Load Tracks Automatically & Sequentially

Hi All

Just starting to venture into the world of djing and would appreciate your help with this one.

I work as a programmer and therefore sit infron of a monitor 40 hours per week. I would like to learn to DJ but when I think of coming home and sitting in front of a screen again ot puts me off! As I am just starting off I would like to learn to beatmix..well sort of have to as would not like to use the sync function ultimately.

So is there a way I can create a playlist of songs and get them to load automatically into the decks, a then b then a then b etc so I can control them using my controller? I don;t want cruise but would like to have my laptop closed and just get the tracks loading into each deck so I can learn to mix. I just want to focus my attention to listening and not looking at the screen. What track comes up from the playlist I will try to beatmatch..I will create a playlist of roughtly similar bpm tracks.

I don;t have a controller at the moment..the last one is on ebay as it does not have touch-sensitive jogs so I could not hold the track at a point..it would just sliddddeeee away.

Any help wiht this would be much appreciated... I want to do this but sitting more infront of a pc is not appealing. At the weekends I can flip open the laptop and look at the screen more but in the week is putting me off.

Any solutions warmly welcomed...really..miss the music not the pc monitor.
..makes my eyes go funny!

Cheers
Steve

Ps as new to all this still finding my feet..mappings are a new word! (world)

 

Hello Steve,
If you use vinyl, you can set your Traktor to advance the playlist, each time you flip the record.
Rgds.

 

Don't fear the sync function... it will help you get the most out of traktors loops and FX etc... you will need it to release traktors full potential.... Using 4 decks/sample decks/FX/Loops together will need the sync function to help you.... its not seen as cheating really just helping.. but good for you to try and learn to beat match by ear first.... enjoy..!

http://www.djtechtools.com/2008/05/18/to-sync-or-not-to-sync/

 

Steve,

Like most around here, I am a Traktor enthusiast. But given your requirements, I recommend you consider options beyond Traktor.

Have you considered something along the lines of the Stanton SCS.4DJ? It's a truly standalone solution, so you won't ever need to stare at a computer screen. It's not as budget-friendly as a controller but still cheap compared to two single-deck DJ CD players and a mixer. Reviews have been favorable. Lastly, it doubles as a MIDI controller. So if you do decide you need the full power of Traktor (or Ableton), the device doesn't become obsolete.
---
Addendum: if you intend to stick to your current setup, the option in preferences which auto-loads the next track upon completion of the current track might be interesting.

 

Thanks for the replies guys. Gotta say Malzfreund you have made me really happy! Thanks!

I saw this h/w when I was in the shop looking for my previous controller and liked it but it was expensive. I think I will take the plunge considering what is actually is and what I actually want.

So you say I can still use traktor with it if I choose to at a later point? That would be another pro for it.

Do you know if I am able to hold a track at a certain point using the jogs only? I know it says the jog are touch sensitive but after I bought my last controller (reloop dj2 Controller Edition) and found out I could not do this I thought what is the point of the jog then? I bought this controller as I already had a NI Audio2 Interface and didn;t need another one. Do you know if the soundcard is good in the Stanton...man I'm happy!

If there any other similar h/w out there I would be happy to hear from you guys..even though I know you love ya' Traktor!

Sweet
Steve

 

glad to be of help.

yes, you can hook up the SCS.4DJ to your PC or Mac via the USB port on the front. driver as well as a 4-deck traktor mapping is available on Stanton's website. please note that most of my knowledge on the SCS4.DJ is from reviews (here's a comprehensive one). my only hands-on experience is from playing with a store unit for a few minutes. I expect (but don't know for sure) that the unit will play nicely together with traktor except for one thing: i doubt you will be able to get the nice display with the waveforms to work if running through traktor, simply due to the limitations of the MIDI protocol.

I strongly assume this will work when the device is in "scratch" mode.

this is almost certainly not a hardware limitation of your reloop. either you need to modify the MIDI mapping, or maybe there's a hardware switch or a jogwheel recalibration is necessary. something of that nature. i don't have the time right now to look at the reloop. maybe someone who owns the controller can chime in.

from the specs, it looks absolutely fine. imo, people tend to overestimate the differences between DJ audio interfaces. as long as stanton's ASIO driver is decent (it should be but i cannot say for sure), it will be good enough.

again, i think the stanton could be a good option for you. but as long as you're with your current setup, also check out if the traktor setting i mentioned in my previous post helps you. it's called "Load next at end of track" but i don't have traktor in front of me so i can't tell you in which exact preferences tab you can find that setting. i think by default it's disabled so you'll have to set the checkbox next to it. with the setting enabled, traktor will automatically load the next track from the active playlist.

 

Thanks Malzfreund...I just bought it and really looking forward to it. One unit for all and no computer screen when i come back from programming all day

About the reloop controller, it is true that it is a limitation of the Digital Jockey 2 Controller Edition..I was also told by, I believe a Reloop employee, that it can't as it is not touch sensitive, it only is sensitive when you move the jog, not touch it. Can;t really hold the track by moving the wheel .. couldn;t understand it myself.

Regardless I am happy buying this as I don;t have to look at the screen and can focus more on listening to the music and mixing it with ear..that is my aim.

Thanks for the help once again..maybe I will be back on the Traktor Forum at a later date. I will write once again once I have used it ...a happy newbie..

Sweet
Steve

 

Hi All

Back again!

Update: I'm sending the Stanton back...not a good piece of equipment IMHO. The browser button was really cheaplly constructed, the right channel headphone button was defective, the buttons where very clicky (ie hard click), the screen was hard to work with. I am glad I had 14 days to try it, I realised ater 1 night to send it back for the defective reasons. I would really recommend testing this before buying it ask if you get a trial period. Here in Germany you can usually get 14 days when buying over the internet to try it. Have now got a S2 with 30 day trial period! So far looking good...back to using a laptop and controller....mixed feelings but happier than before considering my exp. with the Stanton screen :-(


Cheers
Steve