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?
The times, they are a-changing…
I’ve been a DJ for quite some years now. I’m not very famous as of yet, but I just love mixing music and seeing people dance to it. Because I’ve been DJ’ing for longer then a few years I still own a huge amount of vinyl records. And call me melancholic if you wish, but mixing music using records, two turntables and a mixer is still my favorite way of performing. Applications like Traktor DJ and Ableton Live make it a lot easier to perform, since I don’t have to worry (much) about beatmatching and I can make loops to make the mix suite my taste. It makes it easier to focus on the set itself, instead of having to worry about two records running out of sync. Sure, I prefer vinyl, but the times have changed.
Now that I’ve learned a lot about the production of my own tracks, I still dream (like I’ve been doing since the ’90′s) about having my own vinyl records cut, producing mix CD’s and releasing white-labels to give to other (more famous) DJ’s. But again, the times have changed and actually pressing my own records is becoming less and less likely every month. Even if I would fork-out the money to press records, the number of recordstores are ever declining. I’ll just have to settle for iTunes, Beatport, Amazon MP3 and the likes if I wish to sell my music.
But this is where rights & collecting agencies like RIAA and BUMA start to piss us artists off… They are desperately trying to hold on to the “old world” of music: CD’s, vinyl, tapes and stuff. These companies made sure that you’d get whatever money you where entitled to when, for instance, your music was played on-air or was used in a TV show or was placed on a compilation. These days they are actively trying to stop the use and embedding of youtube video’s, wanting bloggers like me to pay €130,- a year for embedding six Youtube video’s. But guess who’s profiting from this move? It’s not the artists I can tell you, ’cause we artists profit from the free promotion that Youtube video’s has to offer. On top of that, most of the video’s I embed on here are Creative Commons. No one makes a profit from Creative Commons, so where does the money go then? The cake is a lie I tell ya.
In the past week I’ve been practicing hard on using Traktor DJ Studio 3.
My setup for DJ’ing consists of:
- iBook G4 1333mhz 1.5 GB RAM
- Traktor DJ Studio 3.4
- M-Audio X-session Pro for controlling Traktor DJ
- Korg Kaoss Pad 2 (Who’s BPM is synced to Traktor using a Phonic midi-hub.)
In the past, one of the first things i noticed is that using only a mouse and keyboard to control a DJ application sucked big time. So ones i got a X-session pro i created a layout for controlling the software which suites my taste. But ones i had that covered i didn’t have enough free knobs to control the effects! Well, i already own a Kaoss Pad. So using effects in the mix is sorted as well.
Later this week i will write a few useful hints for syncing Traktor DJ to external gear like a kaoss pad, or Ableton Live. For now, please listen to ‘Jean Parlette‘. A band from the Netherlands with a nice style of their own.
Today i created another mix on Ableton Live. Being used to mixing only with vinyl, and the occasinal CD, i was bored by the idea of mixing on a laptop. And when i tried Traktor DJ i was kinda right about my hunches. But sure enough, ones i found out how to DJ in Ableton, and got a controller to make use of all the midi functions available in Ableton and Traktor. I really got the hang of digital mixing.
Abletons great warping algorithm makes mixing a lot easier, due to the fact you don’t need to keep an eye on the pitch, and spend all your energy in making great transitions using the “EQ Three” or just making the audience flip-out with additional effects. It did fail to warp Shlomi Aber’s freakside however. The first section of the tune warped beautifully but ones it got to the main break it somehow thoughtit needed to play half-speed. I havn’t figured out how to fix this either, as i don’t feel like warping the whole track by hand. And changing its speed back up caused the first section to speed up as well.
These kind of troubles won’t be found in Native Instuments Traktor DJ Studio. The algorithm used in this app finds the BPM quickly. And will update it during scanning of the waveform. Every now and again it will think a (for instance) 126 BPM track is 63BPM (half speed), but will quickly change back to 126 after hitting play. The only real nag i could find was the precision of the pitch, and i not sure if i should be unhappy about it or not.. It’s so precise that i had to make small changes to the pitch more often then i have to using vinyl! This is a real drawback for me, on one hand i would like to make pitching less tedious. (I don’t make many mistakes on vinyl decks, but still.. Lesspitching is more focussing on the mix.) On the other i want the “feel” of mixing on real decks, without having to drag a hundred kilograms of vinyl with me to every gig.
There is a perfect solution to my problem though…
It’s called Traktor DJ Scratch. Two timecoded vinyl’s or CD’s combined with a low-latency soundcard and an application capable of stretching the waveform. Software and hardware like this is not new. I tried different “scratch” versions in the past, with good results. So i guess i got to invest in a 4-in,4-out soundcard and combine this with Traktor DJ Scratch. Ableton will allways be handy for productions and the occasional concept mix. So i’m still happy using it.
Traktor DJ is temporarily available for half price! For just €99 it can be yours. Through an official seller or the official website;
http://www.native-instruments.com/index.php?id=traktor3_us.
The offer is valid till the 30th of September.
Software & Hardware | JordyVision | 
07/07/2010 00:38 | 
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