Fraa's Setup

[Fraa]

Nice. Loving the CODE.

Thanks! Yeah the Code is a nice piece of kit, it took me a while to get the Code editor to work like I wanted to, but once it's configured, it's pretty flexible

Great to see another code!

Such a nice piece of kit, especially with v2 banks update.

can I ask what are your traktor mapping settings for the eq encoders and their push reset are...
eq mapped as 'knob'/'encoder', relative/abs, resolution etc?
push mapped to 'eq reset' as 'button' in 'trigger' mode? or 'direct' to 'eq amount' = '0.5'?

I tried to map this quite a few times and each time when pushing to reset it would reset but then when you start turning the encoder again it would jump around... i.e. not restart from the middle (0db)

Yes I had that problem too, but I fixed it. The most important part is to have your LED rings update locally (you can change that in the editor) AND to control the LEDs through Traktor. Usually people pick one of the two, they either have the LEDs update locally (without Traktor's output) or only by Traktor, but you need to enable them both. I tried using it without the local LED control, but it would cause the LEDs to update like a second after I turned the knob, not useful at all

So in the Code Editor it's setup like this:

CC Numbers: All the encoders AND LED rings are set to the same CC numbers, going from "1" to "32". This is important by the way, if you set the encoders and the LED rings to the same CC numbers, whenever Traktor outputs an LED (after a reset for example), it will also reset the current value of the encoder itself. That is what you need for your encoders+LEDs to work properly in conjunction with a reset button. By default the LED rings are set to different CC numbers, but just configure them to the same and it will work. This is also nice for Ableton btw, since you don't have output commands there. When you update a knob on the screen, it will also update on your controller this way.

Note Numbers: All the push buttons are set to notes, going from "1" to "32", the same numbers as the encoders (easy to remember ).

Mode: All the encoders are set to "Absolute", that way they work as a standard knob (or fader) instead of an actual encoder. All the pushbuttons are set to "Momentary" since it doesn't matter for Traktor anyway (you can let them work as a toggle even if they are momentary).

Resolution: I have Encoder speed A at "1x" and Encoder speed B at "1/2x". This is NOT ideal though, because my ideal setting would be somewhere between "1/2x" and "1x", but there's no option in the dropdown menu to configure it like that. It would be ideal if they would give us a percentage value to fiddle around with, I also mentioned this on the Livid forums.

Style: The FX are all set to "Fill", the EQs and Filters are set to "EQ" and the Gains and Loop Size are set to "Walk". You could pick other ones, but setting them like I did is pretty intuitive.

LED ring local control: "Absolute" is enabled, since your encoders are all set at "Absolute" anyway

In Traktor I've set it up like this:

All the encoders are set up like as a "Fader / Knob" with "Direct" as Interaction Mode.
Soft takeover is NOT enabled on any of them, it doesn't really work anyway
All the LED rings are set up just as default, so controller range from "0" to "1" and midi range from "0" to "127" (Blend is ON).
The push buttons that work as a reset button are mapped to the same command as the encoders, the only difference is that they're mapped a button input with the "reset" function.

Like I said before, if the CC numbers of your encoders match the CC numbers of your LED rings, it will work like a charm. You turn the knob, the value on your screen changes and the LED on your code updates locally. You push the reset button, Traktor resets the knob on your screen, outputs the LED value to the LED on your Code AND changes the current value of your encoder itself on the Code, since both have the same CC number. When you turn your encoder after you've pushed the reset button, the value won't jump anymore (or start from where it was BEFORE you pushed the reset button).

I've included my Code preset and TSI file for the Code, that way you can test it out.
The Code presets goes under "C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Livid\Code2 " if you're on Windows, that way it'll show up in the editor.

Code Preset: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7776728/29122012_Traktor.json
Traktor TSI: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7776728/29122012_CodeV2.tsi

Hi Fraa, nice to 'see' you again
I was also on that dutch dj-forum for a couple of years, but I changed my nickname (and dj-name too).

Your set-up looks good!

What was your nickname there? I heard they closed it a while ago, too bad

[Emery]

Im glad you went into detail about HOW you use the setup. When I was looking at the first pictures I was curious as to how you used the equipment which is normally the case when I see unconventional setups like yours. Looks really user friendly with ableton. Great job

[VirtualLogic]

that traktor map would be so much fun to mix on, makes me wanna go out and buy a code and an apc.

[Fraa]

that traktor map would be so much fun to mix on, makes me wanna go out and buy a code and an apc.

