Trying to decide
Trying to decide what program to use for DJing. I’ve been using Traktor for probably 6 months now and recently tried bridging traktor and ableton but failed. Now I see people like Paul Van Dyk that strictly use Ableton to make Live mixes and I saw how many options there are with doing that. But I also saw that some people won’t respect that fact that you aren’t beat matching manually. I’m not sure anyone have any input on the subject?
About beatmatching debate, I would appreciate if we don’t go through this for the 23th time this month.
Seach old threads with keywords such as “sync;cdj; hate controllers; hate for digital” to have an idea of what do people think. Remember that people here are mostly digital DJs, hence tolerent about sync and stuff, since most of them are using it.
On the Ableton/Traktor, even if i’m sure it has been asked before, i would say it depends on what you want to do, how do you want to perform.
My opinion on that is that Ableton is a nice tool to perform with if you got your OWN tracks. That means you can have them disassembled. Bass, lead, drums, kick, vocals, everything separated. That allows you to really blend and recreate your tracks on the fly, as you feel it, and that’s what awesome with ableton in my opinion. Not to mention Ableton Live supports VSTi, and it puts it to another level.
If you don’t produce, thus want to play tracks that are not yours, I feel a bit stupid to use Ableton. Push a button, no matter the tempo/bar/whatever and it will be synced. Push a fader up, bring the other down. Congratz you are a DJ. I’m a bit to sarcastic, but that’s how I see it.
EDIT : I think this thread should be moved to the General section. It doesn’t belong here, and there it will have a better exposure so that the OP gets more replies and opinions aside of my biased one.
Dude, really? There’s plenty of information out there on both of these alone for DJing, plus the pro’s and cons and of using each other PLUS there are a number of threads on here about this very debate.
Google, search, read and come to your own conclusion instead of relying on others opinions to justify your decision
just wanted some human interface instead of reading blogs there’s no need to be rash
I very much enjoyed spinning on Live when I was performing, but it was a real headache getting things ready. Between warping every track, having to make sure iTunes didn’t fuck up and move music files away from their asd files or re-name them, getting into MIDI Remote Scripting (in a very limited way), and coming up with a mapping that made sense to me…it ended up not being worth it. But it was really fun while I was playing.
To me, Traktor short-hands a lot of the prep work because there’s so much less you can do and–mostly–because the default mapping for the X1 is a lot closer to what I want than the default mapping for the VCM-600 was.
But…I’m also a bad DJTT user. My flirting with the computer so far has lead me to believe that it’s all about making sync work, whether it’s syncing programs or just decks…getting effects to line up correctly, whatever. Without being a controllerist, everything difficult about DJing with the computer seems to be based on that, and I don’t think it’s worth it. I’d drop everything for CDJ-2000s in a heartbeat if I could afford them.
Ive come to the conclusion of just sticking with Traktor 2 for the simplicity and ease of use and because I already know how to use it. Also, the sample decks on the bottom give you the option of doing some of the same type of thing that you would use Live for… Traktor just seems like a better program to use for djing overall. I use FL studios for producing. And if you watch Ean Golden on the tables using Traktor you can really see the potential of the program with the right equipment. Quite amazing
Ya know what?
A big landmark in the map of growing up, is when you work out “Fuck what other people think” for yourself and use that sentiment freely about your daily life.
If you wanna use Synch, do it.
Got any counter arguments, Children?
(Edited for spelling, keyboard batteries running low)
As i’m the only one who mentioned sync, I bet this aggressive message is of me.
First of all, show some respect. You just poped up on the forums, and you already act like a douche ? Calm down, child.
Then, in my post I mentionned my thoughts. I didn’t judge any sync users, I just said that i PERSONALLY would be bored on ableton, mixing 2 tracks that are not mine by touching a play button and a fader. I need a jog.
The OP asked for opinions, he got mine. That’s it.
PS : And please stop writing like a gangsta, this is a civilized forum. Thank you.
The message wasn’t particularly aimed at you, but we have a saying here, If the cap fits wear it.. If the post evoked such a strong reaction from yourself, touched you at some emotional level, then surely you must have a look inwards and ask yourself why.
I stand by the original sentiment, It doesnt matter one jot if you use Synch or not if you pull off consistent mixes.
If anyone has a problem with how a DJ achieves his results, then the problem is solely his alone and not the DJ’s.
When the OP realises this, he has taken a massive step.
Anyway sonny, aint it way past your bed time?
Don’t get me started. I don’t know why do you act like that, being defiant behind your little monitor in the depth of the nigh, you really look ridiculous.
I neved said a statement about sync or not. Never said if it was better or worse than beatmatching. I just gave my fucking opinion, and the reason why i wouldn’t like to DJ on Ableton Live.
That’s how i feel, no matter what you try, no matter how hard you work, you will never manage to change my mind.
I’m getting tired of guys like you who want to prove they are real men with testosterone and stuff through aggressive messages. I’m done with you.
