djsoftware.com.au –

So the white sheet has been pulled back, and American Audio’s monster MIDI controlling VMS4 has been laid bare. This 4 deck beauty blends analog and digital in one slight oversized box as well as a heap of other goodies too.

The video gives the best overview in one bitesized 2 minute chunk, but most interesting is the emergence of a new version of Traktor. I’m guessing that a new 4 deck version of Traktor LE is coming, but still seems to be in the stages of delicate negotiation right now so no info is available. But the rest of this unit is out in the open, and it’s quite some piece of kit.

Tom says $499(usd) in the video, but the official web page says $699. I’m sure this mixup will be sorted soon, hopefully in the favour of the lower price tag.

Thanks again to Skratchworx.com for the news!

Thanks again to the crew at DJTECHTOOLS.COM
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Over the years we have managed to crank out a surprising number of Traktor FX tutorials, many of which teach fundamental FX tricks that can be used with any controller or software. NI recently asked me to film a few of my favorites for the release of the new X1 controller. We were happy to oblige, and all 4 FX tutorials, along with a comprehensive list of our other FX video tutorials, can be viewed after the break.

PART 1- UPGRADE YOUR BEAT MASHER

PART 2- FREEZE TRANSITION

PART 3- LOOP SYNTH

PART 4- JUGGLE SAMPLE

ADDITIONAL WATCHING

Here are a few of the other Traktor FX tutorials we have posted over the past few years:

Dynamic Build Ups

Using White Noise as an Instrument

The Original Freeze Video

Crazy Drum Fills

Full Performance Tutorial

Scratch and Pitch

Going wayyy back to a time when I look young and Traktor looks old:

Playing with Filters and Phase

Rocking Digital Doubles

Filter Basics

Full legal section disclosure thingy

As some of you may know, online writers are required to disclose if companies in their articles provided any free equipment or money to them. NI paid me (Ean) as an artist to create some cool FX videos that show off Traktor Pro and the X1. DJ Tech Tools did not get paid in any way to post them on this site – and never takes any money from manufacturers to post articles. We are not promoting or endorsing the products used in these videos, but feel the information contained within might be helpful to all of our readers. Our main interest is in creating a community of really talented DJs; the equipment that you use to get there is totally up you!

It seems the whole DJing and production world is looking for the ultimate Ableton hardware controller, and Vestax are the latest to rise to the challenge with their VCM 600 Midi controller.

Ableton is a killer piece of software that allows a DJ to add more production techniques to his sets, but it has a few major drawbacks. For example, it’s impossible to use Ableton to its full potential in a live performance due to the amount of navigating involved between clips. And when glued to a laptop, it’s easy for DJs to look like they’re just checking emails rather than orchestrating the crowd.

This is where hardware controllers come into play, but so far very few take full advantage of Ableton and the ones that do aren’t exactly intuitive for DJs moving over from vinyl or CDs to digital laptop systems.

The Vestax VCM 600 is a dedicated hardware controller for Ableton. The first thing we notice when lifting it out of the box is that it’s heavy — not in the hippy sense, but in the excess baggage charge kind of way. And it looks like the bastard offspring of a DJ mixer that’s had a one-night stand with a studio console after the Vestax labs were shut for the night.

The control surface layout is complex for someone who’s more at home with a DJ mixer, but not intimidating, and it’s really obvious where all the important bits, like the channel faders, EQs and master faders are located, so DJs will be up and mixing in no time once the Midi controller is rigged up.

Appealing
Pretty much everything about the VCM 600 will appeal to DJs using Ableton for live performance. It’s a Midi controller with no in-built soundcard so an audio interface is required, but think of it as six-channel mixer with the ability to control more channels via the bank switches.

Each channel has a three-band EQ with kill switches, two sends, a mute, a cue (sort of) and some extra bits for controlling Ableton. The additional controls on each channel start and stop clips, swap between the channel views in Live and also provide resonance and frequency control. It’s important to keep in mind that these controls are only the defaults supplied by Vestax but can be mapped to pretty much anything easily and quickly in Ableton using the Midi learn feature. And the VCM can be used with any other Midi enabled software such as Cubase, a VJ system or even a lighting rig.

Lots of buttons and knobs have been set aside for filters or anything else the warped mind of a DJ might wish to control, while the nearby loop controls are a great size and nicely spaced.

The faders and pots have a good quality feel, while the crossfader is of the light-as-a-feather variety, which can be a bit of a nightmare because it’s easy to accidentally brush it in the wrong direction. A curve adjustment for the crossfader can be set-up however needed.

An interesting quirk is that the VCM 600 is lacking a designated cue button. The solo button, however, doubles as a cue, just like in Ableton, and it’s been placed in a slightly awkward spot, right below the mute button, so there is the potential for mis-triggering while in the heat of the moment.

Amongst the VCM 600’s best features are the tempo control slider and nudging buttons. The tempo control slider is basically the same as a pitch control on decks or CD players and the nudge buttons behave exactly like the nudge feature on CD mixers, making mixing into and out of vinyl and CDs nice and easy, complemented further by a fine tune knob to get your beat mixing tight as you like.

Choosing between clips — what Ableton calls tracks or audio loops — is taken care of quite neatly using a knob located below the pitch fader and the play buttons on each channel. This means less time spent hunched over a laptop and more time with hands in the air or where they need to be — on the control surface and wowing the crowd.

