NATIVE INSTRUMENTS 3.2 TRAKTOR Operation Manual
TRAKTOR 3.2 is a professional software DJ solution that gives you the freedom to explore your creativity. The software features 4 decks, a built-in 4-channel mixer with effects, and a powerful track browser that lets you easily search and browse your music library.
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TRAKTOR 3.2
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of NATIVE INSTRUMENTS GmbH. The software described by this document is subject to a License Agreement and may not be copied to other media. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or otherwise transmitted or recorded, for any purpose, without prior written permission by NATIVE INSTRUMENTS GmbH, hereinafter referred to as NATIVE INSTRUMENTS.
All product and company names are trademarks of their respective owners.
Furthermore, the fact that you are reading this text means you are the owner of legal version rather than an illegal, pirated copy. It is only through the loyalty and honesty of people like yourself that NATIVE INSTRUMENTS GmbH can continue to develop and create innovative audio software. On behalf of the entire company, thank you very much.
Special thanks to the �eta Test Team, who were invaluable not just in tracking down bugs, but in making this a better product.
© NATIVE INSTRUMENTS GmbH, 2006. All rights reserved.
Germany USA
NATIVE INSTRUMENTS GmbH NATIVE INSTRUMENTS North America, Inc.
Schlesische Str. 28
�-10997 �erlin
5631 Hollywood �oulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90028
Germany USA [email protected] [email protected]
www.native-instruments.de www.native-instruments.com
Table Of Contents
1 Table of Contents ............................................................................ 5
2 Manual Introduction ........................................................................ 5
3 Installing TRAKTOR 3 ..................................................................... 6
3.1 Installing TRAKTOR 3 under Mac OS X ........................................ 7
3.2 Installing TRAKTOR 3 under �indows ........................................11
4 Quick Start....................................................................................14
4.1 Starting the Software ............................................................14
4.2 Audio Setup .........................................................................14
4.3 Test �rive TRAKTOR 3 ..........................................................19
5 User Interface .............................................................................. 22
5.1 Features and Terminology .................................................... 22
5.2 Knob and Fader Control........................................................ 26
5.3 Adjusting the Look of Traktor ................................................ 29
6 Using the Track Browser ................................................................ 38
6.1 Importing your Tracks........................................................... 38
6.2 Preparing your �� set with Playlists and Favorites .................... 43
6.3 Keeping an overview while performing .................................... 48
6.4 Managing your Track Collection ............................................. 53
6.5 �eatport™ -Online �ance Music Store™ .............................. 63
7 Controlling the Decks .................................................................... 66
7.1 Mouse Modes...................................................................... 66
7.2 Regular Cue Points ..............................................................69
7.3 Cue Points with Special Function ............................................71
7.4 Defining and Using Beatgrids .................................................72
7.5 Manually Adjusting the Track Tempo .......................................76
7.6 Matching �eats with Sync and Pitch �end ...............................81
7.7 Using the Phase Meter ......................................................... 84
7.8 Matching the Key of your Tracks ............................................ 84
7.9 �eatjump ........................................................................... 86
8 Controlling the Mix ........................................................................ 88
8.1 The Internal 4-Channel Mixer ................................................ 88
8.2 EQing the Mix ..................................................................... 93
8.3 Additional Outputs ............................................................... 95
8.4 Using an External Mixer ....................................................... 96
9 Advanced TRAKTOR Functions ........................................................97
9.1 Looping �ithin Tracks ...........................................................97
9.2 Add Life to your Mix with Effects ..........................................103
9.3 Audio Recording .................................................................112
9.4 Native Mix Recording ..........................................................116
9.5 Controlling Traktor with MI�I and Hotkeys .............................122
9.6 Synchronizing external Hardware and Software ......................130
9.7 �roadcasting ......................................................................134
9.8 Autoplay ............................................................................136
10 Preferences ...............................................................................139
10.1 Audio Setup .......................................................................139
10.2 �eck Preferences ...............................................................139
10.3 �rowser Preferences ...........................................................142
10.4 Recording ..........................................................................144
10.5 �roadcasting ......................................................................144
10.6 Hotkey and MI�I Setup .......................................................145
10.7 Appearance .......................................................................146
10.8 External Sync .....................................................................147
11 Troubleshooting .........................................................................148
12 Tips Tricks .................................................................................161
12.1 Recording the Microphone ...................................................161
12.2 Vinyl �rake Effect ...............................................................161
12.3 Playing Reverse ..................................................................162
12.4 �eatgridding Tracks with unsteady Tempo .............................163
13 Getting Help ..............................................................................165
14 Optimizing your Computer ...........................................................167
14.1 Macintosh Optimization .......................................................167
14.2 �indows Optimization .........................................................168
15 Hotkeys .............................................................................171
2 Manual Introduction
�ear Customer,
Thank you for purchasing TRAKTOR 3
As a legal owner of this software you contribute to the maintenance of the software and to the creation of future updates.
Today we look back at 5 years of TRAKTOR history initiated by a group of three developers in 1999. In these years, the software has grown to a serious project that covers a large variety of user profiles. Among our users are the world’s leading club ��s playing in front of tens of thousands of people, professional wedding ��s playing several days a week, producers playing their own music, the world’s leading turntablists, those using TRAKTOR as an interface between their skills and digital music and many, many amateurs that mix music in lounges, bars, at birthday parties, raves, etc.
�e are proud and thankful that we have taken TRAKTOR this far and have plans to go much further. �ith TRAKTOR 3 we want to prove to our loyal users that sticking with us was the right choice, and for our new users we want to prove that serious ��ing is possible with software. �e believe in the future of digital ��ing and pay close attention to the feedback and ideas our users give us via email, in the NI forums or when meeting them at NI parties.
One major user request was to break the boundaries of two playback decks with an idea more innovative than a mere third deck or sample player. The idea of four decks that could copy tracks and loops between each other was born as a generic solution for the remixing ��. A direct consequence was the need for a total redesign of the user interface as the old paradigm had reached its limits.
Usability and liability was a second major concern of most users. We identified primary and secondary controls, we increased readability, we made the layout fully modular and simplified frequently used actions. With TRAKTOR 3 we ported the project to a completely new code base, allowing us to combine the best of the past with new, more efficient implementations.
The professionalism of our users requires faders, equalizers, filters and effects that behave authentically. For this reason, we have modeled the new 4-channel mixer after nothing less than the Xone:92™ club mixer by Allen&Heath.
The characteristics of this mixer and its effects have been emulated by the leading instrument designers of NATIVE INSTRUMENTS’ “Reaktor”, giving
TRAKTOR 3 a sound quality that can compete with the best �� equipment available - TRAKTOR 3 is professional �� equipment.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 5
TRAKTORs control concept is one of the most versatile available in today’s music software. All software parameters can be controlled continuously or incrementally at various step sizes including mouse scroll wheel support, via keyboard commands, via MI�I knobs, faders, up and down buttons, encoders at different sensitivities, auto-repeat rates, inverted, accelerated...
The browser of TRAKTOR 3 has grown into an information center, allowing you to purchase music online from �eatport.com, the world’s leading portal for dance music. More and more tracks are sold exclusively as digital downloads and more and more labels provide their tracks along with metadata such as exact �PM, cue points, stripes, label information, web links and more.
TRAKTORs database is judged to be the fastest available by professional ��s working daily with over 60,000 tracks.
�e wish you a great and successful time learning and playing TRAKTOR 3
Friedemann �ecker
6 – TRAKTOR 3.2
3 Installing TRAKTOR 3
3.1 Installing TRAKTOR 3 under Mac OS X
Registration and Product Authorization
Before continuing further in this manual, you should first install TRAKTOR 3 on your computer. A step-by-step installation guide is provided within the separate Setup Guide booklet included in your TRAKTOR 3 package. There you’ll find information about how to install the application on your hard drive and a step-by-step introduction to the Service Center application. You can use the Service Center to register and activate your copy of TRAKTOR via the
Internet. The Service Center also includes an Update Manager that helps you download the most recent version of TRAKTOR. You should check regularly for updates to TRAKTOR for best performance and compatibility with other audio applications.
Demo Mode
When you start TRAKTOR for the first time, you will see the following screen:
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 7
• Choose Activate to start the NI Service Center right away. Consult the
Setup Guide for more information about the NI Service Center and activating TRAKTOR 3. Note that you have to restart TRAKTOR 3 to change from Demo Mode into Full Mode.
• Click on Buy to purchase a copy of TRAKTOR 3 in the NI online shop or at a dealer in your area. Your standard Internet �rowser will be opened and the NATIVE INSTRUMENTS website will open.
• Choose Run Demo to run TRAKTOR 3 in Demo Mode. You can see whether you’re in Demo Mode from the Demo Mode graphic in the
TRAKTOR 3 Header.
The
Demo Mode has the following restrictions:
• Audio processing stops after 30 minutes
• Audio recording disabled
• Exporting Native Mixes to wav/ aiff disabled
• Fixed broadcasting stream name
• Overall evaluation time of 30 days
System requirements and recommendations
To use the TRAKTOR 3 software on a Macintosh Computer, your system must meet the following minimum requirements:
• G4 1.5 GHz, Mac OS 10.4.x, 512 M� RAM
• 50 M� of free disk space on your hard drive
• CoreAudio compatible sound card or audio hardware
• C� �rive
• Multi-Channel Audio Interface is recommended
8 – TRAKTOR 3.2
To use all features and all �ecks without problems, we recommend you to use a Macintosh Computer with the following requirements:
• Intel Core �uo 1.6 GHz, Mac OS 10.4.x, 512 M� RAM
• 50 M� of free disk space on your hard drive
• CoreAudio compatible sound card or audio hardware
CD Drive
• Multi-Channel Audio Interface is recommended
Installation of TRAKTOR 3
• Place the installation C� in the C�-ROM drive of your computer.
• �ouble-Click on the TRAKTOR C� icon
to open the contents of the C�.
• �ouble-Click the TRAKTOR installer.
• First, the installer shows a start image. �hen you click Continue, a dialog will open in which you can choose the mode of installation as well as the destination folder.
• The default installation path is the Applications/Traktor DJ Studio 3 folder.
• Please follow the onscreen installation instructions provided.
Uninstalling TRAKTOR 3
To uninstall TRAKTOR 3 from your computer, proceed as follows:
• �elete the folder Applications/Traktor DJ Studio 3.
• Delete the file
TraktorDJStudio3.plist in Root/ Library/ Preferences.
• Delete the file TraktorDJStudio3.plist in User/ Library/ Preferences.
Afterwards empty the trash bin to completely erase the program.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 9
Backing up your data
The folder Macintosh HD/[User]/Traktor3 contains the Collection and Playlists that should from time to time be backed up by you in a separate folder.
Make sure you save as well the file Traktor DJ Studio 3 Settings.xml and your
Hotkey and MIDI configuration files (*.tks) .
Note: Please always refer to the Readme file on the installation CD as it contains last minute information that may not be available in the printed manual.
10 – TRAKTOR 3.2
3.2 Installing TRAKTOR 3 under Windows
Registration and Product Authorization
�efore continuing further in this manual, you should first install TRAKTOR 3 on your computer. A step-by-step installation guide is provided within the separate Setup Guide booklet included in your TRAKTOR 3 package. There you’ll find information about how to install the application on your hard drive and a step-by-step introduction to the Service Center application. You can use the Service Center to register and activate your copy of TRAKTOR via the
Internet. The Service Center also includes an Update Manager that helps you download the most recent version of TRAKTOR. You should check regularly for updates to TRAKTOR for best performance and compatibility with other audio applications.
Demo Mode
When you start TRAKTOR for the first time, you will see the following screen:
• Choose Activate to start the NI Service Center right away. Consult the
Setup Guide for more information about the NI Service Center and activating TRAKTOR 3. Note that you have to restart TRAKTOR 3 to change from Demo Mode into Full Mode.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 11
• Click on Buy to purchase a copy of TRAKTOR 3 in the NI online shop or at a dealer in your area. Your standard Internet �rowser will be opened and the NATIVE INSTRUMENTS website will open.
• Choose Run Demo to run TRAKTOR 3 in Demo Mode. You can see whether you’re in Demo Mode from the Demo Mode graphic in the
TRAKTOR 3 Header.
The Demo Mode has the following restrictions:
• Audio processing stops after 30 minutes
• Audio recording disabled
• Exporting Native Mixes to wav/ aiff disabled
• Fixed broadcasting stream name
• Overall evaluation time of 30 days
System requirements and recommendations
To use the TRAKTOR 3 software on a PC computer, your system must meet the following minimum requirements:
• Pentium III or Athlon 1 GHz, �indows XP Service Pack 2, 512 RAM
• 50 M� of free disk space on your hard drive
• ASIO or MME compatible sound card or audio interface (Multi-Channel
Audio Interface)
To use all features and all �ecks without problems, we recommend you to use a �indows PC with the following requirements:
• Pentium IV or Athlon XP 2 GHz,
�indows XP Service Pack 2, 512 RAM
• 50 M� of free disk space on your hard drive
• ASIO or MME compatible sound card or audio interface (Multi-Channel
Audio Interface)
12 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Installation of TRAKTOR 3
• Place the installation C� in the C�-ROM drive of your computer.
• Use the �indows Explorer to browse the contents of the C�.
• Start the installation by double-clicking on Setup.exe.
• Follow the onscreen instructions.
The setup program will lead you through the installation process. As the path for installation the setup will suggest
C:\Program Files\NATIVE INSTRUMENTS\
TRAKTOR 3. You can also choose another destination folder if you wish.
Uninstalling TRAKTOR 3
To uninstall TRAKTOR 3 from your computer, use the following steps:
• Open C:\Program Files\NATIVE INSTRUMENTS\TRAKTOR 3.
• �ouble Click the
Unwise tool to begin Un-installation.
• Choose Automatic from the following dialog.
Backing up your data
The folder My Documents\TRAKTOR 3 contains the Track Collection and
Playlist files that should from time to time be backed up by you in a separate folder.
Make sure you save as well the file Traktor DJ Studio 3 Settings.xml and your
Hotkey and MIDI configuration files (*.tks) .
Note: Please always refer to the Readme file on the installation CD as it contains last minute information not available in the printed manual.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 13
4 Quick Start
4.1 Starting the Software
• Mac OS X: Go to Macintosh HD > Applications > TRAKTOR 3 and double-click on the TRAKTOR 3 program icon.
• Windows: Go to Start > Programs > NATIVE INSTRUMENTS TRAKTOR 3 and click the TRAKTOR 3 program icon.
4.2 Audio Setup
When TRAKTOR 3 first starts, you will be prompted to configure the
Audio
Setup. It is recommended to use TRAKTOR 3 with a multi-channel audio interface so that you can pre-listen to a track in your headphones before bringing it into the main mix. However, you can also use your built-in soundcard and run TRAKTOR 3 without the ability to pre-listen (or Cue) tracks.
Setting up the Output with your Built-in Sound Card
�y default, TRAKTOR automatically assigns the Monitor Output to your built-in sound card. To verify the correct setup of your output channels, play one of the included Demo Tracks:
Note: The included Demo Tracks are displayed in the List Window (bottom portion of the TRAKTOR interface).
14 – TRAKTOR 3.2
• Right-/ Ctrl-Click on a Demo Track in the List Window and choose
Load Track in Deck A. This will load the track in Deck A, and the track
Waveform will be displayed.
• Click the Play button underneath Deck A.
• You should hear output from your speakers.
• If the Waveform does not scroll from right to left after you press the Play button, your Audio Setup is incorrect - refer to the following paragraph and verify your built-in sound card settings.
1• If the Waveform does scroll from left to right, but you hear no sound on your built-in speakers, you may have accidentally moved a knob or fader in the mixer and turned down the volume.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 15
Verifying your Output Setup when using the Built-in Sound Card
• In the
Preferences menu, click the Plus (+) sign next to Audio Setup in the tree on the left.
• Click on Soundcard in the tree on the left.
• Click the arrow to drop down the
Audio Device menu and select your built-in sound card.
• Confirm with Apply.
• Click on
Output Routing in the tree on the left.
• Make sure Mixer Mode is set to Internal.
• In the
Monitor section, select the 2 outputs of your built-in sound card, one for the left and one for the rig ht channel.
• Confirm with Apply.
• Close the Preferences with
OK.
Configuring your External Sound Card
If you use an external multi-channel sound card you have to setup more than one pair of outputs:
• From the Preferences menu, click the Plus (+) sign next to Audio
Setup.
• Click on Soundcard.
• Click the arrow to drop down the Audio Device menu and select the sound card you want to use.
16 – TRAKTOR 3.2
• �indows sound cards often come with different types of drivers.
TRAKTOR 3 requires a fast response of the audio signal, and you should therefore use the ASIO drivers that come with your sound card
(if available).
• For Mac OS X, simply select the name of your soundcard.
Configuring the Outputs of a Multi-Channel Sound Card
• From the Preferences menu, click the Plus (+) sign next to Audio
Setup in the tree on the left.
• Click on Output Routing in the tree on the left
• Make sure Mixer Mode is set to Internal.
Monitor Outputs
The Monitor Outputs are used to pre-listen to a track by headphones. They are controlled by the PhVol (Phones Volume) and PhMix (Phones Mix) knobs in the internal mixer of TRAKTOR 3.
• Click the arrow next to Monitor Left (Mono) and choose Output 1 of your sound card.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 17
• Click the arrow next to Monitor Right and choose Output 2 of your sound card.
• You can now monitor or pre-listen to tracks through Outputs 1 and 2 of your sound card.
Note: It is useful to assign Outputs 1 and 2 for monitoring, as many sound cards with headphones connectors identify them as Outputs 1 and 2.
Master Outputs
The Master Output is an output pair directed at the audience. It is controlled by the Channel Faders and the main Crossfader in the internal mixer of
TRAKTOR 3.
• Choose TRAKTOR Preferences > Audio Setup > Output Routing.
• Select Internal for internal mixer mode.
• Click the arrow next to Master Left (Mono) and choose Output 3 of your sound card.
• Click the arrow next to Master Right and choose Output 4 of your sound card.
• The Master Outputs of TRAKTOR are now routed through Outputs 3 and 4 of your sound card.
Booth Outputs
The Booth Output is an additional output pair directed to the �� booth.
In large rooms, the sound can be reflected and delayed, making exact beatmatching imprecise or impossible at all. Extra booth boxes help you mix tighter.
The Booth Output Volume is controlled by the Booth panel in the Details section.
If you don’t see the Booth panel, read more on page 19 (Details Section).
Record Outputs
The Record Output is an additional output pair you can use for the recording function of TRAKTOR 3. It is controlled by the Audio Recorder panel in the
Details section. If you don’t see the Audio Recorder panel, read more on page
19 (Details Section).
18 – TRAKTOR 3.2
4.3 Test Drive TRAKTOR 3
Now that the sound card is configured and TRAKTOR is up and running, let’s have a little fun by doing a quick mix. For this, we use the
Demo Tracks that come with TRAKTOR 3.
The
Decks are your virtual turntables, and they behave just like any �� turntable available on the market. This means that you can not only play back, stop, scroll forward and backward through your tracks, but you can also change the tempo of a track. This makes it possible to match the tempo of two titles and then mix from one to the other just like you would with two turntables and a mixer!
Test Driving on the Included Demo Tracks
• First of all, let’s load tracks into our decks:
• Click and hold on the first Demo Track in the List Window and drag it into Deck A.
• The selected track will load into
Deck A and the track Waveform will appear in the
Deck Waveform Display.
• Click and hold on the second Demo Track in the List Window and drag it into Deck B.
• The track
Waveform will appear in the Waveform Display of Deck B.
• Once we have the decks running, we can make our first attempt at mixing:
• In case you are test driving TRAKTOR 3 on your built-in sound card, turn the knob called
PhMix all the way to the right. Now the Master signal is routed to the
Monitor Output.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 19
• Make sure the Crossfader on the mixer is all the way to the left, so that only the track playing in Deck A will be heard.
• Click the Play button underneath Deck A.
• The track in Deck A will begin playing and the track tempo will be displayed in the file info section in the upper part of the deck along with other useful information.
• Underneath Deck B, click the Play button. The Demo Track in Deck B will begin to play, however, you won’t hear it in the main mix.
• The two tracks will most likely have different tempos and you will need to synchronize their tempo and beat. You can observe current beat offset in the display above the waveforms of both decks.
• Click the Sync button above Deck B.
• The tempo of the track in Deck B now matches the tempo of
Deck A.
• Click, hold and drag the Crossfader slowly to the right.
• You will hear the track from Deck B slowly blend in with the track in
Deck A, eventually becoming the main audible track.
Next, we make ourselves familiar with another important feature of TRAKTOR 3:
The Equalizer. �y using the Equalizer, it’s possible to shape the sound of a track and make the mix sound smoother:
• Put the Crossfader back to the left to hear only Deck A playing.
• Click and drag the knob labeled Low in the Channel Mixer EQ module of Deck A all the way to the left
• Now, the bass of the running track will be cut and you can only hear the mid and high frequencies
• Click and drag the knob labeled High in the Channel Mixer EQ module of Deck B all the way to the left.
• This kills the high frequencies of the track playing in Deck B.
• Click, hold and drag the Crossfader slowly to the left. Stop when you have reached the middle of the Crossfader.
• The two tracks are now playing together in the mix, however, the result sounds smoother than before because the low and the high registers of both tracks are not clashing anymore.
20 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Test Driving on Your own Music
You now have learned enough to make a few mixes with the included tracks.
As you probably already have a collection of music files on your hard drive, you might want to test drive TRAKTOR 3 with your own music. Nothing is simpler than that:
• Open a window of the Mac Finder or the �indows Explorer containing the tracks that you want to play.
• Click and hold one of your tracks and drag it from the external window to the TRAKTOR 3 window and into Deck A.
• After a short loading time you should see the Waveform of your track building up in the display.
• Click and hold one of your tracks and drag it form the external window to the TRAKTOR 3 window and into Deck B.
• Play and mix the tracks as you have learned in the previous section.
Note: You may not be able to use the Sync function with your own tracks as their tempo has to be analyzed in order for this function to work properly. Read more about the import and the �PM detection of
TRAKTOR 3 on page 41 (Defining and Using Beatgrids).
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 21
5 User Interface
5.1 Features and Terminology
�efore we dive into the wealth of features and options, let’s get an overview about the most important elements of TRAKTOR’s interface and try to understand how the basic functions work!
Application Menu
The
Application Menu gives access to basic functions and information about the software, explained in detail below.
Important: The Application Menu is not visible in Fullscreen mode, therefore all File and View options can be reached directly from the
TRAKTOR 3 graphical user interface. However, the Help menu can only be accessed from the Application Menu.
File
• Preferences: Opens the Preferences window.
• Audio Setup: Opens the Soundcard sub-menu of the Preferences.
22 – TRAKTOR 3.2
• MIDI Setup: Opens the MIDI Interfaces sub-menu of the Preferences.
• Exit: Closes the program after showing a warn message to prevent from accidentally closing the application.
View
• Layouts: Choose from 10 different layouts, that can be customized, renamed and saved to your convenience.
• Configure Layouts: Check and uncheck different options and see how te GUI changes. Find a detailed description on page 17 (Layouts).
• Fullscreen: Switches to Fullscreen Mode. Read more about Fullscreen mode on page 17 (Fullscreen Mode).
Help
• Launch Service Center: Opens the NI Service Center, where you can download updates and register your products. Read more about the
NI
Service Center in the separate Setup Guide installed in the NI Service
Center program folder.
• Open Manual: Opens the TRAKTOR 3 user manual.
• Visit TRAKTOR 3 on the web: Opens the TRAKTOR 3 website on the
NATIVE INSTRUMENTS website.
• About TRAKTOR 3: Opens the About window. It contains valuable information about the software such as the exact version number, the serial number and the license type as well as the credits. You can close it by clicking on it. Note: You can open the About window as well by clicking on the TRAKTOR 3 Logo.
Header
The
Header of TRAKTOR 3 is located directly beneath the Application Menu.
The elements contained in the
Header give access to basic functions of the application.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 23
TRAKTOR Logo
Clicking on the TRAKTOR Logo opens the About window. It contains valuable information about the software such as the version number, the serial number and the license type as well as the credits. You can close it by clicking on it.
