TRAKTOR PRO 2 9 manual englisch 2015 08

Manual


Disclaimer

The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a
commitment on the part of Native Instruments GmbH. The software described by this document is subject to a License Agreement and may not be copied to other media. No part of this
publication may be copied, reproduced or otherwise transmitted or recorded, for any purpose,
without prior written permission by Native Instruments GmbH, hereinafter referred to as Native
Instruments.
“Native Instruments”, “NI” and associated logos are (registered) trademarks of Native Instruments GmbH.
Mac, Mac OS, GarageBand, Logic, iTunes and iPod are registered trademarks of Apple Inc.,
registered in the U.S. and other countries.
Windows, Windows Vista and DirectSound are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation
in the United States and/or other countries.
All other trade marks are the property of their respective owners and use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.
Document authored by: Native Instruments GmbH
Software version: 2.9 (08/2015)
Special thanks to the Beta Test Team, who were invaluable not just in tracking down bugs, but
in making this a better product.


Contact

NATIVE INSTRUMENTS GmbH
Schlesische Str. 29-30
D-10997 Berlin
Germany
www.native-instruments.de
NATIVE INSTRUMENTS North America, Inc.
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5th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90028
USA
www.native-instruments.com
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Japan
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London EC2A 4NU
UK
www.native-instruments.com

© NATIVE INSTRUMENTS GmbH, 2015. All rights reserved.


Table of Contents

Table of Contents
1

Welcome to the World of TRAKTOR! ............................................................................ 17
1.1
1.2

1.3

Document Conventions ............................................................................................................... 18
TRAKTOR Documentation Overview ............................................................................................. 18
1.2.1
In This Manual ........................................................................................................... 19
1.2.2
Other Documentation ................................................................................................. 19
1.2.3
Recommended Reading Order ................................................................................... 19
System Requirements and Compatibility .................................................................................... 20

2

What’s new in TRAKTOR 2.9 ....................................................................................... 21

3

Upgrading (from TRAKTOR PRO, TRAKTOR LE, and TRAKTOR ME) .................................. 22
3.1
3.2
3.3

Backup ....................................................................................................................................... 22
Installation ................................................................................................................................. 22
Importing Your Data ................................................................................................................... 23

4

TRAKTOR's Setup Wizard ........................................................................................... 24

5

The User Interface (Overview) .................................................................................... 32
5.1
5.2

6

The Big Picture ........................................................................................................................... 33
Interface Elements ..................................................................................................................... 34
5.2.1
Application Menu Bar ................................................................................................ 34
5.2.2
Header ....................................................................................................................... 35
5.2.3
Global Section ........................................................................................................... 37
5.2.4
Decks ......................................................................................................................... 40
5.2.5
Mixer .......................................................................................................................... 45
5.2.6
Browser ..................................................................................................................... 46

The Browser .............................................................................................................. 49
6.1
6.2
6.3

The Track Collection ................................................................................................................... 49
Importing Music Folders ............................................................................................................. 50
Tracks Managed by iTunes ......................................................................................................... 52

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Table of Contents

6.4

6.5

6.6

6.7
6.8

6.3.1
Playing Tracks Managed by iTunes ............................................................................ 52
6.3.2
Importing a Selection of Tracks from iTunes .............................................................. 53
6.3.3
Importing iTunes Playlists ......................................................................................... 53
Track Search ............................................................................................................................... 54
6.4.1
Filtering Playlists ....................................................................................................... 54
6.4.2
Refining a Search ...................................................................................................... 55
6.4.3
Searching for Similar Tracks ..................................................................................... 55
6.4.4
Search in Playlists ..................................................................................................... 55