Hehe yeah it's a lot of fun

Especially if you think about the colors for the LEDs, you get used to the layout pretty quickly

[Fraa]

I haven't posted anything here in a while, so I thought I'd post some pics of my current setup. When I opened this thread I was in doubt between using Ableton & Traktor. My setup was semi-modular, so it was easy to switch between the two. But in the end it was pretty annoying to get a really good workflow going. The Code had some real drawbacks, a crappy editor, the resolution of the push-encoders that was too low, etc. I constantly had to adjust and bear with it, not ideal. Then there's the fact that DJing in Ableton is a pain in the ass compared to Traktor, but using the controllers in traktor wasn't ideal also. Browsing was one of the main downsides, even in Live 9. So I then decided to put some of the gear up for sale again and look for something else.

I had a couple of controllers in the back of my head, among them was the S4 from NI. But I owned one when they were just released and I didn't want to go back to one of those, I had too much issues with it. The first one was broken and had to be replaced, the second one was fine but after a while the drawbacks were pretty clear. The layout was pretty messy, the hotcue buttons were too small, the jogwheels weren't my thing, etc. Then I noticed that were some cheap modular Behringer controllers being released, but I had my doubts about the build quality. A friend of mine bought the whole Behringer setup a couple of months ago and he's happy with it. But although they're pretty nice considering the pricepoint, the labeling on the controller surface wore off after a couple of weeks and I think I would regret buying them. All-in-all they weren't my thing, but if you don't want to spend a lot of money, I think they're the most bang for your buck.

Then I got a great deal on a Pioneer DDJ SX at a local DJ shop, I got like 30% off on the DDJ SX because it was a showroom model. I've bought B-stock and showroom models before, so if I can get a big discount and the product is pristine, I'll take it That and the fact that the controller itself is pretty high quality made me buy it. Ofcourse, it's a controller made for Serato, but since I'm not a scratcher and I'm pretty good at mapping, it wasn't a big issue. I bought the DDJ SX because I personally think it has the best layout when it comes to an all-in-one controller. This thing is massive and everything is has it's own space, something the S4 lacks for example. It really feels like Pioneer measured every little space between all the knobs and buttons to make em perfect! This was really one of the most important things for me, it immediately feels like you've owned it for years. I also bought it because I missed the feel I got back in the day when I was playing on Technics, CDJs and a DJM, I never got that with a midi controller until now. Anyway, enough yapping, here's the gearlist

- Pioneer DDJ SX
- DJTT Midifighter Classic
- Novation Launchpad
- Roland Octa-Capture
- Sennheiser HD25
- KRK Rokit RP6

Some pics:








I ordered a lot of Chroma Caps two days ago btw, can't wait to put em on! Although the stock knobs and fader caps are just fine, colour coding will make things even easier I guess. And it'll probably look a lot cooler too Then there's the other controllers. The Midifighter is used for combo-effects, which are set up on FX3 and FX4. On a each row I have a different effect (beatslicer/filter/gater/delay), every column is a different time value. The old Launchpad is used for when I'm doing rather complex mixes, like 4-decks stuff. Switching between decks can sometimes be a handful if you need to be fast, so I've set up my Launchpad to duplicate certain functions. That way I can hit play, cue or jump to a hotcue without switching decks. It also gives me more visual feedback on which FX units are enabled, if flux mode is on or when a loop is on or off. Really happy with it

Mapping of the Launchpad:



PS: The two little boxes between the screen and the controllers are two synths, a Doepfer Dark Energy and a Waldorf Rocket. In the background is also an Alesis QX25 midi keyboard.

[Ozei]

DJ porn It's great to see you've found setup that suits your workflow and that you have invested so much time to get it working for you (mappings, for one)

[Fraa]

Yeah, back in the day when I started DJing there was only one medium, vinyl. You only needed a mixer and a couple of TT's, no worries lol. Techno was my thing and it went great for years, but when it died off in the late 2000s, I kinda stopped. I tried DVS and several midi controllers, but I never found a setup that which satisfied me completely, there was always something wrong with it. But now it feels like I might have found the setup that just works

[Fraa]

I received my Chroma Caps today, they look pretty sweet! A big improvement over the original caps from DJTT, which I ditched pretty quickly after buying them back then.

[Fraa]

Took some better photos with my standalone flash, looks a lot better

[tekki]

Niiiiiiiiiice, how do you like the Waldorf synth?


(Ennuh... je zat ook op aboutdj.nl joh?)