Note: You can open the About window as well in the Help section of the
Application Menu.
24 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Layout Selector
This drop-down menu is used to switch between different screen Layouts in
TRAKTOR 3, Read more about Layouts on page 17 (Layouts).
Fullscreen Button
Use this button to switch to Fullscreen mode. Read more about how to configure
Fullscreen mode on page 17 (Fullscreen Mode).
Preferences Button
This button opens the Preferences dialog, which allows you to configure
TRAKTOR 3 to your personal needs. Read more on page 80 (Preferences).
Details Section
The Details Section is the part directly underneath the Header. This window is fully customizable and is used to display the messages window as well as many different Panels controlling TRAKOR 3. Read more about customizing the Details Section on page 19 (Details Section).
Messages Window
On the left end of the
Details Section TRAKTOR 3 offers a window for displaying a built-in guide to all features (in
Tooltip mode), or for displaying error messages and background process information (in
Console mode).
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 25
• Make sure that the small Icon in the corner of the Messages window is set to Tooltip mode.
• Hover your mouse arrow over any control feature of the TRAKTOR ��
Studio 3 interface.
• The Tooltips window will display information about that particular feature.
• Click the small Icon inside the Messages window
• The Messages window is now displaying software status information.
You can turn the Tooltips on and off by rightclicking on the Header and choosing Show Messages.
5.2 Knob and Fader Control
Although each knob and slider in TRAKTOR has its own unique purpose, their behavior is generally the same. You can control each knob or slider with your mouse or by using a MI�I controller or Keyboard-Shortcuts called Hotkeys
(explained later in the section Controlling with Midi).
26 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Knob and Fader Control
All knobs and faders in TRAKTOR are either controlled by dragging the mouse, by using the mouse wheel or by clicking the small Plus and Minus buttons next to the knob. �ragging the mouse is a good way to make dynamic changes such as subtracting the Bass-Frequencies or moving a filter cutoff, whereas the Plus and Minus buttons allow more subtle changes and are better suited to set a knob to a specific value. Using the scroll wheel can be used for very fine adjustments or for changing the parameter by steps.
Basic Control
Mouse Drag
• Hold your mouse arrow over a knob, then click + hold and drag the mouse up or down. This will move to the knob clockwise or counter clockwise.
• Click + hold and drag a knob horizontally. The knob will adjust within a finer range.
• �ouble-Click the knob to return it to its default setting.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 27
Advanced Control
�esides the standard mouse click functions explained above, TRAKTOR 3 offers advanced functions utilizing Plus and Minus buttons, the mouse wheel and the right mouse button. If you have a track pad or mouse without a second button, you can utilize these functions by pressing and holding the
Ctrl-Key while clicking.
Plus and Minus buttons and Mouse Wheel
• Each click on the Plus (+) button next to a knob moves the value of
the knob incrementally up.
• Each click on the Minus (-) button next to a knob moves the value of
the knob incrementally down.
• Turning the mouse wheel will adjust the parameter by one increment
for each step of the wheel.
Sensitivities
TRAKTOR 3 offers five sensitivities for the incremental control of parameters.
• Right-/ Ctrl-Click the Plus button to open a menu of five sensitivity
options: min, fine, default, coarse, switch.
• Select one of the options.
• Click the Plus and Minus buttons or use the mouse wheel to see how
the behavior of the knob has changed.
Right-/ Ctrl-Click Functions
• Right-/ Ctrl-Click + hold and drag a knob. A Ghost Pointer will appear in red, although the knob itself will not move.
• Keep holding the right mouse button, then Left-Click and hold. This will bring the knob to the value of the Ghost Pointer.
• Keep holding the right mouse button and let go the left mouse button.
The knob will return to its last position and the red Ghost Pointer remains visible.
28 – TRAKTOR 3.2
• If you want the knob to stay at the value of the Ghost Pointer, simply release the right mouse button after the knob has reached the value of the Ghost Pointer. The red Ghost Pointer will disappear, and you can depress the left mouse button as well.
This function is for jumping quickly between two values, such as when you want to emulate a filter sweep or if you want to keep two tracks in Sync by adjusting the tempo the same way as you would do utilizing the pitch fader of a turntable.
5.3 Adjusting the Look of Traktor
�hether you would like to take advantage of advanced features or simply wish to perform basic mixing, the TRAKTOR interface can be adjusted for your specific needs.
Scalability
The TRAKTOR 3 interface can be scaled to the size of your liking.
• Click + hold and drag the bottom-right corner of the TRAKTOR window. This will expand and/ or contract the TRAKTOR interface while simultaneously resizing all TRAKTOR sections.
Fullscreen Mode
You can use the scale method to stretch TRAKTOR to fit your whole screen or you can use Fullscreen mode. The advantage of using Fullscreen mode is that nothing on your computer screen will be visible (or controllable) other than the
TRAKTOR interface. For instance: If using a Mac, the dock will not be visible.
If using �indows, the Taskbar and start menu will not be visible.
• To enter and exit Fullscreen mode: Click the Fullscreen mode button located at the top of the TRAKTOR interface. This will fill your entire screen with the TRAKTOR interface.
• If your screen resolution is higher than 1024x768, the controls of
TRAKTOR may seem too small for you. In this case you can select
1024x768 in the TRAKTOR
Preferences menu under Appearance >
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 29
Font & Fullscreen. �ith this selected, Fullscreen mode will fill your screen with the TRAKTOR interface at 1024x768 resolution, making the controls larger and more visible.
• In the same Preferences page you can also set Fullscreen mode to default by selecting the option Switch to Fullscreen on Startup.
Layouts
A
Layout is the way in which you have the TRAKTOR interface configured. With
TRAKTOR 3, you are able to customize the workspace by switching different sections in and out of view. We recommend to use predefined
Layouts for your work with TRAKTOR to create a familiar working environment for specific tasks. TRAKTOR 3 comes with 10 different sample
Layouts, which you can reconfigure and rename for your convenience.
Switching between Layouts
• Click on the Layout box for opening the drop-down menu showing the available layouts.
• Select one of the available Layouts and observe the changes in the interface.
30 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Customizing a Layout
• Switch to the Layout that you intend to customize.
• Unlock the selected Layout by opening the drop-down menu a second time and un-checking the option Lock current Layout of the bottom of the list.
• Right-/ Ctrl-Click anywhere on the TRAKTOR Header to open a menu that shows the currently visible sections in the active Layout.
• Visible sections are checked, invisible sections are un-checked.
• Proceed to customize your Layout by checking and un-checking the different sections.
• �hen you are done, click on the Layout box and check the option
Lock current Layout.
The available options are:
• Show Details: Opens and closes the Details section. Useful if you are working with four decks and have not much space on your screen left, e.g. for the browser.
• Show Messages: Opens and closes the Tooltips/ Console box. Keep it open when you’re a TRAKTOR 3 newbie, close it if you’re already familiar with TRAKTOR 3 and use the spare place for another panel.
• Show Browser: Opens and closes the TRAKTOR 3 Browser. If you’re managing your tracks outside the TRAKTOR 3 browser, e.g. in iTunes, you might want to close the TRAKTOR 3 browser.
• Show Progressbar: Opens and closes the analyzation Progress Bar in the lower left corner.
• Show Shortcuts: Opens and closes the shortcuts to the Favorites playlists.
• Show Browser Button Controls: Shows and hides buttons for several playlist and track related functions. Find a detailed description of the
Browser Button Controls on page 32 (Browser Buttons).
• Minimize/ Maximize Deck A & B (Toggle Style): As well as a double-click on the header of a deck this option minimizes and maximizes the view of your deck, removing the overall waveform to spare place. Useful if you are working with four decks and have not much space on your screen left, e.g. for the browser.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 31
• Minimize/ Maximize Deck C & D (Toggle Style): As well as a double-click on the header of a deck this option minimizes and maximizes the view of your deck, removing the overall waveform to spare place. Useful if you are working with four decks and have not much space on your screen left, e.g. for the browser.
• Hide and Mute Deck C & D: If you only use 2 decks, especially because you have a low-end computer, check this option to save memory.
• Show Pitch Fader: Replaces the Pitch Fader with the Tempo Knob and vice versa.
• Show Mixer FX Controls: Shows and hides a selection of effect knobs and buttons for the channel effects. Learn more about the
Channel
Effects on page 59 (Add Life to your Mix with Effects).
• Show Mixer EQ Controls: Shows and hides the EQ controls. Choose from
4 different EQ emulations. Learn more about the EQ controls on page
53 (EQing the Mix).
• Show Mixer Channel Controls: Shows and hides the typical channel controls like the channel fader, cue and gain control.
• Show Mixer Master Controls: Shows and hides the Master Controls like Crossfader, the PhMix and PhVol knobs as well as controls for the
Master Effect.
• Lock Current Layout: Locks and unlocks the current Layout to make changes permanent.
Note: All these options can be reached from the Application Menu as well.
Changing the Name of a Layout
• �ouble-Click inside the Layout box
• A cursor appears allowing you to edit the current name.
• Confirm with Enter.
32 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Details Section
The Details Section has 4 individual pages that can hold as many control panels as the width of your screen permits. TRAKTOR 3 is preconfigured for screens having a width of 1024 pixels. On many current screens the
Details
Section will therefore be only partly filled.
As for the Layouts, the panels loaded into the 4 available Details pages are an example of how you can configure the interface. After spending some time with TRAKTOR, you will want to change the pre-selected panels to fit your personal needs and your style of ��ing. Here is the description of how to customize the Details Section:
Arranging, Deleting and Inserting Panels from the Details Section
• Right-/ Ctrl-Click on the panel. This will drop down a selection menu.
• Choose Close this Panel to remove the panel from the current Details page.
• Choose Move Left to move the panel to the left.
• Choose Move Right to move the panel to the right.
• Choose Make First to move the panel all the way to the left-most side of the Details Section.
• Choose an un-checked panel to insert the panel to the right of the other panels into the page.
Following Panels are available:
• View: Select here one of the four Details Pages.
• Mode: Select here the Mouse Mode for the Waveform navigation.
• Decks: Here you can focus any of the Decks and change the Crossfader assignment.
• Cue Edit: Set, save and rename Cue Points, delete them or navigate between them.
• Cue List: Direct access to the first six Cue Points of a track for easier navigation.
• BeatJump: Performs BeatJumps forward and backward depending on the jump size.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 33
• BPM: Tempo adjustment functions like setting a Beatmarker and establishing a Beatgrid.
• Channel: Channel related functions and channel input selection.
• Master: Master audio section for controlling main mixer functions
• Loop Set: Sets Loops either manually or with beat accurate length.
• Loop Slct: Handles navigation between Loops.
• Loop Move: Moves current Loop forward and backward depending on a chosen step-size.
• Loop Start: Resizes current Loop by moving Loop Start Point depending on the step-size.
• Loop End: Resizes current Loop by moving Loop End Point depending on the step-size.
• Audio Recorder: Record audio from internal mix, microphone or external mixer sum.
• Native Mix Recorder: Plays back and records Native Mix Files.
• Clock: Contains all controls for the Master Clock.
• Key: Contains controls for changing the Key of your tracks and performing time stretching.
• Channel Effect: Switch between TRAKTOR 3’s Channel Effects and adjust them.
• Master Effect: Switch between TRAKTOR 3’s Master Effects and adjust them.
• Booth: Contains controls for a monitor speaker system.
• System Info: Contains displays for the current time, the battery status and the like.
Inserting Separators
Separators are a visual help to organize panels into groups. To insert a
Separator, do the following:
• Right-/ Ctrl-Click on the panel to the right of the desired Separator position.
• Select Separator from the context menu
• To remove a Separator right-/ ctrl-click on it and choose Close this
panel.
34 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Growing Separators are helpful to build your details view symmetrical and equally spaced.
The Growing Separators are especially useful if you’re assigning panels to
�eck A and � – this way you can e.g. adjust the panels for �eck A on the left side and for �eck � on the right side.
To insert a Growing Separator, do the following:
• Right-/ Ctrl-Click on the panel to the right of the desired
Growing
Separator position.
• Select Growing Separator from the context menu
• To remove a Growing Separator right-/ ctrl-click on it and choose
Close this panel.
Note: The width of a Growing Separator depends on the number of panels you made visible in the Details Section.
Linking the selection of the Details pages to Layouts
Locked Layouts recall the Details page they have been used with. If you prefer to switch Layouts and Details pages independently, unlock your Layouts. �hen using unlocked Layouts the Details page will remain unchanged while you switch from one Layout to the other.
File Info Options
The Appearance page in the Preferences menu offers a series of options for customizing the look and feel of the interface.
The upper left part of each
Deck displays the title and artist name of the playing track. On the right side, six more fields display additional information about the track. You can display six different properties from a choice of currently 14 attributes.
To customize the File Info Options, open Preferences > Appearance > File
Info Options:
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 35
• Drop down the first box in the Top Row section.
• Select Total Time and choose Apply, then OK.
• The first Display in the Top Row will change to show the total track time.
• Follow these steps for anything in the Top or Bottom Row to customize the File Info display.
Wave Display Options
The
Waveform of a track can be customized in the following ways: Open
Preferences > Appearance > Wave Display Options
Colors
It is possible to select a color scheme for the Waveforms that fits your personal taste and working environment. �hen using TRAKTOR in daylight or with reflections on the screen it makes sense to use the highest contrast between
Waveform and background, whereas it might be easier for the eyes if you use a more subdued color variation if you are working in a dark �� booth or at home.
• Load a track into a Deck.
• Move the
Preferences window beneath the Deck.
• Choose one of the color schemes.
• Press
Apply to preview the change.
Waveform Channels
• Beats uses a single color to display the beats of the track.
• Beats and Highs uses two color shades to display beats and highs. The lighter, semi-transparent shade represents the highs, the solid color the beats.
• Beats and Envelope displays the beats and their envelopes to give a better impression of the rhythmic structure of a track.
• Press Apply to preview the change.
• Once you are satisfied with the result, click
OK to close the
Preferences.
36 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Track End Warning Time
�y setting a Track End Warning Time, TRAKTOR will flash the Waveform Stripe up to 60 seconds before a Deck stops playing. This is very helpful preventing a track running out unnoticed.
• Open Preferences > Wave Display Options.
• Set the desired amount of seconds by moving the slider next to
Track End Warning Time.
• Click OK to close the Preferences.
Variable Font Size
You can customize the Font Size used in the Browser Tree and the Playlist windows.
• Open Preferences > Appearance > Miscellaneous.
• Click on Font Size to choose between the font sizes from Small to
Huge.
• Click Apply to preview the change.
• Finally click OK to close the Preferences menu.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 37
6 Using the Track Browser
�hether you are at home, in the Studio or ��ing at a live gig, the Track Browser is designed to help manage your songs, giving you the easiest, quickest access to your songs, Playlists and Favorites.
6.1 Importing your Tracks
Managing your tracks in the TRAKTOR Collection represents a huge advantage compared to simply organizing your tracks in folders. The Track Collection is a file that categorizes and provides references to the music files on your computer, making them easily accessible through various browser features.
Importing a track into your Collection does not actually copy the music file - instead it adds the file to the Track Collection list making it easily manageable and searchable. Each row in your Collection references a track on your hard drive and contains information about the track such as its location (
File
Path) on your computer and standard ID3 tag properties such as Artist, Title,
Album, etc. However, the TRAKTOR Collection allows for even more specific information such as BPM (beats per minute), original song Key, personal
Rating and more.
If you have organized your music in a set of special folders like My Music, it is advisable to reveal these directories to TRAKTOR 3. Hereafter you can use the function Import Music Folders to synchronize TRAKTOR with recently added tracks or with a changed folder structure within this set of folders.
• Open Preferences > Browser Preferences > Data Location.
• Click Add on the bottom of the right window.
38 – TRAKTOR 3.2
• �rowse to your Music Folders.
• Confirm with OK.
• Repeat to add all of your Music Folders.
Note: Subfolders are automatically included in the scan. You don’t need to add subfolders to this list.
�o the following to import your Music Folders:
• Right-/ Ctrl-Click the Collection icon in the �rowser Tree.
• Choose Import Music Folders from the menu.
TRAKTOR 3 offers other alternative methods to import single tracks or a special folder that is not part of your conventional Music Folder structure:
• �rag and drop a track or a folder from your Mac Finder or �indows
Explorer onto the Collection icon in the TRAKTOR Browser Tree.
• �rag and drop a track or a folder from the tree structure below the
TRAKTOR Explorer icon representing all drives connected to your computer onto the Collection icon.
• In the same manner you can Right-/ Ctrl-Click on a sub folder of the
TRAKTOR Explorer icon or on a track listed in the window on the right side and choose Add to Collection from the menu.
• Any track that is played in a Deck or added to the Current Playlist is also added to the Collection.
�ithin the Collection, the tracks are detached from their physical location on the hard drive and can be represented in several independent and overlapping ways:
• Underneath the Collection icon, you can see the tracks grouped by
Artists, Releases, Labels or Genres. A number indicates the current number of tracks within this category.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 39
• A track can be contemporarily listed in several Playlists. Playlists represent a personalized sorting method often related to the circumstances for playing these particular tracks. They can be seen as your virtual record crates.
• Search results are a further way of displaying your Collection.
• Finally in the List Window on the right, tracks can be sorted by various criteria, such as BPM, Release Dates or Ratings, giving an additional value to search results.
Analyzation
The analysis scans the entire track and returns the following information:
• BPM Estimate: The BPM Estimate is more or less accurate according to the type of music. Read more about verifying the BPM Estimate and about how to create a Beatgrid in the next chapter.
• Gain Value: each track has a perceived loudness, based on its musical properties of the track and on the involved mastering techniques. The
Gain Value established during the analysis is a very accurate estimation of the optimal setting of the channel
Gain knob to match the loudness of a track to 0d�. To use this
Gain estimation when loading a track into a
Deck, enable the Auto Gain function, available in each channel
Details panel and in the Master Details panel.
• Stripe: The small representation of the Waveform underneath the wave display is created by the analysis process. If the Stripe of a track is missing it has most likely not yet been analyzed.
Auto Analysis
Open Preferences > Browser Preferences > Collection Preferences for options on automatic track analyzation.
Read more about the
Analyze options on page 82 (Collection Preferences).
40 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Data Location
As you will learn, TRAKTOR 3 has functions that create and reference certain file types. These file types are stored in their own default directories. However, you can change the directory paths by using the Data Location Preferences menu.
• Open Preferences > Browser Preferences > Data Location.
• You can change the directory path for the following file types by clicking on the button with the exclamation mark ( !) after the current path:
• Collection: the file path TRAKTOR 3 follows for loading and storing
Collection information.
• Playlists: the file path TRAKTOR 3 follows for Playlists (described in the next section).
• Recordings: the file path in which TRAKTOR 3 stores the Recordings you make in audio format.
• iTunes: the file path to your iTunes Library (this path has to be identical with the settings in your iTunes).
• Beatport: the file path in which TRAKTOR 3 physically stores all songs downloaded from Beatport through the TRAKTOR interface.
• Music: Here you can specify the location of folders and hard drives to be scanned for files such as MP3, AIFF, WAV, M4A, and more during the Music Folders Import.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 41
iTunes Import
TRAKTOR 3 allows you to import your iTunes Library as well as individual
iTunes Playlists.
• In the �rowser Tree, Right-/ Ctrl-Click the Collection icon.
• Choose the option
Import from iTunes.
• In the iTunes import menu select the Playlist that you want to import.
• You can select the lists individually or use the following pre- selections:
• Select Smart selects all dynamic Playlists (also referred to as Smart
Playlists) such as My Top Rated, Recently Played etc.
• Select Non Smart selects all normal, manually created Playlists.
• Select All selects all Playlists in your iTunes directory.
Overwriting Entries in Collection
This option should be checked, if you usually manage your tracks with iTunes and if you want that changes applied to tracks in iTunes should have priority over changes applied to the TRAKTOR 3 Collection.
42 – TRAKTOR 3.2
If you manage your tracks in TRAKTOR and you use the iTunes import only for adding new content, you should leave this option un-checked to avoid that attributes in the TRAKTOR Collection get overridden by old track attributes in the iTunes Library.
Set ‘Import Date’ from iTunes ‘Date Added’
Same here: if TRAKTOR should only be a mirror of your iTunes Library, check this option to import also the Date Added field from iTunes.
If you use the TRAKTOR Collection as your main music archive, you might not be interested in the Date Added from iTunes, but want to know when you have imported the track into TRAKTOR 3 - in this case leave the option unchecked.
6.2 Preparing your DJ set with Playlists and Favorites
Playlists
Playlists are an alternative way of organizing your Collection. Instead of creating tags for tracks and retrieving them via search strings, you can create groups of tracks inside your Collection by creating Playlists. These can be seen as virtual record crates, but contrary to a physical track contained on a vinyl record, a virtual track can be contained in as many Playlists as you want and you won’t have to put it back into the shelf. A Playlist can be shuffled or ordered in any way you like. Further advantages are saving and loading as well as exporting a playlist to transfer it to another computer.
• Right-/ Ctrl-Click on the Playlist/ Mixes folder icon in the Browser
Tree.
• Choose Create Playlist from the context menu.
• Type the name of your Playlist in the following window.
• Choose OK.
• Your new Playlist will appear as a subfolder under the Playlist/ Mixes folder.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 43
Playlist Options
By right-/ ctrl-clicking on a playlist you find the following options in the popup menu:
• Lock/ unlock the playlist. Changes in a locked playlist are only temporary and will not be saved. A locked playlist has a Lock Icon next to it. To save changes to a locked playlist you have to unlock it beforehand.
• Analyze the tracks contained in the selected playlist.
• Relocate the tracks contained in the selected playlist.
• Save the selected playlist.
• Rename the selected playlist.
• Clear the selected playlist, i.e. remove all tracks from the playlist.
• Delete the selected playlist. This will not actually delete the tracks from your track collection , it will only delete the playlist file.
• Reset Played State removes all track icons (played, cued etc.) from the icon column in the track browser.
• Add to Collection adds all tracks contained in the playlist to the collection.
• Read File Tags (Async) reads out the I�3 tags of the contained tracks. This is going on in the background and does not affect the performance.
• Write File Tags (Async) writes I�3 tags to the contained tracks, depending on the setting in Preferences > Browser Preferences > Collection
Preferences > ID3 Tag Mode. This is going on in the background and does not affect the performance.
• Add to Playlist as Next places all tracks contained in the playlist as next in the current playlist.
• Add to Playlist at End places all tracks contained in the playlist at the end of the current playlist
• Export Playlist exports the tracks contained in the selected playlist along with the playlist file (playlist_name.nml) to a place of your destination.
This way you can transport a playlist to another TRAKTOR 3 computer without losing data.
• Export Printable exports a HTML-file containing a list with the tracks of the selected playlist with customizable columns.
44 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Sorting your Playlist
You can sort the Playlist by any column of the Browser.
�hen sorting a Playlist for example by the BPM column, it will be sorted in ascending or descending order by BPM.
Rearranging Playlists by Drag &Drop
• Click-hold and drag a track in the Playlist up or down
• Observe the red line showing where the track will drop when you release the mouse button.
Note: To perform a rearrangement by drag & drop, the playlist needs to be unlocked. If you observe a
Forbidden sign when trying to drag & drop a track to another place within the playlist, you need to unlock it before.
Favorites
The
Favorites window is a customizable navigational tool and is located at the bottom of the interface. If you don’t see the
Favorites, right-/ ctrl-click on the
Header and choose Show Favorites.
Each Favorite can be assigned to a hotkey - by default these are the first 10
F-keys.
Four of the Favorites are pre-assigned and cannot be changed:
• F1: Current Playlist
• F2: Track Collection
• F9: Audio Recording
• F10: Mix Recording
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 45
You can assign any of the File Browser folders or a playlist to the remaining six Favorites (F3 – F8).
�o the following to create and use a Favorites’ folder:
• Click the Playlists folder to browse its contents.
• Click on the Demo Content folder to expose the Demo Playlist.
• Click + hold and drag the Demo Playlist name on top of the F3
Favorite icon.
• F3 will now display the Demo Playlist icon.
• From now on, you can access this folder at any time by pressing the F3 key on your computer keyboard or by clicking on the Favorite icon with the mouse.
• The contents of the Demo Playlist will then appear in the List
Window.
