31 March 2011

TRY TRAKTOR PRO 2 NOW!

Even though the release date isn't untill tomorrow you can try it NOW!
CLICK HERE

The perfect S4 bag for me!

This is the one I've been waiting for! Simply PERFECT!

28 March 2011

DIY: Laptop stand


Why not make you own laptop stand out of some PVC pipes?
Very Excited!! A very simple DIY and it's soooo functional! Might even make my self do this one.
You can put some LEDs in it to make it stand out. Brand it! Do what ever!
A very good thing is that you can create any height you want.

26 March 2011

Novation Slicer

There is something brewing before the big Traktor Pro 2 release.
Novation which is well known for their synthesizers has started hitting the DJ controller market. Earlier they've released Dicer for Serato and Launchpad for Ableton. They also have the general controller Nocturn and the a portable sound card with built in effects.
Next up is aparently the Slicer for Traktor. In true Native Instrument format they are releasing badly lit, blury and unfocused images of their product.


DJ Techtools did a sketch of the product.
 It looks to be a very well arranged controller that's a bit different from all the other controllers.
The eight sampler buttons are arranged on the buttom with several different modes. I'm looking forward till the release. Got to love it! Thinking out the box like this is what drives us forward hurray!

DJ Techtools has more

25 March 2011

Allen & Heath Xone:DB4

If you got a $hitload of money, aspirations of beeing a VERY technical DJ, got LOADS of audio sources to distribute, don't think Traktor delivers enough effects and looking for a mixer... This is probably one of the ones you should concider... Though you probably should check out Pioneer DJM-900 Nexus or Denon DN-X1700 aswell.

'


Read what DigitalDJTips say...
Read what DJTechtools say...

Quiet before the storm

Lately the blogs and news has been very quiet about Traktor stuff and so have I. However in about one week the web will be flooded with Traktor Pro 2 postings and I'll be on top of it all, so stay tuned!!

22 March 2011

Dj Tips: HowTo Create Amazing Build Ups- Pt 1 (Beat Rolls)


Ean shows som pretty cool build-up techniques using the Midi Fighter and the "Instant Gratification Mapping". The video is a part of a series they're doing on the topic. Enjoy!

17 March 2011

Serato kicks some ass



If I had time and resources (and skills) to do this preperation... This is how I would do my shows. I'm simply BLOWN away. This is the first time ever that I think that Serato realy kicks some Traktor ass. Sadly this video shows something that is not available in Traktor yet. I recon it will be available in the future simply because... well... It just has to.

Read more about this fantastic setup and see the how it's all done @ DJ Techtools.

Ean Golden shows some cool mixing techniques




Ean shows us some cool ways to fix the transitions, but there are no right way to do this and there are alot of other techniques. I often use the Beatmasher2 effect for transitions and It seem to work pretty well.

However good you might think you are. You should atleast try listening to your own sets atleast one time per month... Use the record feature in Traktor to simply store the whole evening.

I learned alot of nice tricks and this video realy hit home for me. The way he uses the Beat Slicer is just increadable.
I'm taking off my hat, folding it tightly, putting it in a small box and shipping it to Ean in San Fransisco.

The worlds smallest controller for Traktor


For those of you who are into beeing really mobile. This might be the best controller on the market. This teeny tiny controller from FaderFox is actually pretty darn cool.

14 March 2011

Do not use soundcloud!

Soundcloud has started a very hard line when it comes to copyrighted material. I got mix deleted due to violation my self, so if you're using Soundcloud as a source for promotion, you might want to look elsewhere.
The alternative is: Mixcoud.com

Read more on digitaldjtips.com

10 March 2011

Best DJ or Club Movies

In response to digital DJ tips' article about the top 5 club movies I would like to show you my top 11 list for you.



Number 1
 
Number 2

Number 3

Number 4
Number 5


I had actually forgotten about Kevin & Perry Go Large. Probably because the comedy bit wasn't very good. I remember however that the club scenes gave me the chills and just for that it deserve a place on the list.

08 March 2011

Setting volume in Traktor

The offset of the volume knob is to
ensure no peaking.
Having problems or just wondering on how you should adjust your volume settings in Traktor? Digital DJ Tips has done an article on just that!
I have one little comment about the offset of the volume button. I believe that -10db on the master output is a bit hard. I normaly set it to around -3 to -5 db and I have never heard the limiter kick in... Traktor auto gains your tracks, so you should stay within the limits if you don't push to hard on the EQ.
Remember: It's always better to subtract sound on EQs then trying to amp it. ;)

Read the smashing article from DDT

07 March 2011

The dancing DJ??

