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When I’ve taught friends to DJ, one of the things I try to get across early is the importance of matching the levels of the two tracks being mixed. A sudden big drop in the volume is a surefire way to lose energy on the dance floor – or even clear it if you’re really unlucky! The way Traktor handles metering and the labels on its volume controls can lure you into making a real mess of your levels.
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When I first realised this on switching from CDJs and an analogue mixer to using Traktor and a sound card, it prompted me to take a deeper look into the best way to get the level right. Today I’m going to explain why turning the master volume down in Traktor is essential if you mix “in the box”, ie in internal mode – which if you use a DJ controller, is exactly what you do.
The problem:
You may have already run into this problem. You’ve just dropped a dancefloor-filling track, but when you try to smoothly bring in the next tune, it’s too quiet. Faders and the main volume control are already all the way up, and there’s nowhere left to go. If you’ve got the master limiter disabled, turning the channel’s gain further just results in nasty distortion. If you do have Traktor’s master limiter switched on, you can crank the volume further, but at the expense of sound quality again.
The limiter is basically a compressor, which quietens down the loudest parts of the track, “filling out” the sound to give the impression of more volume. (You know you are hitting the limiter when the red lights on Traktor’s output meters come on.)
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As most dance tracks released these days are already heavily compressed, adding further compression is not a good idea if you want your set to sound good (see the Loudness Wars video for more info on the effects of over-compression).
The solution:
I’ll explain the whys and wherefores in a moment, but here’s the simple solution to the problem:
Tip: If you can, sound check before your set with a track that you know is quiet – make sure it sounds loud enough and that you aren’t clipping (driving into the red) the in-house equipment that you are hooked up to.
Why it works…
The key to understanding what’s going on here is to understand what the “0dB” setting means in Traktor. dB (short for “decibel”) is a relative measure of volume – it tells you the difference between two levels.
Many analogue mixers have “0dB” marked on the VU meter – this usually corresponds to 0dBV, which means it is measuring the difference between the current level and an output voltage of 1 volt. You can push the level above this and still get a nice clean output from most mixers – on the best ones, up to +20dB on the mixer’s output meter.
But in Traktor, 0dB means “maximum output”. If you are using a good DJ sound card (or controller with a decent one built-in), this could mean you are putting out up to a walloping +20dBV. Leaving the master gain set to 0dB in Traktor is like turning every control on your mixer right up to maximum at the start of your set. Not a good idea. So why would Native Instruments choose to mark the gain control like this? Well, it’s actually fairly common for digital equipment to designate 0dB as the maximum output. If you had auto gain turned off and were using Traktor in external mixer mode, sending each tune out to your sound card at maximum volume wouldn’t be such a bad thing, as most DJ mixers can handle a pretty hot signal coming in.
Why use -10dB?
Earlier I suggested -10dB as a good setting for your master. There are a couple of reasons why.
The first is simply experience; I’ve found this gives enough headroom to level match tracks without slamming into the limiter. If you play lots of older tracks you might find you need to use an even lower setting.
The second reason is related to the actual output voltage you are sending to the next thing in the audio chain. If you’ve every played on a big system with a sound engineer, you’ve probably been asked to “keep it out of the red” – ie to stick to a maximum of 0dB on the mixer. A clean 0dBV signal allows the guy running the system to crank it up to full volume without worrying about it being destroyed.
I use a Motu UltraLite sound card which has a maximum output around 17dBV, so in theory I should set my master output in Traktor to -17dB or lower in order to give a real output of 0dBV. If I was hooking my sound card up directly to a pro amplifier or a big sound system, that’s what I would do. In most cases though, digital DJs hook up their kit to one of the mixer inputs. DJ mixers are usually optimised these days for the relatively hot output level from a Pioneer CDJ (around 6dBV). Bringing the master level up in Traktor to -10dB with my set up gives a similar level on my mixer as I get with a CDJ.
Remember…
The key thing to take away here is that 0dB in Traktor really means maximum output. Using a master setting of -10dB (or even much lower) will give you a fighting chance of keeping the levels kicking on the dancefloor without distorting.
• This was a guest post by Colin Brown, who is a DJ with over 10 years’ experience, and who is also system tech for the Babble Collective Soundsystem.
Do you have level problems when using Traktor to DJ out and about with? Have you battled with a sound engineer about how the settings should be? Let us know in the comments.
