Kontrol S8 Activate preset loop & Traktor 4 Beat grid

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snowbro
snowbro Member Posts: 40 Member
in Traktor Software & Hardware

I'm not new to Traktor, but I am new to the Kontrol S8 and I have a question about it.

Question 1: On my other controller (a Pioneer DDJ-SZ) I could activate a preset loop, so that when the track gets to that point, the loop would start automatically. To do this, I had to press Shift+ Loop. Is there a way to do this with the Kontrol S8?

Question 2: This one is more about Traktor software itself. I used the Traktor V2.6 for the longest time. To set the beatgrid, it had this cue point that could be set as Gridmarker (resulting in a white grid cue point). In the newer Traktor V4, this option no longer exists? Is it no longer needed or am I missing something here?

Thanks

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  • Martiniix_NI
    Martiniix_NI Customer Care Posts: 539 mod

    Heyo!

    So regarding your first question I believe you want to have Hot Cues with Loops already programmed, I found some steps you could follow for the S8.

    1. Set a hot cue: Press the corresponding blue pad (1-8) to set a hot cue at the current playback position.
    2. Create a loop: Use the Loop encoder to set the Loop In and Loop Out points. You can adjust these points by using the grid adjust buttons (Shift + Loop In/Out).
    3. Trigger the hot cue loop: Press the blue pad again (1-8) to jump to the hot cue position and activate the loop. The playback will continue from the Loop In point to the Loop Out point.

    Regarding your second question, you are probably in the wrong view. You are probably now on Cue mode where the Grid Markers are minimised and you cannot see them.

  • snowbro
    snowbro Member Posts: 40 Member

    Hello Martiniix

    Thanks for your reply, but I guess maybe my questions were unclear.

    What I do when I prepare my tracks is…I set a yellow LOAD MARKER cue point on where I want the track to get loaded & start. Then I use the orange FADE IN & FADE OUT markers as reminders to where I should begin and end the mix. Then there's the white GRID marker that I use to grid the track (my 2nd question was about that white grid option which doesn't seem to be an option anymore with the newer versions of Traktor. Maybe that's because of the flexible grids?) And then, on some of my tracks, I put a green LOOP marker.

    With my Pioneer controller, I can push Shift + Loop ( as soon as the track is loaded, so even before I start playing the track) so that the preset loop gets actived. As soon as the track reaches that loop, it starts looping.

    This is something I haven't figured out how to do with my Kontrol S8. I can push the loop encoder after the track gets started, and it will turn on the Active loop that will then automatically play the loop I saved during preparation, but it also starts a new loop, which I don't want.

    Maybe I should add a midi command to turn on/off the "auto loop" command, but that is way above my pay grade ;)

  • ilove1981
    ilove1981 Member Posts: 172 Pro
    edited September 2024

    • Firstly, I don't believe it's possible to auto-activate a loop in a track directly on the S8. You can auto-activate the next loop by clicking the loop active button within TP4 itself (it used to say "ACTIVE" in TP3 but it's now a loop symbol in TP4). I use this feature a lot.
    • White grid markers no longer exist. The grid is initially set during analysis and you have the option to override this with the flex grid markers. Simply add your own grid markers in GRID view. Note that grid and hot cue/loop markers are different and displayed in different views (CUE and GRID)
  • Christian On S8
    Christian On S8 Member Posts: 39 Member
    edited September 2024

    Once the track has being loaded… is that not as simple as pressing the LoopEncoder knob (before/after the track plays…) on the S8 to activate the loop in a track which have a Loop defined as per below….

    Traktor 4.02 / S8 / Mac

    LoopEncoder.png

    "small correction…":

    in order to get the above to work the LoopEncoder S8 button need to be remapped (use "Loop Active On").

    I have remapped to it buttons Shift+Loop Encoder+Push

    Shift+LoopEncoder.png

    from the TP 4.0 Manual (S8 -Mapping Deck Common):

    Remap.png
  • Sûlherokhh
    Sûlherokhh Member, Traktor Mapping Mod Posts: 3,667 mod

    You are pointing to 'Loop Active' toggle. The s8 encoder uses the command 'Loop (Size) Set', although holding SHIFT + pressing the encoder should toggle 'Loop Active' as well, which will activate the next encountered loop (but not jump to it). SHIFT+TURN encoder is the 'Beatjump/MoveLoop' command.

  • snowbro
    snowbro Member Posts: 40 Member

    Hey ilove1981, Christian On S8 & Sulherokhh

    Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.

    On the auto start loop thingie:

    I'm going to try the remap solution as proposed by Christian.