Note: Dragging another playlist on an already assigned favorite will
replace the favorite playlist with the new playlist.
Shift-dragging another playlist on an already assigned favorite will merge the content of the favorite playlist with the content of the shift-dragged playlist.
Note: Some computer keyboards require you to hold down the Function
(fn) key in order to use the F Keys.
Pre-listening to a Track from your Collection
�efore you load or play a track, you can pre-listen to it. This can be done while one or both Decks are playing. Sound from the Preview Player will be heard through the Monitor Outputs you have configured in the Preferences menu under Audio Setup > Output Routing.
46 – TRAKTOR 3.2
• Load a track into the Preview Player by clicking the Preview Icon in the List Window, double-clicking on the track or using drag-and- drop.
• The Preview Player will display the Waveform of the track.
• Scroll through the track by dragging the red slider through the
Waveform.
• Press the Play button to the right of the player to pause and restart playback.
• If you like the track, load it into Deck A by dragging & dropping it from the Preview Player onto Deck A or by right-/ ctrl-clicking the track title in the List Window and selecting Load to Deck A from the menu.
Note: To hear tracks played in the Preview Player over your headphones, make sure that your headphones are connected to the Monitor Outputs of your sound card and that the PhMix and the PhVol knobs in the Mixer
Section are in center position.
Note: If you don’t see the column with the Preview Icon, Right-/ Ctrl-
Click the header of the List Window and make sure that the option
‘ Prelisten’ is checked.
To remove a track from the Preview Player, click again on the Preview Icon in the List Window or double-click again on the track.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 47
6.3 Keeping an overview while performing
Especially when you are performing in front of an audience, it is important to keep an overview of your set with one look.
Track Icons
The Icon column gives valuable information about the history of a track and can be sorted to align the tracks in their historical sequence. Here is a list of each Icon and its meaning.
• A Play Button is displayed on the track currently being pre-listened in the Preview Player.
• A Diamond shows that the track is listed in the Current Playlist but hasn’t been played yet. This is modeled after the common habit of vinyl ��s that place the records they want to play in the near future in a 90 degree angle in their crate.
• The letters A, B, C, D identify the tracks currently loaded into the
Decks.
• A Check Mark means that the track had been played in one of the four
Decks.
• An Exclamation Mark identifies tracks not found at the files’ previous location. A reason for this could be that a storage medium is unavailable or that the location of the track has been changed.
• The towards the right pointing Arrow indicates that this is the next track in the current playlist.
48 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Sorting by this column orders the tracks historically:
• Already played tracks on top.
• Currently playing tracks in the center.
• Queued tracks waiting in the Current Playlist to be played underneath.
• Non enqueued tracks at the bottom.
Customizing the List Window
The content of the List Window can be sorted by any of the visible columns.
Clicking a header inverts the sorting sequence of the column.
You can hide and show 27 attributes of a track:
• Right-/ Ctrl-Click on a header of the List Window.
• Check an attribute that you would like to have represented as column in the
List Window.
• Uncheck those attributes that you want to hide.
• Repeat this action until you have configured the headers you want to be visible.
• To change the size of a column, drag the line next to it.
• To change the relative position of a column, click + hold and drag
it horizontally.
• Observe the red line indicating where the column will be inserted when releasing the mouse button.
Searching for tracks
One of the quickest ways to find a specific track is to use the Search function.
Rather than browsing through folders, you can type a key word into the Search field and let TRAKTOR search your Collection.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 49
Simple Search
• Click one time in the Quick Search field.
• Type anything related to the track you are searching for in the Search field such as Track Name, Artist Name, Album Name, etc. Hit the
Enter key on your computer keyboard. TRAKTOR 3 will search your entire Collection and display all matching files in the List Window.
• Entering more than one word will return the tracks containing all these words.
Refine
A search completed with the Enter key searches the whole Collection. You can refine a search to a specific subset of the Collection by completing the search with the selection of one category in the Refine menu:
• Type a word into the Search field.
• Click the Refine button behind the Search field and choose a field from the drop-down menu.
• The available options reflect the relevant Browser columns:
50 – TRAKTOR 3.2
• Playlist: Searches within the currently displayed Playlist only. This option can also be used for refining a search by searching only within a search result.
• All: Searches the whole Collection.
• Artists: Tries to match the search string with the Artist fields only.
• Same for Title, Genre, etc.
Magnifying Glass
In the List �indow, you will notice a small magnifying glass in many of the track property fields. This is used to search tracks in your collection with the same entry in that field.
• In the List Window, click the Magnifying Glass next to an Artists name.
• TRAKTOR will search your entire collection for tracks of the same
Artist.
Important: Clicking the Magnifying Glass next to a BPM value gives back tracks with similar BPM values, which means a range of +/- 2.5 BPM.
Beatport “Find More” Button
In the List Window, you will notice a small downwards pointing arrow in many of the track property fields. This is the Find More button, used to search tracks within the beatport store that have the same entry in that field.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 51
• In the List Window, click the Find More �utton next to an artists name.
• TRAKTOR 3 will search the beatport store for tracks of the same artist.
Note: If you don’t see the Find More button, turn on the beatport store in Preferences -> Appearance -> Miscellaneous.
Search History
�uring a TRAKTOR session, the Search function recalls each search expression you have searched for in a temporary list.
• Type in a few search expressions and confirm with Enter.
• Repeat this for a few times.
• Click the small arrow next to the magnifying glass on the left to see the list of your search expressions.
52 – TRAKTOR 3.2
6.4 Managing your Track Collection
�hether you are performing live or working in the studio, TRAKTOR 3 gives you the tools to keep your Track Collection completely organized.
Track Properties
Each track in your Collection has Properties such as Song Title, Artist Name,
Album Name, etc. TRAKTOR 3 allows you to edit and add Track Properties with two methods:
Inline editing Track Properties directly in the List Window
• In the List Window, click on a track to highlight the track.
• Click another time on the field you want to edit, e.g. the Artist Name.
• A cursor will be placed inside the text of the field.
• Edit the Artist Name and hit the Enter key on your keyboard to exit
Inline Editing mode.
Editing Track Properties in the Edit Dialog
Not all Properties of a track are visible in the List Window. To get access to all available Properties of a track, use the Edit Dialog. This dialog also allows to contemporarily edit a selection of tracks, as described further below.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 53
Editing a Single Track
• Select a track in the List Window by clicking it.
• Right-/ Ctrl-Click on the selected track and choose Edit from the pop-up menu or use the respective Browser Button.
• The List Window turns into the track Edit Dialog.
• Edit the desired information for your track.
• Use the drop-down menu next to a track Property to select a Property already stored in your Track Collection.
• At the bottom of the dialog you find a button called Restore to undo any changes you have made. To apply the changes, click the button labeled Apply or use the respective Browser Button.
• �hen you are done either confirm with OK or abort by pressing
Cancel. Of course you can use the the respective Browser Buttons here as well.
Editing a Selection of Tracks
• If you want to edit all tracks of an Album or of a Playlist, select them and choose Edit from the context menu just as you did for editing a single track or use the respective Browser Button.
• In the Edit dialog you will notice that most of the checkboxes beneath the attributes are unchecked and most of the fields void.
• At the bottom of the Edit dialog you will notice 3 new buttons called
Previous, Select All and Next. The buttons are used to browse your selection of tracks.
• The checkboxes indicate which of the attributes have the same value among the selected tracks. At the same time they indicate that the field will be written into the Collection properties when applying the changes.
• If you want to change an attribute globally for all selected tracks
(for example the way to write an Artist Name), edit the Artist field, make sure that the box beneath is checked and press the Apply button.
• If you want to edit the tracks of your selection one by one, use the
Previous and Next buttons at the bottom of the dialog to step through the list.
54 – TRAKTOR 3.2
• Clicking Restore will undo your changes.
• Clicking OK will confirm all your changes.
Writing Attributes into Music Files - ID3 Tags
As described in the introduction, the TRAKTOR Collection is a database containing references to the physical location of your tracks as well as all attribute information about them. Many music file formats, such as MP3, allow to store information about the track in the file itself. This is done by special text tags embedded at the beginning or at the end of the music portion of the file.
TRAKTOR 3 does not need these kinds of tags because all relevant information is stored in the Collection file, but as soon as you move a track to another computer the attributes of the track get detached from the music file itself.
It can therefore be useful to additionally write the properties into the track itself. Not all file types support this kind of embedded information, for instance
AIFF and WAV files do not support it.
Other file types support a proprietary format of tags, such as FLAC that
TRAKTOR 3 does not fully support yet. I�3v2, which is the name for the most common type of embedded tags used in MP3 files, is fully supported by TRAKTOR 3. More file types will be supported with future updates.
Find a complete list with all supported file formats here:
http://www.native-instruments.com/traktor.info
�riting Collection attributes into file tags should be used for:
• Transferring tracks to other computers.
• As backup of the information contained in the Collection.
Reading tags from files is automatically done when importing tracks into the Collection or when browsing tracks in the TRAKTOR Explorer. Manually triggering the readout of tags from the files is mainly used for restoring unwanted changes made in the TRAKTOR 3 Collection.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 55
Browser Buttons
Even though all functions that can be applied to tracks or selections of tracks are available in the context menu - accessed by Right-/ Ctrl-Clicking on the selected tracks - the most important functions have been provided also as buttons in a special section between the Browser Tree and the List Window, called Browser Buttons. This section can be individually hidden in your Layouts by using the method described in the Layout section:
• Right-/ Ctrl-Click on the TRAKTOR Header panel to open the selection of visible sections and uncheck the row Browser Button Controls.
• Refer to the Layout section to learn how to make this change permanent for a Layout.
The Browser Buttons are not always the same - the functions of the buttons change according to the currently selected view in the List Window.
Edit
Clicking on Edit opens the Track Edit dialog for the selected set of tracks as described above.
Analyze
Triggers the analysis of the selected tracks. The analysis scans the entire track and returns several information about it. Read more about Analyzation on page 23 (Analyzation) and 82 (Collection Preferences).
Delete
Clicking on Delete will remove the selected track from your Track Collection or Playlist.
56 – TRAKTOR 3.2
• Click on a track in the List Window to select it.
• Click on the Delete button.
• To remove more than one track, select multiple tracks in the
List
Window and click the Delete button.
Note: This will remove the track from the Playlist only. It will not delete the track from your hard drive!
The following Browser Buttons can only be accessed after clicking the Edit button or chosing Edit from the context menu:
Confirm Editing
Confirms all editing changes and returns to the playlist view.
Cancel Editing
Cancels the editing operation. All changes made after the last Apply action are discarded.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 57
Restore Metadata
Aborts current changes and restores track attributes from collection.
This is especially useful if you accidentally deleted entries in one of the attributes’ fields.
Read Metadata
Imports metadata from selected music files into the Collection.
Note: Not all file types are supported by this operation.
Write Metadata
Writes metadata information into music files. Choose from 3 writing modes in Preferences > Browser Preferences > Collection Preferences.
Note: Not all file types are supported by this operation.
Apply
The editing changes are applied and stored in the Collection.
The following Browser Buttons can only be accessed from the Beatport icon.
If you don’t see the Beatport icon, uncheck Hide Beatport in Preferences >
Appearance > Miscellaneous:
Buy Previewed Track
�uy the track currently loaded into the preview deck.
Check Downloads
Checks your download queue for uncompleted downloads.
Refresh Beatport
Refreshes the Beatport shop. Use after connection problems.
58 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Other Track Options
Relocate
Opens a dialog in which you can navigate to the folder containing the missing track(s). Very useful if you restructured your Music Folder.
Search in Playlists
Searches the selected track(s) in all playlist and returns a list with all playlists containing the selected track(s).
Add to Playlist as Next
Adds the selected track(s) as next to the Current Playlist.
Add to Playlist at End
Adds the selected track(s) at the end of the Current Playlist.
Reset Played
Clicking Reset Played will reset the display icon next to any track that has been played. It will then appear as not played. This can be used if you want to replay a track later in your set, avoiding confusion of it being marked as having already been played.
Note: The played state of your tracks will be resetted automatically after every session, i.e. closing and re-opening TRAKTOR 3 will reset the played state.
Show in Explorer/ Finder
�y Ctrl-/ Right-Clicking on a track you can choose Show in Explorer/ Finder from the context menu. This will display the track in the �indows Explorer or
Mac Finder, according to your operating system.
Consistency Check Report
The Consistency Check Report provides an overview of the current state of your Track Collection, providing options to help you managing it.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 59
• From the browser, Right-/ Ctrl-Click on the Track Collection and select Check Consistency from the menu.
• Once TRAKTOR has checked consistency, the
Consistency Check
Report will appear showing the totals of its findings.
Show Overview
• Total Tracks: The total number of tracks in your Collection.
• Tracks Missing: The total number of tracks that have been deleted from your hard drive or moved from their original location.
• Tracks Not Analyzed: The total number of tracks that have not been analyzed.
• Tracks Missing Stripe: The total number of tracks that have been imported and analyzed but their Overview Waveform (Stripe) has been moved or deleted.
• Total Tracks To Analyze: The sum total of Tracks Missing Stripe and
Tracks Not Analyzed. This is the total amount of tracks you need to analyze.
You can also view a list of Missing Tracks or a list of your Analyzed Tracks only.
Missing Tracks
• Click on the Missing Tracks tab.
• The Consistency Check Report window will display each missing track and its attributes.
• Use the horizontal scroll bar to expose more property fields.
• If you no longer want these missing tracks to be referenced in your
Collection, delete their references by clicking the Remove Missing
Tracks button.
60 – TRAKTOR 3.2
The Consistency Check Report allows you to relocate the references to tracks that are missing from your Collection.
• Click the Relocate Missing Tracks button.
• A standard operating system dialog window will appear.
• Use this to browse your hard drive for the folder in which your missing tracks were moved. To find multiple tracks in different folders, choose the top level folder in which they are stored. You can even choose your main hard drive folder.
Note: Relocating tracks in a folder that contains many subfolders can be a lengthy process. �on’t hesitate to interrupt relocation - this will not damage your Collection consistency.
Tracks to Analyze
• Click on the tab labeled Tracks To Analyze.
• The Consistency Check Report window will display each track that has not been analyzed.
• After viewing the list totals, you can choose to either
Relocate your
Missing Tracks or Remove the Missing Tracks from your
Collection.
Show Consistency on Startup
The Consistency Check Report can be set to display each time you open
TRAKTOR. Please be aware that this function could be unpractical if you are using TRAKTOR 3 performing live and you want keep the startup time to a minimum.
• Go to Preferences > Browser Preferences > Collection Preferences.
• Put a check in the box labeled
Show Consistency Check Report on
Startup and choose OK.
• The Consistency Check Report will now open each time you start
TRAKTOR 3.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 61
Deleting Tracks from your Hard Drive
The TRAKTOR 3 �rowser has no features allowing the physical deleting of tracks from your hard drive.
Backing up and transferring your Collection
Automatic Backup
Each time you change something in your
Collection and close TRAKTOR 3, a backup of your
Collection is created in the folder Backups contained in your TRAKTOR 3 folder. If you delete or partly ruin your
Track Collection by mistake proceed as follows:
• In the TRAKTOR 3’s Tree �indow, open the Explorer and navigate to your TRAKTOR 3 folder, found in you User folder (Mac) or in My
Documents (PC).
• Click on the Backup folder.
• Click on one of the most recent backups and verify the integrity of the
Collection.
• If the backup seems to be corrupt, check an earlier backup.
• If you have found an integer backup, drag & drop the folder onto the
Collection icon to import the backup into the current Collection.
Note: TRAKTOR 3 only saves 10 backups, after which it replaces the oldest backup with the second oldest one. You should therefore make a manual backup of the current status of the Collection by copying such a backup file to a separate folder, not accessed by TRAKTOR 3.
A corrupted Collection might cause TRAKTOR 3 to crash during start-up. If you suspect this might be the case do the following:
• Close TRAKTOR 3.
• Make a backup of the file
collection.nml found in the folder user/Traktor
(Mac), My Documents/TRAKTOR 3 (PC) before deleting it.
• Restart TRAKTOR 3 with an empty Collection.
• Import the backup of the
Collection as described above.
62 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Note: Although TRAKTOR gives you the choice to store your Track
Collection and Playlists in different directories, it is best to keep these files organized in the default manner, as this makes it much easier to track down problems.
Important: The file Traktor DJ Studio 3 Settings.xml contains your layout
settings and is saved always to your TRAKTOR 3 folder. Backup this file as well!
6.5 Beatport™ -Online Dance Music Store™
Up until recently it was difficult to purchase new tracks in MP3 format for
��s working with TRAKTOR �� Studio. Cutting-edge club music has been predominantly released on vinyl, and recording tracks from a 12” to hard disk is a time-consuming process. However, more and more labels are distributing their music in the digital domain and it’s finally possible to buy music in digital format at the same time that it is released on vinyl. Sometimes, certain tracks are even available earlier as MP3 or there is additional content available for download that didn’t make it to the vinyl release.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 63
In order to give TRAKTOR 3 users a quick and easy way to purchase new tracks, NATIVE INSTRUMENTS joined forces with Beatport. Beatport is the first authentic digital music store designed to service the evolution of the digital music culture, redefining how DJs and enthusiasts acquire their music.
Beatport.
com allows users to access the world of club music through secure, legal, hi-speed, high quality downloads in MP3, MP4 and �AV formats on a pay-perdownload basis. �ith hundreds of labels and thousands of users worldwide,
Beatport is recognized as the leader in online digital dance music.
To access the store, simply select the path Beatport in the Tree Window. Your
Computer will now access the Beatport server and download information that is being displayed in the List Window. In order to navigate the interface, just click the relevant buttons and links. If you have not been a member of
Beatport until now, simply click the button labeled First Time? Start Here and follow the instructions on the screen.
There are a lot of advantages when buying your music through the Beatport store integrated in TRAKTOR 3:
• It is possible to preview any track available in the store through the integrated Preview Player of TRAKTOR 3.
• �hile previewing a track, you can see the actual Waveform in the
Preview Player and browse the track by moving the cursor through.
• Entering a search string in the TRAKTOR Search field to search
Beatport.
• Searching for Tracks with the same Title, from the same Label or Artist with the Find More button (Read more about the Find More button on page 28 ff (Searching for tracks).
• It is possible to transfer multiple files with the help of a
Download
Manager.
• All tracks you have bought through the store interface are being added to a Playlist called Purchased Tracks.
• Purchased tracks contain extensive metadata, so there is hardly any more need to edit their tags.
64 – TRAKTOR 3.2
• Any track you have purchased is being saved automatically in your
TRAKTOR 3 music Collection.
• Interrupted transfers can be resumed at any time.
Important: Please keep in mind that you need to be connected to the internet in order to use the Beatport store. For further information on registration, please refer to the website http://www.beatport.com.
Beatport Browser Buttons
The Browser Buttons related to Beatport are explained in detail on page 32
(Browser Buttons).
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 65
7 Controlling the Decks
7.1 Mouse Modes
The mouse can be used to
Cue, Play and Pause a track. There are 3 available
Mouse Control modes: Snap, CD and Vinyl. You can switch between Mouse
Control modes by pushing the respective button in the Mode Details Panel. If you can’t find the
Mode panel, refer to the Layout chapter for learning how to insert the
Mode panel into one of your Detail views.
If you intend to often switch between Mouse Control modes, make sure that the Mode panel is included on each of your Details pages. If you intend to use only one Mouse Control mode you can remove the Mode panel from all your Details.
Snap Mode (Waveform)
In this mode the mouse pointer will snap to either
Beats, Cue Points or Beat-
Grid lines.
• Hold your mouse pointer over the
Waveform. Red Snap points appear at each
Beat and Cue Point.
• Click and hold. This snaps the cursor to the nearest Beat and plays the track as long as you hold the button. This is the same as Cue Pause.
• Release the button to return to the last
Cue Point.
66 – TRAKTOR 3.2
• To avoid returning, press the right mouse button before releasing the left one to switch to permanent playback.
• Clicking on the Waveform with Right-/ Ctrl-Click cues the song to the target but starts playback only when you release the mouse button.
Snap Mode (Stripe)
• Select Snap from the Mode �etails panel.
• Hold your mouse pointer over the Stripe Waveform.
• �hen moving the mouse back and forth, small, red Snap points will appear along the Stripe Waveform.
• Click to move the cursor to the Snap point in the Stripe Waveform.
CD Mode (Waveform)
Triggers a stutter loop known from pitchable C�-players while clicking and holding the Waveform.
• Click and hold on the Waveform.
• The Deck will play a short, consistent loop as long as you hold the mouse button.
• �hile holding the button pressed you can adjust the position of the loop by horizontally dragging the Waveform.
• To set a Cue Point right before a Beat, move the loop as close as you can towards the beat coming from the right side until you hear the very first millisecond of the beat entering the loop.
• Release the left mouse button and the track will pause exactly before the beat.
• Right-/ Ctrl-Click and hold the Waveform, then release the mouse button to start playback.
CD Mode/ Vinyl Mode (Stripe)
• Select either CD or Vinyl from the Mode module.
• Click and hold anywhere on the Stripe Waveform.
• Move the mouse backward or forward. This will navigate through the
Stripe Waveform similar to moving a slider.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 67
Vinyl Mode
In this mode the Waveform can be manipulated like a Vinyl record and the mouse pointer won’t snap to beats in the Waveform.
• Click and hold the track Waveform. This is like putting your hand on a
Vinyl record to pause playback.
• �hile holding the mouse button, move the mouse backward and forward.
This moves the Waveform similar to scratching a Vinyl record.
• Release the mouse button. The track will begin playing from the point at which you release it.
• Right-/ Ctrl-Click on the Waveform to start and stop playback.
Waveform Zoom
Each Deck offers the ability to zoom in or out on a track Waveform. Zooming in on a Waveform can be helpful in finding a more accurate Cue Point. Zooming out will give you a broader view of the Waveform.
• Click the Plus (+) sign button in the upper corner of the main Deck
Waveform display. This Zooms in on the track Waveform.
• Now click the Equal (=) sign. This zooms to TRAKTORs default view of the track Waveform.
• Now click the Minus (-) sign. This zooms out, giving a broader view of the track Waveform.
Note: Waveform Zoom can also be performed with the scroll wheel of your mouse. Hold the mouse over the �aveform and scroll up or down to zoom in or out.
Waveform Cache
You will notice a growing, yellow bar beneath and below the overall waveform
(Stripe) that indicates how much of a track is cached.
68 – TRAKTOR 3.2
7.2 Regular Cue Points
Setting a Cue Point on the fly (Floating Cue Point)
Each time a
Deck is stopped it sets a floating (momentary) Cue Point. �hen playback resumes, the
Cue Point remains at the last point of interruption. The
Cue/ Pause and the Cue/ Play button below the Waveform can be used to skip back to the last floating
Cue Point during playback.
�uring playback you can press
Set Cue underneath the Waveform at any time to move the
Floating Cue Point to the current position.
Storing Cue Points
TRAKTOR 3 can store up to 10 Cue Points per track. To store the current Floating
Cue Point you have to open the Cue Edit panel in the Details section:
• Open the third Details page that contains the Cue Edit panel or
• Click a blank area of the
Details Section and add the Cue Edit Panel from the menu to the current
Details page.
This panel offers all functions needed to manage the
Cue Points of a track:
• A drop-down box with a list of all
Cue Points stored for this track.
• Two buttons to cue to the previous and to the next Cue Point.
• A drop-down box to assign a special property to a
Cue Point.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 69
• A Cue/ Play and a Cue/ Pause button for test-playing your Cue Points.
• A Lock button to store and to remove the current Cue Point.
Locking a Cue Point
• If you want to recall a Cue Point for later use, you have to use the Lock button to store it.
• To remove a Cue Point from the list of permanent Cue Points, select it and release the lit Lock button.
Naming Your Cue Points
After you have locked a Cue Point, you can name it. This way it is easy to find it in the Cue List panel.
• Skip to the Cue Point by selecting it from the list in the upper dropdown box.
• �ouble-Click on the display to place the text cursor in the name field.
• Type the new name and confirm with Enter.
Jumping between Cue Points
In TRAKTOR 3 you have several options for jumping to Cue Points:
• Clicking on the Cue Point symbol in the Stripe Window or in the Wave
Window.
