Using Traktor Timecode Vinyl

[ericuk]

I've been asked how you can load in a track to traktor and have the record marker at the same position everytime?

 

I.E load in 2 copies of Steps - Tragedy and have the first beat at 12 o'clock each and every time.

 

I guessed that you would just place the records at the 12 o'clock position and load the tracks into the software, but is this the best scenario?

[DJ Rock Well]

I can never remeber which one is "abosolute mode" and which one "relative mode", but on the screen it's the symbol on the right with the arm on the turntable symbol. This mode ignores cues and makes your DVS like a normal record. The first groove with timecode noise in it is where the sond starts playing. If you then start monkeying around with cue points though, it jumps to the other mode of course.

[Guest rasteri]

I'd advise against using absolute mode, you basically lose all the advantages of a DVS for very little gain.

 

What most people on traktor/serato do is :

 

1. Set a cue point at the start of the beat

2. Turn the record to the point you want the beat to appear at (usually 12 o'clock, but some people prefer the sticker to point at the headshell).

3. Trigger the cue point

 

This moves the cue point to the current vinyl position, and it will stay locked there (even if the needle skips). I'd recommend disabling quantise when setting up the cue point (it's the "Q" button in the global section at the top of traktor).

 

Serato has a feature called Sticker Lock where you can make a certain cue point appear at 12 o'clock without even having to move the record there first, but I've never used it so I can't advise how it works.

[Ethanol]

I'm not sure there's any good way to do it (feel free to correct me on this chaps)

The trouble with rockwells' method is that every track has a different length of silence or indeed useless intro to play through before reaching your desired first down beat so yeah the track will start playing at your stickered 12 o'clock position each time but it wont necessarily be the first beat of the track.

I think the best solution is as you say hold the record In the desired position (I.e. 12 o'clock, towards the stylus whatever) and load your desired track. But change your desired first beat cue point marker to a yellow load marker.

You can speed up track changes when playing from a playlist by mapping a shortcut on your keyboard or controller to load next track in playlist

[Guest rasteri]

It seems like there's a lot of easy-to-implement turntablist features that are completely missing from all DVSs.

 

I'd love the ability to place different samples at different locations on the record to cut with (3 o'clock, 6 o'clock etc), i.e. build your own scratch sentence without having to quit and load ableton (or whatever).

[Dubba Dutchdj]

On the mrk2 timecode there's a small dot in the middle of two arrows that your supposed to use for lining up your cue sticker. Never bothered my self as I found out about the tiny dot long after I stickered the record up.

 

Can any one enlighten me what the real world use/bonus is to have the virtual sticker match up with the physical?

 

 

​edit: sorry I'm a div, re read - Ethanol was spot on, load markers cue point init

[Guest petesasqwax]

usually 12 o'clock, but some people prefer the sticker to point at the headshell).

I've always been a headshell kinda guy

[Guest rasteri]

I've always been a headshell kinda guy

Actually I've always wondered about this - do you have problems when using straight armed turntables like the PDX/STR8/TTX, since they have the headshell at a different position? Or can your brain just easily extrapolate 3 o'clock/6 o'clock/9 o'clock relative to the headshell no matter where it is?

[Guest petesasqwax]

I don't know mate, I've never used them

[ericuk]

 

 

I don't know about the seasoned battle DJ's here, but it used to confuse me juggling on S arms then Str8 arms, because of how it throws your markers off.

[Guest rasteri]

I don't know about the seasoned battle DJ's here, but it used to confuse me juggling on S arms then Str8 arms, because of how it throws your markers off.

That's much less of a problem with DVSs, because you can set the cue point to any position on the fly.

 

But that only applies if you sticker at 12 o'clock - if you sticker at the headshell, a straight tonearm is going to have the reference point at a different position.

[ericuk]

Ah! Never ever thought of that yo.