Tag Archives: traktor
Native Instruments’ Traktor DJ 2 breaks free from the iPad
Last fall, Native Instruments gave its DJ and production hardware a significant refresh, especially at the entry level. Today, the company is introducing a second wave of tools to complement the new line up, along with even more new hardware.
The best speakers and DJ gear to give as gifts
There are people who like music -- and then there are folks who can't get enough of it. For the latter, the standard speakers and gear just won't do. Luckily, our holiday gift guide has the equipment the music-obsessed person in your life needs. The...
Native Instruments uses 3D Touch for better mobile beat making
Native Instruments is a huge player in the music production and DJ world. Its Traktor DJ software and (myriad) hardware controllers are a favorite with digital crate diggers. The company also manages to squeeze Traktor (and Maschine) into surprisin...
Native Instruments intros second-gen Traktor Kontrol S2 and S4 DJ systems with iOS support (video)
Many modern DJs prefer to mix with an iPad instead of a laptop, and Native Instruments has just updated its Traktor Kontrol S4 and S2 decks (shown both above and below the break) to accommodate those tastes. The new controllers now work directly with Traktor DJ, giving iOS-based artists hardware controls for everything they see onscreen. There are updates to the controls themselves, of course. The two systems now have backlit RGB buttons, higher-precision jogwheels and sturdier designs; there's also a shortcut to Flux Mode, which helps DJs tweak cue points and loops in mid-set. The revised version of the two-channel S2 is available for $499, while the four-channel S4 sells for $799.
Filed under: Peripherals
Source: Native Instruments (1), (2)
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
Pioneer XDJ-Aero review: a DJ controller that loves music, hates physical formats
Pioneer has enjoyed a fairly tight grip on the upper-end of the DJ market, but if you step out of the professional DJ booth, and into the bars and bedrooms, the competition starts to heat up. So when we heard about the XDJ-Aero and its curious new WiFi functionality, we were interested to see how this $1,399 controller would be received. That's not to say the DJ mainstay doesn't hold its ground in this busier market -- it does -- but as the far more frequent product release schedule will attest, the industry standard crown is still up for grabs. There's the other issue of software to consider, also. Pioneer has remained fairly neutral so far, releasing controllers for the big two platforms already, with the paint barely dry on its latest addition.
The XDJ-Aero, however, hints at a new approach. One where you don't need to choose your software gang colors to be involved. This isn't the first bit of kit that lets you play direct from USB drives or skip the laptop, but it's the first from Pioneer that clearly heads out in its own direction. Ditch the Traktor, wean yourself of Serato, even forget CDs and just get on with the mixing. That seems to be what the XDJ-Aero is about, but does it hold its own? We popped a few of our favorite ditties on to find out.
Continue reading Pioneer XDJ-Aero review: a DJ controller that loves music, hates physical formats
Filed under: Misc
Pioneer XDJ-Aero review: a DJ controller that loves music, hates physical formats originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | CommentsDenon teases new SC2900 DJ controller and media player, hopes to get heads spinning (video)
As the world of digital DJing offers those who spin increasingly individual configurations, there's still a dedicated crowd who like to keep it strictly "ones and twos." Denon hears this, and is hoping to snag some of those faithful with its latest SC2900 DJ media player. From the tease video (after the break) it looks like it's pitting itself against Pioneer's CDJ900 and CDJ2000 models. There's a 7-inch platter (Denon's first without a motor,) jazzed up with LEDs for cue and marker points. This can be used to get hands on with CDs (audio and MP3,) USB drives, music direct from the companion "Engine" software (i.e. hosted on a Mac or PC,) and shared media from other compatible networked players. Other goodies include four hot cues, native support for Traktor (and other) DJ software over MIDI, a "slip mode" made popular by the CDJ900 for keeping tracks in the mix even when scratching, and library browsing via iPad (though we're not sure if it's anything more than that). Pricing and availability should get played out soon, in the meantime you might want to start boning up on those old DMC routines.
Denon teases new SC2900 DJ controller and media player, hopes to get heads spinning (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Denon DJ (YouTube) | Email this | Comments Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol F1 review
What is a DJ? Everyone who considers him or herself one can probably give you a unique answer. Is everyone with a music collection and a sense for good timing a DJ, or does their music collection have to exceed a certain number of gigabytes or slabs of vinyl to be in the club (no pun intended)? Audio playback devices are certainly getting more plentiful and powerful on a large scale; anyone who's played with an iOS DJ app can tell you that. In the deeper end of the DJ pool, things aren't expanding at such a frantic pace. But every once in a while a new toy crops up that adds depth and breadth to the way music nerds play back music. Native Instruments' just-released Traktor Kontrol F1 is a blinking slab of rainbow-tinged hardware with an intense devotion to manipulating samples. While boxes from Roland and Akai have been defining genres for decades, this 16-pad add-on takes the sampling game to a new arena. Will DJ's want it? We feel it's safe to say they will. At $279, should they buy it? That question's a little more complicated.
Continue reading Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol F1 review
Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol F1 review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 May 2012 17:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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