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Traktor Pro is DJ software designed for the professional DJs of the world. It is excellent software for giving a new shape to your sounds as it has various professional features. The functions and features of Traktor Pro are a creative mixing system, powerful looping tools, plus 1-knob Macro control, over forty mixing effects, and many more… read more
10 Traktor Pro Alternatives & Similar Software
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1. VirtualDJ
VirtualDJ is an all in one DJ solution for audio and video mixing. It uses modern technology that enables singers and musicians to mix better by concentrating on the artistic side of the mix.
The best feature about VirtualDJ is that it is not limited to iTunes and Media player only to perform the mix. It provides unique controls like crossfaders, loops, effects, and many more to mix the song in a better and professional way. VirtualDJ (VDJ) is an element pressed deejaying programming for blending and playing superior sound and video tracks.
The UI takes after an exemplary DJ setup with a blender, and two turntables yet can be extended to 4 decks or more. It’s vinyl copying highlight permits to control music records on the PC through physical turntables, which makes the blending and scratching knowledge genuine and much more useful than utilizing console and mouse.
VirtualDJ’s expansive scope of elements incorporate standard controls (play, delay, stop, sign), programmed BPM and KEY count, a three-band equalizer, pitch control, genuine scratch recreation, karaoke bolster, CD to MP3 encoder, the similarity with iTunes playlists, recording of DJ sessions and some more.
It will give you a chance to arrange your gathering of tracks and gathering them effortlessly in a DJ-accommodating manner, utilizing the channel to locate the hot melodies, or find perfect bpm or key, get to your past playlists, and so forth.
What’s more, in case you’re feeling the loss of a track, VirtualDJ will naturally discover it on the Internet and stream it straightforwardly. Also, utilizing the large number of programmed reports we get each day from other VirtualDJ clients around the globe, it will give you significant advice on which tunes different DJs consider to go well after what you played.
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2. Mixmeister
Create custom party mixes, burn your music CDs, and add special effects to your favorite Mp3 music with this comprehensive DJ software. Mixmeister is an all-in-one music solution that allows you to create your music, mix different songs, add stunning effects, and directly burns your CDs for your bars, restaurants, fitness center, and lots of other places.
The software feature four different products, such as the BPM Analyzer, that is used to determine the exact BPM of any song, Express tool that you can use to create your own professional-sounding mix from your music files with less effort.
Mixmeister is also known as a powerful DJ sequencer software that gives you a more exceptional ability to expand your creativity and produce beyond traditional blending and mixing. The last one is Fusion that sets the standard for combining live DJ performance with the pinpoint precision of the perfect music production software. Each product has its own set of tools that make it a complete music solution. Mixmeister is commercial software and has different price plans; each plan has its own cost and core benefits.
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3. ClubDJPro
ClubDJPro is the most responsive and simple-to-use DJ Software, for making heart pumping video and sound blend sessions. The simple outline makes it simple for all DJs (from tenderfoot to ace) to touch off each gathering! Include shocking video, perceptions, instant message show, picture/logo overlay, and karaoke to your live exhibitions.
ClubDJPro is the “Finished Mixing Solution” that takes your blend sessions to the most abnormal amount. ClubDJPro consolidates convenience, VideoMixerPro.com innovation, and a zillion useful blending highlights that take computerized DJing to the following level for expert and learner DJs alike.
It is so natural; you are pounding dynamite video blends instantly after establishment. The ONLY DJ Software is accessible that permits you to include staggering perceptions, instant message your group of onlookers, and presentation your logo over your blend recordings.
ClubDJPro is more qualified for visual angles and karaoke abilities instead of its DJ capacities. While you can control video and stream live video nourishes into your product, it needs sound skills and similarity. You might need to look somewhere else if essentially blending music is your strong point – or you have a Mac.
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4. MixVibes
MixVibes permits you to turn, blend, and scratch your particular musical manifestations, not just through the console and mouse on your PC additionally by using a MIDI controller.
The organization expresses that Cross DJ is outlined with a primary interface and media administration principally to address one of the DJ’s greatest concerns: choosing what they are going to play next.
With a specific end goal to sort out, orchestrate, and clean up your labels and work of art utilizing MixVibes Cross DJ programming, you should utilize the “information” tab. It likewise accompanies highlights that permit you to auto-blend, create and set up your playlists all in the meantime and all while you keep on relentlessly reveal your beats.