Working with the Track Collection and Playlists ......................................................................... 55
6.5.1
Creating a Playlist ..................................................................................................... 56
6.5.2
Adding Tracks to Playlists ......................................................................................... 56
6.5.3
Showing Tracks in Collection ..................................................................................... 57
6.5.4
Deleting Tracks .......................................................................................................... 57
6.5.5
Sorting Playlists ........................................................................................................ 58
6.5.6
Organizing Playlists in Folders .................................................................................. 58
6.5.7
Track Collection Subfolders ....................................................................................... 59
6.5.8
Favorites .................................................................................................................... 59
6.5.9
Preparation Playlists ................................................................................................. 60
6.5.10 Exporting Playlists ..................................................................................................... 61
6.5.11 Importing Playlists .................................................................................................... 61
6.5.12 Printing Playlists ....................................................................................................... 62
6.5.13 More Playlist Functions .............................................................................................. 62
6.5.14 History Playlist ........................................................................................................... 63
Editing Track Meta Data ............................................................................................................. 63
6.6.1
Editing Track Properties via Inline Editing ................................................................. 64
6.6.2
Editing Track Properties via the Edit Dialog .............................................................. 64
Track Icons ................................................................................................................................. 65

The Preview Player ...................................................................................................................... 66

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Table of Contents

6.9

6.10

6.11

6.12
7

Cover Art ..................................................................................................................................... 67
6.9.1
Show Cover Art .......................................................................................................... 67
6.9.2
Editing Cover Art ....................................................................................................... 67
Collection Maintenance .............................................................................................................. 68
6.10.1 Consistency Check ..................................................................................................... 68
6.10.2 Analysis ..................................................................................................................... 70
6.10.3 Analyze (Async) .......................................................................................................... 72
6.10.4 Data Directories ......................................................................................................... 76
6.10.5 Other Maintenance Functions .................................................................................... 77
Working with Audio CDs .............................................................................................................. 77
6.11.1 CD Text ...................................................................................................................... 77
6.11.2 Audio CDs and Favorites ............................................................................................ 78

6.11.3 Eject CD ..................................................................................................................... 78
Working with Digital Audio Players ............................................................................................. 78

The Decks ................................................................................................................. 79
7.1

7.2
7.3

Deck Flavor Descriptions ............................................................................................................ 79
7.1.1
Track Deck and Stem Deck ........................................................................................ 81
7.1.2
Remix Deck ................................................................................................................ 84
7.1.3
Live Input .................................................................................................................. 90
Loading Tracks, Stem Files, and Remix Sets ............................................................................... 90
The Deck Heading ....................................................................................................................... 91
7.3.1
Deck Focus ................................................................................................................ 92
7.3.2
Deck Flavor ................................................................................................................ 92
7.3.3
Playback Mode ........................................................................................................... 92
7.3.4
Flux Mode .................................................................................................................. 92
7.3.5
Deck Layout ............................................................................................................... 93
7.3.6
TRAKTOR Informer: Deck Header Warning Messages ................................................. 94

7.3.7
Deck Audio Drag and Drop ......................................................................................... 94

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Table of Contents

7.4
7.5
7.6
7.7

7.8

7.9
8

The Internal Mixer & the Crossfader ........................................................................... 125
8.1
8.2
8.3
8.4
8.5
8.6

9

The Waveform Display and the Stripe View ................................................................................. 95
The Transport Controls ............................................................................................................... 97

Loop Controls .............................................................................................................................. 98
Tempo Controls ........................................................................................................................... 99
7.7.1
Manual Tempo Controls ............................................................................................. 100
7.7.2
Phase Meter ............................................................................................................... 101
7.7.3
Beat Syncing ............................................................................................................. 101
The Advanced Panel ................................................................................................................... 103
7.8.1
BeatJump and Loop Move (MOVE Panel) .................................................................... 104
7.8.2
Cue Point and Loop Management Panel (CUE Panel) ................................................. 110
7.8.3
Cue Point Types ......................................................................................................... 112
7.8.4
Deleting a Stored Cue Point or Loop ........................................................................... 114
7.8.5
Hotcue Mapping ........................................................................................................ 115
7.8.6
Beatgrid Panel (GRID) ............................................................................................... 116
Freeze Mode and Slicer Mode ...................................................................................................... 122
Channel Faders .......................................................................................................................... 125
Crossfader .................................................................................................................................. 125
Equalizer .................................................................................................................................... 126
FILTER, KEY and Effect Insert ..................................................................................................... 129
Headphone Controls ................................................................................................................... 131
The Internal Mixer in External Mixer Mode ................................................................................... 132

Using TRAKTOR with an External Mixer ....................................................................... 133

9.1

9.2
9.3

Requirements ............................................................................................................................. 133
9.1.1
The Mixer ................................................................................................................... 133
9.1.2
Audio Device .............................................................................................................. 133
Hardware Setup .......................................................................................................................... 134
Software Setup ........................................................................................................................... 134