A couple of articles about DJ behavior and more specific about dancing have been written lately. While 100% agree with the fact that being an entertainer first and foremost is important. Sometimes dancing might make you look like a douche or clown! If you don’t want to look like a clown (I do that sometimes on purpose to amp the crowd). The most important thing is to show that you love the music and that you’re having fun.

Here’s a quick guide of some things not to do:



If you're a girl... This might be a way to do it. :)
You should never do this:


In one of the latest article from Digital DJ Tips they also recommend that you might even go do some dancing on the dance floor. I don’t agree at all… In my eyes that’s just a bit embarrassing unless you’re a super star and can interact with your fans, this should not be an alternative. The only time you should join the dance floor is if you’re walking across it to go to the bar or something else.

The articles:
DigitalDJTips: 6 Reasons To Leave The DJ Box While Playing (And How To Do It)
DJ Techtools: Dancing – A DJ’s Secret Skill

SERATO ITCH 2.0


What a nightmare!
 Though this doesn't apear to be a Traktor related post. One should be aware about the fact that Serato ITCH will upgrade to 2.0 at the beginning of April. A feeble atempt to snatch some focus from the upcoming Traktor Pro 2 release. Some key features in Serato has been ported to Traktor and visa versa, so there might be some fancy features that has been thought up (I'm ever so doubtfull). I just think this is to take some of the sting away from the new Traktor Pro 2.

This is what Serato says on facebook:



Serato are known for their stability... Let's hope this isn't a premature release.
I believe that ITCH 2.0 will just be an even closer faximily to Traktor Pro 2 with samplers, more effects and better hardware support. Looking forward to having a look at the new design and features through.

Digital DJ Tips speculate

03 March 2011

The digital DJ paradigm shift is here!


Rane Launched their Sixty-eight mixer last year and I wasn't very interested in the product before I saw Ean Golden looking at it and using it with Traktor.

I've tested the TTM-56 a while back and even though I didn't quite like the layout and the design, it was still one of the best mixers, as far as quality goes, that I've ever tried.
Faders and buttons where amazingly tight and I was a bit sad that it couldn't be used with Traktor at the moment.

The TTM-68 however has the ability to work with both Traktor and Serato (or any other Digital DJ system for that matter). Yet another fantastic contribution to the Digital DJ scene. The reason I think this is so big is that it now makes it possible to use any kind of software, meet up at the club, plug in your USB cable and start rockin'. Only thing you really need is a place to put you controller.
A very exciting thing to think about is that the possibility of using two DJs on one mixer is pretty awesome. Now we have the possibility of two DJs fully cooperating on one single unit or it could simply mean that we now can seamlessly switch from one digital DJ playing to the next without any interruption or hassle.

The paradigm shift is here!
As the title indicate: I believe we are looking at the paradigm shift from CD-DJs to Digital DJs in 2011. It's been a long time coming, but it hasn't been that clear before. So what really solidified this for me was the launch of Pioneer, but it had started earlier with the Rane 68. I just hadn't looked at it because I figured: Rane = Serato.

What's happening to the clubs?
Today when you come to a club you normally see two CDJs and a DJM 600 mixer. You have to unplug the mixer, mount you computer stand and move the CDJs before you can begin to connect all the cables.
In the future (I'm pretty sure that) you'll find a mixer with built-in soundcard (Pioneer DJM-900 Nexus or Rane TTM68), a lap top stand and a free space to put your controller.
I predict that by early 2012 you'll run into the "future" scenario more often than the old CDJ setup.

The future of audio mixers
I think the DJ mixers in the future will mostly consist of some kind of built-in sound card with generic audio drivers, some midi buttons and an on board effect section. The mixers will support audio for a long time but the mixers will mostly be used in "sound card mode".

The future DJ bag
What a DJ carry with them to the clubs has changed over the years. Though I started as a CD DJ, I also had a period where a dragged my vinyl picks with me in an extremely heavy bag. What a DJ brings to the club in the future will probably consist of a computer with some kind of digital DJ software (e.g Traktor, Serato, Ableton, Virtual DJ, Torque, Cue, Mixxx), a controller for deck controls and a headset.

02 March 2011

Explaining the club DJ

I found this video posted on DigitalDJTips and had to share it with you.
This is Michael May (DJ Mikey Four) talking about what it is to be a DJ and he is dead on. This is what I feel aswell, but this is just presented perfectly.

 


 
What you should be as a DJ:
  • Be an Entertainer (fist and foremost)
  • Be a reflector (of the mood of the crowd)
  • Be an educator (but never at the expense of the other two)