Anyone can be a DJ with Traktor

For those of you who don't know, Native Instruments 'Traktor' is a Professional DJ software program enabling control over digital music; whether it be mp3, aac, wav or aif. The program has a plethora of features from looping, cue points, effects units, to tempo control and synchronisation. It's this 'sync' function that has many thinking that just because there is now a program which people can buy for €300 including a high-quality sound card for the audio to be passed through your mixer, they think the program is going to do everything for you; that somehow the job has become easy and that anyone can jump behind a PC and start rocking a party like nobody has ever done before or at least just as good.

I'm not quite sure where this ideology has come from; maybe it comes from being around a mate's house who's got a bit of DJ equipment in their bedroom and enjoy's spending hours mixing tracks instead of watching the deluge of diarrhoea that gets splattered through the airwaves every night. They play what they want, when they want and to help them along they hit the 'sync' button so it sounds a bit more pleasing to the ear. We also have the Old school crowd who spent years perfecting their sense of rhythm in order to beat match two tracks in a blink of an eye. For some apparently; this new form of media is sub-standard to the traditional two decks and a mixer in many ways, from quotes such as "you're not spinning anything anymore". To "The audio isn't as Hi-Fi as vinyl". We have the new school CDJ Disc-Jockey's who also jump on the audio quality band wagon but also have the audacity to say "These new laptop DJs are just pushing buttons". Which  is exactly what the same DJ does with their CD player. The problem with DJ software is that public perception combined with the lack of knowledge and a new wave of lazy hobbyist DJs has created a poor impression of a DJ turning up to an event and opening up a laptop. Don't get me wrong I personally think that if you've booked a DJ for your event and they turn up with just an iPod in one hand and a Laptop in the other then that person shouldn't be charging anything for playing music at your party. Using DJ software so you're not breaking your back lugging CD's and Vinyl everywhere is one thing. Not using the right tools for the job is a completely different ball game and it is this principle that has generated such mixed views.

Twenty years ago it was easy; vinyl, turntables, mixer. Then some guy got flashy and started to mix the records together so there was seamless music all night. Another DJ started to manually loop Two pieces of vinyl, then another DJ recreated a tape-echo effect by juggling those Two records. These were the pioneers of what the DJ is today, someone who pushed the envelope and set a new standard. Those who couldn't keep up fell by the wayside and their bookings dried up. Today we now have a program that will 'sync' Two or Four tracks together but won't do it for every single record. Anything produced using a drum machine has a constant tempo and providing you've done your homework and set your 'beat grids' correctly will 'sync'. Any music produced before 1985 has a strong chance of a real drummer and that means the tempo will waver. So unless you want to set about 20 beat grids throughout a song you can't sync it. You have to manually keep your mix in beat. So all those classic soul, funk and rock songs require the same amount of dexterity from the Digital DJ as a vinyl DJ if they want a seamless mix. DJ software can't tell you when to bring the next track in, it won't tell what track should be played next. Apparently Apple think they've  got it in the bag with iTunes Genius but let me just tell you that ABBA's 'take a chance on me' does not follow Kid Rock's 'All summer long'. The top DJs of the 70's and 80's weren't just ahead of the game just because of the new found skills they had. It was because they had those skills, knew what tracks to play when to play them in what order. Just because we have DJ programs, it doesn't mean anyone can be a DJ. It still boils down to the essentials of good quality music, reliable equipment, great songs and feeling what the crowd wants. No program will ever be able to feel the vibe; ever.

Hourglass by VVooDz

Hourglass by VVooDz

The future DJ

I've been pondering this for a while now and the more I think about it the more I feel Clubs are heading for a change.

