuing to stay ahead of the times with their new Hardware and Software. Now with their new Audio Interfaces and software, the creative possibilities are endless.
Let’s take a look at what’s new in Traktor 2!
New Waveforms
One of the major goals in Traktor 2 was to make the Decks in Traktor more visible when performing on stage. Traktor 2 has adopted a new waveform technology called “TruWave” which gives you more high-resolution waveforms, and also gives you a deeper insight into the spectral qualities of the music, allowing you to “see into the music” more.
There are now four new waveforms in Traktor 2 that you can choose from. Each of these waveforms can be zoomed in on at sample level allowing you to set sample accurate beat grid markers and cue points.
I’ve found that through training some of the Traktor Endorsed artists, every artist has their own personal favorite waveform they like to use. Here are the different waveforms and a little bit about the advantages to using each of these waveforms.
Spectrum
The spectrum waveforms will give you a detailed colorful overview of your tracks, and will show you what frequencies are in the track and highlight any percussive elements and other sonic frequencies as well. The spectrum waveforms are similar to Serato Scratch Live’s colored waveforms but are much more detailed. I’ve found Spectrum to be a favorite among the Hip Hop artists. This is the waveform of choice for DJ Skribble.
Infrared
Infrared has been one of my personal favorites. With its Toxic orange glow, this looks amazing on stage. This is my waveform of choice when using two decks.
X-Ray
X-Ray comes from the Traktor S4 software, and is a black and white waveform. Out of the Artists I’ve worked with, this is a favorite waveform of The Martinez Brothers since it gives more of a simple “old school” feel to the waveforms.
Ultraviolet
This is becoming my new favorite waveform when using four decks, and is also the waveform of choice for David Morales. Ultraviolet is great for doing 4 deck mixing since there’s not too many crazy colors but you can still see what’s happening in the track since this mode still shows the frequencies clearly. Here is a 4 deck view using Ultraviolet waveforms.
You might notice that in this picture, below the decks you don’t see many controls. This is because there is now a new waveform view called “Essential” view, which only shows the basic controls such as Play, Cue/Cup (or Absolute / Relative Mode) and Loop Length. This is great for DJs who like to keep it simple, or for DJs who know what’s going on in the software based on their MIDI controller and don’t need to see everything in the software.
There are also some other new Deck Views that are worth noting:
- Micro – Only the “Stripe” is showing (Similar to a CDJ waveform display)
- Small – Only the looping buttons and play button are showing, along with a bigger overview of the waveform
- Full – Both waveforms are shown, showing the overview of the track (aka the “Stripe”) and the more zoomed in version of the waveform is showing, showing a zoomed in view of where you are in the track. Also the loop buttons and transport buttons (play / cue / cup / absolute mode / relative mode) are shown.
- Advanced – This shows everything that is shown in Full mode, except the “Advanced” panel has been added which gives you more control over your cue points, loop manipulation, and has a beatgridding section as well.
Another cool feature in Traktor 2 is the different “Grid Modes”. The Grid lines in Traktor are the white lines that show every beat or transient (kicks, snares etc) in the track. You can choose if you want to see these lines or not. There are three different Grid Modes: Full, Dim, Ticks and Invisible. Here is a picture of the “Tick” mode.
Another improvement in regards to cue points is the option to “Store Beatmarker as Hotcue.” A lot of Traktor artists that I train do beatgrids and load markers for every track they play. The problem is that a lot of the time, the beatmarker and load marker usually fall on the same beat.
With the “Store Beatmarker as Hotcue” turned off, the beatmarker no longer takes up an extra hotcue slot, so you can have a beat marker and load marker or cue point all on the same beat without taking up two hotcue slots in your cue section.
Scope Views
Another new edition to the Decks in Traktor Scratch Pro 2 is the new “Scope Views.” The “Scope” is where you can see a visual picture of the timecode signal coming from your turntable or CDJ. It is very handy for troubleshooting since it will tell you if you if an RCA cable isn’t plugged in, if your needle is dusty, or if you are in the wrong input mode in the Traktor software. The new Scope in Traktor 2 is a lot cooler looking than its predecessor. Here is a look at the new scopes.
You can additionally minimize the scope by clicking on the little arrow inside the scope record to show more of the waveform.
Syncing Improvements
One of my favorite new features, and probably the most significant update in Traktor Pro 2 is the new syncing ability when using timecode. In previous versions of Traktor it was not possible to keep sync on permanently when using timecode CDs on Vinyl due to the nature of a turntables constantly fluctuating in pitch. Traktor now has a new “Soft-Sync” feature that allows you to keep sync permanently on when using timecode, and Traktor will keep the BPM’s permanently Sync’d for all of the decks without syncing the phase.
With the new Audio 10 DJ, which has 4 phono preamps, you can now mix 4 Traktor Decks using 4 Turntables and play all 4 turntables in perfect sync all night without even having to set beatgrids for your tracks! You would simply turn the sync button on for all 4 decks and the BPM’s would be matched automatically for you all night. All you would have to do is nudge the platter of the turntable until the beats are locked and they will never go off beat!
Another handy feature as far as the Syncing goes, is the option to “Sync Phase when exiting loop.” This comes in handy if you are using small loops that are under 1 beat in length. When you are looping at these small lengths, the deck might temporarily go out of sync, but as soon as you turn the loop off, this setting will turn the sync back on, and everything will re-allign.
Sample Decks and Loop Recorder
One thing that might have thrown Traktor users for a loop (no pun intended) when Traktor S4 was released was the new Sample Decks and Loop Recorder. One question on the mind of all Traktor users was “If I don’t have the Traktor S4 hardware and software, when will I be able to use the loop recorder and sample decks? Well, now your prayers have all been answered! Traktor 2 now features the powerful new Sample Decks and Loop Recorder.
In Traktor 2, you can turn any of the 4 decks into Sample Decks or even use them as “Live Inputs,” which allows you to play actual CDs or Vinyl records through that Deck. To do this, you would just click on the letter inside the deck and use the drop down menu and choose what kind of deck you want to use, and if that deck is going to be controlled by timecode or not.
Routing Audio
Speaking of Routing Audio, one of my favorite features is that you can now combine multiple decks into one output. So for example, you could run the Preview Deck through the same channel as Deck D. This is useful if you want to use the preview Deck but also want to have the option to use a 4th deck out of the same channel.
New Effects
Last but not least, Traktor 2 comes with 4 new effects to allow you to tweak your tracks out to the max! The new effects are Tape Delay, Ramp Delay, Bouncer and Auto Bouncer.
Happy Birthday Traktor!!!!
The next generation of Traktor will hit stores on April 1st, and shortly following the launch of Traktor 2 will be the worlds first online Digital DJing with Traktor class with myself, DJ Endo and DJ Shiftee, and the entire class will be taught using the new Traktor 2 software.
Digital DJing with Traktor Program
Three levels / 12 sessions / 21 hours of hands-on instruction + labs
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.
Courses:
- 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
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.
