The Bridge vs Syncing Traktor with Ableton

[BomBin]

Hi, as the title says, what do you think is better? Currently I work with Traktor for DJing and starting to learn how to use Ableton.

I don't mind switching to Serato if it will be more comfortable with Ableton, although I am having some problems understanding Serato Intro right now.. (What is that pitch bend with the red and orange?)

Do you think The Bridge is any better of syncing Traktor with Ableton?


Also, for TP2 + Ableton users -
how do you work with both programs if you only see one of them on the screen? I mean, let's say you have Launchpad + S2, you mix with the S2 so you see Traktor on the screen. How do you work with the Launchpad without seeing Ableton?

Thank you very much!

[djproben]

I don't think the Bridge allows you to run your decks through Ableton effects for some reason, which to me greatly limits the utility of the Serato/Ableton combo. But if you just want Ableton for triggering samples then the Bridge is probably awesome. And the "mixtape" thingy is really great too; you won't be able to do that on Traktor either (although I think someone once posted a way to do it with applescript or something? Or am I imagining that?). The other advantage to the Bridge is it just works - no fiddling; a couple preference changes and you're up and running; very intuitive.

Traktor/Ableton is much more difficult to set up, since you have to do the whole MIDI clock connection and use a virtual soundcard to get them to talk to each other properly, but if you set it up right you actually have all four decks going through different channels in Ableton, greatly multiplying your possibilities for shaping the sound coming from your Traktor decks. (Of course this would be far more useful in Serato where you have crappier effects; a lot of the effects in Traktor on the other hand are pretty damn good already). You also have to sync the clock periodically; the times I've done the traktor/ableton thing the clock would drift periodically.

[DigitalDevil]

Traktor + Ableton is infinitely better than The Bridge due to Serato's audio routing limitations. The visibility issue is solved with an iPad.

[BomBin]

I don't think the Bridge allows you to run your decks through Ableton effects for some reason, which to me greatly limits the utility of the Serato/Ableton combo. But if you just want Ableton for triggering samples then the Bridge is probably awesome. And the "mixtape" thingy is really great too; you won't be able to do that on Traktor either (although I think someone once posted a way to do it with applescript or something? Or am I imagining that?). The other advantage to the Bridge is it just works - no fiddling; a couple preference changes and you're up and running; very intuitive.

Traktor/Ableton is much more difficult to set up, since you have to do the whole MIDI clock connection and use a virtual soundcard to get them to talk to each other properly, but if you set it up right you actually have all four decks going through different channels in Ableton, greatly multiplying your possibilities for shaping the sound coming from your Traktor decks. (Of course this would be far more useful in Serato where you have crappier effects; a lot of the effects in Traktor on the other hand are pretty damn good already). You also have to sync the clock periodically; the times I've done the traktor/ableton thing the clock would drift periodically.

So you're saying that Traktor & Ableton is able to do what The Bridge does, just more. Or is there anything that the Bridge can do that Traktor + Ableton can't?

About the difficulty in installing, don't really mind currently - I will try for sure.

Thanks!

BTW
What can I do except adding samples and loops with Ableton on the fly?

Traktor + Ableton is infinitely better than The Bridge due to Serato's audio routing limitations. The visibility issue is solved with an iPad.

What do you mean by 'visibllity issue'?

Thank you very much!

[Patch]

What this all boils down to is the Control Vinyl issue. Serato can (kind of) integrate control vinyl into Ableton. Traktor routed into Ableton is an awesome combo - BUT - it doesn't really work with traktor control vinyl.

With teh bridge, you can control abletons Master Tempo with CV.

Now - if someone can show me a way of routing Traktor into Live, and have Live follow the tempo of Traktor while Traktor is being used w/control vinyl - well, that'd just be swell.

(Cue Mostapha w/the "manual beat-match" argument... )

[djproben]

So you're saying that Traktor & Ableton is able to do what The Bridge does, just more. Or is there anything that the Bridge can do that Traktor + Ableton can't?

Yes - the "mixtape" functionality doesn't exist for Traktor.