Before I get on to my epiphany I just want us to take a short trip down memory lane.
In the beginning; stuffed in the corner of a club used to be a little booth where a guy would play a record and then whilst putting on the next track he'd talk on a microphone to avoid an eerie silence. Then someone thought; hold on if I had 2 record players I can keep a constant flow of music. The record players belonged to the club and the DJ would turn up with his carefully selected songs that he thought were going to have people dancing till they dropped.
Then someone worked out how to get 20 songs on a plastic disc the size of our hand. For years there were arguments about CD's being cold and synthetic and vinyl was warm and still retained that Hi-Fi sound that digital recordings could never match. However many DJ's pressed ahead and bought CD's because they could bring so much more music and had a better chance of even playing a request! Pressure was put on the clubs and so the booth grew to dominate the dancehall because basically it has to hold mixers, CDJ's, turntables and all the equipment for the Light Jockey.
Then came the revolution and again DJ's aren't happy with turning up with their precious vinyl, their wallets of CD's. No; they want to shove turntables and CDJ's out the way and plug their MIDI-Controllers into the mixer, they need laptop stands and somewhere to place their Audio 8 or SL3. This doesn't just happen once but the hustle of chopping and changing happens 3 or 4 fold during an evening. You name it the DJ Brings it. Xone:4D, VCI-300, Xone:92's with X1 Kontrol units, are then replaced with a DJM800 with Traktor Scratch wax spinning wildly on dusty 1200s.
It's a technical nightmare that could so easily be avoided.

If we wind it back to the beginning all a DJ needs is a medium to play music. Like it or not vinyl and CD will not be the preferred audio source for DJ's on a global scale. Backup CD's will be replaced with iPods just so the DJ can reboot the machine should anything go wrong, which just doesn't seem to happen anymore. In fact you got more chance of a Backup CD that looks like an iceskating ring jumping than a glitch in Traktor's software these days.

When I go to gig; I take a Laptop, an iPhone, an iPod, My main mixer, a backup mixer/Midi-controller, 2 CDJ's and about 40 Backup CD's that I've put together myself. The only way my crowd will not have music is if there's a power-cut. (which has actually happened and I still had order a bottle of schnapps for the guests)

So here's the deal; what does a Digital DJ actually need to play music?
The answer is simple; an available USB slot.
Would it not be the best thing in the world to just turn up, plug your USB stick or hard-drive into a laptop and immediately start playing your tunes?
The Club can have what they want in the booth, Allen&Heath, Pioneer, Numark, Denon, MACbook, Serato, Traktor. At the end of the day all a DJ needs is something to manipulate those naughts and ones. As a DJ they should be able to use Serato just as easy as Traktor. They should be able to use vinyl timecode just as easy as a CDJ or a jog wheel. We need to get back to the basics and that's making sure the crowd gets what the crowd wants and that my friends is good solid music that'll keep em dancing till they drop!

I hope it wasn't too long for you all...

Regards
WooDz

Allen & Heath Xone:DB4

Allen & Heath's first screen shot of the Xone:DB4 was a load of cables and the headline "Prepare yourself for the DOG'S B•LL••KS". With every new product there comes hype however; usually the end result isn't as ground breaking as the manufacturer would have you believe.

With the Xone:DB4 I'm not so sure; this is a 4 channel mixer but it's A&H's first fully digital application designed for the DJ. What it enables is up to 12 separate devices 4 analog, 4 USB and 4 digital. It's also MIDI mappable so you can operate software programs like Ableton direct from the mixer.

The EQ section is quite innovative in that it offers 3 modes. EQ-mode, which has a -26dB kill, with a gentle slope. Isolator-mode which comprises of -24dB drop out, with a sharp slope. Finally you have filter-mode which converts the EQ into filter channels to create high-pass, low-pass and resonance filters. Lowering the High and Low would ultimately create a band pass filter, so effectively you have 4 filters from 3 dials. As not to confuse the DJ the rotary dials illuminate in 3 different colours so you know instantly what mode your in. That's providing you can remember what color means what.

The Xone:DB4 also has a loop section but whereas most mixers on the market today loop a selected channel, the Xone:DB4 has a loop section on each channel. Once you push the loop button the mixer automatically records 4 bars, even if started at the smallest denominator of 1/16 of a beat, you can still extend the loop to a maximum of 4 bars; all beat synced from either the internal or external MIDI-clock.

