[Traktor Pro\Soundcard] Setting up a M-Audio Fast Track Pro

Wrote this as a personal reminder, thought it would be useful for newbies! :o

What You'll Get Out of This
- Front panel headphones to monitor upcoming track/cues
- Back panel RCA jacks for main output

1. Install Latest M-Audio Drivers
Visit M-Audio website's section "Drivers/Updates" and download the latest drivers for the Fast Track Pro (USB Audio Series).

If you do not intend to use the sound card's inputs, you can deactivate them in the preference panel, freeing some CPU load. (this article does not cover recording input in Traktor Pro, sorry)

http://andrewdasilva.com/user/files/TP-FTP1.jpg

2. Configure Traktor Pro
Go to Traktor Pro's Preferences and select "Audio Setup" in the left column.
Make sure the "Audio Device" is the "M-Audio Fast Track Pro USB".

http://andrewdasilva.com/user/files/TP-TP1.jpg

Then go to the "Output Routing" panel and assign the proper outputs to the different channels.

http://andrewdasilva.com/user/files/TP-TP2.jpg

3. Plugging to the Speakers

Both the TRS outputs, S/PDIF OUT and the front panel's headphone jack mirror the RCA outputs 1 & 2.
Therefore, we use outputs 3 & 4 as main output, this way the public doesn't hear the monitor output.

4. Headphone Monitoring
The A/B button on the front panel selects which output source is sent to the headphones.
Since we configured Traktor Pro to send our monitor to Outputs 1 & 2, we'll have to select A (pushed out).

The knob labeled "Level" can be used to control the headphones' volume, it is independent of the main output.

http://andrewdasilva.com/user/files/TP-FTP2.jpg

5. Rock the house!

When you want to monitor a deck, click the headphones icon, it will make the selected deck unaffected by the crossfader. Afterwards, move the cross-fader to the opposite side of the deck you want to monitor to remove the monitor output from the main output.

http://andrewdasilva.com/user/files/TP-TP3.jpg

Hey dude,

Thanks heaps for writing this one up ! Ill add this into the recommended posts thread that were currently putting together.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by freakerz

When you want to monitor a deck, click the headphones icon, it will virtually (no gain or volume increase) boost the volume of that deck. Afterwards, move the cross-fader to the opposite side of the deck you want to monitor, muting it from the [B]monitor[B] output.

---

Just for a little clarification, shouldn't this be the main output? :) Because cross-fader should almost always (maybe even always?) affect only to main output. It shouldn't have anything to do with the monitoring unless you are monitoring the main output of course. :D (Did I just make my clarification more confusing? :p )

And I think a better way to explain monitoring (cueing) a deck, is to say that it isn't dependant of the cross-fader. In other words, cross-fader doesn't affect the volume of the cueing done with the headphones icons. Cueing with the headphone icons gives you the opportunity to listen a deck without disrupting the main output.

And if by monitoring you meant monitoring the main output I don't see the point of using the headphones buttons, since they only make the output to your headphones incorrect. The other track is heard too loud and in my opinion this deflects the purpose of main output monitoring. :)

Though in combination of the both, as I quite often use them, I have a little of the main output coming to my headphones (adjustable with the mixing knob in the traktor) while having the cue button on. This is when i don't have proper monitoring _speakers_ to hear the main output from.

Good post though, very good pictures and clear layout. Thanks for that. :) That little thing just started bugging me and I had to do this little ;D post to answer. :p

Yeah Aanrii is right thats not setup 100% correct - you should be able to hear the other deck on the headphones even though its the crossfader isnt on the right side.

Would you not get a lower latency if you used the ASIO drivers?

nice guide, there is a good bunch of ppl asking about Fast Track Pro as well.

and yeah, i too think there is glitch somewhere... can't think where, coz i just woke up and am realy sleepy, maybe later in the day i return with some more info.

oh yea. an moley is absolutely right, there is nothing wrong to use ASIO interface, i.e. select M-Audio ASIO (it will then give exact same options for deck routing, so don't be afraid)

ASIO is only for the Windows people (AFAIK by Googling).

As for the monitoring decks, if you move the cross fade half-way to the opposite side, you'll hear the deck properly, I say full (to mute) only if you use club's speakers or your room speakers to beat match or something :P

Edit away moderators! :P End goal is to finally have a tutorial for FTP users, cuz I Googled my ass off last night for this lol... can't believe it's not easier (or at least documented). ;)

Oh! Maybe my monitoring explanation was wrong (wrote this at 4am :S) ..

The headphone icon lets you hear the selected deck even though the crossfader is on the opposite side. And the crossfader is to remove the monitor output from the main output (not the other way around ;))

Updated the tutorial's explanation, is it better?

That sounds better to me unless i missed something again :p

You know, I had a rule of never writing stuff after 2am... went out the window the day after :(

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by freakerz

You know, I had a rule of never writing stuff after 2am... went out the window the day after :(

---

Its alright i do it all the time :p Even now its quarter part 1 in the morning hehe

Yeah it looks better now. :)

About the ASIO drivers, ASIO is for Windows as has been said. I think the equivalent in Mac is the Core Audio which should offer low latency? And I found some information that Fast Track Pro supports Core Audio as well.

Since I don't have Mac I don't know should this be selected from the audio setup similar to selection between ASIO or the basic USB. In Windows the ASIO is definitely recommended with software that supports it like Traktor. :)

Could somebody give any verification do you have to choose between Core Audio and basic USB drivers or does Mac automaticly use the Core Audio? I did some research and it seems core audio is indeed in the core of the OSX so it wouldn't require any special stuff to be done. Like in this tutorial you just enable the usb soundcard from audio setup menu.

Hi guys,

Received a Fast Track Pro today and have followed this thread in attempt to set it up but to no avail.
Unfortunetly I am running Vista @ 1.83ghz, 2GB Ram. I have set-up the audio routing as below, but the sound is very low with noise and monitoring does not work.

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/8623/53374477.th.jpg

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/7515/24081604.th.jpg

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/7432/40939991.th.jpg

When selecting audio device I can choose between either M-Audio USB ASIO or Fast Track Pro (4in, 4out).
Any tips?

Regards

Hey Great Tutorial,

I just bought an M-Audio Fast Track Pro and I was having a difficult time setting it up.
But I need my mic. When I use your setting (even with m-audio drivers inputs options checked), I can't use my mic and if I switch I can't use my pre-cue.

So my question is:

Will my settings allow me to both use my mic and pre-cue with following settings:

-1&2(RCA) = main output
-3&4 (RCA) = monitor output
-A/B Switch turned (pushed in) to "B"

Why would the mic mess things up with the output settings?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jainsy

Hi guys,

Received a Fast Track Pro today and have followed this thread in attempt to set it up but to no avail.
Unfortunetly I am running Vista @ 1.83ghz, 2GB Ram. I have set-up the audio routing as below, but the sound is very low with noise and monitoring does not work.

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/8623/53374477.th.jpg

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/7515/24081604.th.jpg

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/7432/40939991.th.jpg

When selecting audio device I can choose between either M-Audio USB ASIO or Fast Track Pro (4in, 4out).
Any tips?

Regards

---

Can't help you, I'm on a Mac, sorry! :(

When I configure my M-Audio, the way describe above, I can not use my mic. The mic input will not come through the speakers.

If I switch the configuration and switch the A/B button, can I get the precue to work and can will this make the mic work?

Hey All,

Sometimes you want to make a shout-out or just say something catchy to get the crowd pumped so if you want to use the mic with the M-Audio Fast Track Pro, you need to do the following:

1) Make sure you have you checked the "Balance Input 1 & 2" in the advanced driver menu

2) Use output "0 & 1" as the Master Output

3) Use output "2 & 3" as the Monitor output

4) Make sure you A/B switch (for the headphones) is pushed in (for "B")

5) Plug in your mainline to output 1 & 2 (on the M-Audio)

6) Rock the Crowd!

Thanks everyone on this post for helping me figure this out you have all be very helpful.

Amazing thank you guys!!!

Just realised i forgot to put this into the FAQ, done now :)

my little cousin came to mess around with my vestax while i wasnt home and messed my whole setup. Im very confused on the connections. can somebody help me out.

Im running a vestax vci100 with the fast track pro. and traktor pro.

where do the rca's need to be plugged into the fasttrack. 1/2 or 3/4?

and what needs to be setup for the input and output routing on the traktor system preferences. please help me out guys. thanks

everytime i try playing a song. there is just loud loud loud static. so forsure my cousin messed something up. let me know if you guys can help. im on a mac.

Static could mean your latency is too low? I know I have to put mine quite high for some reason... (like 40ms)

Hello, first off i'd like to thank you all for this post as it has helped me out tremendously :D. As i'm a total newb here and just recently got my vci 100se from DJTT & also have a fast track pro as my external sound card & trak pro upgrade.
I run Vista 64 bit sp1. I pretty much followed freakerz original post. The only issue is headphone cuing... i engage the a/b button on fast track pro for hd phnz nothing happens except when a is engaged i get master sound or i get sound when either a or b is engaged..... I am engaging the head phone cue in traktor on the deck i want to mix in.. =/

Audio setting i selected was fast track pro(4in/4out) then for my master output is set @ L-1 line 1/2 out 0, Rt-2 line 1/2 0.. Monitor output is L-3 s/pdif out 0, Rt-4 s/pdif out 0..
Master output is connected to my speakers while monitor output is connected to the s/pdif plug on back of pc tower. those are the only options available in output settings.... slightly confusing as i've only been messing w/ it for cpl weeks.. If i set using m audio asio and set master output to L/R 1/2 analog 1/2 fast track pro. Monitor output is set L/R 3/4 s/pdif 3/4 fast track pro.... does anyone have any ideas?
aha, it was the internal mix for the head phnzz needed to be turned all the way to left :D

Also it appears that the vci 100se doesn't sync properly with traktor but that's probably another forum...
thanks again evry1 ^.~
peace
dc1

I has fiddling around this for awhile before I FINALLY got it to work!

Follow all the instructions on the post, but for me I also had to put MIX in traktor pro to ZERO (all the way to left). Then cueing worked perfectly.

Hello thanks for the tutorial, but it seems I can not get it to work.
Noting happens wen I hit the headphone button and when the track is playing on the master out it is also playing on the monitor.
I have attached some pictures maybe you know what I must do.
I am using output 1 and 2 for the master out.

Edit: Oke problem solved, the problem was the ASIO driver.
After installing Asio4All and stetting-up the parameters it works nicely.

hi dude been mixing but have a prob. have my outputs 1 and 2 for monitor. 3 and for for main output. monitor works in headphones but comes over speakers as well. I want to hide incoming track obviously. Any idea?

Hope this will work.
A/B button in monitor 3:S/PDIF L and 4:S/PDIF R
Master out 1 Line 1/2 L and 2 Line 1/2 R

success

Hey guys. I have a little problem with the sound. The sound is going out only from my headphones.

Question: Is that because my Sound system is connected directly to my computer?
What should i do to fix it?

@lind do you still have problems with the fast track?
I haven't go the time the react sooner

Aanrii

Great comments about Crossfading, because most of DJs dont use crossfading (Dennis Ferrer, Kerri Chandler, Miguel Migs) and me too.

So, thank you both of you guys who tried to explain in details

Ze