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Table of Contents

10 Using the Header and Global Sections ........................................................................ 136
10.1

10.2

10.3

Header ........................................................................................................................................ 136
10.1.1 TRAKTOR Logo ........................................................................................................... 136
10.1.2 Status Indicators ....................................................................................................... 136
10.1.3 Layout Selector .......................................................................................................... 137
10.1.4 Utility Buttons ........................................................................................................... 138

The Global Section ...................................................................................................................... 139
10.2.1 Master Panel ............................................................................................................. 140
10.2.2 The Loop Recorder ..................................................................................................... 141
10.2.3 Master Clock Panel .................................................................................................... 142
10.2.4 MIDI Clock Send ......................................................................................................... 143
Effect Panels .............................................................................................................................. 144
10.3.1 Group Mode ............................................................................................................... 145
10.3.2 Single Mode ............................................................................................................... 146
10.3.3 Audio Recorder Panel ................................................................................................. 148
10.3.4 Broadcasting ............................................................................................................. 149

11 Mouse Control for Faders and Knobs .......................................................................... 150
11.1
11.2

Basic Controls ............................................................................................................................ 150
Advanced Control ....................................................................................................................... 151

12 Control via Keyboard & MIDI Hotkeys ......................................................................... 152
12.1
12.2

Keyboard Hotkeys ........................................................................................................................ 152
MIDI Hotkeys ............................................................................................................................... 153

13 Setting Up TRAKTOR SCRATCH ................................................................................... 155
13.1

13.2

The Turntable Setup ................................................................................................................... 155
13.1.1 Making Connections for Turntables ........................................................................... 155
13.1.2 Test Drive TRAKTOR SCRATCH with Turntables .......................................................... 155
13.1.3 The Control Zones on Vinyl ......................................................................................... 156
CD Player Setup .......................................................................................................................... 157

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Table of Contents

13.3
13.4
13.5
13.6

13.7
13.8

13.2.1 Making connections ................................................................................................... 157
13.2.2 Test Drive TRAKTOR SCRATCH with CD Players .......................................................... 157
13.2.3 The Control Zones on CD ............................................................................................ 158
Mixed Setup ................................................................................................................................ 158
Enabling the Decks ..................................................................................................................... 158
Calibration ................................................................................................................................. 159
Tracking Modes .......................................................................................................................... 160
13.6.1 Absolute Tracking Mode ............................................................................................. 160
13.6.2 Relative Tracking Mode ............................................................................................. 160
13.6.3 Internal Playback Mode ............................................................................................. 161
Timecode Preferences ................................................................................................................. 161

TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO 2 Troubleshooting ................................................................................ 162
13.8.1 Calibration Troubleshooting ...................................................................................... 162
13.8.2 Audio Troubleshooting ............................................................................................... 176

14 Preferences .............................................................................................................. 177
14.1
14.2

14.3
14.4
14.5
14.6
14.7
14.8

The Preferences Window ............................................................................................................. 177
Audio Setup ................................................................................................................................ 179
14.2.1 Audio Device .............................................................................................................. 179
14.2.2 Phono / Line ............................................................................................................... 179
14.2.3 Routing ...................................................................................................................... 180
14.2.4 Built-in Soundcard (only Windows) ............................................................................ 180
14.2.5 Multi-Core ................................................................................................................. 180
Output Routing ........................................................................................................................... 180
Input Routing ............................................................................................................................. 181
MIDI Clock .................................................................................................................................. 182
Timecode Setup .......................................................................................................................... 182
Loading ...................................................................................................................................... 183
Transport .................................................................................................................................... 185

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Table of Contents

14.9
14.10
14.11
14.12
14.13
14.14
14.15
14.16
14.17
14.18
14.19
14.20
14.21
14.22

Decks Layout .............................................................................................................................. 189
Track Decks ................................................................................................................................ 190
Remix Decks ............................................................................................................................... 191
Mixer ........................................................................................................................................... 192
Global Settings ........................................................................................................................... 194
Effects ........................................................................................................................................ 195
Mix Recorder ............................................................................................................................... 197
Loop Recorder ............................................................................................................................. 197
Broadcasting .............................................................................................................................. 198
Browser Details .......................................................................................................................... 199
Layout Manager .......................................................................................................................... 200