• Using the Backward Cue and Forward Cue buttons in the Cue Edit panel
(or the respective Hotkey).
• Selecting an entry of the upper Cue Points drop-down menu.
• Clicking one of the 6 buttons in the Cue List details panel.
Note: If you can’t find the Cue List panel you can insert it like any other panel into your current Details page.
70 – TRAKTOR 3.2
7.3 Cue Points with Special Function
�hile regular Cue Points help establish points in a track from which to play or cue, there are three other types of Cue Points you can set, each with their own special function.
Assigning a different type to a
Cue Point is done by selecting the desired type in the drop-down box in the
Cue Edit details panel.
• Select a
Cue Point by skipping to it.
• In the Cue Edit details panel, click on the Cue Type display above the
Lock button.
• Select a new
Type for the current Cue Point.
Load Cue Point
A Deck Load Cue Point causes a track to automatically Cue when it is loaded into a Deck, saving you from the need to manually Cue your track.
Fade In/ Fade Out Cue Points
The
Fade In and Fade Out Cue Points are used to automate the Cue/ Play of a track. For this to work, you must set a
Fade In Cue Point in one Deck and a
Fade Out Cue Point in the other.
• Load a track into
Deck A.
• Scroll towards the end of the track and set a Cue Point.
• From the
Cue Edit panel, drop-down the Cue menu and select Out from the menu.
• A red Fade Out Cue Point will appear in the Waveform display.
• Now load a track into
Deck B.
• Set a Cue Point at the beginning of the track.
• From the
Cue Edit panel, drop-down the Cue menu and select In from the menu.
• A red Fade In Cue Point will appear in the Waveform display.
• Click + hold and drag the
Cross Fader all the way to the left.
• In Deck A, scroll backward through the track before the Fade Out Cue
Point and click the Play button.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 71
• �hen the Fade Out Cue Point in Deck A crosses the Track Position Marker
(vertical red line), the track in Deck B will automatically begin playing from its Fade In Cue Point.
• Click + hold and drag the Cross Fader slowly to the right to mix the two tracks.
Important: The automatic Fade In/ Fade Out function is only working if
TRAKTOR 3 is in Autoplay mode. This mode can be switched on or off by pushing the Play button in the Master Panel.
Grid Cue Point
A grid is defined by a Beatmarker. This is a special Cue Point from which a regularly spaced grid of reference lines is created, used to synchronize tracks.
Read more about Beatmarkers and grids in the following section.
7.4 Defining and Using Beatgrids
The tempo detection of TRAKTOR 3 simplifies beatmatching, giving you more time to express your creativity!
First, define a BPM Range.
• This can be done in Preferences > Browser Preferences > BPM
Ranges.
• Ideally, choose a range without doubling a value, e.g. choose a minimum of 80 �PM and a maximum of 159 �PM.
Then analyze your track tempo. Trigger the analyzation by selecting one (ore more) track(s) and clicking on the Analyze button or via right-/ ctrl-click and chosing Analyze.
Find more about analyzation on page 23 (Analyzation) and 82 (Collection
Preferences).
You can also generate a Local BPM value by just one click, giving you a very precise tempo at a certain point which comes handy especially for tracks with unsteady tempi:
72 – TRAKTOR 3.2
• In the BPM panel, click on the downwards pointing arrow and choose
Local BPM.
Although TRAKTOR 3’s tempo detection is very precise, Grid markers and
Beatgrids are still an important tool to synchronize your music in TRAKTOR 3.
The analysis of the track produces a BPM estimation that is not sufficiently precise to guarantee synchronous playback of two or more tracks over the duration of several minutes.
Defining a Beatgrid for a track is like establishing a reference that controls how the track should be synchronized when used in a mix. Instead of synchronizing a track every time you want to mix it, a Beatgrid has to be set only once and can be used every time you want to match the tempo with highest possible precision.
As defining a Beatgrid is comparable to synchronize the track to a clock reference you need to do two things that you also do when synchronizing two records:
• Synchronizing the downbeats.
• Adjusting the tempo to compensate the drift.
In TRAKTOR 3, synchronizing the downbeat of the track to the tick of the reference clock is done by setting a special Cue Point called Gridmarker. You can transform any regular Cue Point into such a Gridmarker. Each Gridmarker is at the origin of a so-called Beatgrid. That is a grid of equally spaced reference lines, representing quarter notes or beats.
Setting a Gridmarker (Beatmarker)
• Load a track into Deck A.
• Search through the Stripe window and look for the first Beat in the
Waveform.
• Place a floating cue point on the beat by clicking on the Beat (Snap
Mode), dragging the Waveform (Vinyl Mode) or using a Stutter Loop (CD
Mode)
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 73
• Audition the position of the floating cue point by pushing and holding the Cue/ Pause button.
• If you are satisfied with the location of the Cue Point, transform it into a Gridmarker. Use the dropdown menu Type in the Cue Edit panel and choose Grid.
Fine Tuning the Position of the Gridmarker
• Cue to the
Gridmarker.
• Set a Loop with the �eck Loop button.
• Turn on the
Tick button in the BPM details panel to make the grid lines audible as ticks added to the track.
• To hear the Tick you have to turn on the Headphone Cue button in the mixer channel.
• Fine tune the position of the
Tick relatively to the beats of the track with the two buttons above the
BPM value in the BPM Details.
• If the Ticks are perfectly matching the beats, you have a set a very precise origin for the Beatgrid.
In TRAKTOR 3, adjusting the tempo of the track to the reference clock is done by moving forward in the track and comparing the drift of the Tick of the clock to the beats of the track. While advancing in the song, you can fine tune the track tempo just as you would do in a mix with two turntables, with the difference that your result will be ultra precise and is stored and therefore needs to be done only once per track.
74 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Adjusting the Grid (Tick)
• Skip to the Gridmarker and play the track (without looping it).
• Observe the drift of the Tick relatively to the beats of the track.
• You should correct any kind of emerging offset with the buttons underneath the BPM display in the BPM details panel.
• This will adjust the offset by recalculating if, based on a different tempo value for the track.
• �hen the Ticks of the grid and the beats of the track run perfectly in time, you can fast forward through the track to preview the drift later on in the track.
• The further away you get from the Gridmarker, the more precise the tempo value has to be for the track to stay in Sync with the Tick.
• �hen you have reached the end of the track and it still runs in perfect time with the Tick, you can be sure that the Beatgrid is precise. Any mix using this track will run smooth for its entire duration.
Note: �e very careful during this procedure as you can easily skip one beat when aligning the grid.
Rough Tempo Estimation
If you have the feeling that you or the TRAKTOR 3 analyzer have messed it up and the BPM does not correspond to a correct value, you have the following possibilities to solve the situation:
• Click on the arrow beneath the BPM value in the BPM details panel and select Restore to reload the BPM value stored in the Collection for this track.
• Select Local BPM to extract the current, local value from the real-time
BPM analyzer.
• Select a BPM-Range in the Preferences to transform the automatically generated BPM value into the selected interval.
• Tap 4-7 times to the rhythm of the beat to transform the automatically detected BPM value into a value close to the tempo of your tapping.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 75
• Tap over 8 times to enter the BPM manually based on the tempo of your tapping.
Setting a Beatgrid for Tracks recorded from Vinyl
Since a turntable’s tempo always fluctuates a little bit, a vinyl-ripped track may drift over the time, making it impossible to set a perfectly aligned beatgrid over the whole track.
�hile the drift on a professional direct-driven turntable may only be small and negligible, the drift on a belt-driven turntable may be inacceptable.
However, in this case it is recommended to establish several Grid Cue Points during the track. �henever you set a new Grid Point that has not snapped to a beat, the phase of the tempo is being restarted. This helps to create a
Beatgrid for tracks that don’t have a drifting tempo.
Note: Find Tips & Tricks on syncing tracks with different, changing or unsteady tempi on page 94 (Beatgridding Tracks with unsteady
Tempo).
7.5 Manually Adjusting the Track Tempo
�hile most ��s are used to Pitch Faders that make perfect sense on a hardware mixer, the digital world allows adjusting the tempo via a Tempo Knob as well, so TRAKTOR 3 gives you two ways of changing the track tempo:
• Pitch Fader
• Tempo Knob
The advantage of the Tempo Knob is that it’s very small and does not consume valuable space from the waveforms.
The advantage of the Pitch Fader is that most ��s are very familiar with its behavior.
76 – TRAKTOR 3.2
However, they’re doing the same job and it is up to your personal taste, whether you like the Pitch Fader or the Tempo Knob better.
Toggle between both modes by right-clicking on the Header and checking/ unchecking Show Pitch Fader.
Note: You can only use the one or the other, but not both – Tempo Knob and Pitch Fader – at the same time!
Pitch Fader
�y moving the Pitch Fader up or down, you can speed up or slow down the
Tempo of the track. The Pitch Fader has just the same functionality as a pitch fader on any standard �� record player or pitchable C� player.
• Load and play a track in Deck A.
• To slow down the tempo, click + hold and drag upward on the
Pitch
Fader.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 77
• �ouble-Click the Pitch Fader to reset it to 0%.
• Use the +/- buttons to change the tempo in steps.
• Use the scroll wheel of your mouse to move the Pitch Fader up or down in steps as well.
• Assign different sensitivities to the Tempo Knob by right-/ ctrl-clicking on the + button.
Advanced Pitch Fader functionality
Right-/ Ctrl-Click + hold and drag the Pitch Fader up (or down).
• �hile holding the right mouse button, click and hold the left mouse button. This will temporarily slow down the tempo (or fasten it).
• This is a special method to do pitch bending that is also affecting all slaved decks.
78 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Tempo Knob
�y moving the Tempo Knob clockwise or counter-clockwise, you can speed up or slow down the Tempo of the track. The Tempo Knob has just the same functionality as a pitch fader on any standard �� record player or pitchable
C� player.
• Load and play a track in Deck A.
• To slow down the tempo, click + hold and drag downward on the
Tempo
Knob.
• To finely adjust the tempo, move the mouse horizontally.
• �ouble-Click the Tempo Knob to reset it to 0%.
• Use the + and - buttons as well as the mouse wheel functionality as described in the Layout section.
• Assign different sensitivities to the Tempo Knob by right-/ ctrl-clicking on the + button.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 79
Advanced Tempo Knob functionality
• Right-/ Ctrl-Click + hold and drag the Tempo Knob up (or down).
• �hile holding the right mouse button, click and hold the left mouse button. This will temporarily speed the tempo up (or down).
• This is a special method for doing pitch bends that is also affecting all slaved decks.
Pitch Range
The Pitch Range defines how far you can pitch the tempo up and/ or down.
TRAKTOR 3 allows you to adjust the Pitch Range by plus or minus 35%,
50% or 100%. Choosing a Pitch Range of +/- 100% will give you the largest possible Pitch Range, allowing you to slow a track all the way down to a complete stop. Choosing +/-35% will only allow you to slow a track down, or speed it up by 35%.
• Click on the Preferences > Deck Preferences > Transport.
• Click on one of the Pitch Range buttons and choose OK.
Fine Pitch Range
The Fine Pitch is a second controller not represented on the interface. It is only controllable via MI�I. The option Fine Pitch Range determines the range of this parameter.
• Open the Preferences menu and choose Deck Preferences >
Transport.
• Click + hold and drag the Fine Pitch Range slider to the right to rise the Fine Pitch Range up to +/- 12 BPM or to the left to bring the value down.
80 – TRAKTOR 3.2
7.6 Matching Beats with Sync and Pitch Bend
The Pitch Bend function works just the same way as if you would nudge the platter of a �� record player. �y using the Pitch Bend buttons, you can make temporary adjustments to the tempo of the track without altering the tempo.
If the beats of your tracks start to drift away from each other, you can use the
Sync or Pitch Bend buttons to bring the tracks back on beat.
Synchronizing the tempo of opposite Decks
Above each Deck you will notice meters called Sync Offset meters. If one meter slides from its centre, it means that one of the tracks is playing at a slower or faster tempo than the other(s). When this is the case, the Sync button can be used as a quick way to match the tempo of these tracks without having to make Pitch Bend adjustments. To use this function with the best result, it is recommended to establish Beatgrids for the tracks that are being synced.
Only then the tempo and phase of each track will match 100%.
• Load and play a track in each Deck.
• �ecause the track tempos do not match, the Sync offset meters will jump back and forth.
• Click the Sync button above the Waveform of Deck B.
• The Tempo of Deck B now matches that of Deck A.
• The Sync offset meters will stay centered.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 81
Synchronizing the Tempo of Non-Opposite Decks (Master & Slaves)
A Deck synchronizes to the opposite deck by default, so if you press the Sync button of Deck A, it will use the tempo of Deck B as a reference and vice versa. �hen you want to synchronize Decks that are not opposite each other, it’s possible to do this by assigning them to Master and Slave states:
• Load and play a track in Deck A.
• Load and play a track in Deck C.
Note: if Deck C is not visible, make it visible by right-/ ctrl-clicking the
Header and un-checking the option Hide Deck C and D.
• �ecause the track tempos do not match, the Sync offset meters will jump back and forth.
• Set the status of Deck A to Master.
• Set the status of Deck C to Slave.
• �hen you press the Sync button on Deck C, it synchronizes to the
Master Deck because Deck C has the status of a Slave Deck.
Synchronizing the tempo of multiple Decks using the Master Clock
Once you are more familiar with TRAKTOR 3, you will want to synchronize the tempo of more than two decks. According to the example above, you can set all decks to Slave and the Master Clock to be the Master.
Master Clock
• Load and play a track in Deck A.
• Click the Slave button above Deck A.
• Open Details page number 4 or insert the Clock panel into the current
Details page.
82 – TRAKTOR 3.2
• Adjust the speed of the Master Clock to a value close to the original tempo of the track loaded into Deck A.
• Click the Master button in the Clock Module.
• Change the tempo of the Master Clock and observe the tempo of Deck
A changing accordingly.
Note: The Master Clock has a small representation in the central mixer part when playing with 4 decks.
Pitch Bending on TRAKTOR 3
�esides regular Pitch Bend buttons known from �� C�-Players, TRAKTOR 3 offers a few interesting alternatives to match the tempo of two tracks:
• Load and play a Demo track in Deck A and Deck B.
• Press Sync to synchronize their beats.
• Press the Pitch Bend Up and Pitch Bend Down buttons above the Sync
Meter and observe how this shifts apart the beats.
• You can adjust the shift also by clicking on the Sync Meter and horizontally dragging the yellow marker.
• You can as well adjust the shift with the wheel of your mouse after clicking on the Sync Meter.
• �ouble clicking the display also synchronizes the beats and the tempo.
• Slightly change the tempo of one of the tracks to observe a slight drift of the Sync Meter.
• Right-/ Ctrl-Click the Sync button to observe that this synchronizes only the beats without changing the tempo.
• You can right-/ ctrl click the Tempo Knob/ Pitch Fader and slightly drag the tempo out of Sync and then trigger short Pitch Bends with the left mouse button.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 83
7.7 Using the Phase Meter
Two (or more) tracks can have the same tempo, but still sound silly together, because the Phase is shifted. The Phase is represented in the horizontal meter beneath the Pitch Bend buttons.
• If two tracks’ phases are synchronized, the meter stays in the middle.
• If one tracks’ phase is shifted aback, a yellow stripe is seen on the left side of the middle position.
• If a tracks’ phase is shifted forward, a yellow stripe is seen on the right side of the middle position.
Note: You have to use �eatgrids to get reliable results!
There are several ways to manipulate the phase:
• Click on
Sync to synchronize the phase.
• �ouble-Click on the Phase Meter to synchronize the phase.
• Shift the
Phase by clicking on it, holding and dragging it with the mouse.
• Shift the Phase by using the scrollwheel of your mouse.
7.8 Matching the Key of your Tracks
�ith TRAKTOR 3 it’s possible to change the tempo of a track while keeping its original pitch. �hen you play a vocal track at a higher tempo, the voice will often sound unnatural. To avoid this, you can lock the Key of this track so that tempo changes do not affect it (also called Master Tempo).
• Click the Key Lock button above the Waveform of Deck B.
• Lower the Tempo Knob/ Pitch Fader slowly. You will hear the track in
Deck B lower its tempo. However, its Key will remain the same.
84 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Time Stretching Quality
The TRAKTOR 3 Key Lock function uses Time Stretching as its method of effect. There are three types of Time Stretching, each with its own sound quality and requirement for processor power.
• Open the TRAKTOR Preferences > Deck Preferences > Sound and
Mixer.
• Next to Time Stretching, select Non-Adaptive. This will sound less natural but will use much less CPU. It is the best mode for computers with slower processors.
• Selecting PSOLA will sound more natural, using more CPU. This mode is recommended for medium fast processors.
• Selecting Phase Vocoder will give the highest quality sound. This mode is recommended for very fast processors, since it is using far more
CPU.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 85
7.9 Beatjump
The Beatjump feature allows you to jump through the track in sections of beats.
You can specify how many beats forward or backward you want to jump. This can be useful for scrolling through a track, but also has an added effect of
remixing when performed while the track is playing.
• Load and play a track in Deck A.
• Right-/Ctrl-Click the Details Section and choose Beatjump from the menu. This will open the Beatjump panel.
• Listen to the beat of the track and click the 1/2 > button on-beat. This will move the song forward 1/2 beat.
• Now click the < 4 button. This will move the song backward 4 whole beats.
• Using the Beatjump buttons on-beat can give the effect of Beat Juggling, allowing you to remix the beat on-the-fly.
86 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Customize the Jump Length
�y default, the four Beatjump buttons are set for 1, 4, and 16 beats. TRAKTOR 3 lets you customize the length of any of the three Beatjump button pairs.
• Right-/ Ctrl-Click the button labeled 1>.
• A menu will appear with length selections. Select 1/4.
• The Beatjump buttons will now be labeled 1/4. Allowing your track to jump 1/4th of a beat.
Two Button Mouse control
The Beatjump button offers a special functionality for dual button mice and for dual button track pads. The left row of the Beatjump buttons can be Right-/
Ctrl-Clicked to achieve a jump in the opposite direction. �ith this feature you can beat juggle with your two finger tips.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 87
8 Controlling the Mix
8.1 The Internal 4-Channel Mixer
Cueing/ Pre-listening to a Track in your Headphones
Cueing (or previewing) a track with the TRAKTOR 3 Mixer works the same as with most �� Mixers. �hen a Cue button is active, the deck signal is sent to the output of your soundcard that is routed to your Monitor Out.
• Load and play a track in Deck A and move the Crossfader all the way to the left.
• Make sure to raise the PhMix knob in the mixer to a medium position.
• Load and play a track in Deck B and click the Cue button above the
Volume Fader. You will hear now the track in Deck B as well through your headphones.
• Click + hold and drag the Phix knob all the way counter-clockwise. This will only allow the Cued track to be heard through the headphones.
88 – TRAKTOR 3.2
• �ragging the PhMix knob all the way clockwise will only allow the Main mix to be heard through the headphones.
• Centering the PhMix knob will mix both signals in your headphones.
Crossfading a mix
Manual Crossfade
The TRAKTOR 3 Crossfader is a standard fader with the added features of adjustable Volume Curves and ability to set automatic cross-fades.
• Click + hold and drag the Crossfader to the right, focusing Deck B.
• Load and play a track in
Deck A and Deck B. �ecause the Crossfader is faded to the right, you will hear the track in
Deck B through the main mix.
• Now click + hold and drag the Crossfader slowly to the left. The track in Deck A will slowly mix with the track in Deck B.
• �hen the
Crossfader is all the way to the left, only the track in Deck A will be audible.
Fader Curve
The TRAKTOR 3 Crossfader Curve can be adjusted. The Curve affects the
Crossfaders’ transition.
• Right-/ Ctrl-Click in a blank area of the Details Section and choose
Master to open the Master panel.
• The
Fader Curve adjustment is located just above the Balance knob and labeled
CFCur.
• Click + hold and drag the Curve left or right.
• �ith the
Curve all the way to the right, the Crossfader will cut in and out more sharply. This is better for ��s who want to perform scratches and need the crossfader to behave like an on/ off switch.
• �ith the Curve all the way to the left, the crossfader will mix in more slowly. This is more appropriate if you want to use the Crossfader to make long smooth blends between two tracks.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 89
Incremental Buttons
The Crossfader can be incrementally moved left or right with the far left and right arrow buttons below it. These buttons behave just the same like knobs: the mouse wheel can be used for the incremental changes and the sensitivity of the incremental steps can be customized by Right-/ Ctrl-Clicking on the incremental button pointing to the right (light arrow on dark ground).
• Click the far left or right arrow button underneath the Crossfader.
• The Crossfader will move incrementally to the left (or right).
Automatic Crossfade
Crossfading can also be automated by using the small arrow Autofade buttons below the Crossfader.
• �ith tracks loaded in both decks, move the Crossfader to the right, focusing Deck B.
• Click the left Autofade button. The Crossfader will automatically fade to the left, taking 10 seconds to fade.
• If you want the Crossfader to Auto Crossfade longer than 10 seconds, you can adjust the Auto Crossfade time in Preferences > Deck Preferences
> Sound & Mixer.
Mixing with Channel Volume faders
Decoupling a Deck from the Crossfader
For mixing without the Crossfader, it is possible to assign each channel to either the left or the right side.
• Open the Decks panel with the colored buttons representing the four decks by right-/ ctrl-clicking on the details section.
• Underneath each button is a pair of smaller buttons representing both sides of the
Crossfader.
• Uncheck the lit button to decouple a deck from the crossfader. The volume of this deck is now exclusively controlled with the volume fader on the channel itself.
90 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Adjusting the Gain for a new Track
�efore mixing in a track, you need to calibrate the channel volume so that when the fader is set to the maximum level it is matching that of the other decks.
• Click the Cue button above the Channel Volume fader.
• A pair of blue level meters appear in the Channel Fader. They represent the Master level and offer a visual reference to adjust the Gain of the channel so that it matches the volume of the master once the channel fader is open all the way.
• Turn the Channel Gain knob to approximately match the intensities of the white channel and the blue master signal.
• You can now be sure that the new track will not appear too loud or too quiet when the Channel Volume Fader is set to maximum.
Auto-Gain
To avoid the manual adjustment of the gain for each track, TRAKTOR 3 offers an Autogain function which adjusts the gain for you. �hile analyzing a track, the Perceived Loudness is calculated and this value can be used as a setting for the Gain knob. This way, the track will sound as loud as any other track whose Gain level is set to the calculated value. Autogain only works with analyzed tacks and when it is activated in the Master Details panel.
• Insert the Master panel or into the current details page by right-/ ctrlclicking on the details section and chosing Master.
• Activate Autogain for all decks by clicking the button called Gain.
• Load an analyzed track into Deck A.
• Observe the Gain knob in the mixer changing position to compensate the perceived loudness of the loaded track.
Note: Each channel can also be set to Autogain individually with a Gain knob in the relative Channel module.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 91
Punch
The Channel module also allows you to Punch in a track from an opposite deck without the use of the Crossfader. This means the audio from a deck that is not focused can be punched in and out of the main mix, allowing it to be heard only as long as the Punch button is held down. This is extremely useful if you only want to bring in single elements of another track while it is running in Sync such as punching in the snare drum.
• Load and play a track in both decks.
• Move the Crossfader to Deck A.
• Open the Channel panel by right-/ ctrl-clicking on the details section and chosing Channel.
• Focus Deck B, then click the Right Arrow button. This sets the Channel module to control Deck B.
• Click and hold the Punch button in the Channel panel. The track in
Deck B will be audible in the main mix for as long as you hold Punch.
The Master Volume Controls
The
Master detail panel mentioned earlier controls the overall Volume and
Balance (Left/ Right) of TRAKTOR 3. It also features a 3-Band Limiter for preventing clipping of the digital signal in the �/A converters of the sound card.
92 – TRAKTOR 3.2
• Insert the Master panel into the current Details page by right-/ ctrlclicking on the details section and chosing Master.
• Click + hold and drag the Volume knob to adjust overall Main output volume. The level will be displayed in the meter next to it. If the level reaches the top of the meter - which can happen easily if two or more tracks are playing together - it will result in unpleasant signal clipping.
• In this case you can use the Master Limiter function by clicking the Lim button. This limits the main output signal of TRAKTOR 3, preventing clipping or distortion.
