Traktor Pro 2 Review: It looks cleaner and sharper with its coloured waveforms and improved interface, although it retains the Traktor feel we are familiar with.
Traktor Pro 2 Review: Last week, Native Instruments launched its new Traktor 2 range, which consisted of new versions of all of its Traktor software, plus the Audio 6 and Audio 10 sound interfaces to replace the old Audio 4 and Audio 8 devices.
Of most interest to serious digital DJs, of course, was Traktor Pro 2, the new version of the company’s flagship product for controller users. We’ve now had a weekend to play with it, and with the help of a lot of insightful feedback from you, our readers, over on our First Thoughts on Traktor Pro 2 post, here we present our review.
The complete Traktor range, updated for the next generation of Traktor DJs. Have you managed to get what you wanted yet? And if so, what's your first impression of your new purchase?
Well, the load on Native Instruments’ servers was apparently so huge on launch day last Wednesday that they temporarily went down. However, they handled it in the most part, and now, all over the world, thousands of DJs have their shiny new Traktor 2 products – and especially for controller DJs, Traktor Pro 2.
Many will be Kontrol S4 owners who now finally have the hardware/software combination that Native Instruments always intended for them. Others will be DJs using any of the other popular controllers that run best with Traktor.
Go get it - The full Traktor 2 range of software and hardware is now available from stores worldwide.
The wait is officially over – Native Instruments has just announced that the entire new generation of six Traktor products is now available in stores worldwide, we can exclusively reveal. Plus, read on for a brand new promo video.
Straight from the company itself: “Berlin, March 30th, 2011 – Native Instruments today announced that the Traktor 2 generation is now available in stores worldwide. The new Traktor generation establishes the next level of versatility and ease-of-use with its Traktor Pro 2 software and Traktor Scratch Pro 2 digital vinyl system as well as its two-deck Duo versions.
Two record decks, a mixer and your whole record collection in the palm of your hand - it certainly looks good, but can you really DJ properly on an iPhone? Pic: Geeky Gadgets/DDJT
djay for iPhone & iPod Touch brings this acclaimed Mac and iPad DJ platform to the iPhone and iPod Touch for the first time. Here, Digital DJ Tips presents the very first full hands-on review of this potentially game-changing software. Does it represents a true leap forwards in ultra-portable DJing, or is it one shrink job too far?
As with all apps, buying via iTunes is a cinch. And upon opening the app for the first time, our first impression of this product can be summed up in one word: slick. Algoriddim – the company behind the djay range of software – has always released beautiful-looking products with the emphasis on ease of use, and djay for iPhone carries on the tradition.
djay For iPad featured in the recent iPad is Iconic TV ad, and the app has now been updated to v1.1.
In a big week for Algoriddim, the company has overhauled and updated the iPad version of djay to 1.1, adding a whole host of improvements, additions and tweaks to the well-received touchscreen DJing app.
We were broadly in favour of the app when we first reviewed it back in December 2010, so we were interested to see what improvements Algoriddim had made for this 1.1 release.
Serato ITCH has always been elegant and simple to use (this is 1.7), but with Traktor finally catching up with coloured waveforms in its April version 2, Serato may have felt the need to ensure ITCH 2.0 with its new features was also available at the same time.
Serato ITCH 2.0 will be show to the public at the beginning of April. The release (of what will presumably be the beta) was confirmed by Serato on the company’s Facebook page today. Serato’s full statement reads:
“ITCH 2.0 is progressing nicely and is looking really exciting. There are some great new features in it that will benefit users of all controllers, as well as a new look that we hope people will love. In regards to when? Software release dates are always tricky, but we hope to have something to show you all early next month.”
The Akai LPD8 is a good little laptop pad controller - but will it work with Traktor LE to trigger samples?
Digital DJ Tips reader The General writes: “I’m new to DJing. I got a Numark Stealth with Traktor LE. My question is: Can I hook up an Akai LPD8 or Akai MPD18 so I can trigger sound effects? I play reggae music and I need sound effects like the horn etc.
“Please can you tell me if it would work and what software I would need… I am willing to spend US$100 on anything that would work.”
Avid’s redesign and release of its Torq 2.0 DJ software at the recent NAMM show was a breath of fresh air for many a beleaguered user of the title. The last year without updates or even much news stretched the loyalty of much of Torq’s small but devoted fan base. But with Torq 2.0, Avid has shown it wishes to continue battling it out with Traktor, Serato and Virtual DJ. More than that, the software now no longer requires proprietary hardware, meaning it offers a real alternative for all digital DJs. Find out below if you should now be taking it seriously…
Dropbox is one way to sync files across multiple devices and OSes, but is it the best way? Pic: Ashfame blog
Reader Tim Dorcas writes: “With over 100GB of music/samples in my collection, and the fact that I use three different physical systems in two different OSes (Mac OSX and Windows), it is getting harder and harder for me to manage all of this data.