File Management ........................................................................................................................ 200
Analyze Options .......................................................................................................................... 202
Controller Manager ..................................................................................................................... 204
14.22.1 Overview .................................................................................................................... 204
14.22.2 Device Setup .............................................................................................................. 205
14.22.3 Assignment Table ...................................................................................................... 206
14.22.4 Device Mapping ......................................................................................................... 208
14.22.5 Mapping Details ........................................................................................................ 209
14.22.6 Available Controller Types ......................................................................................... 210

15 Advanced Operation of TRAKTOR ................................................................................ 213
15.1

TRAKTOR Profiles ........................................................................................................................ 213
15.1.1 The TRAKTOR Root folder ........................................................................................... 213
15.1.2 The Recordings folder ................................................................................................ 214
15.1.3 Complete Backup ...................................................................................................... 214
15.1.4 Restoring TRAKTOR from a Backup ............................................................................ 215
15.1.5 Creating a portable version of TRAKTOR .................................................................... 215
15.1.6 Automatic Collection Backup (Security Backup) ........................................................ 216

TRAKTOR - Manual - 10


Table of Contents

15.2

15.3

15.4

15.1.7 Repairing a Corrupted Collection ............................................................................... 217
Syncing via MIDI Clock ............................................................................................................... 217
15.2.1 TRAKTOR as Tempo Source (MIDI Clock send) ............................................................ 217
15.2.2 Syncing TRAKTOR to an external MIDI Clock Signal (External Sync) ........................... 218
15.2.3 Syncing two versions of TRAKTOR .............................................................................. 218
Broadcasting .............................................................................................................................. 219
15.3.1 Streaming Protocol .................................................................................................... 219
15.3.2 Configuring TRAKTOR ................................................................................................ 219
15.3.3 Starting the Broadcast .............................................................................................. 220
15.3.4 How to setup a microphone for your Broadcast .......................................................... 220
The Effects in Detail ................................................................................................................... 221
15.4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 221
15.4.2 FX Panel Modes ......................................................................................................... 222
15.4.3 Common Parameters ................................................................................................. 224
15.4.4 Delay ......................................................................................................................... 225
15.4.5 Reverb ....................................................................................................................... 226
15.4.6 Flanger ...................................................................................................................... 226
15.4.7 Flanger Pulse ............................................................................................................. 227
15.4.8 Flanger Flux ............................................................................................................... 228
15.4.9 Gater ......................................................................................................................... 228
15.4.10 Beatmasher 2 ............................................................................................................ 229
15.4.11 Delay T3 ..................................................................................................................... 230
15.4.12 Filter LFO ................................................................................................................... 231
15.4.13 Filter Pulse ................................................................................................................ 232
15.4.14 Filter .......................................................................................................................... 233
15.4.15 Filter:92 LFO .............................................................................................................. 234
15.4.16 Filter:92 Pulse ........................................................................................................... 235
15.4.17 Filter:92 ..................................................................................................................... 235

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Table of Contents

15.4.18
15.4.19
15.4.20
15.4.21
15.4.22
15.4.23
15.4.24
15.4.25
15.4.26
15.4.27
15.4.28
15.4.29
15.4.30
15.4.31
15.4.32
15.4.33
15.4.34
15.4.35

Phaser ....................................................................................................................... 236
Phaser Pulse .............................................................................................................. 237
Phaser Flux ................................................................................................................ 238
Reverse Grain ............................................................................................................ 238
Turntable FX .............................................................................................................. 239

Iceverb ....................................................................................................................... 240
Reverb T3 .................................................................................................................. 241
Ring Modulator .......................................................................................................... 241
Digital LoFi ................................................................................................................ 242
Mulholland Drive ....................................................................................................... 242
Transpose Stretch ...................................................................................................... 243
BeatSlicer Buffer ....................................................................................................... 244
Formant Filter ............................................................................................................ 245
Peak Filter ................................................................................................................. 245
Tape Delay ................................................................................................................. 246
Ramp Delay ............................................................................................................... 246
Auto Bouncer ............................................................................................................. 248
Bouncer ..................................................................................................................... 248

