STEMS: condemned to failure?

Interesting new product. Very fresh innovative with a lot of potential. I'm wondering when Cubase will support it.

 

Great conversation this, I was sold clean on stems, me an old 90s house dj getting back in the game, until seeing a very limited number of tracks out there and software that can't play the format reliably. Getting the tracks out there is something that they will struggle to influence, but while the software doesent work it's a dead duck at the moment in my eyes, and thats something that should have been nailed.

 

Still waiting for "well known" / commercial tracks to appear as *.stem. The idea is great but yet unsupported by any major label.
Of course it´s taking time to establish but nowadays time is essential. Todays *.stems are forgotten in a few weeks - if even recognized as special format - why should I even buy one of these?

 

Is it me or does it feel like it's really catching on?

 

To respond to your question/statement ImNoDJ

I'm using 2.10 with a new dedicated 2.9i5 macpro and can't play stems without glitching on output, gone through all the optimisation with support and they can't fix, ni support have also replicated on Windows.

Looking at lots of posts on here there's many other STEMS issues too, crashing versions instability. I dare not use any stems on a mix or on a live set because of it. NI Support been very helpfull but can't resolve and passed to development. So to be blunt " that's what I'm talking about"

 

Ps don't get me wrong I love stems and the opportunities they give you, but frustrated that the things won't work on brand new very capable kit as per my other post.

 

Yes it's you

 

found the NI employee

 

Excuse me, but I meant NOT catching on. I spin top 40, soca, hip hop, edm, country, reggae etc. The DJ's out here are using serato and pioneer. The records pools I have say they probably won't be doing stems.

 

Which is no big surprise. Only smaller labels and "newer" artists hope to get more attention by sharing this idea - unfortunately.....
I guess if one major label would start others will follow - but: who does the first step?

To bring in a different view: When I close my eyes and recognize someone playing a stem just by listening - then it makes perfect sense. Everything else is just another fancy tool to keep the DJ busy.

 

Totally agree how a 2.9 quad I5 can't handle it is beyond me, as mentioned though they have replicated inhouse at NI with a decent Windows PC also, hence my frustration.
I have tried with and without pitch lock, it does add a small amount of general load, but doesn't seem to make a differance to the glitching and load spike issue, the issue is random also, you can play 3 or 4 stems not a problem then only play 1 and it spikes and glitches, sometimes it does it constantly on every stem always just after a track is loaded a 0.5 s delay then spike!
Also tried using Internal Sound card on the Mac Pro, and on the S8, I would actually say its worse on the S8! tried all the latency, tried v2.9 all still the same. Put it this way i won't be buying anymore STEM tracks until NI provides a fix.

 

I disagree with this. DJs have always looked for ways to do something different with their tracks. Right back to the disco DJs taking an accapella and layering it over another track; through to Richie Hawtin playing out some hats on a Maschine and layering that over one or two other playing tracks to give it something else.
The crowd doesn't have to know what the DJ is doing; they just have to like it and more to the point the DJ needs to be enjoying what he/she is doing.
I like the idea of STEMS. They give me more options. Along with the remix decks I can be really creative.

 

stems are the most fun i've had in a while... playing 4 x stems tracks on an s8 + 2xd2 is the most fun, and don't knock it till you've tried it, there are more tracks becoming available so its only a matter of time.. under 2.10 recently we had traktor running for about a week and it didn't crash or glitch ONCE! #justsayin

 

Just was looking at a "native sessions" video on stems and the issue appears to be artists and labels finding the time and or desire to back catalogue all thier stems.

Some artists have inplemented stems as part of thier working practice. I think most artists and labels will be behind it but implementing it with desire will be another thing. Carl Cox is certainly doing his best for NI to push it by playing 50 - 60 of his sets using stems.

 

Failure