A&H's next box of tricks is the effects unit which again is independent from the loop section and each channel has its own effects parameter setting. It means that you can set an effect to a loop or main audio signal, then add a different effect to another channel. You can even record various changes in those effects whilst playing a loop; for example filter and time on a delay effect and the loop will carry on playing your input changes. You don't just get one type of delay, you get a whole library of delays to choose from and the fun doesn't stop there either. The same goes for reverb, modulation, resonance which can give a sort of Beastie boys intergalactic style effect. Various flanger, phaser, distortion and bit-crushing effects are also thrown in for good measure. For all those DJs who just can't get enough bass and regularly visit Dubstep Anonymous you'll be pleased to know there's even an effect called infra-bass which adds a sub harmonic layer an octave lower for a very fat or phat bassline.  The effects unit itself is taken from A&H's iLive Pro touring console but has been optimized for dance music being played in a club environment as opposed to a live band playing in concert halls and arenas. Additionally there is a separate classic analog filter taken from the Xone:92 for good measure.

The Xone:DB4 has a dedicated mic input in XLR form shared with an auxiliary RCA input with a 2 band EQ. That channel can either override the other 4 channels as a talk-over option or can be assigned to channel 1 should you want to add effects to the auxiliary input or microphone. Once you go into the system setup you really get to understand how formidable the Xone:DB4 is. You can adjust the midi-clock, add or decrease the maximum headphone output, select between normal, split, pre or post EQ and effects. You can even record your mix either clean, without the mic, mixed and even a headphone mix. If you are getting some phase cancellation coming through your booth output you can invert the phase. The same goes for the master output too, except you can change the phase individually on the left and right channels. The beauty is that all those internal settings can be saved to USB so you won't have to re-calibrate everything if you go back to the same venue or another dj changes all the parameters.  The real surprise is the MIDI-configuration which looks like every single part of this digital mixer is mappable to software.

What's so Great:

For Allen & Heath's first attempt at producing a fully digital DJ mixer which can control programs like Abelton and Traktor they seem to have thought about virtually everything.

For me personally I need a separate channel for the microphone but then A&H have out done themselves by allowing me to assign it to an effects channel. This will save me a lot of money and space in not having to purchase an effects unit should I need to add a touch of reverb or delay to enhance the vocals for someone singing over a playback. I've been looking for the next step up from the Xone:92 for about 6 months and have struggled to find something that still retains that analog warmth in the EQ and filters but can also control various aspects of Traktor Pro.

How much am I gonna get stung:

When you consider that the Xone:92 still retails at over £900/€1400 and this unit is a Xone:92 plus a MIDI-controller, plus a multi-effects unit you know it's not going be easy to swallow.

If you live in the Eastend then it's going to cost an Archer but if you sweet talk your retailer you might just get a bit change back from that £2,000.

I couldn't categorically state my search is over but I've seriously started to consider what I'd get for donating a kidney.

Native Instruments Kontrol S4

So what is it.
There's quite a few press releases on this new offering from Native Instruments. So I'm going to cut it right down to the basics.

The new Kontrol S4 is a MIDI controller built and designed by Native Instruments.
It's task is to bring 4 deck control straight to the DJ's fingertips.
4 channels and integrated software control which starts from loading a song to a deck to adding loops, effects and scratching.


After that; things start to get a bit more complicated with the ability to swap your 3rd and 4th decks to 8 sample windows capable of playing up to 48 seconds of audio per sample window.
What one person can do with effectively 10 decks at their disposal could well push the world of DJing into uncharted territory.






Native Instruments have written new Traktor S4 software which works seamlessly with the unit and in the future with bring DVS control into the game. It means that the DJ will be able to add timecoded vinyl or CD to their set for even better control of the audio being played.

For the time being it looks like when the Kontrol S4 is released November 1st 2010, it will most likely be the leading control unit in the field of digital music manipulation for the DJ.
Whether Clubs will see it that way is a different matter. Pioneer is the industry standard but at over 5,000 be it Pounds, Dollars or Euro for a full DJ club setup which many DJs plug into there laptops vs. just €900 for the Kontrol S4; it makes you wonder whether times could be of a changing, should the Kontrol S4 gain a lot of respect from leading DJs such as Dubfire, Carl Cox and Ritchie Hawtin

In the beginning

So for those of you who have stumbled upon this site, welcome.


I do have a website where you can keep up to date with what I'm doing plus photos and videos etc. You can also find me on Twitter and Facebook too.


What you will find here is anything related to music.
You name it and I intend to blog about it.


So enjoy and if you would like information on anything in particular then please feel free to ask.


Regards
WooDz