Various Pioneer CDJ and Traktor Integration

Printable View

12-27-2012, 10:37 PM
Tenova

Various Pioneer CDJ and Traktor Integration

So I've been an S4 owner for the past six months, and while I love the functionality of it and I've played a lot of great bookings with it, it's not doing it for me anymore. I don't like the look/feel of the little jogwheels, and the overall feel of "controllerism," vs. "deejaying."

I learned on CDJs and I REALLY want to go back to them while keeping the functionality of Traktor, but I'm basically a traveling rave/concert DJ at this point, and I'm faced with a variety of different CDJ setups with every booking. I'm usually faced with CDJ1000's or above, but I'll occasionally be faced with the 800's, never anything lower.

My question to all of you, is how is Traktor's stability on most Pioneer CDJ's? I know with Serato I was able to jump around from club to club, plugin to every CDJ no problem and be good, but I've heard mixed things about bringing an Audio 10 around from place to place and using that on a bunch of different setups.

Seeing my BPM's to a decimal place is very important to me, and I'm not sure if the pitch bend that is built in to the CDJ will manipulate it on screen in Traktor. This and having native integration for looping is important, so I can just hit the loop buttons on a CDJ and have it control synched loops from within Traktor.

I also really like hitting my cue button a ridiculous amount of times, so having quick response is also essential. I know in Serato, even in absolute mode, the latency is too much for me and I don't even both with using it. Can anyone help me answer these questions? I gotta get off this controller...

I've tried looking around for this answer but can't find anything...sorry if it has been answered before but I've had on luck in finding it.

From what I understand, I can bring an X1 controller with me to control all the effects and other doo-dad's of Traktor that the CDJs themselves will not.

All help is appreciated and welcome!
12-28-2012, 04:28 AM
DJ SB

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tenova

...I also really like hitting my cue button a ridiculous amount of times...

Lol, I do this too. I use traktor with all sorts of CDJs but unless I am using HID, I use my X1 for hot cues and loops so no latency to speak of. Literally just use the CDJs to control the speed and manipulate the position of tracks.
01-02-2013, 05:25 AM
defmd

I do the same and achieve this with an Audio8 + F1 (X1 is also added for additional control) and a powered USB hub. I am a cue point basher at times that's why I use the F1 in user mode to control the cue points. Latency will not be a problem.
If they have CDJ 1000's use timecode CD's. Both the CDJ 2000 and 900 have advanced HID so no need to use timecode. The CDJ 2000 can be used as an aggregate audio device in which case you don't need the Audio 10. I usually like to have backup audio devices so also when spinning with CDJ 2000's I set up the Audio 8 just in case the aggregate device fails.
01-02-2013, 08:01 PM
DJ SB

Quote:

Originally Posted by defmd

Both the CDJ 2000 and 900 have advanced HID so no need to use timecode. The CDJ 2000 can be used as an aggregate audio device in which case you don't need the Audio 10.

Not to derail the thread but when you use the 2000s as aggregate devices, do you have them connected to the DJM900 via RCAs or do you have the 900 connected through USB as well? On other words, how does the audio get to the DJM-900?

With 2000s I usually use Rekordbox but wouldn't mind using Traktor in HID mode with them. Thanks!

Edit: I think this answers my question: http://blog.dubspot.com/native-instr...d-controllers/

So the only time you'd hook a DJM900 to your laptop via USB would be to use it with Traktor timecode correct? (I have done this with a DJM900 and 1200s.)
01-03-2013, 03:27 PM
defmd

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJ SB

Not to derail the thread but when you use the 2000s as aggregate devices, do you have them connected to the DJM900 via RCAs or do you have the 900 connected through USB as well? On other words, how does the audio get to the DJM-900?

With 2000s I usually use Rekordbox but wouldn't mind using Traktor in HID mode with them. Thanks!

Edit: I think this answers my question: http://blog.dubspot.com/native-instr...d-controllers/

So the only time you'd hook a DJM900 to your laptop via USB would be to use it with Traktor timecode correct? (I have done this with a DJM900 and 1200s.)

A picture says more then a thousand words:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/68166/Temp/Setup/DJM.jpg

This is all you need for Traktor HID control on the CDJ 2000 connected to any Mixer.
The two USB cables connected to the CDJ are for HID control, the audio cables obviously for playing the normal Audio from the CDJ to the Mixer.
You are now able to control Traktor via the CDJ HID in order to also get audio there are several ways of achieving this:
1. via your soundcard e.g Audio 10 conected to the mixer (requires additional RCA cables connected to the mixer)
2. Each of the CDJ 2000's have a build in soundcard but Traktor can only connect to one sounddevice. Solution create an aggregate sound device of the CDJ's. Within the Traktor setup you now select the Agregate audio device and route channel A to left CDJ and Channel B to the right. Sound will play on the normal Mixer Channels you have setup the CDJ.
3. If you have a DJM 900 (or 2000) there is no need to agregate the CDJ's because it has a build in soundcard. In the diagram I draw an optional USB cable directly from the Mixer to the laptop. If you connect this additional cable you can select within Traktor the DJM 900 as soundcard and output to any of the 4 channels.

The DJM 900 is connected with an USB to my Mac. I have my Mac setup to use it as the default soundcard as I also use it in other software like adobe soundbooth to edit mixes. Any piece of software installed on the Mac can be setup to use the DJM 900.
01-03-2013, 03:50 PM
DJ SB

Thank you so much for the detailed response! I really appreciate it!
01-03-2013, 03:54 PM
defmd

In addition... via the LAN cables you LINK the CDJ's and DJM's to use with rekordbox, no need for the USB Cables if you only use Rekordbox.
01-03-2013, 04:30 PM
djproben

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tenova

Seeing my BPM's to a decimal place is very important to me, and I'm not sure if the pitch bend that is built in to the CDJ will manipulate it on screen in Traktor. This and having native integration for looping is important, so I can just hit the loop buttons on a CDJ and have it control synched loops from within Traktor.

Traktor will give you BPMs to 3 decimal places if doing math on screen while playing music is what you're into ;) Whether you're using timecode or HID, the speed changes on the CD player should show up on screen in Traktor as well.

Quote:

I also really like hitting my cue button a ridiculous amount of times, so having quick response is also essential. I know in Serato, even in absolute mode, the latency is too much for me and I don't even both with using it. Can anyone help me answer these questions? I gotta get off this controller...

If you're experiencing that much latency in Serato, you may want to look at upgrading (or just cleaning off) your computer. There is always some latency measured in microseconds (or fractions thereof), but in practice it's something your mind and body adapts to extremely quickly. I barely notice latency in Serato or Traktor using timecode and it's only when I am trying to notice it. (it's more obvious when scratching with timecode vinyl than hitting cuepoints). HID should help with any latency issues you're having but if latency is making cue points unusable my guess is that something else might be slowing down your computer's reaction in general.