Installation
Ableton Live users not using the new version 8 or the latest version of 7 will find the install process a bit fiddly. A whole heap of manual midi mapping and assignment of buttons and faders on the VCM to the corresponding buttons on Live is required before you can start mashing up those beats. But with newer versions of Ableton Live installation is easy, as all of the controls are mapped to the VCM 600 automatically. And it even comes with a simplified version of Live 7 for instantaneous start-up.

Overall, the VCM 600 is pretty damn cool and offers lots of control and performance enhancing features and that’s what makes a set more fun both for the DJ and the party animals on the dancefloor. For instance, the EQ kill switches are cool as fuck and light up when in full kill position — great for those fancy bass blasting EQ tricks that rock the discotheques.
Powered by USB direct from your laptop, the unit is fantastic for ‘on the road’ applications or for showing off on the plane on the way to the gig, but it is a little bit heavier than the average laptop and there’s no way it will fit into any laptop or record bag.

Its all-metal construction is solid and the build quality is so sturdy it feels like it could take a full-on battering, and keep on going. The faders and knobs are mix-friendly and the layout is clean, user-friendly and for the most part intuitive despite a huge number of controls.

In a nutshell, the VMC 600 is a cracking piece of kit, which is in a league of its own at the moment. There’s no other product on the market in its price range that has the same number of features and similarly satisfies the needs of the Ableton DJ.

Currently Available through Lightsounds.com

Hiroshi Watanabe (aka Kompakt producer Kaito) isn’t a name that springs to mind when thinking of DJ pioneers, but Watanabe San has been making a big noise in Japan and has been pushing the boundaries of DJing in the most tech-obsessed city in the world, Tokyo. It’s no big surprise, then, that Vestax turned to him when it came to designing their new TR-1 Traktor Controller.

The TR-1 is their latest piece of shiny new DJ equipment, a controller designed with one thing in mind — controlling Native Instruments’ DJing software Traktor.

The design philosophy behind the new hardware DJ controller is emulating the feel and fine controls DJs are used to having at their finger tips. Working with someone who actually stands in a dark DJ box night after night, like Watanabe, makes a lot of sense. Most products are designed in brightly-lit labs and meeting rooms, so it is little surprise to see so many that ALMOST work brilliantly in a club environment.

The TR-1 is a four-channel controller that allows access to pretty much all of the features in Traktor without needing to reach for the mouse. Smooth long throw 60mm faders and nice feeling pots all make for a great time while DJing, even if the TR-1 is missing a cross-fader. The knobs used on the TR-1 are great, the grip is excellent and they are spaced well, so there is no chance of accidentally moving the knob next-door, while tweaking knobs madly in the middle of a set. Another simple, but effective feature, is that every time a knob or slider is adjusted, a little data light flashes in the top right hand corner of the unit — an important visual aid.

The TR-1′s control panel is laid out like a two-channel mixer, with effects and various other controls to the side. Each channel has the same set of controls. Four-channel control is via switches at the top of each channel, which select the current channel being controlled; this is a clever way of squeezing extra channels into the same sized box, and makes a lot of sense for a unit that is designed to be portable.

This should make moving over from traditional DJing formats like vinyl and CD even easier.

Each channel has a fader for volume and pots to control EQ (Low, Mid and Hi), a Pan pot and a filter control. At the top of the fader, we find a cue button for each channel sitting either side of a four-way switch (sort of like a joystick), which is used to browse and load tracks.

To the left and right of the faders, in a mirror image arrangement of the Traktor screen on the computer, are buttons to control features such as Loop, Key, Sync, Cue Forward and Back, and set Cue Point. Also located in this area is a large button which toggles play and pause as well as buttons for FX 1 and 2.

The Move Control Section allows precise manipulation over the four channels’ loop parameters. A simple button selects between channel A, B, C or D, while another button, Value, then lets the length of the loop be tailored to suit, from 1/32 of a beat to eight bars. Once again, the emphasis is on ease of use. The Mode button allows the loop start and end points to be adjusted, and in conjunction with the Move button, the loop can then be placed around the track.

The FX section is also a relative joy to use. Four knobs and four buttons activate the desired effect, which can be turned on or off at the push of the corresponding button. How much effect is added is determined by how far left or right the knob is turned — simple.

The influence of Hiroshi Watanabe can be seen in features like the lovely long Tempo faders and the placement of the Bend buttons at the bottom (just where you want them). At the top of the fader is a knob to control the key of that channel.

The master section is also designed well. A knob rather than a fader takes care of the master level, which saves space and avoids potentially knocking a fader while your fingers are darting around. Next to the master level are the monitor mix and the monitor level knobs.

The TR-1 is sturdy and well built, as well as being small enough to fit into a laptop bag. The control surface is well spaced, and packs a lot of control into a small space without feeling cluttered. All in all, the TR-1 gives control of 160 parameters and the shift button allows customisation of controls in a very neat way.

There are a few things missing from the TR-1 like a cross-fader, the ability to switch master tracks manually, and no built-in soundcard. But this is a great product. The TR-1 offers control of a computer-based programme, whilst putting performance back into the hands of the DJ. By mimicking everything that would normally be done on screen and with a mouse makes for a fast, easy, hands-on way to control your tracks and sets. The art of the digital DJ has evolved and the time is definitely now.

This unit is currently available exclusivly through Lightsounds in Australia.