S4 - Traktor Pro 2 - Scamo's Effect Jogs Extreme [Version 4.3 Gold]

DJ Software & Apps Controller Mappings
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S4 - Traktor Pro 2 - Scamo’s Effect Jogs Extreme [Version 4.3 Gold]

Hi everyone,

Well, this is now what I consider a stable mapping and so I am calling it the first “gold” version. It doesn’t mean it is completely error free. It just means, I think it is good enough for people to use in a performance environment.

What is new?

  • I’ve created and added a user’s manual for the mapping. That is why the download is a zip file. There is also an explanation in the manual on how to add your own effect groupings. This requires knowledge in mapping with Traktor though.
  • I’ve added a cool 4th effect mode. I call it “The Riffer”, because you can basically use it to add drum riffs into the song. It’s my favorite.:slight_smile:

If you want to read up on how the mapping evolved, you can in these threads. However, the manual explains pretty much everything too.

I hope everyone enjoys the mapping and your feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Edit/ I wish I could make a nice demonstration/ tutorial video for you all, but I don’t have the equipment or software yet. So, the next best thing, here is a soundcloud track where I’ve mixed two songs and used the 4 different effects modes during the mix. I’ve written comments as to which effect is being used and when.

https://soundcloud.com/2mankru/s4-fx-jog-extreme-demo

scamo

Copyright and Usage

Anyone can use this mapping free of charge for their own personal or professional use. It MAY NOT be uploaded to any other web site for download or passed on to third parties in its original or modified form without my authorization.

2

Will try it out. Thanks

3

i’ll give it a go thanks!

4

Has anyone tried it out? Any feedback, good or bad? I’m dying here.:slight_smile:

scamo

5

Mapping is overall excellent. I honestly like this setup than the DJ techtools mapping. Gives as much functionality of having multiple effects and its pretty solid overall…will play around with it tonight.

One thing that i really am against though scamo and this is just personal preference. On the 4th combo you have setup…it adds in the filter…but when you release the jog wheel it doesnt reset the filter.
Personally i dont think incorporating filters is a good idea…let the effects be the effects and let people add in their own filters…Thats just my personal preference though.

As well when you are in browser mode on Combo 4 and use the jogwheel to scroll through your browser, it affects the filter.

With that said…could u revise the mapping to include with and without filter? I dont really have much exp with mapping :stuck_out_tongue:

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I noticed that with the filter in the 4th effect also. Also is there a echo freeze function somewhere. If not that would be a cool addition.

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Thanks for the feedback!:slight_smile:

@Gapout - Yes, the filter was just added to mode 4 to show that you don’t necessarily have to stick to just the effects with the jogs. You can basically control anything you want in Traktor. The filter is, if I recall correctly, just two commands in the mapping for each jog. Search in the commands for the filter function and under Cond1 M1=4 and M2=4 and delete those two commands for each jog (4 in total) and the filter in mode 4 is removed. I think I’ll take the filter out of the next version, as it really doesn’t help the effect itself. I just wanted to demonstrate the overall potential of the whole idea of jog FX with Traktor and the S4.:slight_smile:

@Mercules82 - Echo Freeze is in Mode 2. If you press the “FX On” button (the button under the Wet/Dry knob), it will turn on the freeze and the T3 Delay in effect units 2 or 4 respectively. This should be in the manual too.:wink: To do the freeze with effects however, you need to hold the jog touch too, if that is what you want. You can freeze at any time though. Theoretically, I could add the freeze to each mode except mode1, since the T3 Delay is available in effect units 2 and 4 all the time and are not being used. The fact effects units 2 and 4 are hardly used gives us some more potential we could visit in the future. I am still looking for the killer effect grouping. Although, I do think my Riffer effect (Mode 4) is pretty neat.

This just reminded me of a restriction I forgot to add in the manual too. If you change the effects or the mode in the effects units, the mapping won’t necessarily bring you back to the correct mode or effects again. This is also why it wouldn’t work with a second controller like the Midi Fighter. (Me makes a note to either correct this or write the restriction in the manual for next version.:slight_smile:) For those of you saying, “make it work with the midi-fighter”, I’d love to, however, that would also mean the mapping would get a lot more complicated, which also means adding your own effects groupings would be only something very accomplished mappers could do. So, I am going with simplicity first, so less experienced mappers can have a go at making their own groupings. I hope that is understandable.

scamo

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Oh another little thing i found.

I set a 8 or 4 beat loop on Deck B, now i switch my jogs to effects mode to start screwing with the loop. when i hit the effects the loop is no longer looping and will keep playing the song instead of looping.

