Fraa's Setup
Fraa's Setup Posted on: 24.12.2012 by Treva Carinio I started DJing in '99 on a couple of old SL1200s and a crappy mixer, replaced everything around 2002 by 4 new SLs and a better mixer. I kept that setup until 2007 or so, then I updated the setup to two Super OEM turntables and a DJM800. I also switched to DVS with Traktor Scratch. A couple of thousand vinyls later I didn't feel like spending half of my paycheck anymore each month, so I pretty much sold everything (I guess I still have around a thousand vinyls left). I play techno and it was dying a little bit, so I stopped doing anything music related for more than a year. At the end of 2009 I wanted to pick up it again, but I didn't really knew if I would come back to the same level. The safest way to go was with controllers, because in the end you can set it up like you want and find your own way. I've had bunch of midi controllers the last few years, constantly looking for something better. 2 Xone 1Ds, an S4, a Launchpad, the SCS controllers from Stanton. Now I have a simple but effective set up, although I sometimes miss the old way, just beatmatching on 3 or 4 turntables - Akai APC20 - Livid Code V2 - Midi Fighter Classic - Roland Octa Capture Audio Interface - KRK Rokit RP6 Speakers - Sennheiser HD25 I use it in Ableton, although I also tried mapping everything in Traktor, but since the LEDs on the APC20 are buggy, it gives me a lot of headaches. I can keep the LEDs on after I've pressed them (Send Monitor State), but when Traktor updates 8 leds at a time (for example hotcues on a deck load), the sound gets distorted or freezes for half a second, very annoying and unusable. It's only noticable on my Windows Desktop, on the Macbook it doesn't do that. I guess it has something to do with the USB bandwidth or something, although my PC is overkill according to specs. (Gigabyte Z68X, i7 2600k, 32GB RAM, Corsair Force GT 128GB SSD). That's why I stick to Ableton, Traktor just isn't doing it for me because of those bugs with the APC. I tried creating a patch in Pure Data to delay the midi signals, maybe that would help, but it's not very stable. Anyway, enough yapping, here are some pics: The APC20 works as the standard control surface. The Code is set up like this: The Midi Fighter Classic controls different Beat Repeat presets in each channel (using the momentary "trick"): And this is how I work in Ableton, I warp each song and cut it up in different sections or loops. I usually have 2-3 channels open at once, which makes things interesting Works pretty good I also have an old Pioneer EFX500 laying around here, but I don't know if I'm going to implement that in the setup. Greetings | |
| Treva Carinio 01.01.2013 |
Originally Posted by VirtualLogic
Especially if you believe about the colors for the LEDs, you get used to the layout pretty quickly |
| Treva Carinio 31.12.2012 |
Originally Posted by HigherFi
Originally Posted by scooterADAM
So in the Code Editor it's setup like this: CC Numbers: All the encoders AND LED rings are set to the same CC numbers, going from "1" to "32". This is important by the way, if you set the encoders and the LED rings to the same CC numbers, whenever Traktor outputs an LED (after a reset for example), it will also reset the current value of the encoder itself. That is what you need for your encoders+LEDs to work properly in conjunction with a reset button. By default the LED rings are set to different CC numbers, but just configure them to the same and it will work. This is also nice for Ableton btw, since you don't have output commands there. When you update a knob on the screen, it will also update on your controller this way. Note Numbers: All the push buttons are set to notes, going from "1" to "32", the same numbers as the encoders (easy to remember ). Mode: All the encoders are set to "Absolute", that way they work as a standard knob (or fader) instead of an actual encoder. All the pushbuttons are set to "Momentary" since it doesn't matter for Traktor anyway (you can let them work as a toggle even if they are momentary). Resolution: I have Encoder speed A at "1x" and Encoder speed B at "1/2x". This is NOT ideal though, because my ideal setting would be somewhere between "1/2x" and "1x", but there's no option in the dropdown menu to configure it like that. It would be ideal if they would give us a percentage value to fiddle around with, I also mentioned this on the Livid community s. Style: The FX are all set to "Fill", the EQs and Filters are set to "EQ" and the Gains and Loop Size are set to "Walk". You could pick other ones, but setting them like I did is pretty intuitive. LED ring local control: "Absolute" is enabled, since your encoders are all set at "Absolute" anyway In Traktor I've set it up like this: All the encoders are set up like as a "Fader / Knob" with "Direct" as Interaction Mode. Soft takeover is NOT enabled on any of them, it doesn't really work anyway All the LED rings are set up just