BTW
What can I do except adding samples and loops with Ableton on the fly?

Run Traktor decks through Ableton effects; you can only do this with Traktor since Serato has the routing problem.

Now - if someone can show me a way of routing Traktor into Live, and have Live follow the tempo of Traktor while Traktor is being used w/control vinyl - well, that'd just be swell.

That would be truly awesome. Or if you could scratch Ableton clips on timecode as well.

[rdej47]

You can achieve mixtape functionality with traktor but you need to map a mixer to all of abletons functions (eq, cross fader, one fader). I have done it with a djm 900 and a audio 8 dj but it's really more trouble then it's worth.

[mostapha]

(Cue Mostapha w/the "manual beat-match" argument... )

My ears are burning.

That's always an option. And in some cases, I think it's the best option because Live sucks at following a MIDI clock. It's good at generating them, and Traktor can follow just fine. But without using sync (in Traktor) it doesn't work right……or defeats the purpose of vinyl control.

Run Traktor decks through Ableton effects; you can only do this with Traktor since Serato has the routing problem.

Yeah…it was surprising as hell that I couldn't find an answer to that for a long time after Bridge came out. The "Serato Device" is a 0 in, 2 out sound card (with my SL1…the SL3 and SL4 would be different)…which is bullshit.

BUT…You don't have to use that card for Live, even when you're using Bridge (tempo control, even CV control, Bridge pane in SSL's gui, etc.).

So, you could run SSL's signals through Live…you just need another sound card for Live. I'm told Jack Audio Router will do that in software by stealing the output stream from the Serato Box and sending it somewhere else. I'm not sure of the details, but the guy I heard that from was very convinced. I just haven't gotten around to it because I don't care.

Setting up Live with CV/CCD control (on a 3rd deck, ideally) and with a separate sound card would be easy. And you could use an effects loop on your mixer to access Live's effects. If you have a decent computer and a decent sound card, latency wouldn't be that much of an issue.

So, it's all doable. And the real battle b/t Bridge and MIDI Clock is a question of how you want to work.

If you want Live to follow the tempo of vinyl, Bridge is your only option. It just doesn't work with Traktor well enough to use.
If you want to use sync for everything, use Traktor…make Live the tempo master, and sync Traktor to it.

That would be truly awesome. Or if you could scratch Ableton clips on timecode as well.

You can't do that on SSL either…you can forward scratch the whole set…and that's it.

Every time I think about this, though, I come back to one question: if I need to use Live to perform my set the way I want……what is Traktor (or SSL) adding? Ableton can already play full tracks just fine…has better effects…has more control…has a better mapping system…etc. Traktor/SSL give me traditional-feeling DJing with a bunch of features shoehorned in…that Ableton does better anyway.

When I first started experimenting with Live, I still spun vinyl. And Live never integrated well. Same with SSL pre-bridge and CDJs.

Most of the time…it's been an Ableton or anything else choice for me. And there was definitely a time with Live won. I could see it happening again in the future (though I'd never sell my turntables to buy a controller for Live again). But it'll still be an either/or thing.

Live is awesome, but it doesn't go well with a traditional workflow. And I don't think anything exists to shoehorn it in. Bridge is closest if you have a 3rd table to devote to Live, but it's still not quite there. And I don't think it works any better than just mapping a pitch fader and nudge buttons to Live.

As always, YMMV.

[BomBin]

Yes - the "mixtape" functionality doesn't exist for Traktor.


Run Traktor decks through Ableton effects; you can only do this with Traktor since Serato has the routing problem.


That would be truly awesome. Or if you could scratch Ableton clips on timecode as well.

The mixtape is the only thing that Traktor don't have that Bridge does? What exactly does it do?


Also, for TP2 + Ableton users -
how do you work with both programs if you only see one of them on the screen? I mean, let's say you have Launchpad + S2, you mix with the S2 so you see Traktor on the screen. How do you work with the Launchpad without seeing Ableton?

And another question - Will Launchpad mimic the functionality of Ableton? I mean, it has no knobs so how will I control, for example the beat repeater?

[BomBin]

Someone?