State of Traktor 2018

“In 2018, with over 500,000 users and some of the world’s best DJs behind Traktor, we are in a unique position to integrate feedback from artists and our community.

The digital DJ market is fast moving and increasingly cluttered with competition. At Native we are passionate about leading genuine change and taking our time to ensure we blend quality, innovation and user functionality.

In 2018 we will unveil new Traktor hardware and software that we believe achieves this goal, and further empowers our global community of professionals and hobbyists. We have prioritized user feedback and collaboration for product development. The discontinuation of the Traktor D2 and S5 reflect these shifts and enables us to focus on launching new Traktor products into market later this year.

We have engaged in rewriting Traktor from ground-up, even though this takes significant time and resource investment. We will maintain and improve Traktor Pro for several more years until the new Traktor is mature enough, also for our Pro users. There are more updates to Traktor Pro planned in the coming months.

To ensure focus to both development streams, we also doubled the size of our Traktor teams. We will be shedding more light on these exciting new Traktor projects over the next few months.

We continue to work with the world’s best artists to learn from and inspire new ideas in the Traktor ecosystem. More insight on how today’s leading artists are using Traktor can be seen in our new Signatures series campaign.”

To recap the most important points:
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• • New Traktor hardware and software is coming in 2018
  • A new, completely rewritten Traktor is coming (“new Traktor”)
  • Traktor Pro will keep getting updates for years to come – including in the coming months

No specific mention of Traktor DJ, but they do mention they’ve doubled the size of the Traktor teamS, which hopefully means iOS. There were rumblings of a new version being tested a year back (around the last time TDJ was updated), so hopefully this is bearing fruit.

 

I speculate they do not speak about Pro vs. TDJ/ios because starting on a new architecture enables the option to code same app on OS, Windows, iOS. Etc. The old Traktor Pro code seemed to be at the end, so they may start from scratch on flexible modern architecture .. and with the dev tools today (Qt, CMake, Boost, whatever..) it's quite easy to code OS/device/target-platform independent. The new Traktor could be the 'same' on Mac and iOS. Having a single code base could change all (for NI and for the user).

I feel the TDJ was a intermezzo only (to check the market feedback, keep user away from competitors, and to collect experiences on mobile) .. the NEW Traktor could be one app for all .. means a laptop will not longer be mandatory, you can use your Mac .. but for most user the future is mobile .. for me too, a laptop is a NoGo for me, either standalone HW or an iPad with Traktor NEW . How amazing would this be .. using all NI hardware on iOS and have an open midi mapping engine too !

And they will use the doubled team to maintain old TPro .. and build the NEW in parrallel.

I do not expect any huge new TDJ release, they made it bug free already, new features would be wasted effort .. TDJ could be sunset (similar to the old Pro Traktor) as soon the new Traktor (Mac, PC, iPad/iOS) is readyto go.

All above is my personal coin only (have no NI inights) maybe i am wrong, maybe not
All other opinions and discussions welcome

 

A lot of us want to see a tdj revamp.

Just make the workflow the same as Traktor Pro especially with the made for controllers like the s2.

I've been using my phone more for everything now. I don't think I'm gonna buy another laptop after the ones I'm using bite the dust. It's more convenient to use a tablet now especially since I can mostly do the same things with it. It's also cheaper to upgrade a tablet than an apple laptop.

At the end of the year I'll see what NI spits out and then I'll give thought to which direction to go with my set up. Everything is working alright for now but I do need to upgrade. The goal at the end is to have a standalone set up that will work with laptops and tablets if needed.

 

Literally the only reason I would have to buy a new laptop is for Traktor. And it's such a bummer. Traktor DJ should have evolved by now. I should be able to use my ipad with my z2, I should be able to use DVS with a tablet (other apps are doing it). I'm hoping the likelihood of this will increase with the release of new ipads with USB-C.

 

Better later than never...

 

I just want to be able to integrate my iPad with my new S2 Mk3. I'm not looking to replace my TP3 software with the TDJ app, but for on the go gigs I don't want to take my laptop to it would be nice!

 

I would love to use my X1mk2 with the tdj app on ios; i do not like tapping on the Screen and in combination with the Z1 it would be still a pretty portable Setup.
The ipad has enough power to work with the s2, so why not add the X1 functionality...both Controllers could be connected with the Apple Camera Adaptor

 

101% with you .. would be my dream too, see here https://www.native-instruments.com/forum/threads/traktor-dj-top-1-enhancement-requests-wish-list.337867/

 

Considering the power of the new iPad Pros (even the previous pros), they should be able to run full Traktor by now. I mean, FULL Photoshop is coming right around the corner!

(Not that I want full Traktor, I still find the touch interface of TDJ vastly superior still to this day.)

 

So far the s2mk2 and my iphone works acceptably for house parties and for fooling around. I really like that combo but i see no future for this set up anytime soon. This was my greatest hope that NI would continue support for tablets + controllers.

I have the denon sc5000m and it is perfect for me. It actually has a relativistic smaller footprint than the S2. I’ll still use my s2 and iphone/mbp for gigs for now cause it’s stiil good nothing wrong with it, but the denon has been a great experience so far.

 

Well said. We all do not understand, we expected NI feels same, future DJ is mobile. The S2 was made in particular for TDJ right ? .. and with the mk3 they even missed to offer a TDJ support at same time. Unbelievable.

Hopefully they may use the time for a new big step (as GenErik said above) .. why not use the moment to surprise us with a great solution for the iOS user, anything between the TDJ of past and the TPro3 now. ?? I personally still keep the hope, but i use other great DJ iOS apps meanwhile more and more in parrallel (e.g. DJ Player Pro).
Btw: have fun with the SC5000m !! .. i wished to own myself

 

We’re caught between a rock and a hard place with tdj and our controllers. I too haven’t updated the ios on my phone, I think most of us are to scared to mess with a working set up.

I will have to update my iph sooner rather than later. Just because my iph is also my mobile studio.

I have an irig pro i/o hooked up to my iph and contolled with my arturia keystep and i’m all smiles. NI please keep that smile on my face. It’s amazing, from testing, that I can use this set up with djpro but without midi control. I monitor from the headphone jack on the phone and main output from the irig.

This is the direction I want to head. Although each one of us have different approaches to our set up it still stands the we all wanna keep what we have.

NI started good but.......

 

Wait, what? You can not use the S2MK3 and it’s proper „iOS“ labeled port with Trakror DJ?

 

Not yet, they said iOS support is coming in the future.

 

omg

Unfortunately NI lost their reputation (at least by me) what is regarding TDJ and iOS.
I don’t believe anything until it is released and mostly stays in their software.
The most annoying thing about is, they (NI) does not tell us (customers) why they do not do this and that, and where the restrictions are.

So they created loyal and upset customers like myself.

Anyway. I would love to see a new approach to this concept.
DJing with your tablet. With proper Hardware. Man, what fun would that be.

 

... 4 days later your post: TDJ2 is announced, so at least the S2mk3 user may be happy ... lets cross our finger that the app works well, i am exited to see. i feel respect for their courage to restart with TDJ2 on a new Traktor architecure from scratch, can hope only that we do not have to wait too long for new exiting features. My coin

 

Funny, ain't it?
Lets see what's happens next.