On the item’s landing page, you will locate a couple of accommodating connections, where you can discover one of its merchants, what you ought to hope to find out in the case when the item arrives, and a connection to the product and DJ arrangements examination diagram.
MixVibes Cross DJ is a far-reaching DJ blending programming program, with a considerable measure of execution components and client administration choices. It is a decent answer for a novice or expert DJ to make sets to keep the gathering going.
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5. PCDJ
PCDJ is proficient DJ blending programming software with a heap of components, improving it one of the DJ programs accessible. This DJ programming gives you ultimate control over your blending and scratching, whether you are a beginner or expert.
This product accompanies easy to use, straightforward and basic route apparatuses, alongside a perfect UI. You can utilize some of the top control elements and components on your console and mouse, which makes this simple to use as well as simple, to begin with, music blending.
PCDJ accompanies a far-reaching rundown of perfect sound arrangements, for example, MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, WAV, or you can play correctly from a CD. Moreover, the blender accompanies a range analyzer, stereo VU meter, and yield test rate up to 96 kHz /16-bit for DirectSound and 96 kHz/32-bit for ASIO and a limiter with the end goal you should abstain from the cut-out.
On the PCDJ site, you can discover a without toll phone number to achieve specialists for client administration and specialized backing. You can likewise get your inquiries replied about downloads and upgrades, equipment drivers, initiation guidelines, programming manuals, and the organization’s arrival approach.
You can likewise contact deals and promoting through this page, alongside connections to client administration, FAQs, and repair destinations pages. Maybe the most alluring qualities that a DJ blending programming system can have are the qualities found with expert DJ programming programs, which is the thing that PCDJ offers. PCDJ additionally accompanies the capacity to use countless and stages, alongside the ability to bolster the different diverse labels.
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6. Deckadance 2
Deckadance 2 keeps on raising the opportunity of innovative expression whether you’re a visiting proficient, remix/groove maker, turntablist, scratch DJ, club DJ, versatile DJ, or like to make at home! Its capable capacity to keep running as either a standalone application or inside your most loved host application takes into account adaptable arrangements relying upon your execution targets.
Deckadance 2 can run VST agreeable impacts, and softsynths for delivering exceptional personality blowing musical exhibitions and can likewise be controlled with MIDI controllers timecoded vinyl and CD frameworks. Deckadance 2 gives all the essential apparatuses and elements you have to champion, most importantly, others!
Deckadance can be utilized with various diverse controllers. Look at the Stanton site for more subtle elements. You can use the majority of the prominent types of information, including WAV, MP3, AIFF, and FLAC. Deckadance does not bolster video records, however.
On the off chance that you have any inquiries or worries about your DJ blending programming, the bolster page for Deckadance has an open gathering. If you require further bolster, you can email and call Gibson client benefit, the guardian organization of Stanton.
Deckadance is a decent general DJ blending program. It could be justified, despite all the trouble, to spend the additional coin to get the DVS rendition of this product to have time-coded record control over your product.
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7. VJ6
If blending music is your essential thought process, you might need to search somewhere else for your DJ blending software. This product has numerous video capacities and sound abilities. VJ6 is the most up to date DJ blending programming from ClubDJPro.
It has a lot of solid video altering abilities, and you can utilize it for karaoke parties. While this DJ program has the more significant part of the capacities of our best DJ blending programming we assessed, it needs Mac OS X similarity and the ability to change over AIFF and FLAC sound records.
This absence of sound abilities hampers its capability to wind up a top of the line program. All, if not most, of the center, put into this DJ solution is for sound/video synchronization. While VJ6 underpins various distinctive video organizations and karaoke designs, it doesn’t bolster that numerous sound arrangements.
If you aren’t utilizing sound from iTunes, MP3, or WAV records, you may keep running into similarity issues. Besides, on the off chance that you use a Mac as your essential PC, you won’t have the capacity to utilize VJ6. This product is just good with Windows working frameworks.
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8. DJ Mixer Pro
The main edge DJ software trusted by the world’s top DJs. DJ Mixer Pro is a full-highlighted and finishes DJ blending solution for both experts and beginners. It comes with a refined, simple-to-use interface with imaginative blending devices to help you perform energizing live blends!
Exploit every one of the four decks to make one of a kind and complex blends. Whether you blend sound or require the additional visual progression of video and karaoke blending, DJ Mixer Pro’s mind-boggling highlight set, reliable blending motor, and intuitive interface will safeguard that you “Shake the House” each night.
