How to: fix tracks with unsteady BPMs using just Traktor Pro

I might be missing the joke, but gridding has absolutely nothing to do with manual beatmatching.

 

And again you're right! Thats 2 times in a row

 

This is a quite nice tip, but it involves some serious quality degradation. Sadly the sound of TSP is still not the best possible even with no keylock and eq on, so imagine what happens with constant keylock enabled and stretching.

 

Pleez dont call it beat matching.
It is called mixing, whether matching or scratching.

 

Well, if you read the the first paragraph:

"you can't be bothered to beatmatch, or you are so busy mashing things up that you have no time to beatmatch."

Thats kinda the whole point...

 

You will have to analyze the tracks again until TSP gives you a better accurate BPM or use the Tap function which requires skills. Otherwise use the Beatgrid features that allows you to manually input the BPM in the song and save it within the file.
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I am really impressed about how you guys take your time to lay out your genuine ideas on here and stack up some constructive comments that reflect skills, know-how, and experience. You stormed your ideas in a way to let every DJ on here picking up something new and realistic. You guys know what you're talking about. However I don't think you really seized the problem brought up by Bengo that has nothing to do with either beatmatching or beatgridding. It seems that Bengo has a hardware/software issue affecting the pitch control, the keylock, and the pitch range.I had that problem with music playing at fast speed when I first bought TSP because the custom-built laptop designed by Ibuypower was not compatible and it created a conflict between TSP and the timecode. I had a similar problem lately with SSL because of bad rca cables.Otherwise if the problem is none of the above Bengo will have to rely on Beatgrid Editing that will allow him to set up Beat Gridlock and manually input the BPM in the song and save it within the file to prevent BPM drift.Last but not least I will go ahead and elaborate on Beatmatching and Beatgridding.Beatgrid is the first step in the Beatmatch process.It allows you to manually edit the musical structure of the song by placing anchors and ties at the downbeat.By placing anchors and ties at the downbeat of the song mostly enhanced by the kick drum and the bass guitar you tell the software where exactly you want it to focus the synchronization for a perfect/flawless beatmatch.The second step of Beatmatch is the Tempo Match using the pitch fader to get the same value for both songs. The third step is the Beat Alignment to get the downbeats synchronized using cues, nudge and pitch bend.

 

I just mapped the beta grid nudge controlls onto my X1 and do it on the fly - if you are going to go through this, then you may as well learn to beat match properly.

BTW - having the beat grid nudge available for on-the-fly matching is very useful if you also use the Traktor midi clock to send sync to something else (for eg Ableton Live) as that keeps the wobly track still in sync with the traktor clock or allows track to still be master or sync enabled.

 

Huh? Why are you making one your master and then the other your master?

 

^it just makes sure the tempo you're going to straighten the track to is what the approximate tempo of the track already is. If that makes sense.

 

new to forum *PLEASE HELP* LETHAL_PIZZLE

sorry this is unrelated but you wrote this on one of the closed threads and it won't let me message you...

"Something very like it (SLIP MODE) can be achieved already with Traktor - I've described it here:
http://www.native-instruments.com/fo... ht=slip+mode
With a controller such as the VCI-100, it would be possible to trigger or release it with the touch sensitive platter. Not sure about timecode due to the timecode tracking, but you could trigger/release the mode with a controller/keyboard toggle."

are you saying that you don't think you're slip mode method will work with the Scratch set-up (with decks) for some reason?

i couldn't work out why you need to copy it to C and D surely one copy would be enough? i called NI they said they don't think pro 2 will have a built in slip mode... it should do though!

thanks

 

I dont really understand why traktor / native instruments and their developers, don't give you the option to put a grid onto the deck window by default... much like loading audio into protools, logic audio or any sequencing software. The grid is part of the software, its predefined and you can tell the grid what BPM you want it to be.

Instead in traktor the grid relies on the track which is kind of like sitting in the back seat of your car and trying to steer with your feet. Its just making life really difficult for anything other than a totally straight road.

Traktor does a wicked job of 4/4 dance music with a clear kick and snare, 90% of the time and the other 10% it just needs a quick adjustment... but you try dropping in samples of vocals, instruments, classical, rock, anything with no clear beat and you are basically lost, you don't stand a chance..... aka.... driving your car from the back seat with your feet on a windy mountain road.

I've done remixes for major top 40 artists and its never been a problem in protools, or logic audio to get even the most wierd vocal or guitar in sync with a beat for a remix, and without knowing the bpm or having anything to go on.