I am looking for ideas on how to manage, organise, and sync my music. My current set-up is an iMac at home (as my primary computer), a Windows 7 laptop, a backup Windows 7 laptop, and a NAS for music and sample storage. I can’t be the only one struggling with this – any ideas?
The complete Traktor range, following today's raft of new product announcements.
Native Instruments has officially announced the much anticipated new Traktor software and hardware, as teased in their promotional video last month and exclusively revealed on Digital DJ Tips last week.
Traktor Pro 2 lets non S4 users access the key features that were added when the Kontrol S4 was released last year.
Ever glanced jealously at the sample decks, loop recorder and cleaner interface of the Traktor Kontrol S4′s software and wished your version of Traktor Pro had the same features? Well today Native Instruments has made that possible, with the release of its next-generation Traktor Pro 2 software.
Replacing Traktor Pro, Traktor Pro 2 is just one new product in a host of announcements today from the German music and technology company, and aims to cement Traktor’s position as the number one DJ software choice among controllerists.
Traktor Scratch Pro 2 is Native Instruments' most powerful Traktor Scratch package yet.
Native Instruments today officially announced its new flagship four-deck digital vinyl system, Traktor Scratch Pro 2, as exclusively revealed last week on Digital DJ Tips.
Combining Traktor Scratch Pro 2 software with the new Audio 10 sound interface, this next-generation DVS system is coming straight at Serato Scratch 2, which itself recently received a boost through the announcement of the Rane SL4 4-deck, 2 USB sound interface.
The Traktor Audio 6 high-end DJ interface comes complete with brand new Traktor 2 software.
News of the much-touted new high-end DJ sound interfaces from Native Instruments has gone public today, with pre-orders being taken for the Traktor Audio 6 sound interface by Dolphin Music in the UK, being offered with the first of the new generation of Traktor software, “Traktor LE 2 DJ”.
This news fills in the picture as to where the Traktor range of products is going; Native Instruments heavily discounted the existing range of sound interfaces and software before Christmas, triggering a flood of speculation that was only heightened further by the release of their teaser video a few weeks ago. Read on for full details…
Guest post by Gabriel… It wasn’t long ago that using CD player in clubs was considered sacrilege. Now, with big DJs getting behind ever smaller DJ systems (we recently reviewed the well-received djay for iPad), that’s all changing. But can a full DJ set-up get any smaller than this one for iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad, backed by none less than Ferry Corsten?
The makers of Cue Play DJ claim it is possible to play a real DJ set using nothing more than your iPhone or iPod Touch (it also works on iPad) and this app. I wanted to find out if it really would be good enough to play a real club set with. Check out the video above, then below, let’s look at the app itself, and how it performed in a real club.
Find out what we think of the Allen & Heath Xone:DX 4-deck Serato ITCH mixer in this extended review.
There was lots of fuss made last week over the fact that Pioneer had eventually buckled in and entered the DJ controller market at the NAMM show, the thinking being that with such an established manufacturer backing controllers, controllerism may now begin to be taken seriously by the masses.
However, among those that know, controllerism came of age when Allen & Heath started to manufacture gear that would control DJ software. With the Xone:1D, Xone:2D and Xone:4D, they gave professional DJs their first real top-end digital DJ equipment. Now that the Xone:DX has joined the family as Allen & Heath’s most complete and fully featured DJ controller to date, we thought it was time to give it a full review.
Want to see what’s new in the world of digital DJing from this year’s NAMM show? Read on, as we’ve rounded up new controllers, mixers, software and gadgets costing from a few dollars up to thousands.
One thing is clear: With the overwhelming percentage of DJ gear being directly controller related, digital DJing is hitting the mainstream big time in 2011. Of course, you can’t get most of this stuff yet, but you can start saving for it…
Torq 2.0 DJ software demonstrated at NAMM 2011. Pic: M-Audio / Avid.
It has to be one of the most anticipated upgrades among its user base of any DJ software: the new version of M-Audio / Avid’s Torq DJ software has been revealed at NAMM.
Going with the must-have trend of 2011, the software now offer 4 decks, as well as improved compatibility with third-party controllers, including the Vestax VCI-300 and Numark NS7.
MixVibes ups its game with the U-Mix Control Pro DJ controller and the U-Mix Remote app.
Mixvibes, the DJ software and hardware company, has steadily established a good reputation for itself, and won’t do its profile any harm with this latest release.
Just in time for the NAMM show, the company has announced a DJ controller, U-Mix Control Pro, complete with fully integrated Mixvibes Cross 1.5 DJ software, providing a complete turnkey laptop DJ system. Mixvibes has also launched an iPad remote control app, U-Mix Remote, to allow its software to be manipulated from an iPad via WiFi. Let’s look a little closer:
