Using Traktor as your DAW

[PHader]

Hey All,
I am just wondering if anyone uses Traktor as a DAW. What I mean by that is, now with the remix sets all setup, you go in make your stems and samples in a different software, and then play and record your track using a controller like the F1. One of my friends is currently doing that with mashups/remixes (which i feel is what it is intended for), but I'm just wondering what the drawbacks would be making an original production like this. And before I get answers like "you can't shape your individual sounds", we are talking all that is setup. So you have spent the time making a drum track and synths, they are complete, you are just using traktor to layout your work. Let me know what you think.

Thanks,
PHader

[Tarekith]

I could see it being possible, but it seems like an awfully tedious and limiting way to work personally.

[PHader]

That is what I thought, but he is saying that overall that is allowing him to really perfecting traktor vs having to shuffle around in a bunch of vst's and what have you then sequencing it out in Ableton.

[Tarekith]

Well you're still going to have to do all that if you're preparing and creating the sounds ahead of time though, right?

[PHader]

That is what I said, but i guess he is going about it the fatboy slim way, and just ripping samples and/or buying sample kits.

[the_bastet]

I couldnt imagine only being limited to 16 tracks of live audio. Ive used the remix decks fro multi track stuff, but have found performance mode (FL) and live to be way simpler and easier. Especially when you have a need for sidechain compression and eqing.

[PHader]

that's how I felt, overall I'm sticking to ableton. The other thing with that is 16 tracks for just that performance, so if you want to dj it live, you'll have to drop at minimum 4 banks to bring in something else.

[1nfinitezer0]

This is pretty innovative, and would probably lead to a totally different style of music making. Maybe worth trying to shake up one's methods a little bit. If nothing else, it would really hone your live performance skills and ability to make arrangements on the fly.

The limitations already mentioned could be over-come:
-cannot edit your sounds: use soundforge or something to hone them beforehand. works for burial, and jeremy ellis plays things back at full velocity live
-track limits: remember 4 track audio? the trick they used was to bounce and add more layers. loop recorder!
-side chain compression: build them into your samples ahead of time. have versions with and without if necessary
-mixing and mastering: okay, totally not possible. personally i like to keep these stages separate from arrangement anyways

[AllDay]

Using loop samples only isn't new and its pretty frowned upon in the electronic scene.

[Patch]

Sounds foolish to me. You'd have to do an absoutely perfect take of an entire track to get a full recording.

If you are doing all of the prepping anyway, you might as well use Ableton Live with your samples loaded in a Drum Rack that is mapped to a controller.