• Use the Gain button for enabling Autogain as described earlier.
• To adjust the Left/ Right Balance of your main output signal, click + hold and drag the Bal (Balance) knob clockwise or counter-clockwise.
Note: �hen using the Limiter, the red LE�’s in the level meters indicate when the Limiter is actively reducing the signal. The signal will not audibly clip, but a Limiter in action can have negative effects on parts of the sound, as it reduces the part of the spectrum that exceeds the limits.
Often it’s the bass frequencies that need to be limited to avoid clipping of the soundcard and a limited signal of this kind will therefore sound flatter. To preserve the original full sound, it is therefore important that even when using the Limiter you avoid permanent Limiter action. If you keep the output signal below the clipping level while adding volume on the analog mixer or on the PA gain, this will result in a much better sound.
8.2 EQing the Mix
An important tool in mixing is the Equalizer. TRAKTOR 3 offers 4 different types of EQ’s, each modelled after today’s top �� mixers.
• On the EQ module to the right of Deck A, click the downward pointing arrow and select a mixer type from the drop down menu.
• If You don’t see the EQ panel, open it by right-/ ctrl-clicking on the
Header and chosing Show Mixer EQ Controls.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 93
Classic
The Classic Equalizer is the standard, classic TRAKTOR 3-�and EQ. It offers controls for adjusting the Low, Mid and High range frequencies of each deck via virtual knobs. Each knob controls its frequency band by +12/ -24 db. It also offers a Kill button which cuts the low frequency entirely when activated.
If you only want to cut the low frequencies for a short duration only, click and hold the Kill button with the right mouse button.
P600
The P600 is a standard club DJ mixer EQ with 3 Bands (low, mid and high).
Each band offers a range of +12/ -26 dB. Like the Classic EQ, the P600 offers a Kill button which cuts the low frequency entirely when activated. If you only want to cut the low frequencies for a short duration only, click and hold the
Kill button with the right mouse button.
Nuo4
Nuo4 is an emulation of the EQ found on the Ecler Nuo4 four channel �� mixer.
It offers 3-Band Equalization ( low, mid, high). The adjustment range for low and mid frequencies is +10/ -30 dB and for treble frequencies +10/ -25 dB.
It also offers a Kill button that will cut the low frequency when activated. If you only want to cut the low frequencies for a short duration only, click and hold the Kill button with the right mouse button.
Xone92
Xone 92 is an emulation of the EQ found on the Allen & Heath Xone92 �� mixer. It is unique that it offers 4-Band EQ controls ( low, mid-low, mid-high and high). The high and low bands have infinite attenuation (total kill) with a sharp 12 d�/ oct roll-off. The mid bands offer -30 d� of cut.
EQ Knob Control
The EQ knobs have all the advanced functionality described in the
User
Interface chapter. Please refer to this chapter to learn more about the advanced knob control of TRAKTOR 3.
94 – TRAKTOR 3.2
8.3 Additional Outputs
Booth Outputs
�ooth outputs are used to route the Master output of TRAKTOR 3 to booth monitors. �ooth monitors are especially helpful if the distance between the �� booth and the house speakers is too far and creates a delayed signal, making it extremely difficult to judge if a mix is right or not. You have independent control of the level of the main mix in your booth monitors, without adjusting the main speaker system.
The Output Routing Preferences offer a switch to output the Booth signal as
Mono signal in case the booth speaker system is asymmetrically located and you whish to hear both channels equally on both booth speakers, or if there is only one monitor speaker in the booth and you want to hear a mixture of the signals from left and right side.
• Click the arrow next to Booth Left (Mono) and choose Output 5 of your sound card.
• Click the arrow next to Booth Right and choose Output 6 of your sound card.
• You can now control the booth level through Outputs 5 and 6 of your soundcard.
Booth Details panel
The booth module gives you control over booth volume.
• Click a blank area of the Details Section and choose Booth. The booth module will appear.
• Use the Volume knob to adjust booth volume.
• Click the M button to mute the booth volume.
• Click the L button to add a limiter to the booth volume.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 95
Recording Outputs
Recording outputs are used to send the Master output signal from TRAKTOR 3 to a separate mixer input or recording device for recording your mix.
• Click the arrow next to Recording Left (Mono) and choose Output 7 of your soundcard.
• Click the arrow next to Recording Right and choose Output 8 of your soundcard.
• You can now control the recording level through Outputs 7 and 8 of your soundcard.
8.4 Using an External Mixer
TRAKTOR 3 allows you to use an external mixer rather than the internal
TRAKTOR mixer. This method requires a soundcard with an equal amount of stereo outputs as the number of decks you want to use.
• Open TRAKTOR Preferences > Audio Setup > Output Routing.
• Click the button labeled External.
• Your Output Routing will then provide choices for routing outputs for
Decks A, B, C and D.
• Choose an output pair for each deck by clicking the arrow next to each output channel selection and selecting an output from the drop down menu.
Preview Channel
In External Mixer mode the Preview deck in the Browser has its own pair of outputs in the Output assignment page. If you run only two decks, you can route the Preview deck to a third channel of your external mixer, using an additional pair of outputs of your soundcard.
96 – TRAKTOR 3.2
9 Advanced TRAKTOR Functions
9.1 Looping Within Tracks
Setting a Loop
TRAKTOR has the ability to set points in a track that will loop sections of the track seamlessly. Once the Loop is set, its start and end points can be adjusted, and the entire Loop can be moved, even while the track is playing.
Looping From the Deck
• Load and play a track in
Deck A.
• Click the Loop button next to the Play button. Your track will begin looping.
• �y default, the
Loop button should be set to 4. This means your track will loop 4 beats.
• To change the loop length, right-/ ctrl-click the Loop button underneath the deck and choose a different loop length number from the drop-down menu.
• The
Loop will automatically change length and continue looping.
• Click the Loop button again to continue playing the track.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 97
Looping From the Details Section
• Click on one of the 4 Length buttons to select a loop length.
• Click on the
Set/ In button to set the loop. This makes it automatically active.
• Right-/ Ctrl-Click on the lit Loop button and choose a different loop length number from the drop-down menu.
• The
Loop will automatically change length and continue looping.
• Click on the lit Active button to leave the Loop.
• You can additionally use the
Snap to quantize the loop borders to the beats of the track.
Setting a free Loop without predefined length
Make sure that none of the length buttons in the
Loop Set panel is lit.
• Click the Set/ In button to set the starting point of the loop.
• Click the
Active button to set the ending point of the loop and to make it active.
• Click on the lit Active button a second time to leave the loop.
Snap Button
If you have set your manual
Loop a little bit off beat, the Loop Set module offers a
Snap button that will quantize the loop to the nearest beat or Beatgrid line.
98 – TRAKTOR 3.2
• Set a 4 beat Loop anywhere in the track.
• If the Loop is off-beat, click the Snap button.
• The Loop will Snap (or quantize) to the nearest beat.
If you want your loops to quantize right when you set them, leave the Snap button enabled. Your loop will then automatically quantize when you set it.
Note: It is helpful to use the decks in Snap mode when setting a free
Loop by only using the Set/ In and Active buttons.
Reloop
Reloop instantly jumps back to the Start-Point of the current Loop.
Resizing the Loop
After you have established a Loop, you can change its length in the Loop Set,
Loop Start and Loop End panels.
Loop Set
• �ith a track playing in Deck A, set a 4 beat Loop.
• Click one of the 4
Length buttons in the Loop Set panel to instantly change the length of the loop.
• To change the predefined length assigned to these buttons, right-/ ctrlclick the button and choose a new length value from the drop-down menu.
Loop Start
• �ith a track playing in Deck A, set a 4 beat Loop.
• Click a blank area of the
Details Section and choose Loop Start from the drop-down menu.
• The Loop Start module will appear with buttons that allow you to adjust the start point either forward or backward. Each button is labelled with the amount it will move, shown in beats.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 99
• Click a Forward button. The Loop Start point will move forward.
• Click the corresponding backward button. The Loop Start point will move backward.
• To change the predefined length of a Forward and Backward button pair, right-/ ctrl-click the Forward button and choose a new length number from the drop-down menu.
• To change the Loop Start point in finer increments, use the Continuous
(Cont) buttons.
Loop End
• Now right-/ ctrl-click a blank area of the Details Section and choose
Loop End from the drop-down menu.
• The Loop End module will appear with buttons that allow you to adjust the end point either forward or backward. Each button is labelled with the amount it will move, shown in beats.
• Click a Forward button. The Loop End point will move forward.
• Click the corresponding Backward button. The Loop End point will move backward.
• To change the predefined length of a Forward and Backward button pair, right-/ ctrl-click the Forward button and choose a new length number from the drop-down menu.
• To change the Loop End point in finer increments, use the Continuous
(Cont) buttons.
Note: Leaving the Snap button (in the Loop Set module) enabled while resizing a Loop can block or modify resizing because the new size may be smaller than the Beatgrid.
Moving the entire Loop
Once you have established a clean Loop, you can move the entire Loop forward or backward.
• Play a track in Deck A and set a 4 beat Loop.
100 – TRAKTOR 3.2
• Right-/ Ctrl-Click a blank area of the Details Section and choose Loop
Move from the drop-down menu.
• The Loop Move module will appear with buttons that enable you to move the entire Loop forward or backward.
• Click the forward button labelled Loop.
• This will move the Loop forward by the amount it was set to. For instance, if you set a 4 beat Loop, this would move the Loop forward 4 beats.
• �hen the track marker reaches the Loop Start point, the track will begin looping again.
• Now click the backward Loop button.
• The entire Loop will move backwards 4 beats and begin looping from the Start Point.
Note: Leaving the Snap button (in the Loop Set module) enabled while moving a Loop can block or modify the step size because the increments may be smaller than the Beatgrid.
Storing and Jumping between Loops
Storing Loops
TRAKTOR 3 allows you to store up to 10
Loops in one track. You can then Cue from each
Loop Start point or jump between Loops on-the-fly. This works by using the
Loop Set and Loop Select modules together in the Details Section.
• Open the
Loop Set panel by right-/ ctrl-clicking in the details section and choosing
Loop Set.
• Set a Loop and click the Lock button in the Loop Set panel to store the
Loop.
• Now disable the
Loop by clicking the Active button and allow the track to play.
• Set another Loop later in the track.
• Click the
Lock button again to store the second Loop.
• You have now stored two Loops within the track. �oth will be displayed as green colored brackets in the Waveform display and Overview Waveform
(Stripe) windows.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 101
Activating a Stored Loop
�y default, stored loops are not activated. In playback, the cursor passes a stored Loop without starting looped playback. To switch into looped playback when entering a stored Loop, press the Active button only. This will not set a Loop but activate looped playback for the next stored Loop the cursor will pass.
• Skip to a position shortly before the first of the two stored loops.
• Observe, how the cursor passes the stored Loop without starting looped playback.
• Skip to a position shortly before the second of the stored loops.
• Press the Active button in the Loop Set details panel.
• Observe, how once the cursor passes the start point of the stored Loop, the track switches into is looped playback.
Stepping Through your Stored Loops
• Play the track from the first Loop.
• Right-/ Ctrl-Click the Jump button in the Loop Select module.
• Clicking on the Loop Selection buttons (forward/ backward) will now instantly perform a jump to the previous or next loop.
Note: If you don’t want to jump to the previous or next next loop, but for example from a first to a third loop in the track, deselect the Jump button by clicking on it. Then use the Loop Selection buttons to select a loop first – the selected loop will have green lines above the brackets
– now click on the jump button. This toggles a direct jump to the selected loop!
Delete
If you want to discard a stored loop, jump to it and release the Lock button in the Loop Set details panel.
102 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Loop Preferences
Preferences for looping can be found by clicking TRAKTOR
Preferences >
Deck Preferences > Transport.
Seamless Looping: Makes a short crossfade between Loop End to Loop Start for avoiding clicks. �hen setting a loop in a quiet part directly before a beat, in seamless mode a small portion of the beat might blend into the loop.
Loop Autodetect Size
If a track is shorter than 60 seconds TRAKTOR 3 will automatically loop the entire track. The length of this detection has a range of 0-60 seconds, adjustable with the horizontal slider. If you have set the track Loop Autodetect Size to
30 seconds, any track shorter than 30 seconds in length will automatically loop.
9.2 Add Life to your Mix with Effects
TRAKTOR 3 offers six different effects that can be applied to each of the four decks as well as the master signal. It is important to understand how these effects work in order to use them intuitively. Especially in time-sensitive situations such as playing in front of an audience, you will only use the functions you feel most comfortable working with. Therefore, please take your time and make yourself familiar with each effect so that you can be truly creative in your application!
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There are two ways, in which the parameters of the Channel Effect can be viewed and manipulated:
• Right-/ Ctrl-Click the Header and select Show Mixer FX Controls from the drop-down menu.
• Select the panel Channel Effect from the details section.
The Master Effect can be accessed in a similar way:
• Master effect controls are visible in the Mixer Master Controls in the center of the mixer.
• Select the panel Master Effect from the details section.
The TRAKTOR 3 effects can be previewed on your headphones before turning it on. To do this, press the button labelled PreFx in the Mixer Channel controls section and the effect signal will be sent to the channel you assigned as monitor output.
Important: The mixer panels of the effects only show a selection of the available parameters. If you want full control over all aspects of the effect, please use the respective panels in the Details Section.
Filter T2
If you have used TRAKTOR before, you already know the Filter T2. It’s an 8pole bandpass/ notch filter with variable width, resonance and cutoff frequency.
Filter T2 can operate either in Bandpass mode or Notch mode.
• Right-/ Ctrl-Click on a track in the List Window and choose Load Track
in Deck A.
• Click the
Play button under Deck A. The track will begin to play.
• Right-/ Ctrl-Click a blank space in the Details Section and select the
Channel Effect panel from the menu.
• Focus
Deck A and click on the arrow in the upper right corner.
• Select Filter T2 from the drop-down menu.
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• Click the button On.
• �rag the knob Amount all the way to the right and set it to 100%.
• �rag the knob Low slowly to the right and hear how the bass frequencies of the track disappear.
• Reset the knob Low by double-clicking it.
• �rag the knob High slowly to the left and hear the high frequencies of the track disappear.
• Reset the knob High by double-clicking it.
To understand how this filter works in depth, let’s go through all the knobs and buttons on the interface:
• Low controls the amount of the Low Cut.
• Notch switches the filter between Bandpass mode and Notch mode.
Bandpass means that the signal is passing a low cut filter and a high cut filter. Notch on the contrary removes a frequency range from the signal that can be set with the Low and High knobs.
• Q controls the resonance, which creates a peak at the cutoff frequency and gives movement of the filter more colour.
• Mode toggles the knob above between High und Width. �epending on this, you can control the upper cutoff frequency either directly ( High) or by controlling the difference to the lower cutoff frequency ( Width).
• Width selects the size of the Notch filter.
• High controls the amount of High Cut.
• Amount controls the amount of the High Cut.
• On switches the effect on and off.
Filter:92
The
Filter:92 is a state variable 2-pole-filter modelled after the filters found in
Allen&Heaths Xone:92 club mixer. It has a Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO) controlling the cutoff which allows you to set a speed at which the
LFO will modulate the filter rhythmically. Additionally, you can control the filter with the
Crossfader to filter the signal instead of adjusting the volume.
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• Right-/ Ctrl-Click on a track in the List Window and choose Load Track
in Deck A.
• Click the Play button under Deck A. The track will begin to play.
• Right-/ Ctrl-Click a blank space in the Details Section and select the
Channel Effect panel from the menu.
• Focus Deck A and click on the arrow in the upper right corner.
• Select Filter:92 from the drop-down menu.
• Click the button On.
• Click the button Sync to synchronize the LFO to the tempo of the
Master.
• Click the button Tap rhythmically to set the speed of the LFO based on the synchronized tempo.
• The small light will pulse in time to the rhythm you just set.
• �rag the knob LFO Amount all the way to the right and set it to 100%; now you can hear the filter cutoff is being modulated rhythmically.
• Even though the Filter 92 is a fairly straightforward plug-in, it’s still important to fully understand all the controls:
• Mode: This is where you choose the type of the filter. There are seven modes available.
• LP-X: A Low Pass Filter is routed to the x-side of the Crossfader. If you move the Crossfader to the right, the selected deck will be subsequently
Low Passed until it isn’t audible anymore.
• LP-Y: A Low Pass Filter is routed to the y-side of the crossfader. If you move the Crossfader to the left, the selected deck will be subsequently
Low Passed until it isn’t audible anymore.
• LP: The filter will operate in Low Pass mode, cutting off the high frequencies. The cutoff frequency is controlled via the FRQ knob of the filter.
• BP: The filter will operate in Band Pass mode, cutting off the frequencies below and above the cutoff frequency.
• HP: The filter will operate in High Pass mode, cutting off the low frequencies. The cutoff frequency is controlled via the FRQ knob of the filter.
• HP-X: A High Pass Filter is routed to the x-side of the Crossfader. If you move the Crossfader to the right, the selected deck will be subsequently
High Passed until it isn’t audible anymore.
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• HP-Y: A Low Pass Filter is routed to the y-side of the Crossfader. If you move the Crossfader to the left, the selected deck will be subsequently
Low Passed until it isn’t audible anymore.
Note: Controlling the filter with the Crossfader may get into conflict with other deck assignments of the Crossfader. For example, you might want to mix from Deck A into Deck B by moving the Crossfader to the right, but the Channel Filter of Deck B is set to mode LP-X. The further you move the Crossfader to the right, the more high frequencies are being cutoff from the track in Deck B until the track is completely inaudible.
Therefore, it is advisable to use the Crossfader either exclusively for controlling the filter or exclusively for controlling the volume of decks.
You can un-assign the Crossfader in the Decks details panel.
• Q controls the resonance, which creates a peak at the cutoff frequency and gives movement of the filter more colour.
• Tap adjusts the tempo at which the LFO is running. �hen synchronized, the LFO is always running at divisions of 16th notes based on the master tempo. If you want to restart the phase of the LFO without changing the tempo, simply click and hold the Tap button until the small light goes off again. Now, the phase has been restarted while the tempo stayed the same.
• Frq controls the cutoff frequency of filter. This knob has no function when the filter is controlled via Crossfader.
• Sync synchronizes the LFO base speed to the tempo of the deck, when used as Master effect, it synchronizes to the tempo of the Master.
• LFO controls the amount of LFO that is modulating the filter cutoff.
The shape of the LFO is a sine wave, and it is generating positive and negative values. This means that the filter cutoff will modulate above and below the cutoff frequency.
• On switches the effect on and off.
• The two lights at the top of the panel give a visual clue to the speed of the LFO and the current Tap status. If the left light is active, it means the LFO is waiting for another push of the Tap button to calculate the speed.
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Important: Please keep in mind that both Filter T2 and Filter:92 are able to generate extreme signal peaks if the resonance is set to maximum and the cutoff frequency is modulating. Also be careful and note at what value the cutoff frequency is set when turning on the filter. If the signal is completely filtered, the track would effectively not be audible anymore.
Delay
A Delay effect adds one or more timed repetitions of the original signal back into the mix. It is very useful to create new rhythmic patterns and works especially well with short percussive sounds. The TRAKTOR 3 Delay is very flexible and instantly syncs the delayed signal to note values based on the decks tempo.
• Select �elay from the drop-down menu found inside the Channel Effects panel.
• Click the button On.
• Click the button Sync to synchronize the Delay tempo to the tempo of the Master.
• Select a different note value by dragging the knob labelled Time.
Let’s take a look at the individual buttons and knobs of the Delay effect:
• Time shows the note value of the delay length.
• Freeze loops the delay signal for the note length selected with the Time knob while muting the original signal. Note that this function also works when the Amount knob is set to 0%, and the sound of the frozen part can still be manipulated with the Width and Mid knobs after Freeze has been activated.
• Tap allows for manual adjustment of the delay tempo.
• Width sets the frequency range of the delayed signal. The delay signal degrades over the course of time because high and low frequencies are being cutoff until no sound is left.
• Mid controls the cutoff frequency of the delayed signal.
• Sync synchronizes the delay tempo to the deck tempo. If the delay is used as a master effect, it synchronizes to the Master.
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• Amount controls the volume of the delay signal, whereby 0% cuts the effect completely and 100% sets it to the same level as the original signal.
• On turns the effect on or off.
Reverb
Reverb is an effect that can add depth and dimension to your mixes. TRAKTOR 3 allows you to use the Reverb either static or dynamic, so it’s possible to treat only certain elements of a track with Reverb.
• Select Reverb from the drop-down menu found inside the Channel
Effects panel.
• Click the button
On.
• Click the button InOn and hear how the Reverb signal is added.
• �rag the
Size knob and listen to the sound of different reverb times.
Here is an explanation of the buttons in the order of the layout:
• Size defines the size of the reverb room. If you drag the knob all the way to the left, the reverb time is the shortest and if you set the value to 100% the reverb time is at maximum.
• InOn activates the input of the Reverb. You can switch on the Reverb with the On-�utton, but until you actually send a input signal no effect will be heard.
• Mod creates a chorus-like effect on the reverb signal.
• Put works just the same as InOn, only that the signal is sent as long as you click and hold the Put-button.
• Tone allows you to change the colour of the reverb signal. The more you move this knob clockwise, the brighter the effect sound will get.
If you turn it into the opposite direction, the reverb will begin to sound muffled.
• Amount controls the volume of the effect signal. 0% cuts the effect completely and 100% sets it to the same level as the original signal.
• On turns the effect on or off.
• Please note that the light on the top left of the Channel Effect panel shows the speed of the amount of the modulation set with the Mod knob.
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Flanger
A Flanger is a modulation effect that is great for creating tension. It got popular in the 1970’s and was used extensively by guitarists and keyboard players.
Essentially a Flanger is doubling the original signal and mixing it back in with a little delay, creating the ever popular wooosh-sound!
• Select Flanger from the drop-down menu found inside the Channel
Effect panel.
• Click the button On and the effect will be audible.
• �rag the knob labelled Speed and compare how the Flanger sounds at different tempo.
Again, a quick rundown of all the knobs, buttons and their functions:
• Speed controls the tempo of the Flanger.
• Action triggers the effect, so that the Flanger travels at the tempo set by the knob Speed from the frequency controlled by Mid for the distance specified with the Depth knob. Note that the Action button only works if the knob labelled Amount is set to 0%.
• Depth sets the amount of frequency modulation.
• Mid defines the frequency that is being modulated with the amount set by Depth.
• Amount controls the volume of the effect signal. �hen Amount is set to 0%, no effect is audible and at 100% the effect has the same level as the original signal.
• On turns the effect on or off.
• There are two lights in the frame of the Channel Effect panel. The left light blinks in time with the tempo of the Flanger, and the right light shows the volume of the signal triggered by the Action button.
BeatMasher
The BeatMasher is a unique effect that isn’t based on any classic effect type. It essentially samples a bar of music into a buffer which can then be transformed, and mashed! The only way to understand this effect is to hear it in action, so let’s have a try:
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• Select BeatMasher from the drop-down menu found inside the Channel
Effect panel.
• Click the button Sync and the speed is synchronized to the deck.
• Click and hold the button labelled Action. The BeatMasher effect is audible.
• �rag the knob Length counter clockwise and repeat step 3.
• Compare how the effect sounds at different lengths to understand how the BeatMasher works.
• More than any other effect presented earlier, the buttons and knobs of this effect have to be explained thoroughly and in detail:
• Tap sets the tempo when the BeatMasher is not synced to the deck or the Master. If the effect is running in Sync, this button has no effect.
• Action starts the sampling until the buffer is full. Then, it repeats the recorded audio and warps it accordingly to the settings of the effect.
• Length defines the length of the Loop recorded in the buffer. The amount is always based on beats, and from left to right the values are: 1/32th
(minimum value), 1/16th, 2/16th, 3/16th, 1/8th (centre position), 3/8th,
2/4th, 3/4th and one bar (maximum value).
• Sync synchronizes the tempo to the deck or to the Master if the
BeatMasher is used as a master effect.
• Rotate changes the position of the Loop within the sampled bar. This function is most effective at short to minimum setting.
• Reverse plays the Loop backwards. If this is combined with a Gate value set between 8 am and 10 am the effect is very obvious because the original signal is being punctured by short bursts of the reversed
Loop.