as default, so controller range from "0" to "1" and midi range from "0" to "127" (Blend is ON). The push buttons that work as a reset button are mapped to the same command as the encoders, the only difference is that they're mapped a button input with the "reset" function. Like I said before, if the CC numbers of your encoders match the CC numbers of your LED rings, it will work like a charm. You turn the knob, the value on your screen changes and the LED on your code updates locally. You push the reset button, Traktor resets the knob on your screen, outputs the LED value to the LED on your Code AND changes the current value of your encoder itself on the Code, since both have the same CC number. When you turn your encoder after you've pushed the reset button, the value won't jump anymore (or start from where it was BEFORE you pushed the reset button). I've included my Code preset and TSI file for the Code, that way you can test it out. The Code presets goes under "C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Livid\Code2 " if you're on Windows, that way it'll show up in the editor. Code Preset: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7776728/29122012_Traktor.json Traktor TSI: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7776728/29122012_CodeV2.tsi
Originally Posted by Diskobeep
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| Rufus Ondrick 29.11.2013 | geen foto - thanks google translate! |
| Random X 25.11.2013 | Nice.... Tja, wat aboutdj betrof, ik heb met een paar mensen geprobeerd opnieuw op te starten onder de noemer digidj.nl... Het is alleen te verziekt geraakt daar.... Waardoor het community dood is gebloed. |
| Treva Carinio 24.11.2013 | Well the Waldorf synth is nice for some sharp arpeggiated sounds, it sounds a bit plasticky because it's digital. The filter's analog though and that sounds pretty good. En ja ik zat ook op aboutdj inderdaad, ik mis het soms wel |
| Random X 24.11.2013 | Niiiiiiiiiice, how do you like the Waldorf synth? (Ennuh... je zat ook op aboutdj.nl joh?) |
| Treva Carinio 24.11.2013 | Took some better photos with my standalone flash, looks a lot better |
| Treva Carinio 05.11.2013 | I received my Chroma Caps today, they look pretty sweet! A big improvement over the original caps from DJTT, which I ditched pretty quickly after buying them back then. |
| Treva Carinio 02.11.2013 | Yeah, back in the day when I started DJing there was only one medium, vinyl. You only needed a mixer and a couple of TT's, no worries lol. Techno was my thing and it went great for years, but when it died off in the late 2000s, I kinda stopped. I tried DVS and several midi controllers, but I never found a setup that which satisfied me completely, there was always something wrong with it. But now it feels like I might have found the setup that just works |
| Arielle Goodling 02.11.2013 | DJ porn It's great to see you've found setup that suits your workflow and that you have invested so much time to get it working for you (mappings, for one) |
| Treva Carinio 01.11.2013 | I haven't posted anything here in a while, so I thought I'd post some pics of my current setup. When I opened this thread I was in doubt between using Ableton & Traktor. My setup was semi-modular, so it was easy to switch between the two. But in the end it was pretty annoying to get a really good workflow going. The Code had some real drawbacks, a crappy editor, the resolution of the push-encoders that was too low, etc. I constantly had to adjust and bear with it, not ideal. Then there's the fact that DJing in Ableton is a pain in the ass compared to Traktor, but using the controllers in traktor wasn't ideal also. Browsing was one of the main downsides, even in Live 9. So I then decided to put some of the gear up for sale again and look for something else. I had a couple of controllers in the back of my head, among them was the S4 from NI. But I owned one when they were just released and I didn't want to go back to one of those, I had too much issues with it. The first one was broken and had to be replaced, the second one was fine but after a while the drawbacks were pretty clear. The layout was pretty messy, the hotcue buttons were too small, the jogwheels weren't my thing, etc. Then I noticed that were some cheap modular Behringer controllers being released, but I had my doubts about the build quality. A friend of mine bought the whole Behringer setup a couple of months ago and he's happy with it. But although they're pretty nice considering the pricepoint, the labeling on the controller surface wore off after a couple of weeks and I believe I would regret buying them. All-in-all they weren't my thing, but if you don't want to spend a lot of money, I believe they're the most bang for your buck. Then I got a great deal on a Pioneer DDJ SX at a local DJ shop, I got like 30% off on the DDJ SX because it was a showroom model. I've bought B-stock and showroom models before, so if I can get a big discount