You find the two points in the audio that make a 4 bar loop, and then roll back the tempo of the grid until it fits the 4 bar loop. Its a 10 second operation. In traktor, good luck to you is all I can say, its virtually impossible. Often you can't see the wave form well enough, setting and moving left and right locators to form a loop outside of the snap to grid, is slow, clumsy and inaccurate and even once you have it looping adjusting the beat grid is even slower, and still you don't get a result, because the beat grid will move about irrespective of your left loop locator.

I can't understand how something that is so easy in protools and logic which is not a live software, has become so contrived and complex in Traktor. Again I would urge the develoers to stop reinventing the wheel and go and look at these softwares, understand what remix artists and studio engineers do to sync audio with no discernable beat, and allow that function to be included in traktor to mirror what you have in any decent sequencer or DAW.

IN a sequencer like protools or logic, you find the start of the audio you want to sync and stick it on the left locator on the grid. You then play it until you want it to loop, and make it loop with a loop that is more or less than 4 bars. You then adjust your beat grid until the right hand side fits to 4 bars. Bang... in two easy moves not only do you have a super cool four bar loop you also ascertain with total accuracy the BPM of the track.....

Why can't i do this in traktor ? Why can't I have a proper grid with beats and bars and numbers and left and right locators I can move around by the beat or bar number ? All music even classical is made in protools and logic these days... don't you think it stands to reason to emulate them to some extent ?

 

Try tapping in the tempo (tap button)

Traktor isn't a sequencing or recording software, you need to remember this software is for DJing.

Did you learn Logic or Protools instantly? (I find a lot of things in Cubase and Protools counter-intuitive, but like any software, I've learned there usually is a reasonable logic to their methods once I've gotten proficient, ever try learning Autocad or Solidworx?) Do you try to DJ with those programs like you're trying to edit and sequence with Traktor?

You keep saying you work with platnum selling artists and that you have gold records but you're not telling us who or what records you have that have gone gold, I'm getting very curious. Please tell us. I really can't believe anyone would work with you.

 

Once again, Traktor is NOT a DAW. Please stop trying to turn it into one. Traktor is a live DJing tool. Besides which traktor can do exactly what you are describing. Drop the grid marker at the start of the loop and proceed as before then it won't move.

 

I'll just say it again for the last time since I know how much it irritates everyone.... Traktor is a great software and would be much greater with an independant grid and markers and since even cubase on an atrai 20 years ago, had an independant grid..... its not much use making stupid arguments about how its not a DAW or its too much for the software or PC to cope with. You might be right in saying that its too much for a badly educated amateur DJ to cope with, yes I might agree with you....

but in reality.... If you don't have an independant frame of reference and you try to reference the beats to each other inside the song, you make life much more complex and contrived than it needs to be.

You dump beats against a fixed grid and then adjust that grid to fit, it gives you a frame of reference, even guys on here are posting in this very thread about how to get a kick drum track into another deck and reference that to your track you are having trouble with... all that is totally unncessary if you have an independant grid... you are basically using your kick track to make your grid in another track... about the last thing you want to be messing with live..... its so much quicker and easier just to have a fixed frame of reference..... I can beat anyone to sync up a four bar loop doing that....

just to show i am right..... here's another few reinventions of the wheel in traktor....

you have your 4 effects units, and instead of having a send volume pot, on each deck for each effect, you just have an on and off button. Every mixing console, in every studio around the world, even in dare I mention it the DAWs, all have send pots, but that would be too easy... no lets just have an on and off button.... trouble is you can't just turn on reverb or phaser or many other effects into a live mix, because it jars the ears. you have to roll it in... but you can't because you only have an on and off button, so you have to make 3 jobs out of 1 job, first you have to check your effect is with its level down, then you can turn it on the track, then you can roll your effect in... so complicated, totally ignoring the convention of nearly 100 years of studio and mixing desk development... absurd frankly, almost unuseable....

its handy to have the track reset when you load a new tune, you dont want all the EQs and Filters all over the place, but why is the fader automatically jammed on full... any DJ loading a track since the first DJ long long ago, knew to put the fader down when loading and cueing...

and when i click on a stored cue point that is a loop, you'd think it could activate the loop for me ?

and there is so much spare space all over the software GUI, why have 3 pages for grid, cue and move, when they could so easily all be fitted into one, take a bit of room from the top of the track window, I don't need the track name in a 30 point font, i do need my cues ready to go without hopping windows all the time... likewise for jumping a beat here and there or moving a loop....

and finally.... why have the time elapsed and time remaining in seconds that aren't really seconds, and have the second pass faster than real seconds when the track is pitched up, instead of just having the software calculate the real time of the actual audio that is now playing at a new speed... its kind enough to give you a percentage, but not calculate it for you.....

all reinventing the wheel and unecessary...

go figure, what's more stupid of all is that i haven't had a postive or welcoming comment since i came on these forums, just a bunch of arrogant self serving amateur DJs that exemplify everything that is wrong with dance music and DJing.... like i am really going to give you my professional name so you can drag that through the mud.....

i could have given so many tricks and tips and hints and clues, and even hooked you up with gigs, mastering cheap studios, whatever you wanted, even got permission to release the odd accapela for a remix........ but you treat me like a putz... so i will go away now...

good bye bohs....

