Syncing Traktor with a live setup
I've been DJing of sorts for almost 30years, started on vinyl and as time moved on I found the new tech interesting and now like to have lots of things running at the same time a loop of one track here with a bassline, a loop of something else bringing in another part there. and create my own sound out of multiple parts so now because of al the different elements I sync everything together (I can beat match and mix by ear, but when you have all these elements going on, if I was to try and keep it all in time by ear I wouldn't have tome to be creative).
I use a S4, along with 2 x F1s (controlling patten players) and a D2 which I take and fire Samples from or run stems. My friend uses 2x CDJ-3000 2x 1210`s and has a A&H DB4 and is always beat matching.
Question 1 - We want to play together as more of a combined set. What we need is a way of syncing the 2 together so my Traktor is in time with his live mixing so we can do a hybrid B2B Mix.
I understand that the DB4 can give out a midi clock, but not sure if this is correct. Problem is the DB4 isn't supported for a firmware update due to the chips in the new macs being incompatible.
Its ok when he is mixing out of mine into his because its beat matched by ear, but when i want to mix into his I have to beat match by ear with my master clock which I can do but it can be a bit of a laborious mix and not the easiest. so to do a couple of tracks each is a pain.
What I need is something that can take the audio and turn that into a midi beat clock that I can feed into my mac running Traktor. Is there such a thing? If my setup was constantly in time with his I can also add stuff over his mix.
Question 2 - In essence we each have a mixer how is it best to link the 2 together? We have fed mine into his as a channel, but then when I come to mix out of his into mine I have to use both mixers at the same time as I have to bring his track down on his mixer and mine up on his mixer but I'm also controlling the stuff going on with my mixer as I'm controlling my loops etc?
I've seen setups with 4 DJ's all with their own setup all playing simultaneously but not sure if there were all digital and there for could connect to a master clock.
I'm hoping someone out there has some tips or ideas,
Thanks in advance.
Steve
Best Answer
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Maybe this helps:
12.2. Synchronize TRAKTOR via MIDI clock
With TRAKTOR you can synchronize external hardware and software via MIDI clock signals, which is set in the global area of the master control panel.
The MIDI clock is activated on the External Sync Page in the Preferences.
12.2.1. TRAKTOR to an external MIDI clock signal
chronicle
TRAKTOR can receive MIDI clock signals from other computers (clock slave) running TRAKTOR, but also from other applications or from hardware that sends MIDI clock.
1. Open the Controller Manager page in the Preferences.
2. Click Add...
3. Select Generic MIDI from the drop-down menu to create a new Generic MIDI Device.
4. In the In-Port drop-down menu, select the port on which the device should receive the incoming MIDI clock.
5. Open the External Sync page in the Preferences.
6. Click EXT to select the external clock source.
7. Close the Preferences.
8. Click EXT in the Master Control Panel.
Resetting the downbeat can cause the link timeline to move backwards by one or two beats.
98
Advanced work with TRAKTOR
The TRAKTOR master clock now follows the external MIDI clock signal as soon as it is started.
9. Press the Start button on the sending device to synchronize the clock to the MIDI clock phase of the software or hardware.
If there is an offset between the sending hardware or software and TRAKTOR, this offset must be set in the sending master device.
12.2.2. Use TRAKTOR as master clock
If TRAKTOR's master clock is to be used as a tempo source, TRAKTOR must send the MIDI clock signal to the external hardware or software.
1. Open the Controller Manager page in the Preferences.
2. Create a new Generic MIDI Device.
3. Assign the Out-Port output to the device to which the MIDI clock signal should be sent.
4. Open the External Sync page in the Preferences.
5. Check Enable MIDI Clock.
Now the additional MIDI clock functions are displayed in the master control panel.
6. To start sending the MIDI clock signal, click the Start/Stop button. Another click on it stops sending.
When MIDI Clock is activated, the Start/Stop button lights up blue. The Tempo Display shows the tempo of the MIDI clock signal in BPM.
After clicking the SYNC button, TRAKTOR triggers a MIDI clock stop command, followed by a MIDI clock start command to resynchronize the external hardware or software.
It may be necessary to set the offset between TRAKTOR and the receiver hardware or software.
1
Answers
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Hello,
have you tried the tap tempo function in traktors master clock panel and sync the decks to the master clock?
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Thanks for the response, my side of the setup is always all synced to the master clock, it’s getting the master clock synced to what is essentially a live performance. Yes I can quickly get the bpm the same and then have to line it up by moving the master clock, but it’s time I want to spend doing something rather than spending it keeping stuff in time.
If he changes the tempo I want my setup to keep in time, without me worrying and leaving me to be creative in that time.
Ideally it needs to be something that is creating a a midi clock from the audio output from his setup that I can input into my setup.
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Maybe this helps:
12.2. Synchronize TRAKTOR via MIDI clock
With TRAKTOR you can synchronize external hardware and software via MIDI clock signals, which is set in the global area of the master control panel.
The MIDI clock is activated on the External Sync Page in the Preferences.
12.2.1. TRAKTOR to an external MIDI clock signal
chronicle
TRAKTOR can receive MIDI clock signals from other computers (clock slave) running TRAKTOR, but also from other applications or from hardware that sends MIDI clock.
