Workflow: Sync'ing TP2, TDJ iPhone, TDJ iPad

I tried to post this before and I'm not sure if it was moderated/deleted and/or why..

Hey, does anybody have experience with how the metadata syncing takes places over multiple devices? I'm interested in workflow conception.

I've been experimenting with TDJ for iPhone and... well, it's just freaking amazing what you can do with a $5 app, these days. My first record player was from salvation army and I had to make my own slipmats from a fuzzy shirt bought from the same place. Let's just say things have come a long way...

- It seems like the iPhone app isn't great for setting exact gridpoints (no metronome click or fine-tuning shifting) -- is the iPad app the same way?

Too bad you can't set cue point types, but it's still very useful for auditioning tracks on the go.

Like many others, I manage my collection in iTunes, and constantly import & check-consistency in Traktor.

It seems like the apps sync metadata via Dropbox, but only to the Traktor collection on the PC. But then that Traktor collection will sync with iTunes (not directly, but by re-writing the metadata on the files).

- Does anybody know how to get iTunes to update the DISPLAY of metadata for the whole collection? It will if you play or edit a track. I've searched about this, but every solution seems really cumbersome. (And Traktor recommends making changes in iTunes directly -- but you can't do that if you're syncing)

I guess it all makes sense, but I've been syncing address book contacts for many years, before Google came around, and I've seen how totally F8cked up your sh8t can get when syncing huge collections goes wrong. Which is why I'm wondering how other folk do it and how well you guys trust it.

 

I have given up syncing with anything. I now set up grids on the iPhone and iPad manually as its so quick and easy to do.

I found that even tracks that I hadn't messed with or played with in the iOS versions of the software was writing over my saved and locked grids in my Traktor Pro. So I find the traktor DropBox sync too much of a risk for my main Library on my Laptop.

If you could sync one way only then I would do that.

But to answer your question the syncing only syncs the Grid, Cue Point, Tempo and Key info. It update the track inf you would actually have to change it in itunes and then copy the track back on to your iOS device. and there is no way to change the track meta data in the apps as yet but i'm sure that such features are coming.

 

Dude - really? Can you elaborate? That is way not cool.
I've tried a couple experiments and haven't seen anything like that, yet.

I read the articles online but couldn't find section "18.8" in the manual. Good to know which items are synced. The [Comment] field would be really useful.

 

Well every track I Grid and Cue in TP2 I lock instantly.

The only tracks that I have put on to my iOS devices are tracks that I have locked so to prevent anything syncing back to my main library.

But I have found about a 20 or so tracks in my main Library that have a messed up grids that actually said "Auto grid from Traktor DJ" or something like that.

So now I have tuned off all syncing and am setting up my grids and locking track in the iOS software. Takes seconds and is pretty accurate as long as you assign the grids using the same method in every track.

I wish they would add a zoom fixture with setting grids in the apps. Say so you can zoom in to the first beat in the bar and get it as accurate as you can in the desktop software.

 

Traktor DJ has to apply a beatgrid to every track imported.
When it finds a track that has no beatgrid it applies a grid and metadata sync writes that beatgrid back to Traktor Pro whether it is locked or not. I agree that this is bad.

I have requested a separate import and export function so that this does not happen.

 

Its just frustrating Karlos, when you spend hours griding and a feature that should be amazing has a negative effect on your main library.

 

TDJ should not be writing grids into tracks that already have grids.
If this is happening something is very wrong. Are you finding 2 grids on some tracks..?

 

I've had grids on track that I know 100% were setup and correct in TPS be replaced with inaccurate grids from TDJ.

Out of a whole group of tracks where every single one was locked with accurate grids and cues, sever had changed to the automatic grid applied to if by TDJ.

I have since turned off all syncing and have had to re-grid and cue some of my library.

 

You are talking about TDJ iPad NOT iPhone, right?

 

Yes iPad.

No idea if the same thing would happen with the iPhone version as i've turned the sync off before any more damage was done.

 

Are you setting grids/cues on the iPad and then sync'ing via iTunes to bring the metadata back onto your computer files, and then bringing back into TP2?

 

No the other way round. All my grids are set up in TP2 and then synced to TDJ.

Well not anymore :lol:

If I could have TP2 sync to TDJ and nothing go back the other way then that would be perfect for me. I want to be able to do all my editing on the more accurate TP2 and then just mix on TDJ.

Ideal world and all that