I have made a bypass by just having cue points and juggling them…but it would be nice to keep the loop looping until i dont want it anymore

:smiley:

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I know this may be down the road a bit…

But is there a way to use these effects in Decks C and D, that would be best…the effect combos are really good and i enjoy them but i find they are a little sudden to be using at once…being able to add them to a sample while my track is playing has better continunity…(bad spelling)

Lastly…

A Good trick that i have found to use these effects is to have 2 of the same songs playing in perfect sync…screw around with the EQs so i have the highs/mids on 1 and the lower end on the other track and then screw with the effects to add some shape and dynamics and record as 1 track…then use that track in mixing…

Overall a really good mapping. Once i get a decent mix i will post it up

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Yeah, in mode 1 (Ean’s Beatmasher) I have a cue in set on the jog press, so you can cue back to the position you started messing with the effects. This way you can extend a break, for instance by starting mode 1 and cue back to the point where you started, then press play (in rhythm) and stop the effect (release the jog) to drop back into the track rigt at the end of the break. With this technique, you can create a whole new break and extend it too for more energy. Unfortunately, setting the cue in kills a set loop, so what you are seeing is “normal” operation.

I was also playing with the idea of setting a loop while playing an effect. I had actually tried it out and decided not to incorporate it and instead went with setting the cue in.

The other modes should work with loops, no problem.

The doubling up or mirroring the tracks I found to be pretty cool too. Something else you could try out is setting cue points and juggling between them and also doing the effects between the juggle. Do this on a vocal. It is pretty cool. This technique is something you could never do with just the normal effect knobs and buttons.:wink:

This mapping is still in its baby shoes and quite experimental. So, any good ideas can be implemented. Theoretically, I could make a mapping to work for Decks C and D as normal track decks too, but I prefer the sample deck layout for Decks C and D.

scamo

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I use the sample decks as well…but i cant seem to get the mapping working on Decks C and D…when i switch to Deck C and then hit load to switch to effects mode…the effects do not work…i may be doing something wrong here though..

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Nope, you’re ok. That is how it should work. The FX jog mode doesn’t work on decks C and D at all. This is also stated in the restrictions in the manual.:slight_smile: Maybe in Version 5, in a couple of months or so, I’ll come up with a way to do this.

scamo

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Scamo,
first of all, thank you so much for this mapping! It is absolutely great!
Now I have a small question(which also may be a suggestion) and others may feel free to answer this as well.
T3 delay vs. reg. Delay;
I found the reg.Delay much subtler than the T3 delay. Mind if I ask why you have T3 delay as the default? Just a personal preference? Also the Reg. Delay’s freeze effect seems much smoother for transitions w/ filter on Xone mode (on Ladder mode it sounds absolutely horrendous). Again is there a reason why you diverted from delay setup used by the armyofme?
Thanks and Happy New Year

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The main reason for T3 Delay? It’s because that is what Ean had set up in his S2 video and that is the only reason.

If you watch the video at about 42 seconds, you see what I have is basically what Ean has here on the left jog too. Thus the proper name “Ean’s Beatmasher”.:slight_smile: What I don’t have is the reverb on like Ean does. (it didn’t do much anyway). I’ll try out the normal delay instead of the T3 and if you are right, I’ll change it in the next version. :slight_smile: Armyofme’s sweep has T3, only because I was using it with Ean’s beatmasher. I’ll fix this next version for sure. This is good feedback. Thanks!

As for the T3 in Mode 4. T3 has the knack (which is good in this case, possibly bad for the other modes) to increase the overall output loudness, when it is turned on. In Mode 4, the T3 helps the riff effect better blend in, so it is more audible without having to increase the wet/dry too much and mud out the actual song. Hope that makes sense.

I’ve also decided to take out the filter (even though my son likes it) in mode 4. It really doesn’t help improve the effect grouping.

I am also thinking about mode 5 where a flanger is set up to turn on with the “FX On” button, and go up in tone say 4 or maybe even 8 beats, then you can turn on a gator or slicer at any time with the jog and increase the rate of the gator or slicer over the “flangerized” sound (nice new word I came up with there). You release the jog and all effects are off. I think this would create a pretty good energy boost to a possibly boring break. We’ll see.:slight_smile:

Or I might try to do a double press of the jog. First press gets the flanger going, the second press starts the gator or slicer. Let go and all stops.

If anyone has any other ideas or suggestions, bring 'em on!:slight_smile:

scamo

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Hey Scamo,

Ive been playing around with Eans S4 mapping and liked a few of the features, but not having control over samples was the big turn off for me, so I took to your mapping and liked what I saw too, especially how open it is to add things. I used to use Yul’s mapping before the new Traktor Pro 2 updates ruined it all so ive been looking for something good to replace it.

So what I have done is taken your mapping, and added the best of Eans S4 Mapping.

in Mode 5 I have added the Flangerflux/FilterPulse/Reverb from the DJTT, but I have put the Reverb into the Single FX deck (ie deck 3) and added a delayT3 where Reverb was before (to be turned on with the FX button three when you want), the rest is activated with the job wheel, sounds great.

in Mode 6 I have added the Beatmasher/LowFi/Filter92LFO (also from DJTT S4 mapping FX mode 1)

In Mode 7 I have made it effect the Advanced effect for the Beatslicer (just like in the DJTT Advanced Mode 1).