• Gate works in two different modes. If you move it from the centre towards the maximum value, it progressively mutes sections of the Loop until only one 16th of the Loop is audible at 100%. �hen moved from the centre towards minimum value, the original signal is being mixed into the loop, resulting in the most interesting effects. If Gate is in the centre position, it plays the Loop exactly as defined by the Length knob.
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Note: You will not be able to get the optimum result out of the BeatMasher effect without triggering it by hotkeys or with the help of a MI�I controller, as this effect develops its character only when several parameters are being tweaked at the same time.
9.3 Audio Recording
Understanding Audio Recording
�y using the
Audio Recording feature it is possible to record your TRAKTOR 3 set in real time. You can also record external sources connected to the sound card such as vinyl records if you are using a record player or a microphone in case you are performing together with a vocalist. It’s even possible to use an recorded audio file and play it back in a deck just as you do with the tracks from your collection!
Input Configuration
TRAKTOR 3 allows you to record from an external device or from the
Internal
Master output of TRAKTOR 3. The selection of the recording input is made in the Recording page of the Preferences.
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Internal / External
These two buttons allow you to choose whether you want to record the
Internal
Master signal or from an external source. If you are using an external mixer you will have to feed the Recording Output from the mixer into one of the available inputs of your sound card and choose External in the recording source options.
External Configuration
�efore you can record from an external device, you have to assign the available inputs of your sound card to the channels A, B, C, D of TRAKTOR 3. This can be done in the Audio Setup dialog found in the Preferences.
• Open TRAKTOR Preferences > Audio Setup > Soundcard.
• �rop-down the Audio Device menu and select the your input device
(soundcard).
• Under Audio Setup, click on Input Routing. This will display the input routing preferences page. TRAKTOR allows 4 simultanuous, stereo input signals. Each input pair will appear next to A, B, C and D.
• Use the arrows next to each box to drop down the input selection menu.
• Assign the inputs of your soundcard to the 4 virtual inputs of
TRAKTOR 3.
After assigning your soundcards’ inputs to the channels of TRAKTOR 3, you can open the Recording page in the Preferences and assign one of these channels as Recording source.
• Open TRAKTOR Preferences > Recording.
• Select Extern as recording source.
• Select the channel ( A, B, C, or D) that you have connected to the recording signal.
• Verify the right connection by opening the Audio Recorder panel in the
Details Section as described further below.
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Adjusting the Input Level
Once you have selected your input device and chosen your input channels, you should test your input signal level. This requires the use of the
Audio
Recorder module in the Details Section.
• Click a blank area of the Details Section and insert the Audio Recorder panel.
• Play a track from any of your input sources.
• Your input level will be displayed in the level meters of the
Audio
Recorder panel.
• Use the Gain knob for adjusting the recording level – the meter range should show peaks in the upper third.
• To avoid distortion or clipping, make sure the level doesn’t reach the maximum amount at the top of the meter range.
Recording your Input Signal
• Open the
Audio Recorder folder icon in the Track Browser.
• Click on the Record button in the Audio Recorder module.
• TRAKTOR 3 will begin recording your input signal. The file size of your recording and time elapsed will be displayed in the
Display Window of the
Audio Recorder module.
• The recording will appear as track in the Audio Recorder folder and will have a time-stamp in its name.
• Click on the
Record button in the Audio Recorder module to stop recording.
• You can instantly drag the recording into a deck and play it.
Using Cut & Continue
While recording, you can separate the recording into individual *.wav files. If you are recording your mix as audio, this allows you to separate your recording at points you determine on-the-fly.
�uring recording, click the Cut button in the Audio Recorder module.
• The recording will cut at this point and begin a new *.wav file.
• The *.wav files will be displayed in the Audio Recording List Window view.
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Split at file size
Another way to separate your recording is by utilizing the Split at File Size preference. This allows you to specify a file size (in megabytes) at which the recording will be separated. This function is extremely useful in cutting down your recordings into C�-size sections that can later be burned without any problem.
• Open TRAKTOR Preferences > Recording.
• Click the arrow to drop down the Split at File Size menu and choose a file size.
• Each time the Audio Recording reaches this file size, it will be split into a separate audio file.
Deleting the Last Recording
If you are not satisfied with your Audio Recording, you can delete it.
Delete
• Click on the Audio Recordings folder icon in the Track Browser.
• Select the recording you wish to delete.
• Click on the Delete button in the Audio Recorder module. You can also click the Delete button next to the List Window.
• A menu will pop up asking you to confirm.
• Choose OK.
• The recording will disappear from the
List Window.
Note: If you do not want the popup-menu to appear each time you choose
Delete, put a check mark in the box labelled Do not show again.
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Editing Properties of the Recording
Track properties for the Audio Recording can be edited just like any track in your Collection, either inline in the List Window, by using the Edit button or through the Edit context menu option. Additionally there is a shortcut to the Edit dialog of the currently recording track in the Audio Recorder panel, called Edit.
9.4 Native Mix Recording
Understanding Native Mix Recording
As you have learned, TRAKTOR 3 allows you to record your mix as an audio file using the Audio Recorder panel. However, TRAKTOR offers a second, more advanced way to record your mix called Native Mix Recording. This records a control file that contains all fader, knob or button actions you performed during the mix. Native Mix Recording is proprietary to TRAKTOR, meaning it can only be played back with TRAKTOR 3 or the TRAKTOR Player software and only together with the tracks that have been used during the mix. �uring playback, TRAKTOR will load the same tracks in the order you mixed them as well as reproduce all fader, knob and button actions performed. This accurately reproduces your mix.
Unlike audio recording, Native Mix Recording results in a file that is far smaller than a recorded audio file. Native Mix Recording allows you to stop the recording at any time, then seamlessly resume it later on. The Native Mix recorder will take care of loading the correct tracks at the correct point, re-syncing them and setting all controls exactly where they were so that you can resume the mix perfectly.
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At any time during your Native Mix Recording, you can store markers that create points in the mix. This allows you to skip forward or backward precisely to the stored points in the mix, then resume Mix Recording.
The big benefit of recording your mixes in the Native Mix format is that you can easily correct any mistake that has happened during the mix. If you have ever tried to record an one-hour mix where things went well until the last record and you had to re-do everything again, then you will know how useful this feature is!
Recording your mix
Record
• Create a Playlist of tracks you would like to mix and record.
• Move the
Playlist into the Current Playlist.
• Load a track in Deck A.
• Move the
Crossfader to the left, focusing Deck A.
• Load a track in Deck B.
• Click the red
Record button in the Native Mix Recorder panel found in the
Details section to start recording.
• Recording will begin and the record time will start counting in the
Mix
Recorder display window. This window will also show the size of the recording in Kilobytes.
• �egin your mix.
• Match the track tempos and move the Crossfader slowly to the right, mixing in the track in Deck B.
• Adjust the
Gain knob to match volume levels.
• Adjust the EQ if necessary.
• Use the
Filter or Delay to add effects.
• Move the Crossfader all the way to the right, mixing out of the track in
Deck A and into Deck B.
Seamlessly Interrupting and Resuming the Mix
�on’t hesitate to press the Record button to stop recording at any time during your mix. This gives you more time to think about your next transition or to pull new tracks into the playlist.
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To resume recording, simply re-press the Record button. TRAKTOR will slightly wind back, configure all decks, knobs and buttons as they have been shortly before the interruption and hand over control to you at the exact point in the mix where it had been interrupted.
Seamlessly Redoing the last Transition
Seamlessly resuming the mix is not only possible at the end of the mix, but from any earlier point in the mix. Proceed as follows:
• Using the
Seek buttons in the Native Mix Recorder panel wind back a point in the mix about half a minute before the failed transition.
• Press Play to start playback of the mix.
• Press
Record to seamlessly enable recording mode.
• For taking over full control of the mix, turn off the Play button, leaving only the Record button lit and redo your transition.
• You can repeat this procedure as many times as you need.
Note: You can resume a transition in the middle of your mix file, but all following mixes have to be re-done as well!
Setting Additional Cue-Markers
Cue-Markers are used in a Mix Recording to establish points of reference from which you can Cue. It is possible to seek to, resume or overdub the mix from this point. �y default TRAKTOR 3 sets a marker each time you load a new track into a deck. If you want to add additional markers, proceed as follows:
• Click the Play button in the Native Mix Recorder panel.
• Listen for a spot in the mix you would like a marker to be placed.
• Click the Set Marker button in the Native Mix Recorder panel.
• Let the mix play, click the Set Marker button again to set another marker.
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Skip and Seek Buttons
The Skip and Seek buttons in the Native Mix Recorder are used to navigate through your recorded mix as you would do on a C� player. The Skip buttons skip to the next or to the previous marker in the mix. Use these buttons to find a specific point in your mix, then play the mix, overdub it or to delete an unwanted marker.
Note: To seek through the Mix Recording in larger increments, hold down the Shift Key while clicking the Seek buttons.
Fix the Mix with Overdub
Overdub
If you hear something in the mix you don’t like, the
Native Mix Recorder offers an
Overdub feature that allows you to fix it.
• Click on the
Mix Recording folder icon to expose the Mix Recording
Panel.
• Click Play Mix to play back the recorded mix.
• Just before you reach the point in the mix that you would like to fix, click the
Record button.
• Make whatever adjustments you need to make. For example, raise the gain knob for Deck B.
• The
Dub button will activate.
• �hen you are done, click the Record button again.
• Press the
Play Mix button to play back the Mix Recording and listen to your fixes.
Note: �hen stopping your Overdub, all parameters that were changed during the overdub will skip back to their pre-recorded values in order to match the rest of the mix. Therefore, it is not advisable to overdub more than one parameter at a time.
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Saving, Loading and Discarding a Mix recording
Save
If you are in the middle of recording, you can save it without interrupting the mix. �hile recording, click the Save and Continue button in the Native Mix
Recorder panel.
Save As
Once you have completed your mix recording, you can save it and work on it later.
• Click the Save As button in the Native Mix Recorder panel.
• A standard operating system dialog box will appear.
• Choose a name for the mix and choose a folder on your hard drive in which to store the mix. �y default, the Playlists folder (located in the main TRAKTOR folder) will be selected.
• Click Save.
Load
�hen you are ready to work on the mix again, you can load it from the
Native
Mix Recorder.
• Click the Load button in the Native Mix Recorder module.
• A standard operating system dialog box will appear.
• �rowse your hard drive for the Native Mix Recording file.
• �hen you have found it, select it and choose Open.
Discard Before
If you have found a better point to start the mix, you can discard the recording up to this point.
• Seek to the position in the mix that should be the new starting point.
• Press the Discard Before button below the display in the Native Mix
Recorder panel.
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Discard All
To completely erase a mix from memory press the Discard All button underneath.
Writing the Mix Recording as Audio
Write
To make a
Native Mix audible without TRAKTOR 3 it has to be converted into an audio file.
• Click the
Write button in the Native Mix Recorder panel.
• The Start Mix Export window will appear.
• �y default, the main TRAKTOR 3 folder will be selected. Click the
Browse button to select a different file path in witch to save the audio file.
• Type a name for the mix in the following text field and choose Save.
• If you would like your mix to be tracked, put a check in the box labelled
Cut Tracks On Fade In. Your mix will then be rendered as separate audio tracks, each cut at the time you faded them in and out of the mix with the
Crossfader.
• Click the Start button.
• The
Mix Export window will appear and display the following features:
• File: Displays the file name.
• Track: �isplays the number of tracks in the mix that have been written.
• Time: �isplays the amount of time in the mix that has been written.
• Writing: Shows the amount of time left in the writing process via a progress bar.
• The
Master section has a Volume slider can be used to adjust the volume of the mix while it is writing. You can also choose to
Limit the output signal so that the mix volume does not overload and clip.
• When exporting has finished the audio file(s) will be saved in the folder you chose.
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Exchanging Native Mixes with Other Traktor Users
To playback a Native Mix you need 3 components:
• The Native Mix file (*.nmx)
• The audio files of the tracks used in the mix
• TRAKTOR 3 or the TRAKTOR 3 Player (to be released after
TRAKTOR 3).
If you want to share a Native Mix with somebody else, you have to give him the Mix File and all the tracks that have been used for the mix. You can create a copy of this set of files in the following manner:
• Right-/ Ctrl-Click on the Native Mix recordings icon in the Browser tree.
• From the context menu choose the option Export.
• A dialog will ask you for the location of the Mix File and for the path where the files should be exported.
• After successful export, it is useful to create a ZIP archive of the folder containing all the tracks and the Mix File before sending it out.
9.5 Controlling Traktor with MIDI and Hotkeys
Virtually every feature of the TRAKTOR 3 interface is capable of being controlled by MIDI or by Hotkeys (keyboard shortcuts). The reaction of TRAKTOR 3 can be customized in a large variety of modes.
These settings can become very complex and they can therefore be saved in a preset file and shared with other users. This file can be stored and loaded with the Load and Save buttons in the Hotkey or MIDI setup page.
TRAKTOR 3 comes with a default set of assignments for Hotkeys documented in the welcoming P�F of the software.
You’ll find them in My Documents\TRAKTOR 3 folder; they have the suffix
*.tks.
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The following section describes how to customize this preset and how to create your own MIDI and Hotkey presets.
Creating a new Hotkey
• Open TRAKTOR Preferences > Hotkey & MIDI Setup > Hotkey
Setup.
• Click the
Add button and select Deck > Audio > Monitor Cue.
• �rop down the Channel menu and select Focus.
• Click the
Learn button.
• Press the key c on your computer keyboard. The letter c will appear in the controller window next to the Learn button as well in the MIDI controller list under the Assigned column.
• Choose
OK.
• Now the Cue Button of the focused deck will light up when you press the key c.
• To un-assign this key, click the
Reset button next to the Learn button.
• To entirely remove the option from the list press Delete.
Changing an Existing Hotkey Assignment
Most likely you don’t like certain assignments of the default Hotkeys. In this case you can change the configuration as you like.
• Go to Preferences > Hotkey & MIDI Setup > Hotkey Setup and scroll through the list.
• You can sort the list by the assigned Hotkeys to find a specific control.
• Select the control and change the settings in the details underneath the list.
• To assign another key, press the Learn button and then press the new
Hotkey.
• Read more about the available special functions further ahead in this chapter.
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Configuring your MIDI Setup for External Device Control
Before you can configure TRAKTOR 3 to use it with your MIDI interface, you will need to install the drivers that came with it first. MIDI device driver installation is different for every device. You should read the manual for your
MI�I device for the correct installation procedure.
Activate your device
After you have installed the drivers for your MI�I device, the interface will appear within the MI�I section of the Preferences. You must activate the device before you can assign any parameters.
• Open TRAKTOR Preferences > Hotkey & MIDI Setup > MIDI
Interfaces.
• Your MI�I device should be displayed.
• Under the Active column, double-click the field next to the device name.
This puts an X in the Active box, making the MI�I interface active.
Note: If your MI�I device does not appear in the list, you may need to restart TRAKTOR 3 in order for it to be recognized. �hen doing so, make sure your MI�I device is attached to your computer and powered on.
Select a MIDI Channel
TRAKTOR 3 gives you the option to choose one of 16 MI�I channels or to accept MI�I messages from all channels.
• Open TRAKTOR Preferences > Hotkey & MIDI Setup > MIDI Setup.
• �y default the Channel will be set to OMNI. This means TRAKTOR 3 will accept all incoming MIDI control messages from any Channel, therefore you do not need to worry about what channel your MIDI device is transmitting on.
• Choose Lock OMNI if you do not want to change the MI�I channel
• If you want TRAKTOR 3 to accept messages from a specific MIDI channel, click the arrow next to Channel and select a MI�I channel from the drop down menu.
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Assigning MIDI Knobs and Buttons to TRAKTOR 3
To assign functions to MI�I controllers, use the TRAKTOR Preferences >
Hotkey & MIDI Setup > MIDI Setup page.
• Select a control just as you did in the Hotkey setup preferences.
• To assign a specific MIDI knob or button, press the Learn button and send MIDI data by moving the knob or button that you want to assign.
• If the MI�I-connection to your controller is correct, you will see the type of MI�I signal received by TRAKTOR 3 in the window beneath the Learn button.
• If nothing happens verify your MIDI Setup (see section above).
Managing your MIDI and Hotkey Files
Duplicate
If you are adding similar controllers, such as multiple deck volumes, an easier method is Duplicate. This will add a Duplicate controller, identical to the currently selected controller.
• Click on a controller in the MI�I controller list window.
• Click the Duplicate button.
• Another identical controller will appear in the window.
• Click Channel and select another channel type (such as Deck C).
Delete
If you don’t want a channel in your list, you can Delete it.
• Click on a controller in the MI�I controller list window.
• Click the Delete button.
• The controller will be deleted from the list.
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Reset
�y clicking the Reset button at the top of the MI�I settings preferences window,
TRAKTOR 3 will immediately clear the MI�I controller list.
Important: You can assign the same (MIDI) Hotkey to more than one function, which can be useful in special situations, but may be unwanted for other situations. However, if you assign the same
(MIDI) Hotkey to more than one function, both lines are lit in red.
MIDI/ Hotkey Pages
The Hotkey Setup and MIDI Setup have more than one page. The drop-down menu above the table containing the list of assigned controllers shows the currently selected page (1-3).
Switching from or to another MIDI/ Hotkey Page changes all assigned keys and MIDI triggers - it’s like loading a totally new assignment file with the difference that the switch is seamless and can be triggered with a Hotkey or a MI�I command itself.
The controllers for switching pages are found in Add > Pages > MIDI/
Hotkeys.
MIDI and Hotkey Pages have one major purpose: Allowing you to implement any key as modifier between two functionalities for a knob or button.
You could for example assign Coarse crossfader sensitivity to a MI�I knob and switch to Fine sensitivity when you additionally press the key F on our keyboard.
• Select Page#1 from the drop-down menu and assign a MI�I knob to the crossfader. Set the rotary sensitivity to a high value which results in coarse adjustment of the crossfader when moving the assigned knob.
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• Select Page#2 from the drop down menu and assign the same MI�I knob to the crossfader. Now, set the rotary sensitivity to a low value which results in fine adjustment of the crossfader when moving the assigned knob.
• Now define a hotkey for switching between MIDI Pages 1 and 2 and assign it to the letter F.
Advanced Control Options
The Hotkey Setup and MIDI Setup dialogs offer a variety of advanced options for the configuration of the Hotkey and MIDI bindings.
Controller Types
• Direct is used to control parameters within a definable range via faders or knobs.
• Inc & Dec are used to control parameters within a range via buttons or keys on your keyboard by stepwise incrementing and decrementing the value of the parameter.
• Reset is used to set a value at which a button or key resets to.
Direct Controllers
• Analog Fader/ Knob Control has a mechanical range corresponding to the range of the parameter.
• Rotary (7Fh;01h) has no mechanical range (endless knob) and controls the parameter via small increments and decrements.
• Rotary (3Fh;41h) is a special type of Rotary Encoder sending values smaller or higher than the neutral position 40h.
For adapting to various mechanical layouts, the direction of motion for Direct controllers can be inverted with the Invert button.
The acceleration and sensitivity of Rotary Encoders can be configured just like a mouse. The mouse wheel and the ball below a mechanical mouse are basically nothing else but a Rotary Encoder.
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Rotary Sensitivity
The Rotary Sensitivity slider determines how far the controller moves per one click of the Rotary Encoder. If you have an endless knob, this will give it a fixed value for high and low.
• Select a control in the MI�I controller list window.
• Click the arrow next to Control Type and select Direct from the dropdown menu.
• Click the arrow next to Mode and select either Rotary or Rotary
(signed).
• You now have control over the Rotary Sensitivity slider.
Rotary Acceleration
The Rotary Acceleration slider determines how the controller behaves when the knob is turned at higher speeds.
• Select a control in the MI�I controller list window.
• Click the arrow next to Control Type and select Direct from the dropdown menu.
• Click the arrow next to Mode and select either Rotary or Rotary
(signed).
• You now have control over the Rotary Acceleration slider.
Soft Takeover
�y default, the virtual knobs and sliders of TRAKTOR 3 will pick up at the position of the corresponding knob or slider of your MI�I controller. �y selecting
Soft Takeover, this works inversely: The knob or slider of your MI�I controller will pick up where the knob or slider of TRAKTOR 3 left off.
Incremental and Decremental Controllers
Controllers working incrementally like repeated clicks of buttons have another set of options
128 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Auto Repeat
�ith Auto Repeat enabled, a triggered function, such as an Increment or
Decrement can be automatically repeated when the key or button is held down.
Resolution
A Step size is the distance how far up or down a controller moves. The
Resolution menu allows you to increase or decrease the Step Size of your incremental or decremental controls.
• Use the arrow next to Resolution to drop-down the menu.
• Select a
Step Size from the menu.
• These Step Sizes are the same available for the knobs on the software interface. Refer to the User Interface section to learn more about knob and fader sensitivities.
Save your Controller Settings
Once you have completed a controllers’ configuration, you can save it as a
TRAKTOR MIDI configuration file. This file can then be copied to another computer and loaded into TRAKTOR 3.
Save
Save allows you to save your settings as one file on your hard drive.
Load
• Click the Save button on the bottom of the MI�I setup preferences window.
• A standard operating system dialogue box will appear.
• Type your desired name for the MIDI configuration file.
• Click the Browse button to search for a folder in which you would like to store the file.
• Choose Save. TRAKTOR will save your file with the extension *.tks.
• If you would like to load your MIDI configuration file, click the Load button at the top of the MI�I settings preferences window.
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• Browse your hard drive for the MIDI configuration file.
• Select the file and choose Open.
Reset
�y clicking the
Reset button at the top of the MI�I settings preferences window,
TRAKTOR 3 will immediately clear the MI�I controller list.
9.6 Synchronizing external Hardware and Software
TRAKTOR 3 allows you to send a tempo signal to other computers and/ or
MI�I devices through the use of MIDI Clock.
MIDI-Clock
Currently, TRAKTOR 3 can only send
MIDI-Clock, it will not receive it. Connect the MI�I output of your interface to the MI�I input of your external module or MI�I device.
• Open TRAKTOR Preferences > External Sync > MIDI Clock.
• �rop down the Interface menu and select your MI�I interface.
• Put a check mark in the box labeled
Send MIDI Clock.
• Use the MIDI Clock Time Offset slider to compensate for any latency.
• Choose
OK.
• Open Details Page #4 or insert the Clock panel into the Details section.
• Click the
Send button.
• MIDI-Clock will then be sent to the output of your MI�I device.
Controlling TRAKTOR 3 with Open Sound Control (OSC)
Open Sound Control (OSC) is an open protocol for communication between multiple computers over Ethernet. The OSC implementation within TRAKTOR transmits event data, allowing you to control other devices with the controls of TRAKTOR 3.
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Open Sound Control (OSC) preferences
OSC is configured and controlled via the TRAKTOR Preferences > External
Sync. > Open Sound Control (OSC) menu.
• Open TRAKTOR Preferences > External Sync. > Open Sound Control
(OSC).
• Put a check mark in the box labeled Activate Local IP. This enables
OSC.
• The Local IP Address of your computer will be recognized automatically and displayed in the window next to Activate Local IP.
The following are descriptions of the OSC options. Click to put a check mark in the box next to an option to activate it.
Port is the sub-network identifier. When other OSC clients scan your network, this is how their system identifies yours. You can change this number, however only certain ports are scanned. It is generally best to use a number between
10,000 and 10,015.
Local Identifier is the name other OSC clients use to identify you. This can be any name you like.
�hen changing the name of the Local Identifier, make sure to click the Apply button next to the Local Identifier box. This confirms the change.
Tempo Sync Master will send the Master Clock signal to other clients on the network.
Tempo Sync Source will make TRAKTOR 3 the Sync Slave. Use the drop-down menu next to Tempo Sync Source to select the master source from which
TRAKTOR will receive sync information.
Send Controls to will allow TRAKTOR to send OSC control data to other clients.
Use the drop-down menu next to Send Controls to select the client.
Receive Controls will allow TRAKTOR to receive control data via OSC.
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Detailed OSC Options
The �etailed OSC Options menu holds synchronization setting options that need to be configured in order for TRAKTOR 3 to know what to do with your
OSC configuration.
• Open TRAKTOR Preferences > External Sync.