16 Tutorials ................................................................................................................... 250
16.1
16.2
16.3

16.4

Prerequisites .............................................................................................................................. 250
Goals of the Following Chapters ................................................................................................. 251
Playing Your First Track .............................................................................................................. 252
16.3.1 Quick Loading a Track ............................................................................................... 252
16.3.2 Playing the Track ....................................................................................................... 254
16.3.3 If You Don’t Hear the Track ........................................................................................ 255
Mixing In a Second Track ............................................................................................................ 257
16.4.1 Pre-listening a Second Track in the Preview Player ................................................... 257
16.4.2 Loading and Playing the Second Track ...................................................................... 259

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Table of Contents

16.5

16.6

16.7

16.8

16.9

16.4.3 Using Headphones to Prepare the Mix ....................................................................... 259
16.4.4 Synchronizing the Second Track ................................................................................ 260
16.4.5 Setting a Cue Point as Starting Point ........................................................................ 261
16.4.6 Snapping to the Beats ............................................................................................... 264
16.4.7 Sticking to the Beats ................................................................................................. 264
16.4.8 Interlude: In Case the Left Track Is Over… ............................................................... 265
16.4.9 Mixing In the Track by Using the Channel EQ and Filter ............................................ 265
16.4.10 Manual Beat-matching ............................................................................................. 267
Adjusting Levels ......................................................................................................................... 269
16.5.1 The Theory… ............................................................................................................. 269
16.5.2 …and the Practice .................................................................................................... 270
Looping and Cueing .................................................................................................................... 272
16.6.1 Playing with Loops ..................................................................................................... 272
16.6.2 Using Hotcues ........................................................................................................... 276

Adding FX ................................................................................................................................... 278
16.7.1 Assigning a Deck to an FX Unit .................................................................................. 279
16.7.2 Group Mode ............................................................................................................... 280
16.7.3 Getting the FX Unit Ready .......................................................................................... 280
16.7.4 Controlling the FX Unit .............................................................................................. 281
16.7.5 Single Mode ............................................................................................................... 282
16.7.6 Storing a Snapshot .................................................................................................... 282
Using the Remix Decks in Your Mix ............................................................................................. 283
16.8.1 Loading a Sample from the Collection ....................................................................... 284
16.8.2 Triggering the Sample ............................................................................................... 285
16.8.3 Capturing a Sample from a Track .............................................................................. 286
16.8.4 More Sample Controls ................................................................................................ 288
16.8.5 Saving A Remix Set .................................................................................................... 290
Using the Loop Recorder ............................................................................................................. 290

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Table of Contents

16.9.1 Choosing a Source ..................................................................................................... 291
16.9.2 Recording a Loop ....................................................................................................... 292
16.9.3 Overdubbing .............................................................................................................. 294
16.9.4 Further Uses of the Recorded Loop ............................................................................ 294
16.10 Synchronization .......................................................................................................................... 295
16.10.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 295
16.10.2 The Tempo Master ..................................................................................................... 295
16.10.3 The Beatgrid .............................................................................................................. 301
16.10.4 Other Useful Tools for Synching ................................................................................. 302
16.11 Harmonic Mixing ........................................................................................................................ 304

17 Troubleshooting ........................................................................................................ 308
17.1
17.2
17.3
17.4
17.5

TRAKTOR Won’t Start .................................................................................................................. 308
Latency Issues ............................................................................................................................ 308
TRAKTOR Crashes ....................................................................................................................... 309
Running the 32-Bit Version of TRAKTOR ..................................................................................... 309
Updates ...................................................................................................................................... 310

18 Getting Help .............................................................................................................. 311
18.1
18.2
18.3
18.4

Knowledge Base ......................................................................................................................... 311
Technical Support ....................................................................................................................... 311
Registration Support .................................................................................................................. 312
User Forum ................................................................................................................................. 312

19 Appendix—Common Setups ....................................................................................... 313
19.1 TRAKTOR with an On-board Sound Card and Fallback ................................................................ 313
19.2 TRAKTOR with an External Audio Interface ................................................................................. 314
19.3 TRAKTOR with an External Mixer ................................................................................................. 315
19.4 TRAKTOR with a Controller .......................................................................................................... 316
19.4.1 Controllers with Mixer Controls (and optionally a Built-In Audio Interface) ............... 318