    What Ilove1981 said:

    "You can auto-activate the loop by clicking the loop active button within TP4 itself (it used to say "ACTIVE" in TP3 but it's now a loop symbol in TP4). I use this feature a lot."

    is true ofcourse, but I would hate to use the mouse (pad) every time I have to active the pre set loop. If itis as 'easy' as Christian says, just a little adjustement to the mapping, then I thing that would be a great shortcut for Ilove1981 too.

    On the Beatgrid thingie:

    My whole collection was analysed in Traktor 2.6.8 and grid'ed using the method I explained in my previous post. Using that same collection in Traktor 4.0.2 it works, but all those 'old' white grid markers have moved. I always put those gridmarkers in at slot number 8. Now they have moved to (most of them, I have checked 'em all yet) allign with the Load marker. So you're telling me that if I would get rid of those 'old' markers, that wouldn't change the beatgridding? I'm gonna try out a couple of tracks to see what happens to the grid and bpm. Thx for all the help !

  • Christian On S8
    Christian On S8 Member Posts: 39 Member
    edited September 2024

    hi there,

    after reading @Sûlherokhh's reply I realized that the mapping is not needed as the Shift+Encoder Push is already the S8 default, I just tested it again, works fine here…

    (My mapping is years old and I used initially Shift+Encoder Push for the "Deck Flavor selector" and somehow added later the mapping for "Loop Active on")

    anyway sorry for the confusion…

  • snowbro
    snowbro Member Posts: 40 Member
    edited September 2024

    Strange, it didn't seem to work on mine, but the shift + loop would make sense, as it's that combo I have to use when I use my Pioneer ddj-sz mapped for Traktor. I'm gonna give it another try. THX

    OK, I just did the test and now I feel stupid, as the Shift + Loop combo does turn on/off the loop activate function, just as it does on my other controller. I did notice that my left side loop controller knob doesn't work very good. I really need to push it down real hard before it reacts. Maybe that's why I thought the combo didn't work. It works just fine on the right hand deck.

    Thx for replying to my questions !

  • ilove1981
    ilove1981 Member Posts: 172 Pro

    I did not know you could press Shift + Loop Encoder to activate the next stored loop. That make so much sense in terms of mapping (I use 2x D2 and it works for me). Thank you! Every day is a school day.

  • snowbro
    snowbro Member Posts: 40 Member
    Answer ✓

    Hey Ilove1982, glad you learned a new trick thx to my stupidity :) :) :) It's gonna make activating those pre-set loops a lot easier !

  • Sûlherokhh
    Sûlherokhh Member, Traktor Mapping Mod Posts: 3,667 mod

    Check out the MANUAL.

    Searching, finding and reading closely can be very helpful. 🙃

  • snowbro
    snowbro Member Posts: 40 Member

    True Sulherokhh, but that manual is in PDF and altough I have no problems with manuals, reading them from a screen isn't my favourite thing to do. However, I did read the manual about using loops and I couldn't find what I was looking for.

    This is what it said about using shift, which was not what I needed:

    Looping1. Press the Loop encoder to activate looping. A light starts circulating around the knob.

    2. Turn the knob to adjust loop size.

    3. Hold SHIFT and turn the knob to move a loop's position by the set loop size.

    4. Press the Loop encoder again to leave the loop.→ The loop is deactivated, the loop markers are still visible

    Also 3.2 playing with loops in Hotcue mode did not contain the info I needed. Why the "active loop with shift + loop button" did not work is because my left hand deck button is on the blink. After reading all the advice here, I tried it with the right hand deck and it worked as expected.

  • ilove1981
    ilove1981 Member Posts: 172 Pro
    https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/178409#Comment_178409

    I am a massive fan of reading manuals. I've read all of them for every Kontrol device I own and the entire Traktor Bible from cover to cover. I don't recall ever seeing this written anywhere.. so please, do show me where it's mentioned in the D2 manual you linked….

  • snowbro
    snowbro Member Posts: 40 Member

    Het Ilove1981

    I copied it from the Kontrol S8 manual which you can download from the Native Instruments website.

    Chapter 3 : Using your S8 - getting advanced 3.2 Playing with loops in hot cue mode

    Chapter 4 : Hardware reference 4.2.4 loop encoder

    Happy reading ;)

  • Sûlherokhh
    Sûlherokhh Member, Traktor Mapping Mod Posts: 3,667 mod
    https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/178442#Comment_178442

    You are correct.

    The manual is missing the SHIFT+ modifier for LoopActive to trigger the next encountered loop:

    Screenshot.jpg

    What an oversight.

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