Right now I use timecode vinyl with traktor in external mode through my Rane MP2016 + XP2016 when I’m at home, and with the provided mixer and turntables at bars and clubs and stuff. In an attempt to take advantage of using a digital system and be able to get the rotary feel in a portable format, I’d like to make myself a little MIDI box that emulates a few channels of my Rane. Big fat rotary knobs for level, pots for EQ’s, maybe encoders for gain (so I can still use auto-gain?), cue buttons, low kill, then some extra knobs for effects, I was thinking maybe laying out a small section that looks like the filter sweep on a Xone:62. The recent article on internal vs. external mixing ( http://www.djtechtools.com/2013/08/2...rdware-mixers/ ) brought some interesting points to light, so before I go down this path, I figured a second opinion would be good.

It seems to me like, in theory, doing the mixing in the computer has a lot of SQ advantages in terms of producing a clean, clear sound if you’re working with digital tracks to begin with, so long as you don’t start clipping.

With this in mind, is there any way to get traktor to light up LED arrays on my controller so I know how loud each track is? If not, can ableton do this? I’m considering doing the mixing in ableton so I’m more flexible in the audio routing. Ideally, I’d have one array for the PFL level and one array for the mix level so I could gain tracks manually as well as being able to keep an eye on the mix at all times. That’s my major concern, is that the cueing is going to wind up sucking and I won’t be able to see what I’m doing and it’ll never be as good as just using a real mixer.