I looked through the DJTT mapping to make sure I got the settings exactly right in terms of values of speed of the encoder and such. So far it sounds pretty good.

A few little adjustments I have made to yours are minor, mainly making the Advanced effects automatically work just for the deck you are using and quickened the Turntable FX to fit in one bar. I was also having problems with the original advanced settings for delay and t3delay so I have tidied that up, but the problems may have been my computer in the first place. I have put my name in the comments where I have made changes

I use an X1 where I have programmed with midi mode for the bottom 16 buttons to work as Instant Gratification and I have programmed the top 8 knobs and 8 buttons to work like Army Of Me has her S2 Midi mode at. Point being, if I export my settings using the big button and import only that, it seems to work just fine in conjunction. I have only finished this today, so it may have more bugs I dont know about.

Im going to send it to Scamo first for approval and see how he can improve it.
Thanks for all your hard work mate, I know a little about mapping, but only if someone like yourself has done all the tough stuff. :slight_smile:

Cheers
Alinement

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Hey Alinement.

This is great! And it is exactly what I had hoped for. People taking this mapping for their own use and customizing it to their liking. Please start a thread here in this forum on DJTT and post the mapping for others to have, if you’d like. I’d just ask you to link back to this mapping thread, so people know where you got the base mapping from and also should they want, they can take my (or your mapping) and customize some more. Please also state in the thread, the mapping can be used, but any customizations must be published with a link back to this thread. I don’t necessarily want the credit, but want people to be able to have options to build on the mapping and at the same time, spread the word to my mapping, so it can be used for further customization purposes. I hope that makes sense.:slight_smile:

This actually gives me an idea. Release a mapping with just mode 1, so all the other 6 modes are open for creating personal effect groupings. Hmmm…

At any rate. Once your mapping is published, I’ll download it and take a look at your changes and additions. Good work mate!:slight_smile:

Edit/ Also just a tip. If you aren’t sure it works 100%, just note at the beginning that it is a beta and not yet suited for live performance situations. You can always start a new thread and release the gold version later, once your mapping has been used and tested some more. Just a suggestion.:slight_smile:

scamo

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This brings up another issue and a weakness in the mapping system of Traktor (for stuff like Alinement has done) and it is probably because NI never dreamed mapping would take on this kind of dimension. The problem is, if I create improvements on the “base” mapping, like adding the possibility to run FX jogs on decks C and D too, then everyone with “extended” mappings have to either start from scratch and re-add their customizations or they have to try and find the improvements and manually include them into their extended version. So basically forking off of one mapping and creating custom mappings will cause everyone who forked off the mapping a lot of unnecessary work. And think about forks to the forks. If only NI could come up with a layering system for mappings. Meaning, a mapping could be extended by using the basic modifiers and commands, but the extended mapping is in its own file or layer and customizable separately from the base mapping. This means changes to the base mapping are automatically taken over by the layered customizations and only “bugs” in the customizations have to be corrected, if there are any. There must be a way to do this smartly.

/Edit - oh, oh, oh. And think about this! People could put up their layers (like custom effect groupings for my mapping) for other people to use. And the users could just pick and choose and not worry so much about compatibility. Cool!:sunglasses:

And BTW, I have gotten some attention from NI with this mapping. It isn’t a lot, but I’m trying to impress upon them to improve the Controller Manager and maybe we can show them a layering system could be very useful for the future. (I am sure Ean is doing the same or similar or even giving them much better ideas.:wink:) It would be fantastic, if people are making “basic” mappings for certain special controls and the users themselves building upon those mappings with a “layer file”, which can still use the modifiers and commands from the base mapping. Wouldn’t that be cool? Think about Eans mappings. You could take it, make customizations in your own layer and when Ean brings out a new one, just install it, test and make sure your customizations still work and go!

Plus, NI need to find a way to better modify the S4 default mapping, so this layering is even more fun and opens a lot more possibilities without losing functionality (like the loop indicator).:wink:

scamo

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Amen to that Scamo. Ive put my additions into a new thread as requested with a link back here, ill post the new thread link when its approved.

Two things I forgot to ask, one, my preference is to have three track decks and one sample deck. How hard is it to make it work, not necessarily having it work for Deck C, but so that I can have Deck C as a track deck and no bugs in making the jogs work for Deck A & B?

Also the one thing I did notice was that under the gains were you have buttons 1&2 to press for the effects unit you want to use, only button 1 works for deck A and only 2 for Deck B. Have you found this too?

Cheers
Alinement

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About the lights for the effect units. Effect unit 1 is only on for Deck A and effect unit 2 is only on for Deck B. Effect units 3 and 4 don’t have any buttons or lights, so that is perfectly correct.:wink:

At the moment this mapping is concentrating on Decks A and B only with Deck C and D being sample decks and with no effects. A future version will have possibilities to change layouts and have FX jogs work with those layouts and with Decks C and D. I just have to figure out how.:wink:

scamo

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Here is the thread with the additions using DJTTs mappings on top of Scamos as mentioned before.

Cheers
Alinement