Goodbye Traktor

DJ Life & Community General Discussion
1

Goodbye Traktor

So after playing around on the DDJ-SX, I’ve finally decided to order a DDJ-SX2. I attempted to use both the Viper and Pioneer mapping for Traktor and just was not happy. Serato also has way faster load times when loading tracks which makes it more efficient for turntablist routines. It is a sad day after all the work I have put in to utilizing Traktor, but all the bells and whistles have just weighed down the software.

2

See you, space cowboy…

3

I still like and use both, but yeah…the integration with the SX is a very impressive thing. Everything just kinda works.

4

:thumbsup: I did the same when I got my VCI-380. While nothing is perfect in the digital word, Serato DJ has definitely nailed it. I just found traktor had way more bugs all around. At least they have software to convert all of your playlists!

5

Since moving to serato almost 3 years ago although I still purchase/upgrade traktor I just do not use it effects in traktor are still my favorite but I can’t bring myself to buy a s series controller after usuing one and comparing to my ns6 they just don’t feel as solid

6

If you’re using controllers that have jogwheels but isn’t manufactured by NI it doesn’t make sense to use it with Traktor. Any controller that’s not made by NI is only going to send standard midi to Traktor. So things like jogwheel performance are terrible if you’re not using the S2/S4.

For anyone that has an SX/SX2 it’d definitely recommend using Serato over Traktor.

7

Ok, I am a bit of a noob to jogwheels as I came from Ableton to them, but I’m getting the same latency/response from Serato and Cross on the same Vestax. I’ve not tried it with Traktor, but is jogwheel response an issue in Traktor if you’re not using S series?

8

I use MC6000 mk2, I agree that for scratching, it’s not as responsive as I would like, that’s due to the midi sending, but it’s not bad at all, in pitch bend and other mapped functions, the performance is also pretty good.

9

It’s not like I’ve looked at a dump of the data being sent back & forth, but MIDI has a finite resolution…and depending on how exactly the controller sends that data and how exactly the software interprets it, you might be able to-for example-uzi scratch and not have any platter position data make it to the software (at an extreme).

FWIW, I’m not a turntablist…but my DDJ-SX seemed to work fine in Traktor…except that with those TSIs loaded, it took like 10 seconds for the preferences window to open up…which I considered ridiculous, so I just stopped using it as a controller (I still use it as a mixer for the time being).

10

I got the SX2 and thee DVS expansion. So far liking it way better than anything else Ive used.

11

I found the mapping were not what I wanted and spent hours tweaking it to my liking only to end up with it still lacking something.. I don’t mind traktor with say my total control I just don’t feel inclined to use it compared to my ns6 and sdj… Traktor I feel is missing too much of an authentic feel… I honestly felt traktor was making me a lazy Dj in a sense

12

I don’t blame you. It’s nice hardware. I have the same problems with it that I do all of Pioneer’s mixers (EQs and Filters are too ham-fisted), but that’s really just a preference thing.

It does what it needs to do very well.

13

Why do you find the EQs and Filters to be clumsy?

14

They’re too aggressive for me.

I used to love full-kill EQs. At some point, I saw the light…so I never really want to turn them past about 10 o’clock, even on the non-iso ones (which the SX doesn’t have). I also don’t really like the crossover frequencies. As for the filters…they’re just…wrong…too fast of a sweep and way too high resonance to use as anything but a cheap effect that I thought everybody got sick of in like 2005. I just don’t get along with Pioneer mixers. They get old fast.

It does feel weird to use the SX…I don’t use the EQs or the Filters…I don’t use the gains (because Traktor and SDJ both have auto-gain that works)…I don’t use crossfaders…I leave the master out where I have it. So…it’s a lot of controls to ignore.

Whatever…I ordered my new mixer, so if I like it…the thing will probably get sold eventually. I just have to decide if I want to keep it around to keep the CDJ-like habit.

15

Why don’t you use the EQ’s? I can understand not using mids or highs but I don’t understand not using the low freq eq.

16

I’ve been using Traktor as a turntablist for a couple years now and haven’t had any issues.

(Though it’s very possible I just suck! :+1: )

17

Also just got the SX2 as well and am loving it (no DVS exp yet, but am looking forward to it). Always had both Traktor and Serato up until recently when I realized I hardly ever used Traktor any more. Right or wrong it always felt like having to do a lot of prep with Traktor (grids, controller mapping) where in SDJ I barely spent any time doing that sort of thing. Traktor is way more configurable no doubt.

The S8 looks quite nice (the screens mainly) but no tempo faders = no go for me

Just wish the sx2 controller would show which FX are selected (then I think it would be perfect), but can kinda get around it by mirroring SDJ window to an ipad using AirDisplay and DuplicateWindows. Just wish my ipad res was higher.

Personal preference I know but I still keep coming back to these fav Serato features:

  • jog wheels you can scratch with (380/SX vs S2/S4)
  • parallel wave forms
  • ability to easily set/slip beat grids on the fly from the hardware
  • the way the pitch fader adjust is implemented (hold shift, change pitch range center point)
  • elastic beat grids

Whilst a lot of things are more or less equal now, Traktor still has some big things over Serato:

  • far more functions possible to midi map, complex mappings with modifiers etc (have spent to much time mapping, am done with it)
  • smart sync with DVS (some scratch DJs djing without headphones use this right..?)
  • sending midi clock (if you can figure out a way to deal with the drift, or use a mac)
  • remix decks vs SP6 (you can’t even capture a sample from deck without using the mouse in SDJ/sp6)
  • thru FX on non traktor audio inputs
  • it used to use far less memory than SDJ (might be comparable now after the SDJ large library fix… not sure)
18

I don’t use my cross faders and my up faders are off when I’m cueing a track once its cued I eq kill and bring it 3/4 way up run eq controls to 20-30% then start their way to 50% for high and mids then slam the low to 50% and upfader 7/8th the way up and drop the low on the out track to 25% and then mix and fade out

19

The filter is useful when mixing with vocal tracks. Turning it up about 1mm gives just enough of a high pass boost. I do see what you’re saying about the EQ’s. You have to be very careful with them as they dont have a direct curve.

No crossfader. No scratching for you. :stuck_out_tongue:

20

Haha no not these days I don’t scratch much anymore my collection has very little hip hop in it and it’s mostly deep house nudisco prog house(not the new prog genre garbage) and trance and I’ve been mixing a lot of trance lately much as I did in early 2000s and there’s no need for a cross fader for any of those genres just better rotary up faders and very precise eqs to really do it properly especially on the trance that’s where you really gotta have your Eqing and levels on point… Talking 136-142 range trance