Beat-coordinating is only a tick away, real-time impacts, sampler, consistent circles, key lock, pitch moving, MIDI controller bolster, vinyl reproduction, symphonious blending, in addition to numerous more awesome elements are all readily available.
One inconvenience originates from the way that moving every slide bar can get to be disappointing on occasion since it requires some great exactness if you don’t need it to hop back to the underlying position. You can pick amongst programmed and manual blending, whatever suits you best.
Optional elements incorporate the likelihood to show melody data, an equalizer, and the capacity to send out the playlist. The effortlessness of DJ Mix Pro is more than self-evident, which is the reason it’s tended to beginners and home clients.
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9. Mixxx
Mixxx is a free music player and DJ mixing software that supports the integration of iTunes. Based on the unbeatable values and integration of the incredible features, Mixxx is one of the best music players and DJ mixers. It provide the users with the various functions of dealing with mixing the music, creating the new one, using it as a radio broadcaster for the DJs, and much more.
Mixxx is the pack of all those features that assist DJs in dealing with all of their requirements regarding the management of music. iTunes integration, DJ controller support, powerful mixing engine, master synchronization system, and BPM detection are the some main highlighted features of Mixxx.
The main advantage of using Mixxx is its availability for a powerful mixing engine that supports almost all audio formats and provides the users with industry level of mixing and broadcasting solutions.
Moreover, the integration of iTunes delivers an extra edge to the users in dealing with their all kind of playlists and songs right from iTunes and enhance their performance. Mixxx is a way to take your DJ performance to the next level.
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10. Zulu DJ Software
Zulu DJ Software is the best tool for singers and musicians. This DJ programming is the finished DJ blender arrangement and offers a simple-to-use interface, making blending your most loved tracks simple. Blend your music live while applying impacts on the fly. Your melodies will dependably remain focused with programmed beat identification.
Load a track onto a deck, and it naturally checks the document for a beat, allocates a beat for each moment (BPM), and changes the rhythm on the second deck for immaculate synchronization. Zulu DJ Software has an easy to understand interface which isn’t overwhelming for a fledgling.
It can cross blur amongst tracks and see tracks using earphones. It likewise has programmed beat recognition, continuous pitch and rhythm control, and console hotkeys. Once a track is stacked onto a deck, novice DJs can naturally filter records to allow a BPM (beat every moment) and switch around the rhythm keeping in mind the end goal to synchronize it flawlessly.
Zulu DJ Software is perfect with most sound configurations, including WAV, MP3, and WMA. Maybe the most excellent component of Zulu is the to some degree immaterial element of specialized backing and client administration. Not just does the organization give various sources to reaching its bolster staff, it additionally provides client discussions.
More About Traktor Pro
Traktor Pro is DJ software designed for the professional DJs of the world. It is excellent software for giving a new shape to your sounds as it has various professional features. The functions and features of Traktor Pro are a creative mixing system, powerful looping tools, plus 1-knob Macro control, over forty mixing effects, and many more.
The look and feel of Traktor Pro are proficient yet simple to utilize. It incorporates shading coded waveforms like a portion of the other best DJ programming. This makes it much less demanding to recognize the hello there caps, catches, and kicks in the beat and in addition to set exact sign focuses.
For the most exact sign point settings, this DJ program permits you to zoom in on your waveform, keeping in mind the end goal to be as exact as could be expected under the circumstances. Traktor Pro programming has a remix deck, or test deck includes, which is remarkable.
The example decks have four openings each. They are intended to handle the more significant part of your circles and single specimens by playing them in a state of harmony with your fundamental track decks. The incredible part of the remix deck is it can deal with up to 64 tests.
Moreover, you can run the remix deck free of the fundamental track deck. This implies you can change the beat and pitch of these examples without upsetting the primary tracks, and it can even be scratched utilizing time-coded records.
The Native Instruments site has a lot of video instructional exercises to kick you off with your DJ blending programming, particularly on the off chance that you are only a starting DJ attempting to take in the ropes.
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You will likewise discover downloadable client manuals accessible, if necessary. Traktor Pro DJ blending programming is proficient, intuitive, and easy to utilize. Whether you’re new to DJing or you’re as of now making blends, you can profit by using Traktor Pro.
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December 2020
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