PS:
Repost, cause it looks your eyes are full of shit :
UMMMMM. Abelton doesn’t have a AUTO SYNC nor an AUTO beatmatch, everything has to be down manuelly. Yes you can auto warp, but if you plan on djing just using auto warp you are going to be in for a RUDE awakening, because it does not work very well for that.
TO OP: Ableton is a great platform to DJ from, yes it has alot of options and is a very powerful piece of software, but you dont have to use everything. And if Abelton is good enough for plasticman then it should be good enough for anyone.. 
You sure picked the right name, didnt ya, Dope?
Come on, me owd china, why shouldnt i get you started?
Your blood pressure risen to dangerous levels?
You are the Internet version of Rumple Stiltskin in this thread, Impotently stamping your foot in temper and making massively wrong assumptions
I’ll say it again, as you are obviously hard of thinking, the statement wasn’t aimed at you, You assumed.
I can only start to imagine the reason why you would imagine an ambiguous statement was aimed at you. Look inward and ask yourself this question.
You have issues that need to be addressed.
Aggressive messages? Aggressive by definition is responding with well reasoned replies, in your part of the world now is it?
I’ll think you will find that it is yourself that is perpetuating aggression, i’ll concede my original post in this thread was brusque to say the least, and ill apologise to everyone but you if it came across as course.
Course, but 100% on the money.
If the original poster feels that people will will judge him on how he chooses to match bpms and phases of his records, then these people aint worth a carrot. As long as whatever method he chooses works 100% of the time then that is absolutely fine.
He simply needs to quit worrying about it.
Capice? (Was that last word Gangster enough for you?)
hey guys stop arguing this thread isn’t supposed to be a contest everyone has their own opinions. In the end it’s all about the music that’s all it started as that’s all it’ll ever be is about the music
Live goes way above and beyond Dj software sync features. It tries to play everything in the file at the same bpm. Sure, auto warp fails quite a bit (probably as often as traktor’s auto grid) but if your material is warped properly then Live will play it all in sync. Hell, it even quantizes clip launching for you (optionally of course).
I do think Live can be way fun to perform with for much of the same reasons as others have already posted. It definitely goes hand in hand that if you produce your own stuff in Live that it’d be more fun to perform your tracks with live than it would be if you bounced them down to stereo tracks and performed them with a traditional setup.
Sample decks are not a replacement for Ableton Live. Even with key lock, they’re not even remotely close. I really don’t understand where this idea came from that they might be a replacement.
Nothing can really replicate what Live does. Maschine is close, though a very different way of working. And there are some groove boxes that can get close (like the Elektron Octatrack). But really…nothing quite does what it does. Whether you want to use it the way that makes it unique is a separate answer.
I realize that you said “some,” but Traktor really is just plain less powerful than Live in just about every way. It’s also correspondingly simpler, which is very often a good thing.
I’m starting to feel you. I enjoyed Live a lot. I would have enjoyed it more if I’d been able to get stems for the music I wanted to spin or if I were anywhere near as good at writing music as understanding tools. But, yeah…I’ve been watching that documentary on youtube that someone posted as well as a bunch of videos on be@tv (when I’m not at work, buried in Maschine, or drinking)…and I’m starting to really miss vinyl. Like…actual vinyl. The kind you can’t do anything to.
Plastikman is one of Ritchie Hawtin’s aliases. The plastikman live show is a live show, meaning that it’s basically all original music.
If you’re not playing with sequencers, groove boxes, drum machines, and synths…Live is by far the best option for that type of performance.
So does Traktor. Live can just do it by bars or multiple bars instead of just beats.
Gotta agree on Live being boring for just straight forward mix dj’ing, no matter what amount of decks you bring in to play, My contention was, Grab a set full of brand new tunes, spend an hour of so in preparation in Warping etc… AND this is where the real skill in Live is as far as im concerned.. then go out, get the set in to the order of play and that’s it really .. it really is that press one switch and it mixes itself that we hear much mythology about Tweak a few EQ’s & line fade and its that easy… If you ignore all the hours of head banging against a wall preparation.
I quit using it for that reason, i dont juggle samples, or remix on the fly in live sets, i just DJ progressive house using solid old school techniques, letting the tune tell its story as the musician intended, my skill lies (Ha Haa) in using a list of tunes in the right order to convey the story and set a mood (Hopefully)
I said id only use Live for mixing for say Mixcloud and Soundcloud where i know it will be flawless transition after flawless transition.
But i even find that boring, id now rather let an audience hear my mistakes, prove its not a software suit making these sounds.
Live though, for the likes of Sasha, Plastickman, Welly etc is a priceless tool, which enhances the performance- i aint in that league and will never pretend to be
Ya maybe I’m just siding with Traktor also because I’m afraid to admit that I’m utterly afraid of learning a new DAW. FL Studios took long enough and seeing Live with an all new format brought me back to the days when I was learning how the program worked. Not fun…