Traktor + producing
I’m looking to bridge the gap between djing and producing a bit. So I want to be able to DJ/Mashup and than make my own beats the fit in on the fly.
So maybe I’ll be playing a timbaland beat with a nice acapella in the same key. But to add more of a performance element to it (while I’m not djing) I like to drop the bass in the instrument/main track and come up with my own kick drum patterns and stuff like that.
Preferably done in a tr-808 style. So i could punch in the drum formula (like i push in steps 1-5-9-13) and you get a four on the floor kick drum pattern. That way I can do a bass cut on my main track and slip a custom drum riff in.
Pretty cool hurrrr??? but don’t steal my idea. I needz it ta get famous.
haha anyway.. i been doing some real brainstorming. was wondering if any of you guys could help me out? are there any other forum where people would know about external drum machines, midi clock syncing to traktor, step sequencing stuff?
Maschine would be perfect for doing that, you could use it in step sequencer mode to program your drum patterns on the fly. Use MIDI clock to sync it to Traktor and you’re set.
Here’s Richie Hawtin using it in step mode to do live drum programming:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC_VX8h94nE&feature=player_embedded#!
Sample Seven: thanks for the reply. This is exactly why I post on forums. To elicit a conversation and possibly get ideas I hadn’t considered.
I think machine would be a good candidate.
deleted some posts in this thread since they were rude and not really helpfull at all. keep the conversation constructive!
I really like my maschine, but if you don’t want to use Maschine……
The traktor manual will tell you how to send a MIDI clock out. After that, any drum machine works.
As for new ones, I’d think about the DSI Tempest first. Really powerful.
haha Richie using his 1200 as a maschine stand 
Maschine and the X1 actually have a dimple in the bottom so that they can be placed over the spindle on a 1200 
And Maschine is so big that when you do that, you end up with it sitting on top of the power switch and the headshell…with that tiny, hard to find hole that’d be really hard to finagle in a dark environment……and because platters spin, it’s really easy to smash it into the tonearm while you’re drumming on it……so it’ll eventually damage the turntable to do it. If it’s a club’s turntable…whatever. If it’s yours, though, that’s a real plus……pretty soon, you’ll have to fix something and be saddled with learning to solder or costly repairs, which will make you question why you haven’t switched to a controller yet. And since you’re so happy with the new, plastic shiny…of course you’ll go with the S4.
I think the X1s are actually long enough to bang into the tonearm too. Do it enough and the whole world will be rid of the scourge of vinyl turntables because they’ll all be broken.
It’s really an awesome feature.
Spinning controllers while destroying 1200s in the process, now that’d add some showmanship to a DJ set!
I personally use Traktor + Ableton with 1200’s and a APC40. In the market for another APC40 =) to do exactly what your talking about.
I own Maschine and S4 (with Traktor, of course ) and I really like Maschine is that easy to handle. With it being so well-structured it will become a part of your body after a few hours of learning. You will probably spend lots of time with it, experience masses of great moments and nice little surprises and finally end up marrying it 
But beware! Using Maschine could lead to a new pricey hobby: Music production!
Just to be complete: Two other options could be:
-Ableton Live with controller (requires some preparation to achieve your goals…)
-analog gear
But considering costs, easiness of use and the number of possibilities the decision should be made…
yeah. I think I’m going to go with maschine.
I actually work at guitar center and some dude brought it in because of a problem so i got to open it up and go through it. It seems perfect for what I’m trying to do. step sequencer and all.. I jsut need to know if it syncs to traktor well
You have to beat-match it once per session (MIDI clock offset) to get the metronomes lined up and then as long your beat grids are perfect, so is it.
And you probably won’t regret
I’m on Win7 and use LoopBe (see here how it works: http://www.traktorbible.com/de/t2_maschine_midi_sync.aspx. When using an external soundcard you can do it like the guys from dubspot: http://blog.dubspot.com/how-to-synchronize-traktor-maschine-article-tutorial-by-endo/
For me sync works quite solid. According to Maschine’s bpm display the received midi clock signal sometimes seem to be quite unstable and you might get crazy when not stopping to look at the display but musically I never experienced that audio ran out of sync.
I have a maschine and x1. I was in the same boat as u two months ago and bought the naschine, has totally changed the way I djed, in a good way. I personally hate the midi click thing and just prefer to beat match them 100% manually, but either way works fine.
sounds good guys. I’m really excited to get maschine now. hopefully by next paycheck.
too bad you have to sync them each time though. why can’t it be like rewire or somthing. doesn’t NI know how many thousands of people of using these programs together?
Something like ReWire would be cool, but that would require changing a lot of the code in both programs. And NI has said repeatedly that Maschine will never work as a ReWire slave…so they’d have to also do the R&D for something to replace it. Or build VST support into Traktor…which they’ve also said they weren’t going to do.
MIDI clock is all you’ve got.
Also, I thought I remembered a way to turn the sensitivity of the knobs down…which would really help beat matching manually (I use vinyl control) because the tempo control is so damn touchy (even when holding shift) and it doesn’t have pitch bend buttons……but I can’t find it again.
So you’re saying that its difficult to beat-match because maschine does have precise tempo controls?
so why use midi clock then?
is the midi clock very finicky like it is with traktor + ableton?
Traktor follows Ableton perfectly. Ableton just sucks at following. Maschine is fine at following a MIDI clock.
Beat matching it manually to turntables is weird because the manual tempo control is too sensitive for my taste. Still doable, though.