19.4.2 Controllers without Mixer Controls ............................................................................. 320

TRAKTOR - Manual - 14


Table of Contents

19.5
19.6

19.7

TRAKTOR KONTROL S4 with TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO 2 ............................................................... 320
Adding a Microphone .................................................................................................................. 321
19.6.1 Using Your Microphone with the Loop Recorder ......................................................... 321
19.6.2 Using Your Microphone as a Live Input and with TRAKTOR FX ................................... 321
Recording Setup ......................................................................................................................... 322
19.7.1 Recording from the Internal Source ........................................................................... 323
19.7.2 Recording from an External Source ............................................................................ 323

20 Default Keyboard Mappings ....................................................................................... 326
20.1 Transport .................................................................................................................................... 326
20.2 Remix Decks ............................................................................................................................... 327
20.3 Cue & Loop ................................................................................................................................. 328
20.4 Favorites & Navigation ............................................................................................................... 328
20.5 Loop Recorder ............................................................................................................................. 329
20.6 Zoom & Layout ............................................................................................................................ 329
20.7 Scratch Modes ............................................................................................................................ 330
21 Assignable MIDI Controls ........................................................................................... 331
21.1

21.2
21.3
21.4
21.5
21.6
21.7
21.8
21.9
21.10
21.11
21.12

Deck Common ............................................................................................................................. 332
Track Deck .................................................................................................................................. 335
Remix Deck ................................................................................................................................. 337
Mixer ........................................................................................................................................... 339
FX Unit ........................................................................................................................................ 341
Browser ...................................................................................................................................... 342
Preview Player ............................................................................................................................ 345
Loop Recorder ............................................................................................................................. 345
Audio Recorder ........................................................................................................................... 346
Master Clock ............................................................................................................................... 346
Global ......................................................................................................................................... 347
Layout ......................................................................................................................................... 347

TRAKTOR - Manual - 15


Table of Contents

21.13 Modifier ...................................................................................................................................... 348
Index ........................................................................................................................ 349

TRAKTOR - Manual - 16


Welcome to the World of TRAKTOR!

1

Welcome to the World of TRAKTOR!

TRAKTOR is the most powerful and versatile DJ software on the market. With TRAKTOR, you
can mix your tracks traditionally as well as combine your tracks and loops in a non-linear way
using it as a powerful live remixing tool. In this manual, you will find everything there is to
know about TRAKTOR. For information on how to use NI TRAKTOR KONTROL controllers
(TRAKTOR KONTROL S4, S2, X1, F1) with TRAKTOR, or for further information on TRAKTOR's audio interfaces and their configuration, please consult the relevant documents from
TRAKTOR's documentation depository, which you can access from the Help menu in TRAKTOR's application menu bar.

Differences Between Versions
TRAKTOR Light Edition 2 and TRAKTOR Manufacturer Edition 2 are limited in certain features compared to the full TRAKTOR (SCRATCH) PRO 2 version. The differences will be documented at the appropriate places in this manual.
Your TRAKTOR version is a Manufacturer Edition 2 version if you obtained it as part of one of
the following bundled products:
• Pioneer DDJ-T1 (Traktor Pioneer DDJ-T1 Edition)
• Numark 4TRAK (Traktor Numark 4TRAK Edition)
• Velocity MIDI Station (Traktor Velocity MIDI Station Edition)

Pet Names for Software and Hardware
Throughout the documentation, we will refer to the TRAKTOR (SCRATCH) PRO 2 software simply as “TRAKTOR.”
TRAKTOR Manufacturer Edition 2 will hereinafter be referred to as "TRAKTOR ME 2" or simply

"ME 2." TRAKTOR Light Edition 2 will hereinafter be referred to as "TRAKTOR LE 2" or simply
"LE 2."

TRAKTOR - Manual - 17


Welcome to the World of TRAKTOR!
Document Conventions

1.1

Document Conventions

This document uses particular formatting to point out special facts and to warn you of potential issues. The icons introducing the following notes let you see what kind of information can
be expected:
Whenever this exclamation mark icon appears, you should read the corresponding note
carefully and follow the instructions and hints given there if applicable.
This light bulb icon indicates that a note contains useful extra information. This information may often help you to solve a task more efficiently, but does not necessarily apply to
the setup or operating systems you are using; however, it's always worth a look.