• Click on Detailed OSC Options.
The following are descriptions of the Detailed OSC Options. Click to put a check mark in the box next to an option to activate it.
• Select Clock Sync (Master) for TRAKTOR to send an OSC clock signal to other OSC clients in the member list (explained later). OSC clock works exactly like MI�I clock.
• The LE� to the right of the Clock Sync checkbox will illuminate when a synchronization signal is sent.
• Select Time Sync (Master) for TRAKTOR to be the Master. The client will constantly scan the Master (TRAKTOR) for the time stamp, comparing the received time with its own and adjusting it when necessary.
• The LE� to the right of the Time Sync checkbox will illuminate when a synchronization signal is received or sent.
�hen Clock Sync (Master) and Time Clock (Master) are unselected, you can use the Sync Master menu to synchronize to an OSC master. Select Clock
Sync to synchronize to Clock Sync signals or select another OSC member to
Time Sync with.
• Sync Messages: This window reports status and synchronization errors.
• Time Offset (ms): This window adds a time offset to each OSC message sent to all clients. 1000 ms (milliseconds) equals one second. Therefore, when entering 1000 ms, each message will be received by the client one second later. This applies only to clients that are in Time Sync mode.
132 – TRAKTOR 3.2
OSC Member List
The OSC Member List is a list of OSC clients that TRAKTOR 3 is connected to. Each entry can be edited manually.
• Press Scan to automatically locate all clients within the same subnetwork.
• Select an entry and click the Edit button.
• Edit information for the client in the info fields.
• When you are finished with your changes, press the Apply button.
• The new information will appear in the Member List.
• If you want to delete the connection, click to select the client in the list and press the Delete button.
OSC Monitor
The
OSC Monitor allows you to monitor all OSC activity through a small information window. This window displays all received OSC messages. Select between
Monitor Options to set the display behavior.
OSC Message: This field is used for sending text messages to other OSC clients on the network. Select a client in the
Member List, type your message and hit the
Enter key on your computer keyboard. The message will be received by the OSC client.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 133
9.7 Broadcasting
The Broadcasting feature allows you to host an internet radio show directly out of the TRAKTOR 3 software. �asically everything that is audible from the
Master Out will be streamed to the internet and listeners all over the world are able to tune in and listen to your show in real time.
Hosting an internet radio show with TRAKTOR 3
Note: To use this feature, you need access to a computer running an
Icecast server. It is recommended that this computer has an internet connection with at least 128 kb/ s upstream transfer rate. The available bandwidth is being shared among the listeners, so if you choose to broadcast your show at 64 Mb/ s quality the bandwidth is just enough for two listeners.
Basics
TRAKTOR 3 uses a streaming protocol called Icecast. Essentially, the
TRAKTOR 3 software contains an Icecast client which can send data to an
Icecast server. It is then possible to access this server through the internet and listen to the audio that is being streamed from the TRAKTOR 3 software.
Note: To learn more about this streaming protocol and how to setup a server, please refer to the official Icecast homepage (http://www.
icecast.org)
Configuring TRAKTOR 3
Before getting started, it is important to configure TRAKTOR 3 so that the local client can connect to the server and the metadata of the radio stream contains the correct information:
• Open TRAKTOR Preferences > Broadcasting.
• Adjust the proxy setting according to your current internet configuration.
If you are not using a proxy, simply check Use direct connection.
• Next, input the address of the Icecast server you want to connect to.
This can be either a hostname or an IP-address
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• Specify the port where the server can be reached. Most servers use the default setting of 8000.
• Input the mount path and password. This information can be obtained from the host of the Icecast server and permits only authorized clients to stream data from there.
• Choose the streaming format and quality. Keep in mind that with a higher bitrate, more bandwidth is used for every single stream. Therefore, less slots are available and fewer listeners can tune in at the same time.
• Finally, you can specify the client Metadata setting. This information helps to tag your audio stream. Be specific in your description; the easier it is to identify the musical content of your stream, the more likely listeners will tune in!
Starting the broadcast
Once the necessary configurations have been done, you can start your live stream. To do this, open the Audio Recorder panel in the Details Section:
• Right-/ Ctrl-Click a blank area of the Details Section.
• Choose the
Audio Recorder panel.
• Click the Broadcast tower symbol.
• If the symbol starts flashing, the connection with the
Icecast server could not be established. Please go through the configuration process once more and make sure that the data you received from the server has been inputted correctly.
• If the symbol is highlighted, you are connected to the server and can now start your broadcast!
Important: Even though it is possible to run an Icecast server and the
TRAKTOR 3 application on one computer at the same time, the CPU usage will increase and when using power-hungry features like Key Lock it might result in a sluggish performance. Therefore it is recommended to use two computers.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 135
9.8 Autoplay
TRAKTOR 3 offers an Autoplay function where all the tracks of a playlist are played back with automatic crossfades. To understand how TRAKTOR 3 behaves in Autoplay mode you have to be aware of the following limitations:
• Autoplay only uses tracks from the Current Playlist. If you want play another playlist in Autoplay mode, you have to copy the tracks to the
Current Playlist first.
• Autoplay only supports 2 �ecks on the same level.
• To start Autoplay one deck has to be selected and playing on the Master output.
• Autoplay follows the order of the Current Playlist.
• The time for a transition in Autoplay mode is defined in Preferences >
Deck Preferences > Sound & Mixer.
Playing a Playlist in Autoplay Mode
• Clear the Current Playlist by double-clicking it to select all tracks and then pressing the Delete button.
• �rag-and-�rop the Playlist to be played in Autoplay Mode into the
Current Playlist.
• Put the tracks into the desired order.
• Load the first track into Deck A.
• Start playing Deck A and pull up the volume on Channel A.
• In the Master panel click on Play to enable Autoplay mode.
• You will observe the Channel Faders and the Crossfader adjust to Autoplay mode.
• TRAKTOR 3 will load the next track from the Current Playlist into
Deck B and when the track in Deck A ends it will blend in the track in Deck B.
• To restart playback at the top when Autoplay has reached the bottom of a playlist check the option Autoplay Loops Playlist in Preferences >
Browser Preferences > Collection Preferences.
136 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Note: The Play button in the Master Details does not start or stop playback of any deck. One of the decks supporting Autoplay must be already playing to switch on Autoplay mode
Switching to Autoplay during a manual DJ Mix
You don’t always need to play the whole playlist when using Autoplay. Also during a normal �� set you can seamlessly switch into Autoplay if you need a break. You can seamlessly resume as well. �efore switching to Autoplay during a �� set, please check the following settings:
• Sort the Current Playlist by icon to put the already played tracks to the top.
• Is the Gain button in the Master details lit (Autogain)?
• Is the currently playing deck selected?
• Is the track to be loaded after the next, correctly enqueued as next track?
• Is the Volume fader of the playing track all the way up?
• Is no other deck playing?
• Under these circumstances, switching to Autoplay will be seamless.
The Crossfader is centred and the Channel Faders of all not playing decks are pulled down.
• To resume manual control, simply turn off the Play button in the Master
Details panel.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 137
Rearranging the Playlist during Autoplay
�uring Autoplay you can insert or append tracks to the Current Playlist or even loading tracks directly into decks.
• �uring Autoplay browse to another Playlist and drag-and-drop a track into the waiting deck: This will insert the new track before the previously loaded track into the Current Playlist and play it next.
• �ropping a track from another Playlist into the currently playing deck will trigger the transition to the opposite deck and insert the new track into the playlist after the next track. The inserted track will not instantly start playing, but will be played after the next song.
• �uring Autoplay, drag-and-drop a new song from another Playlist into the Current Playlist. The song will be inserted into the Current Playlist at that position.
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10 Preferences
This section gives an overview of each option found in the TRAKTOR 3
Preferences Menu. Each preference in this section appears in the order in which it is displayed in the main Preferences Menu window.
10.1 Audio Setup
Note: For detailed instructions in configuring Audio Preferences, please use the instructions found in the Quick Start section at the beginning of this manual.
Soundcard
Use this menu to configure your soundcard settings. Please choose your audio device.
Output Routing
Use this menu to configure TRAKTOR 3 to use the various outputs of your soundcard. Choose External Mixer if using TRAKTOR 3 with an external �� mixer. After choosing External, use the Preview section to route the audio of the Preview Player to an output pair of your sound card.
Input Routing
Use this menu to configure TRAKTOR 3 to use the various inputs of your soundcard for recording from an external device. Choose Internal to route the
Main output signal of TRAKTOR 3 to the recording inputs. Choose External to route the inputs of your soundcard to the TRAKTOR 3 record feature. The
Volume Meters to the right of the input selections will display signal level if signal is present.
10.2 Deck Preferences
Loading
The Loading menu gives the following choices for loading tracks into a deck.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 139
Security
• No Loading Track while Deck is playing: Secures you from accidentally loading a track into a deck that is playing in the main mix.
• Stop Deck at End of Track: Stops the playback of a deck when a track is at its end.
Reset Controls
• Reset Deck Controls when Loading Track: Resets all deck controls to their default value when a track is loaded.
• Reset Mixer Controls when Loading Track: Resets all mixer controls to their default value when a track is loaded.
Advanced
• Auto Load next Track: This enables TRAKTOR 3 to automatically load the next track from the Current Playlist.
• Cue to Marker when Loading Track: �ith this enabled, a track will automatically cue to an established Load Marker when it is loaded.
Transport
Synchronize
• Synchro Start: Automatically triggers a Tempo Sync when loading a track or when starting playback.
• Use Fade In and Fade Out Markers: This option allows the use of Fade
In and Fade Out markers for automatic crossfading between tracks.
Loops
• Seamless Looping: Softens the volume on the beginning and the end of a loop to make it sound more seamless, without pops or clicks in audio.
140 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Pitch
• Loop Autodetect Size: Use this slider to adjust the size beneath which a track is automatically detected as loop and therefore will be looped automatically. An automatically detected loop will show the green loop bars at the beginning and the end.
• Pitch Range: �etermines the range of tempo control in the Decks.
• Fine Pitch Range: �etermines the range of an additional pitch controller available only via MI�I. This second pitch controller can be used in combination with the Deck pitch control. By setting the range to +/- 8% or less you can control the speed of a deck very precisely with a MI�I fader increments.
Cache
You will notice the blinking, yellow bars beneath and below the Stripe.
Everything you see in this range will be cached, allowing seamless loops and jumping through the track. The yellow bars stop blinking when the whole track is cached.
Choose how many megabyte per track and deck shall be cached:
Choosing 256 MB for Deck A & B means that with tracks loaded in both decks your computer needs 512 M� of your RAM only for handling the two decks, this value doubles to 1024 M� RAM if you’re using this setting for all four decks.
The display below shows how much RAM is left with your current adjustment.
Important: This setting is very dependant of your system’s tech specs.
�hen choosing a setting leave always enough headroom to the actual
RAM of your computer!
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 141
Sound & Mixer
Time Stretch Quality
This adjusts the quality of time stretching used when using the Key Lock function.
• Use Non Adaptive with a slower processor.
• Use PSOLA with a medium processor.
• Use Phase Vocoder with a fast processor.
Mixer
• Auto Crossfade Time: This slider adjusts the amount of time it will take for the auto crossfade feature to crossfade between tracks.
10.3 Browser Preferences
Data Location
This menu contains the locations of various file types used in TRAKTOR 3. Click a browse button next to a file type to change the location of the folder.
Other than in older versions of TRAKTOR 3, you can choose multiple music folders.
Collection Preferences
• Import Music Folders at Startup: �ith this selected, each time TRAKTOR 3 is started, it will automatically import all tracks in your Music Folder that have not already been imported.
• Determine track-time automatically (before analysis): �ith this option checked TRAKTOR 3 estimates the track-time before exactly analyzing it.
• Perform Automatic Background Analysis on Collection Load/ Import:
Performs an automatic analysis of all tracks of the Collection not yet analyzed when imported.
142 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Note: Analysis is a process generating high CPU load. �ue to lower prioritization of the analysis process there is no risk of slow downs for
TRAKTOR 3 itself, but when using additional software contemporarily to TRAKTOR 3 you may note that this software performs slower than usual.
• Perform Automatic Background Analysis when Loading into Deck: This option triggers the analysis only when loading a track into a deck. �y analyzing the tracks on demand you don’t run into the CPU problems you may encounter with a permanent background analysis.
• Show Consistency Check Report on Startup: �ith this selected, the
Consistency Check Report will be displayed each time you start
TRAKTOR 3. This report displays information about your Track Collection and gives options to manage it.
• ID3 Tag Mode: This selects how the ID3 tag is written to a song file:
Standard will write industry standard I�3 tag properties such as Artist,
Song Title, Album name, etc. Extended Tags will write standard I�3 tags as well as TRAKTOR I�3 tags such as Record Label, �PM, Remixer,
Producer, Key, etc. Extended Tags & Stripe will write standard and
TRAKTOR I�3 tags and will store the Stripe (Overview Waveform) data in the track file.
• Ignore Cued Tracks in History: �ith this selected, tracks that have been cued (but not played) will not appear in the History (located under
Playlists in the Browser Tree).
• Autoplay loops Playlist: This option affects the Autoplay Mode. �ith this option checked, TRAKTOR 3 will repeat the Current Playlist from the beginning, when the end of the list is reached.
BPM Ranges
Analyze BPM Range: �ial in the minimum and maximum values of beats per minute (BPM) your tracks usually have to help TRAKTOR 3’s BPM-Analyzation finding the appropriate value when analyzing.
It’s advisable to keep the range small and to avoid the doubling of a value
(e.g. 80 - 159 BPM is better than 80 – 160 BPM).
We believe that sound above 250 BPM (and beneath 40 BPM) cannot be called music, therefore higher (or lower) values are not accepted.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 143
Live Mode
Allow Inline Editing: �ith this option unchecked, Inline Editing of a track’s tag in the browser is not allowed to prevent from unwanted changes during a live set.
Check this option if you’re preparing tracks at home for faster access to the tags.
10.4 Recording
Recording Source
• Source: Choose internal to record TRAKTOR 3’s Master Output and choose external to record an external audio source like a turntable or a microphone.
• Extern Recording Input: Select the input channel of TRAKTOR 3 receiving the external audio.
Directory
This determines the file path in which your audio recordings are stored.
Prefix
This determines the prefix of the filename of each recording.
Split at File Size
With a file size selected, your audio recordings will be split each time the file size is reached. With no file size selected, the recording will be a continuous file.
10.5 Broadcasting
Proxy Settings
If connecting to the internet through a Proxy, use this section to configure
TRAKTOR 3 to use your Proxy settings.
144 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Icecast Server Settings
Use this menu to configure TRAKTOR 3 to use your Shoutcast/ Icecast server.
Icecast Metadata Settings
Use this menu to configure metadata for your broadcasting stream.
10.6 Hotkey and MIDI Setup
Note: For detailed instructions in configuring input (MIDI) preferences, please use the instructions found on page 70ff (Controlling Traktor with
MIDI and Hotkeys).
Hotkey Setup
This menu is used to configure the various keys of your computer keyboard to assign it to the control features of TRAKTOR 3.
Add a control, click Learn and press a key on your keyboard to assign it to the control feature.
See how the available
Controller Attributes change depending on the desired control and how different settings change the behavior of the controls.
Load and save
Settings and share them with other users.
MIDI Interfaces
This menu displays all detected MI�I interfaces that are connected to your computer. �ouble-Click to put an X in the box next to the device to make it active.
MIDI Setup
Use this menu to assign the various controllers of your MI�I device to control features of TRAKTOR 3. Add a control, click Learn and move a knob/ fader/ button on your MI�I-Controller to assign it to the control feature.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 145
See how the available Controller Attributes change depending on the desired control and how different settings change the behavior of the controls.
Load and save Settings and share them with other users.
10.7 Appearance
File info Options
This menu is used to configure the way in which file information, such as
Total
Time, BPM etc. is displayed above each deck waveform. You can customize the both rows for your needs.
Wave Display Options
• Highlight Beatmarkers: �ith this selected, the Beatgrid will be brighter and more visible.
• Show Minute Markers: Shows a white line for each minute on the Stripe
Window.
• Channels: This configures how the waveform looks. Beats will display the beats of the track only.
Beats and Highs will display the beats of the track along with the detected highs in the track.
Beats and Envelope will display the beats of the track along with the detected envelopes in the track.
• Colors: You can choose from 3 waveform colors.
• Track End Warning Time: This slider adjusts the amount of warning time
TRAKTOR 3 gives when the end of a track is approaching. The warning is displayed as a flashing red transparency over the deck waveform.
Miscellaneous
• Switch to Fullscreen on Startup: �ith this selected, TRAKTOR 3 will open in full screen mode (filling your entire computer screen) each time it is started.
• Fullscreen Mode: Options for TRAKTOR 3 to fill your entire screen at the resolution your computer is set to (full screen) or at 1024x768 resolution.
146 – TRAKTOR 3.2
• Show value when over Control: �ith this option checked, knobs like
Gain, Master Volume or the Effects’ knobs show their actual value when hovering over it.
• Font Size: Choose a font size from the drop down menu. Font sizes range from small to huge. Click Apply. The font size for the Browser will be changed accordingly.
• Hide Beatport: This option hides the �eatport icon from the Browser
Tree and the Find More button in the �rowser.
• Reset Hidden Dialogs: resets all dialogs that have been hidden by clicking on the “�on’t Show This Again” checkbox.
10.8 External Sync
MIDI Clock
• MIDI Interface: Select a MI�I interface to which TRAKTOR 3 will send
MI�I clock.
• Send Midi Clock: Select this for TRAKTOR 3 to send MI�I clock.
• MIDI Clocktime Offset: Use this slider to adjust the MI�I clock offset.
Open Sound Control (OSC)
Use this menu to configure TRAKTOR 3 for Open Sound Control (OSC).
Detailed OSC Options
Use this menu to configure the detailed OSC information. Read more on page
75 ff (Synchronizing external Hardware and Software).
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 147
11 Troubleshooting
TRAKTOR 3 is a complex piece of software and it is more than natural that you need to make a sound check after turning on TRAKTOR, as you would do on a regular �� setup. The addition of a soundcard and a computer to the traditional setup makes the sound check even more complex as more components can be misconnected or wrongly set. This chapter provides a guide to troubleshoot the most common problems when starting up TRAKTOR 3.
What is Latency?
As with any digital device (including hardware signal processors) that convert audio to data and back again, a computer adds a certain amount of delay
(“latency”) when processing audio signals. Fortunately, with today’s computers and low-latency sound card drivers, this delay can be so small that you can’t hear it (e.g., under 3 milliseconds, which is about the same delay caused by moving your head one meter further away from a speaker). However, typical computers are generally not set up for low latency; attempting to play in real time through TRAKTOR 3 will probably be unsatisfying because of the delay.
Any computer-based audio system has some delay between the audio input and output. As a result, if you’re playing a MI�I keyboard through TRAKTOR 3, you may hear an annoying delay between the time you hit a key and hear a sound. Even the most powerful computer can only do a certain number of calculations per second; generating and processing sounds demands a lot from a computer, so it’s important to minimize any computer-based delays.
Fortunately, three main factors make delays virtually insignificant, assuming you have a suitable computer setup (see System Requirements).
• Today’s multi-GigaHertz computers are so fast they dramatically reduce latency.
• Many sound cards and audio interfaces include drivers optimized for low latency.
• NI’s software has been optimized to function as efficiently as possible.
148 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Use Low-Latency Drivers
�rivers are pieces of code that handle communications between your computer and audio interface, whether built into a computer or attached via US� or
FireWire. The more efficiently they transfer data between audio interface and computer, the lower the latency.
TRAKTOR 3 works with two low-latency driver types:
• ASIO (Advanced Streaming Input Output). This cross-platform protocol was originally developed by Steinberg.
• Core Audio (Mac only). This low-latency protocol was created by Apple for the Macintosh, starting with OS X.
If your audio interface does not support one of these protocols, you will likely hear an audible delay if you play through TRAKTOR 3 in real time.
Although TRAKTOR 3 can work with the �irectSound and MME drivers common in �indows machines, you will probably not have a satisfying playing experience.
How Low Can You Go?
1.5 ms of latency approaches the theoretical minimum, because it will always take some time to convert a keyboard press into MI�I data, than convert NI’s
Software digital audio out to analog. However, note that ultra-low latency settings (or higher sampling rates) make your computer work harder, which may limit the polyphony or number of effects you can add while still retaining glitch-free audio. So, here are some tips on living with latency.
About Samples and Buffers
Audio cannot be handled continuously by a computer, but has to wait its turn while other operations are being carried out. As a result, sound cards create a “buffer,” which can hold a certain number of samples, where data can be stored and released as needed to create a smooth flow of data. An analogy would be if you had a hose that didn’t deliver water continuously, but in bursts.
So, you use a holding tank to store the water coming in from the hose, and have a valve in the tank that releases a steady amount of water in a smooth, continuous flow.
If the tank (buffer) is large, then you can store more water in case the hose goes dry for a bit. But it will take longer to fill the bucket, which is equivalent to latency. A smaller tank takes less time to fill, but the hose had better deliver water on a pretty continuous basis.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 149
All ASIO audio interfaces and sound cards include a control panel where you can adjust latency. This may be given as the number of samples per buffer, as shown in the Rig Kontrol 2 control panel, accessible from the
ASIO config
button in the software Audio MI�I Setup window.
Most sound card control panels let you choose a particular number of samples/ buffer. The output latency display in the software then shows the resulting latency. For example, if a 512 sample/buffer has been selected, an output latency of just under 12 ms at 44.1 kHz will be set. Setting this to 128 samples/buffer will reduce the latency, but may stress out your computer more.
Some control panels, as shown above, simply show the latency that results from choosing a particular setting in milliseconds rather than showing samples/ buffer.
Warning: Different Types Of ASIO
It’s extremely important to use the ASIO driver written for the card you’re using.
There are also “generic” ASIO drivers, typically called (for Windows) “ASIO
�irectX Full �uplex �river” or “ASIO Multimedia �river.” They will usually be found in a drop-down menu in the host program where you choose the desired
ASIO driver. If you’re not sure which one to use, try them all, and choose the one with the lowest latency. There should be an obvious, dramatic difference when you use the correct ASIO driver.
Tips On Minimizing Latency
• Set latency to the highest comfortable value. 256 samples/buffer is very responsive yet gives your computer some “breathing room.”
• 512 samples may also be acceptable; anything more will create too much delay. If you can’t get reliable audio with 512 samples, it’s time for a better computer!
• If your ASIO Control Panel shows latency in milliseconds, you’ll find that anything over 10 ms or so gives an audible delay. 5 ms is a good compromise between speed and minimum stress to your computer.
• �ownload your sound card’s latest drivers from the manufacturer’s web site. This can make a huge difference in performance.
150 – TRAKTOR 3.2
TRAKTOR 3 won’t start (or crashes upon start):
• Check the systems requirements for TRAKTOR 3. The minimum requirements are the very least you can get by with, and are often not enough for advanced use (i.e. Key Lock, Effects). Updating your RAM configuration may save you a lot of trouble.
• Make sure you have the most recent TRAKTOR 3 version.
• Make sure that you have not clicked on an outdated application alias / shortcut.
• Try to restart your computer. �isconnect any audio interfaces and computer peripherals like printers, scanners and the like.
For PC users: Please note that some soundcards may not be able to achieve a comfortable latency. If this is the case you may want to to try the generic ASIO4ALL driver.
Tracks load but won’t play!
If your waveforms aren’t moving regardless pressing Play most likely something is wrong with your Soundcard Setup or your Output Routing.
Check the Selected Audio Device:
• Open TRAKTOR Preferences > Audio Setup > Soundcard.
• Make sure you have selected the correct sound card. The
Audio Device drop down list shows all soundcards that have been installed on your computer and you have to select the one that is currently connected.
• If your soundcard does not appear in the list, it is probably not correctly installed or not correctly connected. Verify the mechanical connections and check the correct installation of the soundcard as described further below.
• You may need to deselect and re-select your sound card.
• If this does not work, try to select your sound card, confirm with OK and then close and re-open TRAKTOR 3.
• If nothing helps try to select all available soundcards displays in the list, and try to find one that works.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 151
Check the Output Routing
You may have selected the correct soundcard but not assigned any of its outputs.
