Tag Archives: Native Instruments
Pioneer’s Rekordbox DJ software now syncs with Dropbox
This week’s best deals: Sony headphones, Surface Pro 7 and more
This week brought a great deal on our favorite pair of wireless headphones, plus a number of other good deals. Those who need to shut out the world can grab Sony's WH-1000XM3 wireless noise-cancelling headphones for $238, and those who need a new 2-i...
Native Instruments’ $50 retro synth plug-in is currently free
The '80s had no shortage of massive-sounding synthesizers, but many of them have either gone out to pasture or are prohibitively expensive on the secondhand market. Software companies often try to digitally recreate those synths as affordable plug-in...
The best portable (and affordable) USB MIDI controllers
Whether you're a musician always on the go or just tight on space, there are plenty of reasons to pick up a portable MIDI controller.
I've been on the hunt for the perfect portable and affordable controller. (You don't want to lose or break somethin...
Native Instruments’ Massive X software synth is finally here
When Native Instruments first released the virtual synth Massive in 2007, it quickly took the music production world by storm. Producers loved the three oscillator wavetable synth plugin -- with its wave-scanning algorithms and 1,300 presets -- for i...
The best USB audio interface
By Daniel Varghese
This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full guide to USB audio interfaces....
Native Instruments outs Kontrol Z1: an iOS DJ mixer with audio interface
It wouldn't take a genius to figure out that Native Instruments was going to release some hardware to cozy up to that shiny new iOS version of Traktor DJ. And here it is -- the Kontrol Z1 -- a two-channel mixer with a built-in audio interface specifically for iPad and iPhone. Plug this into your iDevice, and Traktor DJ gets full pre-cue functionality, plus some proper (club-level, 24-bit) audio output, not to mention dedicated faders and 3-band EQ controls. The hardware (which is similar in size to the Kontrol F1) means you can break out the mixer section, leaving the touchscreen display dedicated to transport and performance. The Z1 will keep your iDevice charged up, too (it needs to be plugged in), so you're good for that epic Balearic chill-out set. Likewise, it also works with Traktor Pro 2, if you're looking to integrate something a little smaller into your laptop setup. It'll need a lightning adapter to work with the latest devices, and costs $199 / €199 from your favorite DJ outlet. The app won't support the hardware until a June 24th update, but in the meantime, roll past the break for the demo video.
Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Tablets
Source: Native Instruments
Traktor DJ gets remixed for iPhone, brings big features to small pockets (video)
Traktor DJ for iPad showed us what can be done when you resist the urge to simply shrink your existing software or just slide it under a touch interface. Since its iOS debut, the folk at Native Instruments have spent the last couple of months cautiously considering how best to transplant the same waveform-based interface over to the iPhone. Today, you can find out. You get everything you find in the iPad version, like three band EQ, filters, hot cues and effects --along with the same key, tempo and timbre matching utilities, plus library sharing with the full-fat desktop version. The UI isn't the only thing getting downsized, either: this iPhone-friendly version costs just $4.99 (compared to $20 on the iPad). That should leave enough change to drop a few on party rock anthems.
Filed under: Software, HD, Mobile
Source: iTunes
Native Instruments announces Traktor DJ for iPad, brings the mix to iOS (video)
DJ apps for iPad? There's a bunch. But -- if you're at all familiar with the craft -- there's a very notable name absent from the crowd. Until today that is. Native Instruments set the high watermark for DJ software with its desktop-based Traktor application, and now it's available in compact iOS form. Designed by the same team as the full-fat version, aspiring DJs can enjoy two waveform-based decks, with three-band EQ, eight effects (ported over from Trakor Pro) all redesigned from the ground up for the iPad's touch-based input. The interface eschews the conventional virtualization of a turntable set-up, instead creating a workflow more congruent with the hardware's form factor. Notably, a new "Freeze" mode stops the waveform from galloping on, letting you tend to cue points, loops etc or slice it into samples for "playable" parts. There's also interaction between the mobile and desktop versions via dropbox-based media sync, so any tracks loops and so on made on the move can be seamlessly transported to your club performance too. Think an iPad app is nice and all, but want a little more spice? Well, hook it up to one of the firm's popular Audio 6 or Audio 10 interfaces (via the USB connection kit) you just got proper pre-listen and cue functionality too. Traktor DJ is available today for $19.99, and if you're still undecided, there's a demo video after the break that might just swing it for you.
Filed under: Tablets
Source: Native Instruments