Furthermore, the following formatting is used:
• Text appearing in (drop-down) menus (such as Open…, Save as… etc.) in the software
and paths to locations on your hard disk or other storage devices is printed in italics.
• Text appearing elsewhere (labels of buttons, controls, text next to checkboxes etc.) in the
software is printed in blue. Whenever you see this formatting applied, you will find the
same text appearing somewhere on the screen.
• Important names and concepts are printed in bold.
• References to keys on your computer’s keyboard you’ll find put in square brackets (e.g.,
“Press [Shift] + [Enter]”).
►

Single instructions are introduced by this play button type arrow.

→

Results of actions are introduced by this smaller arrow.

1.2

TRAKTOR Documentation Overview

TRAKTOR provides you with many information sources. Find an overview of the available documents and a short description of their content in this chapter.

TRAKTOR - Manual - 18


Welcome to the World of TRAKTOR!
TRAKTOR Documentation Overview

1.2.1

In This Manual

This manual covers all elements of TRAKTOR in detail. Everything there is to know about
TRAKTOR you will find in here.

1.2.2

Other Documentation

These are the additional documents available to help you aquaint yourself with TRAKTOR (find
also a recommended reading order in ↑1.2.3, Recommended Reading Order).

The Setup Guide
The Setup Guide will guide you through the software (and hardware where appropriate) installation of TRAKTOR from the very beginning to the first sound coming through your speakers.
This should be your first stop in learning TRAKTOR. The Setup Guide is available on the
TRAKTOR registration page. Find a link to the registration page on the registration flyer, which
is included in your TRAKTOR product box.

The Getting Started Guide
After having read the Setup Guide and followed its instructions, TRAKTOR should be up and
running. The next step is to read the Getting Started guide. The Getting Started guide gives
you a practical approach to TRAKTOR.

The Keyboard Shortcut Overview Card
A keyboard shortcut overview card is included in the product box. It provides quick access to
the dedicated keyboard mappings for the TRAKTOR software.

The Video Tutorials
The Native Instruments website provides you with a bunch of video tutorials that give you a
hands-on approach to many sides of the TRAKTOR workflow. Find them here:
/>
1.2.3

Recommended Reading Order

The documentation items should be read in the following order:

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Welcome to the World of TRAKTOR!
System Requirements and Compatibility

1. Setup Guide relating to your TRAKTOR product.
2. TRAKTOR Getting Started guide and video tutorials.
3. TRAKTOR Manual.
The whole documentation is available via the Open Manual... entry from the Help drop-down
menu in TRAKTOR.

1.3

System Requirements and Compatibility

For the minimum system requirements your computer needs to meet, see the TRAKTOR section of the Native Instruments website:
/>Please note that meeting the system requirements does not guarantee running all TRAKTOR
features hassle-free. You might be forced to tweak your system following Native Instruments’
tuning tips for audio computers. You can find these tuning tips in the Knowledge Base—see
↑18.1, Knowledge Base for more information.
To check the compatibility with several operating systems, please have a look at: http://
www.native-instruments.com/compatibility

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What’s new in TRAKTOR 2.9

2

What’s new in TRAKTOR 2.9

TRAKTOR 2.9 introduces one major new feature:
This chapter provides a quick overview of some substantial changes to the core of the TRAKTOR 2.9 software, along with other feature enhancements and improvements.

New Stem Deck Flavor in TRAKTOR PRO
TRAKTOR 2.9.0 introduces a new Stem Deck which is capable of playing and mixing .stem.mp4 files. Thanks to the Automatic Deck Flavor Switching that was introduced in
TRAKTOR 2.8.0, a Deck will automatically switch to Stem Deck whenever you load
a .stem.mp4 file. The Stem Deck functions identically to a Track Deck, but just has additional
sub-mix features for controlling the 4 Slot Volumes, Filters, and FX Sends for the stems.