and the product is pristine, I'll take it That and the fact that the controller itself is pretty high quality made me buy it. Ofcourse, it's a controller made for Serato, but since I'm not a scratcher and I'm pretty good at mapping, it wasn't a big issue. I bought the DDJ SX because I personally believe it has the best layout when it comes to an all-in-one controller. This thing is massive and everything is has it's own space, something the S4 lacks for example. It really feels like Pioneer measured every little space between all the knobs and buttons to make em perfect! This was really one of the most important things for me, it immediately feels like you've owned it for years. I also bought it because I missed the feel I got back in the day when I was playing on Technics, CDJs and a DJM, I never got that with a midi controller until now. Anyway, enough yapping, here's the gearlist - Pioneer DDJ SX - DJTT Midifighter Classic - Novation Launchpad - Roland Octa-Capture - Sennheiser HD25 - KRK Rokit RP6 Some pics: I ordered a lot of Chroma Caps two days ago btw, can't wait to put em on! Although the stock knobs and fader caps are just fine, colour coding will make things even easier I guess. And it'll probably look a lot cooler too Then there's the other controllers. The Midifighter is used for combo-effects, which are set up on FX3 and FX4. On a each row I have a different effect (beatslicer/filter/gater/delay), every column is a different time value. The old Launchpad is used for when I'm doing rather complex mixes, like 4-decks stuff. Switching between decks can sometimes be a handful if you need to be fast, so I've set up my Launchpad to duplicate certain functions. That way I can hit play, cue or jump to a hotcue without switching decks. It also gives me more visual feedback on which FX units are enabled, if flux mode is on or when a loop is on or off. Really happy with it Mapping of the Launchpad: PS: The two little boxes between the screen and the controllers are two synths, a Doepfer Dark Energy and a Waldorf Rocket. In the background is also an Alesis QX25 midi keyboard. |
| Treva Carinio 01.01.2013 |
Originally Posted by VirtualLogic
Especially if you believe about the colors for the LEDs, you get used to the layout pretty quickly |
| Marva Cupid 01.01.2013 | that traktor map would be so much fun to mix on, makes me wanna go out and buy a code and an apc. |
| Geri Jarra 31.12.2012 | Im glad you went into detail about HOW you use the setup. When I was looking at the first pictures I was curious as to how you used the gear which is normally the case when I see unconventional setups like yours. Looks really user friendly with ableton. Great job |
| Treva Carinio 31.12.2012 |
Originally Posted by HigherFi
Originally Posted by scooterADAM
So in the Code Editor it's setup like this: CC Numbers: All the encoders AND LED rings are set to the same CC numbers, going from "1" to "32". This is important by the way, if you set the encoders and the LED rings to the same CC numbers, whenever Traktor outputs an LED (after a reset for example), it will also reset the current value of the encoder itself. That is what you need for your encoders+LEDs to work properly in conjunction with a reset button. By default the LED rings are set to different CC numbers, but just configure them to the same and it will work. This is also nice for Ableton btw, since you don't have output commands there. When you update a knob on the screen, it will also update on your controller this way. Note Numbers: All the push buttons are set to notes, going from "1" to "32", the same numbers as the encoders (easy to remember ). Mode: All the encoders are set to "Absolute", that way they work as a standard knob (or fader) instead of an actual encoder. All the pushbuttons are set to "Momentary" since it doesn't matter for Traktor anyway (you can let them work as a toggle even if they are momentary). Resolution: I have Encoder speed A at "1x" and Encoder speed B at "1/2x". This is NOT ideal though, because my ideal setting would be somewhere between "1/2x" and "1x", but there's no option in the dropdown menu to configure it like that. It would be ideal if they would give us a percentage value to fiddle around with, I also mentioned this on the Livid community s. Style: The FX are all set to "Fill", the EQs and Filters are set to "EQ" and the Gains and Loop Size are set to "Walk". You could pick other ones, but setting them like I did is pretty intuitive. LED ring local control: "Absolute" is enabled, since your encoders are all set at "Absolute" anyway In Traktor I've set it up like this: All the encoders are set up like as a "Fader / Knob" with "Direct" as Interaction Mode. Soft takeover is NOT enabled on any of them, it doesn't really work anyway All the LED rings are set up just as default, so controller range from "0" to "1" and midi range from "0" to "127" (Blend is ON). The push buttons that work as a reset button are mapped to the same