Why does Traktor ignores the relative mode?

Hello dear traktor community,

I have a problem with Traktor scratch.

I'm using Traktor pro 3 on a 13' MacBook pro late 2014 with 16 GB Ram. So it shouldn't be about performance.

Since I don't own any turntables or media players, I use Traktor scratch differently.

I bought the mk2 version of the original Timecode CD. Then I copied the CD to the computer. So now I have, so to speak, the digital version of the time code signal.

I copied this wave file to my iphone. I have a very well-known Djay app on my iPhone. I use this app to play the timecode sound.

The calibration in Traktor runs very well. Traktor recognizes which medium is involved and reports a consistently strong signal. The absolute mode is set by default in Traktor. I switch the mode to relative mode where track position should not be checked in Traktor.

As I said, Traktor is in relative mode.

As soon as I play the timecode signal, the track always plays from the beginning. Do I now stop the timecode playback and start the timecode playback again at a fast-forwarded point. Traktor does not ignore the track position but plays back the track at exactly the fast-forwarded position, as in absolute mode.

In practice, this leads to me setting a hotcue point in Traktor. If I then scratch at that point, Traktor continues playback at a different point in the track. It also happened that I scratched the track and after I finished scratching, the track jumped to the end. Flux mode is off.

Also appear as two track position markers in the main window. The red line showing where the track is and a blue line.

Do any of you know why this blue line appears and what it means? Unfortunately, there is nothing in the user manual about this.

I tried all of this with Serato as well. It works really smoothly there. In relative mode, Serato really ignores the exact position of the timing code signal.

I thank you in advance for your help.

Greetings from Germany

Martin

To show it better I added another picture with this blue line.

Bildschirmfoto 2021-11-15 um 22.04.13.png

Bildschirmfoto 2021-11-15 um 22.01.02.png

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djnightfire

Hello Mutis,

First of all, thank you for the many tips. I looked at the German user manual again in the last few days. Under the item "Successful calibration" it says:

Scope: blue circle and an orange diagonal line (or two orange circles if

timecode MK1 is used) I use timcode MK2.

QUALITY: completely orange eg. it seems that that it is completely orange.

INPUT: two channels in center position. ok here it is not exact the center position.

TEXT: the following possibilities. It shows the the timecode MK2 (CD) is used.

I put in the diagram from the user manual again

So now I don't see any mistakes I made during setup.

Ohne Titel 2.pdf

blob:https://community.native-instruments.com/2f2bccf8-eeb4-4556-aa3d-0945bddda535

CD MK2

This is the origin Graphic of a successful calibration with CD Timcode MK2 from the instruction manual.

However, in relative mode Traktor does not ignore the exact position of the timecode.

The track is minutes 3:08 long.

If I start the timecode from second 0 and then stop at minute 2, the track will stop exactly where the timecode stops. If I now set the timcode to minute 2:30, in relative mode the track should continue at minute 2. But it doesn't. Instead, the track jumps to minute 2:30. This is very strange.

Regarding the time code, I am not aware that NI would have an absolute and a special relative time code. Would also explain why you have the option in the software to set that the absolute position should not be considered (relative mode). So, as I explained in my previous post, I use Traktor pro 3 (full license) with the timecode CD MK2, which I also bought directly from NI.

The blue marker in relative mode seems to show that this is probably the absolute position. Still, it shouldn't appear there, should it?

I always set my cue points in Traktor. I only use the virtual timecode sound to control playback.

I even think Sticker drift is very good. I have nothing against that.

I'm really just concerned with the annoying problem that in relative mode the absolute position is not ignored and I'm just wondering why that is?

Karlos Santos

The blue line shows the current position of the timecode.

The red line shows the playback position of the track.

In Absolute Mode both timecode position and playback position are identical so there is only one line.

There is no way to stop Traktor having both lines when you are in Relative mode.

Your issue seems to be happening when you stop and restart the track. How are you stopping the track? Are you pressing a button on Traktor or on DJay?

Your scopes are fine and exactly what you should see with CD timecode MK2. The orange line in the middle denotes timecode MK2 (MK1 doesn't show the diagonal line). The vertical orange line denotes timecode quality. The 2 vertical blue lines show you have maximum headroom.

