Problem with Traktor internal mixer EQ

DJ Life & Community General Discussion
1

Problem with Traktor internal mixer EQ

Hello,

I’m new here on DJTT, and would like to ask some questions about EQing on Traktor’s internal mixer.

Lately I’ve discovered that twisting the Traktor EQ knobs to -100% still won’t totally kill any frequency bands. (But the EQ Kill buttons work, but only on the Classic mode)

Since my controller only got knobs without any kill button, it is a bit hassle for me to grab the computer mouse and hit the EQ kill buttons.

Is there any known solution to fix this?

2

Short answer:
The internal EQ pots are not full kills in any of the modes in 3.4* (not even in xone:92 mode). Seems to be the same thing Traktor Pro.

The simplest solution for you is to map kill switches on your keyboard.

Long answer :
Now, if you’re really motivated and really, really want to use pots only and are not afraid to get technical, you can sort of work around this with a double mapping and some extra hacking outside of traktor.

That would imply mapping the knob to EQ level and to the EQ KILL button functionality.

However ! You can’t invert a button toggle in traktor 3 and pro - which means as you turn right, the kill is engaged… the opposite of what we want in a kill switch :slight_smile:

With a manual edit in the .tks / .tsi file in a text editor, you can FORCE the kill button to behave like a direct knob, which you can then invert.

For example, taken from a test traktor 3 tks (channels and ids will vary!):

This is a deck focus, low EQ knob, then a deck focus, low eq kill button.

<ACCESSOR CHANNEL="-1" ID="301" RESOLUTION="0" TYPE="4">
<MIDI ACCELERATION="0" CHANNEL="0" CONTROLLER="26" INVERT="0" MODE="1" SENSITIVITY="50" TAKEOVER="0"/>
</ACCESSOR>
<ACCESSOR CHANNEL="-1" ID="304" TYPE="2">
<MIDI CHANNEL="0" CONTROLLER="26" INVERT="1" MODE="0"/>
</ACCESSOR>

In the second accessor, I had to change the type to 4, which makes it DIRECT. Direct controls can be inverted and so we’ll be good to go.

<ACCESSOR CHANNEL="-1" ID="301" RESOLUTION="0" TYPE="4">
<MIDI ACCELERATION="0" CHANNEL="0" CONTROLLER="26" INVERT="0" MODE="1" SENSITIVITY="50" TAKEOVER="0"/>
</ACCESSOR>
<ACCESSOR CHANNEL="-1" ID="304" TYPE="4">
<MIDI CHANNEL="0" CONTROLLER="26" INVERT="1" MODE="0"/>
</ACCESSOR>

You might not be able to reproduce the same kind of hack in the newest traktor pro as the tsi files have a different syntax…

If all else fails you will need to hack up the midi signals coming into traktor so they’re inverted on the EQ knobs (for example, going through bome’s midi translator or something to that effect, which can probably accomplish such things).

Once this is accomplished:

  • You would get an eq knob that works the other way around : turn left to increase, turn right to decrease.
  • You should also get an eq KILL toggle that engages all the way to the left, and turns off as you turn right - and stays there. Good!
  • At this point, just tick “invert” on the eq level itself. Traktor will happily invert the interpreted output of a line fader or knob and reverse it back into the normal direction inside traktor.

Meanwhile, the KILL will remain “naturally” inverted and working fine and dandy.

If you try to set your eq kill mapping from a button to a knob you will get mixed results (i.e it’ll engage in the middle, not at the left etc).

Ok I’m done editing this now, need some sleep :slight_smile:

3

@slangemenneske

quite a clever hack!

seems like a smartmixing approach.

thanks for the response though.

But I think I’m gonna use external analog mixer for better EQing, I hate the pain of manually editing the .tks files :slight_smile:

4

Good solution slangemenneske

God bless the VCI which has a midi value assigned to the bass eq knob to cut when fully turned to the left…
So buying a vci is another solution :roll_eyes:

5

@alien2k

At first sight on your pic I thought you were Carlos Mendoza of LCG :slight_smile:

Great playlist on the myspace though.

Thanks for the advice, I’ve been eyeing and saving some money for VCI100SE. I know I’ll be rockin’ with it soon :slight_smile:

6

One of the EQ modes in Traktor Pro kills completely the bass, I think is the Xone one, not totally sure, just try it.

7

@all: Thanks :stuck_out_tongue:

@taufikobet: Too bad I couldn’t get it to work in traktor pro, if that’s what you’re using. I’m not a huge fan of the hack myself as there’s a gap between the full cut and the next midi value.
If your external mixer (or one that you plan on acquiring!) has all the eq controls you want then go for it. I like that a lot myself.

@alien2k: ah the 100 does this ? Niice. Is that out of the box or with the updated firmware ?

8

I can´t find the official information on the vestax site to backup. But I remember I read it somewhere, and also if you set the default mapping for the VCI you will get the bass cutted when moved totally to the left. As a matter of fact the other day I maaped the bass knob for effect use and it was still cutting the bass when fully deflected to the left, so there is an extra midi value there.

And yes its a default no firmaware update needed.

9

Have you tried to kill all the frequency bands only by using knobs? I mean, not just cutting the bass/low freq, but also setting the mid and high knobs to -100%

10

Lol I think he has way more hair than I do :stuck_out_tongue:

Great you liked the playlist, thanks !

11

So I edited the midi signal sent by a knob on my x-session pro to be 127-0 instead of 0-127.
Invert the EQ mapping works, but the EQ kill would stay on and only cut when fully turned to the right.
Which makes perfect sense as the button stays on for any values above 0…
So if using a midi translator then you might wanna trying to send two messages from the knob (untested)
*The usual 0->127 CC or what have you;
*1 then 0 all the way to the right.
Or just hack away at the tks :stuck_out_tongue:

12

Can some one help me.

for my traktor pro, the crossfader just disappeared! its not there… how do i get it back?

13

@slangemenneske

great idea. Will try to play around with it.

I’ve found the problem still exist even the latest version (Traktor Pro 1.2.1)

@adam

Go to Preferences and choose the Layout Manager

14

Look in Preferences > Layout Manager (crossfader on/off)

15

Not to be an idiot, but you could just set the eq to nuo and not only get a better sounding eq but also get full kills…?

16

I’ve tested all the mixer modes, from Nuo, P600 to Xone, and none of them could totally kill the freqs.

Only the Classic mixer could, with an exception that you must press the kill buttons. It won’t kill it totally if you just use the knobs.

I’m using a decent monitoring speakers to practice and found that the EQ still let the signal pass, and you can still observe the low volume signal activity on graphical volume fader meter.

17

Yeah, none of the eq modes will fade out the signal completely.