Key knobs

DJ Life & Community General Discussion
1

Key knobs

Does anyone in here use the key knobs in traktor? If so how do you make it work for you… ie: just tweakin sound or actually using it to change mood and ensure that no two tracks are out of key when mashed… cause I was always under the impression tempo itself is what changes key?

2

Tempo can affect key (pitch), as long as it’s not locked. But our software un-couples tempo from pitch so that they can be adjusted independently. I use key knobs and key lock for

  1. quickly making a track sound good with the key of another.
  2. locking in the original pitch so that a raised or lowered tempo doesn’t nuke the feel of the unprocessed original.
  3. occasionally using it as an effect during on big ambient washouts or multiple texture loops.

I use it lightly, since I’m not a fan of the sound of the algorithm at its extremes. Basically, I’ll always mix with keylock off, unless I run into a situation where I need to adjust things a little.

3

The tempo doesn’t influence the pitch when keylock is active. I use the key knobs in Traktor (mapped to buttons with resolution set to ‘Fine’ - so that every single button presd equals a semitone) to transpose tracks for harmonic mixing.

4

I use it occasionally if I’m playing a track a long way off it’s original pitch and it starts to sound noticeably sped up or slowed down, to stop vocals turning into chipmunks or Barry White etc. otherwise I have it switched off too.

5

hmm i have been playing with keylock on just to maintain the original feel of the track… i think i will start experimenting though with changing and adjusting the pitch of the track through tempo as well as the key knob instead of it always staying locked…

6

i adjust keys sometimes as an effect, i haven’t really experimented with using it in mash ups/blends though. i basically just have keys for each deck mapped on my x1.

i’m doing some key adjusting on a dead prez sample around 11:40 in the mix in my siggy if you wana check out how im using it >_>

7