• Open TRAKTOR Preferences > Audio Setup > Output Routing.
• Make sure you have selected the right Mixer Mode. Internal will mix the signal internally and output the mix on the Master Output and the prelistening signal at the Monitor Output. External will output each deck individually on a separate channel for being mixed in an external mixer.
• Verify if the Section for Monitor and Master (or Deck A and Deck
B in External Mixer Mode) show valid outputs of the connected soundcard.
• You may need to deselect and re-select the outputs to reinitialize the assignment.
• If this does not work, make the correct assignment, confirm with OK and then close and re-open TRAKTOR 3.
Check the Audio Control Panel in Windows
To check the correct installation of your soundcard on a �indows computer do the following:
• Open Start > Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices > Audio.
• For Sound Playback > Default Device, drop down the menu and make sure your soundcard is displayed in the list. If it is not, you may need to reinstall the drivers for your soundcard.
Check the Audio/ Midi Setup in Mac OS X
To check the correct installation of your soundcard on a Mac do the following:
• Open Macintosh HD > Applications > Utilities > Audio Midi Setup and click the Audio Devices tab.
• For Default Input, drop-down the menu and make sure your soundcard is displayed in the list. If it is not, you may need to reinstall the drivers for your sound card.
152 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Decks play but there is no Sound!
Most likely when the decks are playing everything is fine with the soundcard drivers and selection but something may be wrong either in the settings of the internal mixer or in the way you connected your soundcard to your speaker system or headphones.
Open the Master Details Panel and verify that the Master Level Meter is showing an output signal.
No Master Level Activity
If the Master Level Meter shows no output activity:
• verify if the Master Volume knob is all the way up.
If so check if the Channel Level Meter of the playing track is showing any activity?
• If no, is there an effect engaged on that channel that might mute the signal?
• If no, is the Equalizer set to neutral position?
• If no, is the channel set to External Input in the channel header - if so, switch back to Deck Input with the drop down menu above the Cue and
PreFX button.
If the Deck Level Meter does show activity, check the following settings:
• Is the Channel Fader all the wax up?
• Is the Channel Gain knob in neutral position?
• Is the Crossfader in neutral (central) position?
• Is the PhMix knob (Phones Mix) knob set to neutral position
(centered)?
If after verifying all this you can still not obtain any Master Level activity, you should contact support.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 153
Decks play, Master Level Flashes, but no Sound!
Re-Verify your Soundcard Output Routing
• Open TRAKTOR Preferences > Audio Setup > Output Routing.
• Make sure you have selected the right Mixer Mode. Internal will mix the signal internally and output the mix on the Master Output and the prelistening signal at the Monitor Output. External will output each deck individually on a separate channel for being mixed in an external
Mixer.
• Make sure you have connected the outputs to the Monitor Output when using your built-in soundcard. �ith this setting the PhMix knob in the
Mixer allows you to hear a mix of all available TRAKTOR 3’s signals in your headphones, including the Preview Deck used for Beatport
Prelistening.
Test your Speaker Setup
At this point you have tested almost any possible routing error in TRAKTOR 3 itself. You now have to verify your external connections including your amplifier and loudspeakers.
A good way to test the external connections is to momentarily disconnect the audio cables from your soundcard. You should hear a popping sound or a buzz as you unplug the cables if everything is set up correctly in the signal path after the soundcard.
Note: �efore unplugging the cables verify if you have turned the volume of your amplifier and speakers safely down, as hot-unplugging cables can cause damage to your amplifier and speaker system.
If this test gives positive result you should test your audio setup with another standard music software installed on your computer.
154 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Test your Soundcard on Windows
• Open Start > Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices > Audio.
• For Sound Playback > Default Device, drop down the menu and select your sound card (audio device).
• Open the Windows Media Player and load and play a song.
• If you do not hear sound, your speaker setup is not configured properly.
Test your Soundcard on Mac OS X
• Open Macintosh HD > Applications > Utilities > Audio Midi Setup and click the Audio Devices tab.
• For Default Input, Output and System Output, drop down each menu and select your audio device.
• Open iTunes and play back an audio file or song.
• If you do not hear sound, your speaker setup is not configured properly.
Audio Pops, Clicks and/ or Distortions!
Check your system specs
If your system does not meet the following requirements, you may experience pops, clicks and/ or distortion in audio playback.
Mac (minimum):
• G4 1.5 GHz, Mac OS 10.4.x, 512 M� RAM
• 50 M� of free disk space on your hard drive
• CoreAudio compatible sound card or audio hardware
• Multi-Channel Audio Interface is recommended
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 155
Mac (recommended):
• Intel Core �uo 1.6 GHz, Mac OS 10.4.x, 512 M� RAM
• 50 M� of free disk space on your hard drive
• CoreAudio compatible sound card or audio hardware
• Multi-Channel Audio Interface is recommended
PC (minimum):
• Pentium III or Athlon 1 GHz, �indows XP Service Pack 2, 512 RAM
• 50 M� of free disk space on your hard drive
• ASIO or MME compatible sound card or audio interface (Multi-Channel
Audio Interface recommended)
PC (recommended):
• Pentium IV or Athlon XP 2 GHz, �indows XP Service Pack 2, 512
RAM
• 50 M� of free disk space on your hard drive
• ASIO or MME compatible sound card or audio interface (Multi-Channel
Audio Interface recommended)
Raise the Audio Latency
• Open TRAKTOR Preferences > Audio Setup> Soundcard.
• Click the arrow next to Latency and select a higher latency buffer size.
• Keep raising the latency until TRAKTOR 3 no longer pops/ clicks or distorts.
• If you are using DS (DirectSound) drivers, the latency setting should not be below 40 ms. If using ASIO, the latency setting can be lower.
156 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Test with the built-in sound card
• Open TRAKTOR Preferences > Audio Setup> Soundcard.
• Click the arrow next to Audio Device and select your built-in sound card from the menu.
• Connect your speaker setup to the built-in sound card of your computer.
• Play back TRAKTOR 3.
If playback is fine with your built-in sound card, you may have an IRQ conflict
(Windows only) on the slot or port your sound card is connected to, or you may need to physically move your sound card to another PCI slot, US� port or Fire�ire port.
Physically re-configure your Audio Device
PCI
If your sound card connects to the motherboard of your computer via PCI bus:
• Shutdown your system and unplug it from power.
• Open your computer and physically move the sound card to another
PCI slot in your system.
FireWire
• If your sound card connects via Fire�ire, connect it to another Fire�ire port on your computer.
• If this does not work you may need to purchase another Fire�ire card
(PCI for desktop computers or PCMCIA for laptops).
USB
• If your sound card connects via US�, connect it to another US� port on your computer.
• Try all USB ports on your computer until you find one that works best.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 157
Check your IRQs (Windows only)
IRQ stands for Interrupt Request. This is the way in which �indows allocates resources to the various devices and ports in your system. If your sound card
(audio device) is on a port that shares an IRQ with other devices, you may have an IRQ Conflict. This means your sound card is not receiving the resources it needs to function properly. Here is how you detect an IRQ Conflict.
• Open Start > Run and type the word msinfo32 and press OK.
• Your system information window will appear.
• Click the Plus (+) sign next to Hardware.
• Click on IRQs.
• Your IRQs will be displayed in the window to the right.
• If your sound card connects via PCI bus, look for the name of the sound card in the list.
• If your sound card connects via Fire�ire: Your Fire�ire port will show up as IEEE 1394 host controller in the list.
• If your sound card connects via US�: Your US� port will show up as
US� universal host controller in the list.
• If the IRQ number listed next to any of these ports is sharing with other devices in your system, you may have an IRQ Conflict. In this case, use the instructions above to physically move your sound card to another port.
• If this does not work, and your computer is a desktop, you may be able to change the IRQ allocation from within the system BIOS (depending on your motherboard). With most laptop computers it is not possible to change IRQ allocation. You may need to reinstall your Operating
System for a better IRQ configuration.
The Waveforms (or other Graphics) Pause or Stutter!
If the graphics of TRAKTOR 3 pause or stutter, follow the same instructions above to Check your System Specs, Raise the Audio Latency and Test with the built-in Soundcard. Also refer to the next chapter for optimizing your computer
158 – TRAKTOR 3.2
My MIDI-Controls lag in response!
Lower the Audio Latency
• Open TRAKTOR Preferences > Audio Setup > Soundcard.
• Click the arrow next to Latency and select a lower latency buffer size.
Note: The lower the latency, the more CPU usage you will experience.
I get no Response from my MIDI-Controller
Activate Controller
• Open TRAKOR Preferences > Input and click on
Interfaces.
• Make sure here is an X in the active column next to your MI�I device.
If there is not, double-click to put an X in the box.
• If your MI�I device does not appear in the list, it may not correctly connected or installed or it may have been plugged in after startup of
TRAKTOR. In any case you should try to restart TRAKTOR 3.
• Click on MIDI Setup and use Learn to configure your controller.
Check your Device Manager (Windows)
If your device does not appear in the Interfaces list even after restarting, check your MIDI configuration.
• Open Start, then Right-/ Ctrl-Click My Computer, choose Properties >
Hardware > Device Manager.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 159
• Click the Plus (+) sign next to Sound, Video and Game Controllers.
• Your MI�I device should be listed here.
• If there is a yellow exclamation mark ( !), question mark (?) or if it is not listed at all, you may need to reinstall the drivers for your MI�I device or consult its manual for further trouble shooting.
Test MIDI Setup on Mac OS X
• Open Macintosh HD > Applications > Utilities > Audio Midi Setup and click the MIDI Devices tab.
• Your MI�I device should be in the list.
• Click on the Test Setup button.
• Click on the MI�I device icon.
• Press a key or move a control on your MI�I controller. You should hear a small sound.
• If your MI�I device appears in the list as is grayed out, or if it does not show up at all, you may need to reinstall the drivers for your MI�I device or consult its manual for further trouble shooting.
My Crossfader doesn’t work – I hear Deck A (B, C, D) playing on both sides!
Very likely you decoupled the assignment of the crossfader accidentally.
• Open the
Decks panel in the Details Section.
• Assign the small leftward pointing arrows to Deck A and C.
• Assign the small rightward pointing arrows to
Deck B and D.
• �o the opposite for a “Hamster Switch” like found on most hardware mixers.
My Recording sounds too slow and pitched down
Check that the sample rate of your soundcard matches the sample rate chosen in the software, e.g. 44.1 kHz.
160 – TRAKTOR 3.2
12 Tips & Tricks
12.1 Recording the Microphone
Recording the pure Microphone Signal
• Go to Preferences > Input Routing and assign the Mic In to a Deck, e.g. Channel D.
• Go to Preferences > Recording: Click
Extern and choose the respective channel, here
Channel D.
Grinding in the Microphone Signal and recording the sum
• Go to Preferences > Input Routing and assign the Mic In to a Deck, e.g. Channel D.
• Go to Preferences > Recording: Click
Intern.
• Click on the downwards pointing arrow above the channel controls and choose External from the dropdown menu. The waveform display will be greyed out and you can mix in the Microphone-Signal through
TRAKTOR 3’s effects, EQs and mixer and finally record it in the sum.
Learn more about recording on page 64 (Audio Recording).
12.2 Vinyl Brake Effect
To simulate a turntable-like brake effect, do the following:
• Go to Preferences > Deck Preferences > Transport.
• Choose a pitch range of +/-100%.
• Slow down the Tempo Button or the Pitch Fader to a full stop.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 161
Alternative Solution (thanks to forum user markymoon):
• Go to Preferences > Hotkey & MIDI Setup > Hotkey Setup.
• Add a new control for Deck > Tempo > Deck Pitch Bend.
• Set the Control Type to Down.
• Choose Switch from the sensitivity dropdown menu.
• Click Learn and assign the desired key of your keyboard.
• Play a track and press your new Hotkey.
Note: This does not actually stop the track, the track will continue to play if you let go the key, so you still have to click on the Play button to stop the deck completely!
12.3 Playing Reverse
Sometimes you might want to play a track reverse as an additional effect.
Although TRAKTOR 3 itself does not have this feature graphically represented by a knob, you can assign a Hotkey:
• Open Preferences > Hotkey & MIDI Setup > Hotkey Setup.
• Add a new control for Deck > Transport > Deck Reverse.
• Start the playback of a track and see how the playback reverses.
Note: This method can only be used on a running deck, this does not work on a stopped deck!
162 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Alternative Method:
• Go to Preferences > Hotkey & MIDI Setup > Hotkey Setup.
• Add a new control for Deck > Tempo > Deck Pitch Bend.
• Set the Control Type to Down.
• Choose Switch from the sensitivity dropdown menu.
• Click Learn and assign the desired key of your keyboard.
• Use your new Hotkey on a stopped deck.
Note: This method can only be used on a stopped deck, this does not work on a running deck!
12.4 Beatgridding Tracks with unsteady Tempo
TRAKTOR 3’s Beatgrid only supports a single tempo in a track. Adding additional Gridmarkers will only restart the phase. This is useful for tracks, that drift, like tracks that were recorded from a turntable.
If you have tracks with variable tempo you have two options:
Use Ableton Live
• "Fix" the tempo variasion by Warp Marking the track.
• Export it as a flattened audio file.
• Reimport into TRAKTOR 3 and add the Beatgrid to it.
Use Loops for mixing in and out
• Set a Beatmarker and adjust the tempo at a place of the track you likely mix it in. �on’t worry, the beatgrid needs to align only a few bars.
• Set a Loop there, most likely not with 32 beats, but 8 or 16 beats and save the loop ( Lock).
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 163
• �rite the current tempo in the Comment field (or set a Cue Point at the beginning of a loop and name it after the bpm value)
• Change the Beatmarker to a Floating Cue Point (Unlock)
• Set a new Beatmarker at the end of the track or where you most likely want to mix out.
• Adjust the tempo.
• Set a new loop.
• Save the loop.
• �rite the current tempo in the Comment2 field of the Browser (or the
Cue Point name field).
• �elete the Beatmarker.
This way you can have e.g. a perfect 115 bpm loop in the beginning and a
123 bpm loop at the end, which you can use for a perfectly beatmatched transition!
164 – TRAKTOR 3.2
13 Getting Help
If you can’t find out the reason for a problem, NATIVE INSTRUMENTS provides extentsive help to registered users. The relevant links are available in the NI
SERVICE CENTER.
Knowledge Base/ Readme/ Online Support
Open the NI SERVICE CENTER to find a series of links directly leading you to the NATIVE INSTRUMENTS Online Knowledge �ase and to the Online
Support frontend.
The frontend will ask you for all information about your hardware and software environment, to better facilitate the information to our support team. The entries you make are cookied, so they should be automatically be reproduced when you enter a second support request.
In your communication with the support team, keep in mind that you should offer as much information as possible about your hardware, your operating system and the version of the software you are running, to give the possibility to help you. In your description, you should mention:
• how to reproduce the problem
• what have you already done to try to fix the problem
• a description of your setup, including all hardware
• the brand and specs of your computer
Important: Always consult the Readme file of a new software version. It contains important information and all last minute changes, that weren’t available when printing this manual.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 165
Forum
In the NATIVE INSTRUMENTS User Forum you can discuss problems directly with other users and with experts from NI, moderating the forum.
The TRAKTOR Forum’s adress is:
http://www.nativeinstruments.de/forum_de/forumdisplay.php?f=105
Updates
�henever you encouter problems, you should also check if you have installed the latest update. Click on the TRAKTOR 3 logo or open the NI SERVICE
CENTER to display the version number of your software. Updates are released regularly to fix known problems and to constantly improve the software.
166 – TRAKTOR 3.2
14 Optimizing your Computer
14.1 Macintosh Optimization
Log off Additional Users
If you have set up multiple user accounts on your computer, make sure your user account is the only one logged in by logging off any additional users.
Turn off the Screen Saver
• Open System Preferences > Desktop & Screen Saver.
• Choose the Screen Saver tab.
• Set the slider for Start Screen Saver to Never.
Make the Desktop Static
• Open System Preferences > Desktop & Screen Saver.
• Choose the Desktop tab.
• Choose an image for your background.
• Unselect Change Picture.
Lock The Dock
• Open System Preferences > Dock.
• �rop down the menu next to Minimizing Using and select Scale
Effect.
• Unselect Animate opening applications and Automatically hide and show
the Dock.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 167
Dismantle Dashboard (10.4 Tiger and Above)
Search the internet for OS X �ashboard kill applications. There are several to choose from. Some are simple applications that you double-click to stop and start the
Dashboard, others are lines of code to be pasted into the Terminal.
Do NOT put Hard Drive(s) to Sleep
• Open System Preferences > Energy Saver.
• Uncheck Put the hard disk(s) to sleep when possible.
Turn Off Sharing
• Open System Preferences > Sharing.
• Click on the
Services tab.
• Unselect Personal File Sharing and Internet Sharing.
Shut Down all other Applications
If you have any other applications running, shut them down while using
TRAKTOR 3.
14.2 Windows Optimization
Processor Scheduling
• Open Start > Control Panel and double-click System.
• Choose Advanced.
• Under Performance choose Settings.
• Choose the Advanced tab.
• Under Processor Scheduling select Background Services.
168 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Visual Effects
• Open Start > Settings > Control Panel and double-click System.
• Choose Advanced > Visual Effects tab.
• Choose Adjust for best performance.
Turn Off Desktop Background Image
• Right-/ Ctrl-Click
Desktop > Properties > Desktop.
• At the top of the list under Background, choose None.
Disable Screen Saver
• Right-/ Ctrl-Click Desktop > Properties > Screen Saver tab.
• �rop down the screen saver menu and choose None.
Disable Fast User Switching
• Choose Start > Settings > Control Panel > User Accounts.
• Click on Change the Way Users log On or Off and unselect Use Fast User
Switching.
Switch Off Power Schemes
Choose Start > Control Panel > Power Options.
• Set Power Schemes to Always On.
• �rop down the menu for Turn off Monitor and select Never.
• �rop down the menu for Turn off hard discs and select Never.
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 169
Turn Off Hibernation
• Open Start > Control Panel and double-click Power Options.
• Choose the Hibernate tab and unselect Enable Hibernation.
Disable System Sounds
• Open Start > Control Panel and double-click Sounds and Audio
Devices.
• Choose the
Sounds tab.
• �rop down the sound scheme menu and select None.
Disable System Restore
• Open Start > Control Panel > System.
• Click on the System Restore tab.
• Select Turn off System Restore on all Drives.
Shut Down all other Applications
If you have any other applications running, shut them down while using
TRAKTOR 3.
170 – TRAKTOR 3.2
15 Hotkeys
TRAKTOR 3 has over 500 assignable functions. The most important of them for a live context have been assigned to keys on your computer keyboard. The file containing this preset is named: T3 Hotkeys Default.tks:
Focus / Layouts
Deck Focus Next / Previous
Deck Toggle to Last Focus
= Tab / Shift + Tab
= Ctrl + Tab
Window Layout #1-#10 = Numeric 1-10
Toggle to Last Layouts = Ctrl + Numeric 1
Details Page #1-#4 = Shift + Numeric 1-4
Browsing
Browser List Select Up/Down = Arrow Up + Down
Browser List Select All = Ctrl + A
Browser List Delete Selection = Del
Browser Favorites Select 1-10 = F1-F10
Browser Favorites Select Next/Previous = Shift + Arrow Down / Up
Browser Search = Q
Loading
Load Deck A = Shift + Arrow Left
Load Deck B = Shift + Arrow Right
Load Deck C = Ctrl + Arrow Left
Load Deck D = Ctrl + Arrow Right
Browser Load Selected Track into Deck = L
Unload Track from Focussed Deck = U
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 171
Playback
Deck Play/Pause = Space
Cue/Pause = Shift + Space
Cue/Play = Ctrl + Space
Deck Cue Set = Shift + Enter
Sync
Deck Tempo Sync = T
X-Fader = Arrow Left + Right
Loop
Loop Set/In
Loop Active/Out
= I
= O
172 – TRAKTOR 3.2
Index
A
Active (Loop) ............................ 98
Application Menu ...................... 22
Audio Setup
�uilt-in Soundcard ................. 14
Multi-Channel Soundcard ........ 16
Autoplay ................................ 136
B
D
�ata Location ........................... 41
�eleting Tracks ......................... 62
�etails Section ......................... 25
Configuring ............................ 33
E
�acking up your data
Mac ...................................... 10
PC ........................................ 13
�ackup
Collection .............................. 62
�eatgrid ................................... 72
�eatjump ................................. 86
�eatmatching ........................... 81
�eatport™ ............................... 63
�ooth Outputs .......................... 95
�roadcasting .......................... 134
�rowser �uttons ....................... 56
C
Effects ................................... 103
�eatmasher ......................... 110
�elay .................................. 108
Filter:92 .............................. 105
Filter T2 .............................. 104
Flanger ............................... 110
Reverb ................................ 109
EQs ......................................... 93
Equalizer .................................. 93
F
Favorites .................................. 45
File Info Options ....................... 35
Fullscreen .................... 23, 25, 29
H
Channel Faders ......................... 90
Consistency Check Report .......... 59
Crossfader ................................ 89
Cueing
Headphones .......................... 88
Cue Points
Regular ................................. 69
Special ................................. 71
I
Header .................................... 23
Help ...................................... 165
Hotkeys
�efault Settings ................... 171
MI�I & Key Commands ......... 122
Icons ....................................... 48
Installation of TRAKTOR 3
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 173
Mac ........................................ 9
Internal Mixer ........................... 88
iTunes Import ........................... 42
K
N
Native Mix Export ................... 121
NI Service Center ...................7, 11
O
L
Key ......................................... 84
Key Commands
Hotkeys ............................... 122
Knob and Fader Control ............. 26
Optimizing
Mac .................................... 167
PC ...................................... 168
OSC ...................................... 130
Outputs ................................... 95
P
Layouts .................................... 30
Learn ..................................... 123
Line Faders .............................. 90
List �indow
Customize ............................. 49
Loops ...................................... 97
Move .................................. 100
Navigation ........................... 101
Preferences ......................... 103
Resize ................................... 99
Save ................................... 101
Setting .................................. 97
M
Master
Controls ................................ 92
Messages �indow ..................... 25
MI�I
Hotkeys ............................... 122
Mixer
Internal ................................. 88
Mouse Modes ........................... 66
Pitch �end ............................... 81
Playlist
Sorting .................................. 45
Playlist Options ......................... 44
Playlists ................................... 43
Pre-listening ............................. 46
Headphones .......................... 88
Preferences ............................ 139
Appearance ......................... 146
Audio Setup......................... 139
�roadcasting ....................... 144
�rowser Preferences ............. 142
�eck Preferences ................. 139
External Sync ...................... 147
Hotkey & MI�I Setup ............ 145
Recording ............................ 144
Preview Player .......................... 46
R
Recording
Audio Recording ................... 112
Internal/ External ................. 113
Native Mix Recording ............ 116
Recording Outputs .................... 96
174 – TRAKTOR 3.2
register .................................7, 11
Registration and
Product Authorization
Mac ........................................ 7
PC ........................................ 11
Restore .................................... 75
S
U
Uninstalling TRAKTOR 3
Mac ........................................ 9
PC ........................................ 13
updates ................................7, 11
W
T
Scaleability .............................. 29
Search ..................................... 49
Service Center .......................7, 11
Set/ In (Loop) ........................... 98
Setup Guide ..........................7, 11
Snap (Loop) ............................. 98
Sync ........................................ 81
external Hard- & Software ..... 130
Phase Meter .......................... 84
System requirements and recommendations
Mac ........................................ 8
PC ........................................ 12
�ave �isplay Options ................ 36
Tempo
Adjusting ............................... 76
Test �rive
Your own Music ...................... 21
Time Stretching ........................ 84
Tips & Tricks .......................... 161
Tooltip ..................................... 26
Track Options ........................... 59
Track Properties ........................ 53
Transfer
Collection .............................. 62
Troubleshooting ...................... 148
TRAKTOR 3.2 – 175

Public link updated
The public link to your chat has been updated.
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Key features
- 4 decks
- Built-in 4-channel mixer
- Powerful track browser
- Beatport™ integration
- Extensive effects library
- Advanced looping controls
- Native Mix Recording
- MIDI and hotkey control
- External hardware synchronization
- Broadcasting feature