EKS XP5 + Traktor Pro

This winter I found a sweet deal for 2 EKS XP5’s, this summer I scored a sweet deal at Native Instruments for Traktor Pro.

Sure, EKS’ MIDI driven DJ-controllers the XP5 and XP10 have been around for a while, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting them. I’ve been wanting a few of them ever since their release years ago, and recently I was able to buy them for a very nice price! (Thanks, internet.) Last month was Native Instruments’ “kickstart your summer”, which meant I could upgrade my Traktor DJ Studio 3 to Pro for next to nothing. 50% off for LE users, 65% for users of (the full) DJ Studio 1, 2 or 3.

I use my EKS XP5 controllers in two configurations, internal mixing using Traktor Pro and my M-audio X-Session-Pro for mixing and effects, and external mixing using Traktor Pro and a DJ mixer like one of the Pioneer DJM series and a KORG Nanokontrol for effects. Though, I prefer the second set-up; mixing externally, for it’s sound quality (endless debate about this subject, here), the feel of real hardware and the use of the mixer’s own built-in sound-effects. The effects supplied by the mixer itself also make up great for the lack of master effects in Traktor DJ Studio & Traktor Pro. EKS and Traktor Pro supply their one midi-configurations for the EKS XP5 (and XP10) for single or multiple XP controllers, but I prefer using yet another set-up by a Native Instruments forum user called lourma. I then edited the button-layout to match my demands and make it work like it did when I was using it to control Traktor DJ Studio 3.

The wheel to nudge and scratch the track works brilliantly in combination with Traktor’s midi capabilities. Allowing for all kinds of functions to be assigned to it using midi-pages like, effects, setting a high or low sensitivity for slight nudges or a hard backspin, and of course choosing the tracks from your library of music. I set loops using the controller and jump around the tracks using nothing but the XP5’s. Change the pitch, apply effects, it’s all possible combing Traktor Pro and the EKS XP5’s. However, the device does have it’s drawbacks. The buttons are a bit hard. But they don’t take much effort to be pressed, which makes up it. The controller is pretty lightweight, making it a no-go for a DJ who likes to play his or her tunes vigorously. All round it’s a bit on the small and light side of things, making it look less impressive than it really is. And last of all, the supplied USB cables are not the best around, one of them breaking after only a few months of use and only a few gigs where I used them. Not the biggest of issues, but having the cable break in the middle of my performance was very frustrating. (Which taught me the following, A-L-W-A-Y-S bring a spare pair of USB cables type A – B, male – male.)

The last months I’ve been using the XP5 controllers and Traktor many times for practice and gigs and they will be my main weapons of choice the following months during my performances in Japan. For now I can say that the combination of these machines and Traktor DJ Studio (3) or Traktor Pro produces a mixing powerhouse. Traktor has grew a lot in the transition from DJ Studio 3 to Traktor Pro in departments like effects and looks. The layout feels more intuitive and looks more tidy. Though I’d wish for the controllers to be a little bit more big and heavier. Not that I use them heavy-handedly, but because they look so fragile because of it. I’m guessing the Otus made up for this, but I’m not using the Otus, I’m using the way cheaper white XP5, two of em in fact. Which brings me to my final-final thought: Modding it, or building a heavy flight case to make up for the lack of weight. Browsing the web I found out that modding the device isn’t easy, which leaves me with finding or building flight cases for the devices. Anyone know any good ones?

Latest DS Synths & Applications – Seno DS & TonesynthDS

A rundown of the latest music related homebrew for Nintendo DS: Seno DS and TonesynthDS.

Starting with TonesynthDS, a work in progress showing a lot of potential. Using basic waveforms, volume and modulation options like AM and ring modulation it does create some very warm sounds very usable in everyday productions. Load these samples in Ableton’s sampler or just chop them up using the arrangement view and you’ll have some original sounds not found in today’s sample packs. The only downside is the lack of an option to save your work. But, that will be fixed in an upcoming update as it still a work in progress. (Looking forward to that update!!)

Get your copy and the latest updates on the development at: TonesynthDS

Seno DS aims to be a whole DAW in itself, offering the option to create riffs, mix the volume and change parameters like ADSR and monophony, polyphony and trigger settings, LFO and the ability to transpose sounds. It’s looks aren’t as slick as, for instance, Nitrotracker, but it gets the job done and feels very reminiscent to the Playstation classics, “Music” and “Music 2000″.

To be able to use my Nitrotracker sample-kits in Seno DS, they have to be converted to mono first… So, I decided to save you all the hassle. Check out my downloads for more information. (How to load them up in Seno DS will also be explained there.)

Get it at: Seno DS

My new toys – Roland MC-303 & TR-606

With some help from my love I purchased these. She and her friend helped me order these on the web and they were waiting for me on my arrival in Japan the seventh of September.

Roland TR-606

Roland MC-303

Both are such cool machines to work with and both hold some surprises when playing around with them. The TR-606 is fully analog and the MC-303 is a rompler, meaning the TR-606 uses oscillators and modulation to create it’s sounds and the MC-303 gets it’s sounds from a memory bank. A lot of great vintage sounds can be found inside.

KORG DS-10 Plus

A much wanted and sought after video-game application for Nintendo DS, KORG DS-10. AQ Interactive released a new version version for both DS and DSi just short of a month ago; KORG DS-10 Plus.

This version promised a few improvements over the original when played on the normal Nintendo DS, but the main core of the application is in the DSi version. The same game-card can be used for both systems and the DSi version is fully backward-compatible, meaning that when linking up the systems for multi-play, both “games” will sync-up it’s tempo and thus you can still use your old version to create tracks on multiple DS’s. For more on it’s features, I’m gonna let Denji Sano do the talking in his Keynote: Take it away Denji!

Allowing up to four DS to be synced. When used wisely, like say, via à 4 channel mixer, one could create a very interesting song created on four separate KORG DS-10’s, all running in sync. The DSi version features the same stuff you already knew from the original DS version, but, everything in dubbles. Twelve instead of six channels, four instead of two synths, eight instead of four drum-tracks and so on. When used with the new DSi “Dual-mode” this would mean, technically, you could have 8 KORG’s all synthesizing in tune and in time with each other. That’s some bang for your buck! Unfortunately, I don’t have a DSi yet, so I could not test the DSi features myself.

I ordered KORG DS-10 Plus on Amazon, costing me only ¥3150. But expect retailers (if sold in a store at all… Remember how many shops sold DS-10?) to squeeze about €45,- out of your wallet, or I guess, about $50,-. So I recommend ordering the application via the good ol’ internet. Remember that this is a Japanese release, and so the manual will be in Japanese. If you want an English manual, you’ll have to wait for Q1 2010 for an American and European release. But if you already used the original version and read the original manual, you won’t find any surprises in this installment.