Karlos.

djnightfire

Thank you Karlos,

and also thanks Mutis,

I think it's nice that I'm not left alone with my problem.

I'm really desperate with the relative mode.

I really can't understand it. The calibration works without problems. As I have already written, the problem is really in the relative mode. I start the timecode at second 0 in relative mode. Then stop the timcode at minute 1 with the Start/Pause button in the app, as an example. Then fast forward about 30 seconds. Normally, in relative mode, Traktor would not have to consider where the timecode is now. So the track would have to continue playing in Traktor, i.e. at minute 1. But as soon as I start the timecode playback again in the app (via the Play/Pause button), the track jumps forward exactly these 30 seconds and thus starts at minute 1:30. Traktor ignores the set relative mode.

The following scenario happened to me. Traktor is in relative mode. I start the timecode. Traktor plays the track exactly. Within Traktor I have set a cue point. I now jump to this cue point in Traktor. Traktor also reproduces the playback exactly from this cue point. As soon as I scratch the timecode, the scratching is transferred directly to the track. Well so far.

But as soon as I release the jog wheel, the track within Traktor jumps somewhere after the cue point in the track. It even happens that the track even jumps to the end after scratching. This is very annoying to me and it certainly shouldn't be. The flux mode is switched off.

I'm really at my wits end there.

So is it the software itself?

It can't be normal that the relative mode doesn't work.

Kaiwan_NI

Hey @djnightfire did you manage to solve the issue already? I saw you were in touch with our support team but we didn't get more details from you.

djnightfire

Hello Kaiwan and whole team,

Unfortunately, the problem with the relative mode has not yet been solved. All ways of contacting you didn't really work.

As I have already written, I use Traktor Pro 3 in the current version. I use a MacBook Pro with a dual core i5 and 16 GB RAM. I bought the full version of Traktor from your store. Everything is installed properly.

Since I was a pure controller DJ the whole time, I wanted to try and use the timecode function.

I bought the Denon ds 1 interface. This interface is switched to line input.

Since I don't have a turntable or DJ CD player, I chose a different experimental setup.

I bought your CD timecode mk2 through your store.

Then I copied the contents of the CD to my Mac Book pro. So the original AIF files.

Next, I imported the AIF (Lead In, Playback, Browse) files into the Music app and transferred the files to my iphone.

A well-known DJ app from your competitor is legally installed on my iphone.

I have now loaded the file "playback" into the 2 players in the app.

The iphone is connected to the usb camera connection kit. So I have a usb port. A controller with a sound card is connected to the iphone. Thus there are 2 rca's, each for deck a and deck b. The rca ports are connected to the denon ds1 interface.

As soon as I play the timecode via the App Player, Traktor tells me that there is a strong, clean signal and that the CD timecode mk2 has been recognized. By default, Traktor plays the track in absolute mode.

Now I switch to relative mode.

The time code is now, as an example, at minute 1. I stop the time code at minute 1. In Traktor the track also stops exactly at minute 1. Then I fast forward the time code to minute 2. Normally, the internal track in Traktor should now continue at minute 1, since Traktor is supposed to ignore the exact playback position in relative mode.

But it doesn't.

If I now play the timecode again, the track in Traktor also jumps to minute 2 and continues playing from there.

Traktor is supposed to ignore the exact playback position in relative mode: and that's exactly what doesn't work. Even in relative mode, Traktor pays close attention to the playhead position.

Everything is set correctly in the settings. no setting that Traktor should only use absolute mode. Also Flux Mode is off.

It is particularly annoying with the cue points.

For example: The track inside Traktor has a cue point set at minute 2. I start the time code at second 0, the track also starts at second 0. The relative mode is set. At some point the timecode is at minute 3. Now I jump to the cue point (minute 2) in the track. However, the time code is already moving at minute 3:30. If I now move the time code back and forth (scratch), the track either jumps almost to the end or even to the end. So I can't use relative mode.

But exactly, the relative mode is needed for these purposes.

What can it be?

Kaiwan_NI

Can you please record a video and get back to our support team? I believe they're waiting for your video in order to troubleshoot further.

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