TSP2 Relative Vs Absolute

DJ Life & Community General Discussion
1

TSP2 Relative Vs Absolute

I just got myself a pair of second hand mk3 1210s this week and my Traktor Scratch Pro 2 Upgrade kit arrives on monday so I have been trying to find out how using traktor is going to be different using timecode as opposed to 2 X1s.

I read up about the 2 timecode modes Absolute and Relative and wanted to find out about which mode people use and why. Here are the pros and cons of each mode as I see them.

Absolute

  • This is just like using real vinyl in the oldschool way (half the reason i got the timecode setup in the first place) you would not have to look at the screen while mixing just when selecting new tracks
  • No need to beatgrid tracks means no prep time
  • No loops or Cuepoints
  • FX are not synced

Relative

  • Use Loops and Cuepoints
  • FX are synced
  • Need to beatgrid tracks
  • Need to keep looking at the screen to find out position in track

I think my plan is to use Absolute mode till I am i have improved my rusty vinyl beat matching skills (I learned on vinyl using my mates decks then bought some numark cdjs). When/If I find that i need the cuepoints and loops then i may switch to relative mode.

The main attraction of the absolute mode is to not look at a screen or bpm counter so that i can mix again with my ears. I recently upgraded my cdjs to ndx800s and got traktor with some x1s and all my mixing these days i am looking at accurate bpm counts and being lazy in my beat matching. I have to do it sometimes with my eyes closed just to stop myself looking at the counters.

2
  • FX are always synced to the master tempo
  • sample decks are synced to the master tempo
  • you’ll need to beatgrid tracks if you use fx, auto loops, sample decks or tempo-synced jumps
  • you’re overthinking things. Set ‘absolute mode on lead-in’ and all your tracks will start in absolute mode. Traktor will automatically switch to relative mode whenever you loop a track or jump to a cuepoint, because the position of the needle on the record is offset from the position of the mp3.. This is all ‘relative mode’ means.
3

Thanks For the clarification.

Would it be possible to not beatgrid tracks and just use manual FX like a filter just for a really simple setup and always stay in absolute mode? This would mean that all traktor was doing was acting as a way to use mp3s as vinyl and do simple filter fx.

4

Yes. If you don’t use beatgrids then you’ll be fine doing that.