command as the encoders, the only difference is that they're mapped a button input with the "reset" function. Like I said before, if the CC numbers of your encoders match the CC numbers of your LED rings, it will work like a charm. You turn the knob, the value on your screen changes and the LED on your code updates locally. You push the reset button, Traktor resets the knob on your screen, outputs the LED value to the LED on your Code AND changes the current value of your encoder itself on the Code, since both have the same CC number. When you turn your encoder after you've pushed the reset button, the value won't jump anymore (or start from where it was BEFORE you pushed the reset button). I've included my Code preset and TSI file for the Code, that way you can test it out. The Code presets goes under "C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Livid\Code2 " if you're on Windows, that way it'll show up in the editor. Code Preset: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7776728/29122012_Traktor.json Traktor TSI: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/7776728/29122012_CodeV2.tsi
Originally Posted by Diskobeep
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| Renate Mayeur 31.12.2012 | Hi Fraa, nice to 'see' you again I was also on that dutch dj-community for a couple of years, but I changed my nickname (and dj-name too). Your set-up looks good! |
| Maile Dekerlegand 31.12.2012 | Great to see another code! Such a nice piece of kit, especially with v2 banks update. can I ask what are your traktor mapping settings for the eq encoders and their push reset are... eq mapped as 'knob'/'encoder', relative/abs, resolution etc? push mapped to 'eq reset' as 'button' in 'trigger' mode? or 'direct' to 'eq amount' = '0.5'? I tried to map this quite a few times and each time when pushing to reset it would reset but then when you start turning the encoder again it would jump around... i.e. not restart from the middle (0db) |
| Shan Bauerly 31.12.2012 | Nice. Loving the CODE. |
| Treva Carinio 30.12.2012 | I made a Traktor mapping today and solved the buggy LED problems on the APC with the most simple solution ever. Instead of letting the hotcue LEDs light up when I load a deck, I just leave em on all the time (through a modifier that's always "0"). Some might believe that it would cause problems if you have a song with only 5 or 6 cues for example, but actually it doesn't. I usually assign 8 hotcues to all my songs anyway =) I only need to find something to switch effects, but I believe I'm just gonna map some preset macros to my midifighter for that. Besides that, I believe the mapping looks pretty good. Note: All the functions in bold are only activated when the SHIFT button is held OR when you click on the encoder instead of turning it. Pitch for example is only needed in rare cases where I need to up the BPMs for a transition, that's why I mapped it with the SHIFT button, things like unloading a deck or deleting hotcues are also mapped with that same SHIFT button. Enough fiddling around, time to play =) |
| Vikki Jeannoel 24.12.2012 | I'm not exactly sure I've never used them both together. I've seen posts on this community about how to use them together so might be worth doing a search |
| Treva Carinio 24.12.2012 | Well a lovechild of both would be perfection actually, I really like the fact that Ableton has an elastic grid. If it's warped correctly, it'll always be in time. For me this is very important since 90% of my techno tracks are ripped from vinyl in 320kbps mp3s (which was a bitch to do). But Traktor has the better MIDI mapping engine and the nicest browser, just being able to map controls to the browser in Ableton would also solve a lot I guess, but I don't believe that's gonna happen until Ableton 13 or something How would you use them together with a setup like mine then? Because in the end you'll always have one piece of software that runs the show and the other one that's used for less important stuff. |
| Vikki Jeannoel 24.12.2012 | yeah fair enough, tables take up a shit load of space haha! Why not use traktor and ableton at the same time ? |
| Treva Carinio 24.12.2012 | Thanks! Well I still live at home, so I'm a bit limited in space. I used to have my setup in the basement, which was nice because I could fit 4 turntables and a club mixer in there with speakers the size of a person =) I could also go wild with the volume Now it's up in my room, which a lot warmer though =) I'm believeing about moving out next year, so if I get settled somewhere, I believe a simple setup with 2 technics and a mixer would be nice yes. I'm still a bit torn between Ableton and Traktor by the way, if the LEDs on the APC would work properly, I would probably go back to Traktor, but now I'm "forced" to work with Ableton. |
| Vikki Jeannoel 24.12.2012 | nice setup bro! Do you not fancy getting some more Technics in your life? |
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