Stem and Remix Deck Sub-mix Controls in Controller Manager
The sub-mix controls for the Remix Deck have now been upgraded to Deck Common controls in
the Controller Manager. Controls like Slot Volume, Slot Filter, Slot Mute, and Slot FX Send
Amount are now located in “Deck Common > Sub-Mix”. When mapping a MIDI Controller to
these controls, these controls will now control a Stem Deck or Remix Deck, whichever type is
loaded. If you had MIDI Mappings for Remix Deck mix controls previous to this update, those
controls are now automatically mapped to the Deck Common Sub-mix controls for convenience.

Stem file management in Browser
To support management of .stem.mp4 files, a new smart folder called “All Stems” is added to
the Browser Tree. All Stem files in the Track Collection can be found quickly by clicking on
this node in the Tree.

Performance Optimizations
Playback of Stems requires more resources from your computer, so the team implemented a
number of performance optimizations to TRAKTOR to reduce the overall CPU load. These optimizations can be enjoyed even when not playing Stem files.

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Upgrading (from TRAKTOR PRO, TRAKTOR LE, and TRAKTOR ME)
Backup

3

Upgrading (from TRAKTOR PRO, TRAKTOR LE, and
TRAKTOR ME)

When upgrading from one of the aforementioned versions, you will need to import your user
data and mappings. This is a straightforward process assisted by the TRAKTOR software; however, there are a few things to be observed when upgrading. See the following sections for
more info.

3.1

Backup

Before installing TRAKTOR over your previous version, backup the following folders and files:
• your TRAKTOR folder, per default found in [User]\My Documents\Native Instruments
\Traktor (Windows) and User:Documents:Native Instruments:Traktor (Mac OS X)
• your Music folders as defined in Preferences > Data Location > Music Folders
• any other data that is not stored in the aforementioned places because you have chosen
another location for them.
At this point, it is a good idea to remove all unnecessary files from your TRAKTOR folder,
e.g,. mappings for controllers you don’t use anymore, etc.

3.2

Installation

Follow the instructions from the Setup Guide carefully.

As a general rule: start with the software installation before you install the hardware (TRAKTOR
AUDIO 6/10, TRAKTOR KONTROL X1, TRAKTOR KONTROL S4, etc.)!
The installation creates a new User Folder in [User]\My Documents\Native Instruments\Traktor
2.x.x (Windows) and User:Documents:Native Instruments:Traktor 2.x.x (Mac OS X). Also, your
previous TRAKTOR version will not be uninstalled. This means that from now on you’ll always
be able to easily return to the last version if needed.

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Upgrading (from TRAKTOR PRO, TRAKTOR LE, and TRAKTOR ME)
Importing Your Data

3.3

Importing Your Data

• When you start TRAKTOR for the first time, the Setup Wizard greets you with some simple
questions regarding your setup. This will adjust TRAKTOR’s look and Preferences accordingly. Read more about the Setup Wizard in ↑4, TRAKTOR's Setup Wizard.
• Next, TRAKTOR will ask if you want to import your previous data by copying the existing
user content to a new folder in your user folder. Your previous data will not be altered if
you copy it to the new default folder.

Importing Your MIDI and Hotkey Mappings
For TRAKTOR, the mapping system has been changed. While some mappings created with previous versions of TRAKTOR may still work, others will not be imported correctly.
We recommend double-checking your imported mappings before you use them in a live situation.

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TRAKTOR's Setup Wizard

4

TRAKTOR's Setup Wizard

The Setup Wizard lets you configure TRAKTOR in a few simple steps. It also is a convenient
way to restart with a fresh out-of-the-box setup. The Setup Wizard does two things:
• It lets you choose from a few basic audio, MIDI, and general setup configurations and automatically sets the available options accordingly.
• It resets all other TRAKTOR settings to their default values.
Depending on the version of TRAKTOR software you have (e.g., LE 2, ME 2), the Setup Wizard
may not offer all shown screens or selections.
You can start the Setup Wizard in two ways:
►

Select Start Setup Wizard in the Help menu of the Application Menu Bar (to see this bar,
Fullscreen mode must be deactivated).

►

Or click the Setup Wizard button at the bottom left corner of the Preferences window.

Exemplary Setup
Let's walk you through an exemplary configuration using the Setup Wizard:

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TRAKTOR's Setup Wizard

1.

On the welcome screen, click Next to confirm you have connected any TRAKTOR controllers to your computer via USB (if you are using any).

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