 

Exactly. Program some shortcuts and it can be done in 10 seconds.
Not that programming shortcuts is easy with that tny unresizable window
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For once a big name DJ/producer has had time on his hands to come onto these forums just to share the love and make us all rich and famous and we've blown it. Please come back oh great one, we promise to shower you with more accolades
than your real life fans could ever muster.

 

Actually I do agree with this one.

And this one.

That would be because you brought your attitude in here. There are people of many different levels here. Some are PRO DJ's and some just do it for a hobby. If all the PRO's brought their "I'm better than you" attitude in here then nothing would be accomplished because anyone who is not a pro would feel too uncomfortable to participate. This is why attitude is not tolerated in here. If your approach had been friendly instead of confrontational we would have welcomed you with open arms.

 

Finally you say something that made me laugh.

It's OK to get frustrated and I admit I've posted up my frustrations about warped CV but once I calmed down people in here were very helpful.

You should go back and re-read your posts and then ask yourself why people haven't been more welcoming and given you positive comments. You might even have some valid complaints even though almost everything you've whined about has had solutions.

And I still think the only gold you have is a ring from a cracker jack box. Who would put up with you in real life? maybe your mom, but you come off as much less than a professsional and more like a little spoiled kid.

 

other gridding software?

Is there any other software (free) or low cost to simply warp a track for a better grid I don't care if it messes up the groove or low quality. links would be nice. this thread with that mr. bestdj was no help maybe a few positive software suggestions or what ever would help. instead of saying i am the best and everyone has lost out. I tried the first post with traktor and the new recording had no change whatsoever to the track. not sure where i went wrong. what does it mean tick deck? is that master clock and metronome or just a beat in another deck? moving the grid while recording does nothing to the new track?

 

Hmmm, I use the Kontrol X1 and just continually nudge them back in synch, but then again I can beatmatch...still a good idea if you don't have Live. Personally I think the loop functions of Traktor 2 may get away from this as you can chop up nice solid loops on the fly but it remains to be seen...

 

Couldn't resist sneaking back to give everyone a bit more stick...... but I actually have some useful info here........... Funny this forum has had more than 13,000 hits and no one has posted a decent answer to the problem which is how to fix a track with a BPM that is wandering about a bit.

I was just playing with a track called the Tales of a Rabid Monk, by Way Out West, Envolution Remix. Trying to work it into a set, but the drop goes all wierd on me, the tempo must be slowing down. You can download it and play with it yourself if you want an example..... its a real funky tune anyway.....

Of course if I had a grid to put the track against rather than a reinvent the wheel software that tries to build the grid in the audio of the track, all would be so easy and clear, and I could even drop in a tempo change. Atari could do it in 1995, but never mind..... you've heard my points before.... so here is the solution.... : Its kind of a hack and the sort of thing you have to do when software is badly designed. Thanks NI....

The Solution :

You can have as many cue points as you like and you can have those cue points set to be grid markers and in the advanced panel for the grid there is an icon, that looks like a marker. You get in vinyl mode and you can scroll about with the mouse and you hit that button or a hotkey you can program for that button and you can drop in grid markers, as soon as the beat is a bit off. You can have a grid marker for every beat if you like. I've put in about 20 across the drop and now it stays in sync pretty well.

So there is the solution to tracks that vary their BPM... Its kinda cool you can see trackor pulling the audio across kind of giving it the hurry up to keep it in time and adjust for the new grid markers.

If you have one with an abrupt change, well then you'll have to take it into a software like audactiy and cut it and make 2 files out of it... and set the BPM differently... but varying BPM is officially solved.... It also does this wicked little scratch when hits the final marker coming out of the drop....


And just for the record, I never came on here and gave anyone bad attitude. Its nothing personal..... I have alot of experience in the studio and I came on here with my frustrations in regards to the software design, which is lets face it full of all kinds of kooky amateurish nonsense, that we will see ironed out by version 3 or 4....

Only 2 things that really get my goat.... stupidity and people defending stupidity... attitude is not important you can shout and scream at me and call me whatever words you have in your dictionary, I have enough self confidence to pick my own opinions....

Enjoy.........