1. Open the Controller Manager page in the Preferences.
2. Click Add...
3. Select Generic MIDI from the drop-down menu to create a new Generic MIDI Device.
4. In the In-Port drop-down menu, select the port on which the device should receive the incoming MIDI clock.
5. Open the External Sync page in the Preferences.
6. Click EXT to select the external clock source.
7. Close the Preferences.
8. Click EXT in the Master Control Panel.
Resetting the downbeat can cause the link timeline to move backwards by one or two beats.
98
Advanced work with TRAKTOR
The TRAKTOR master clock now follows the external MIDI clock signal as soon as it is started.
9. Press the Start button on the sending device to synchronize the clock to the MIDI clock phase of the software or hardware.
If there is an offset between the sending hardware or software and TRAKTOR, this offset must be set in the sending master device.
12.2.2. Use TRAKTOR as master clock
If TRAKTOR's master clock is to be used as a tempo source, TRAKTOR must send the MIDI clock signal to the external hardware or software.
1. Open the Controller Manager page in the Preferences.
2. Create a new Generic MIDI Device.
3. Assign the Out-Port output to the device to which the MIDI clock signal should be sent.
4. Open the External Sync page in the Preferences.
5. Check Enable MIDI Clock.
Now the additional MIDI clock functions are displayed in the master control panel.
6. To start sending the MIDI clock signal, click the Start/Stop button. Another click on it stops sending.
When MIDI Clock is activated, the Start/Stop button lights up blue. The Tempo Display shows the tempo of the MIDI clock signal in BPM.
After clicking the SYNC button, TRAKTOR triggers a MIDI clock stop command, followed by a MIDI clock start command to resynchronize the external hardware or software.
It may be necessary to set the offset between TRAKTOR and the receiver hardware or software.
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Exactly - if you want to be in sync with your friend, he needs something to put out a midi clock, or better, ableton sync. In the past there where devices for analyzing beats and give out a clock, but you can only get those things used now as far as I know.
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Hi viper9711 - yes I can do all this, sometimes I run Ableton alongside and sync it, I have also run other hardware and am able to do it, my issue is I want my friends more standard DJ setup to be the master clock which doesn’t have a midi clock out. So like Uwe303 says I need something to create a clock from the audio that I can then use that.
Uwe303 - yes this is exactly what I need, I remember when I was first DJing there was kit that you could get that analysed the beat and gave a bpm, so I’m sure that those could probably give a midi clock out but I can’t remember any of them and I think they were a bit unstable. But with the 30years since of technology I’m sure something of the same sort of thing would be much more stable. It just seems no one makes such things anymore.
Thanks both for your replies, guess I’ll keep looking.👍😁
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Found this, but it's only for mac:
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Uwe303 - I think you may of cracked it!! From read ing this it seems to do the bit which has been the big problem and that is to turn audio into a midi clock.
I can run an output from his mixer into this software and then either a live channel in my Traktor or into even if it has to go into a separate Mac and then ableton and then use ableton lint to sync the spare Mac with mine. I think there are many different solutions for that bit, so I will have. a play around and see which is best for latency and best stability. But if this software does what it says it does to will have solved the bit I was stuck on.
I've got quite a bit on at the ,minute but as soon as I get chance I will try this all out and report back.
Thank you very ,much for taking the time and finding this for me. I spent hours trying to find something so really appreciate the time and effort. I will let you know how I get on, but thanks again for all your efforts!
Synced setup here we come ( Well hopefully)
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Hello. were you able to solve the problem?
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Hi Eric, when I first downloaded the Wavesum software I thought it was working but then a couple of changes in tempo and it seemed to lose it.
If I’m completely honest I have had a lot of other things going on and haven’t had to time to push this solution further. I have found a couple of pieces of kit that can supposedly do it but they are expensive and I’d want to see them working before I spent what they want for them.
I have also read articles and seen the programming to make my own using an aurdino, although this would be fun it’s time consuming and I just haven’t got the time to do it at the minute.
If / when I solve this problem (I don’t let things go, it may take a while but I will continue) I will keep this post up to date. Unless I create a device myself then I’ll add a link to where you can buy it from!😂0 -
Get a USB stick and play on the CDJs b2b :P
This unit would allow you to get midi from CDJs I have not tested it. Also big plus for your friend, as this would allow him to get touch preview.
But mate, just look over his should and check his BPM.
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Hi Lord Carlos,
Yes I could do that, and we have before. But that’s not the way I play. I have embraced technology so now I can do so much more artistically. I am basically running a 4 channel mixer and I will only ever have one as a track the other 3 will be playing loops, etc and can each handle 4channels so a possibility of 13channels running. I can just about keep up with everything I’m doing there. If I add the fact I have to beat match as he may change the pitch, it would be too much for me to do at once.
Yes I can look over his shoulder and get the bpm, but it still needs to be in sync.
Yes we could drop the Record decks, or we could do many other iterations of setup where it could be sync’d but all of these solutions mean either one or the other of us has to downgrade our setup (use less kit) to make this happen. I used to mix on 4 decks back when vinyl was my only source and have recently had a mix with 3 so can still do it. But I love the interest of using lots of different things and creating something different.What I really need is something that creates a midi clock purely from the audio. That’s the only way I can see us doing what we want. Until then we will keep with cut back setup when DJing together.
Thanks for the response though.😁
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Here is what you were looking for, enjoy it:
I think you understand more than I do about complex program installations. Could you record your mac screen from downloading the program until you run it? Please. It seems quite complex 😅
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