On friday we published a reader submitted video, which demonstrated video clip juggling in Ableton Live using a 4×4 grids of buttons. His unique layout inspired me to try a new way of working in Traktor Pro, with 4 deck of cue points triggered on a single controller. The results speak for themselves, this concept is a lot of fun, easy to understand and very expressive. I spent just a few hours working out a basic proof of concept (above), in the hopes of inspiring you to take it further. Read on for the MP3’s and the mapping file from thr video plus information on how you can use them both to win your own Midi-Fighter.
THE CONTEST
Take the mapping file and mp3’s bellow and combine them into your own cue point driven remix using ANY software and ANY hardware. Add a video of your performance as a video response to my cue point juggle demonstration. In one month’s time (may 18th), I will personally pick one winner that submits the most creative performance and post that video here on Dj TechTools. The winner will also receive a free midi-fighter controller (which are currently sold out until may 30th due to high demand)
THE RULES
- You can use any mapping or controller
- You must use the 4 songs provided bellow
- You can use my cue points or choose your own
- The performance must be created and recorded for this contest.
- You can use any software but the remix must be played live (not sequenced)
- You must add your video as a response to this video before may 16th
THE SOUNDS
Here are the 4 tracks I used in the video at the top of this post. They contain stripes and cue points for Traktor Pro.
A: Tribe Called Quest “Can I Kick it?”
D: Custom Noise
THE MAPPING
Its amazing how the simple stuff is sometimes the best for the job. Having 4 songs laid out in a sequenced order above each other makes it easy and intuitive to work together all 4 tracks. Trying to maintain this timing with 2 hands is significantly harder. The mapping bellow is built for the midi-fighter but should work for any controller sending out general midi drum notes (you may need to change your controllers midi channel to 3)
Download the Midi-Fighter Mapping for Traktor Pro 1.24 and up
Hi!
Great idea.
Great contest!
…os there any way i can Still get those samples?
dude! below, not bellow! 🙂
Ean,
i have your mappings loaded for the four deck juggle.
i am operating everything ok. but on the “Gangstar Acapella”, the cue points are not in proper places.
how can i move the cue points? i have tried alot of different things. wasnt aware i was such a noob until tonight.
any help would be amazing!
it sucks because i want to be a dj so bad but i dont hvae the money to start out dont suppose anybody can tell me the cheapest way into dj’ing because music just IS my life and i have so many epic awsomne creative ideas would be dearley apreciated oli pringle manchester, england
Ah! How can you do this to those of us who have been anxiously waiting for days? The suspense is killing me!
Hey Guys- The winner will be announced next week Monday. We were shooting for today but there is some really cool stuff I wanted to have ready at the same time and they are not quite done yet. Sorry for the delay.
11:59pm international date line west on DJTT.COM. lol
when/where will the winner be announced?
[quote comment=”30720″]OMG! I’m waiting anxiously for the winner announcement…Lot of great vids.[/quote]
I’m really excited to see the winner. I’ve watch all of the vids several times, and some of them are amazing.
OMG! I’m waiting anxiously for the winner announcement…Lot of great vids.
The page seems to say the entry deadline is the 16th and the winner will be chosen on the 18th. I could be wrong though.
I’m confused as well… I was hoping to record my entry this week in time for the submission Tuesday. But now I’m noticing that it says both the 18th and the 16th. Can anyone at DjTT confirm?
Thanks.
Here’s my entry using a Launchpad and Traktor Pro. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoBhal0Dvmo&feature=youtube_gdata
IS THE COMPETITION OVER ON MAY 16TH OR 18TH? YOU SAY BOTH.
…and shortly after filming our entry for the competition two of the members walked out amidst controversy… well it was getting late and was past the little one’s bedtime! So – not to be deterred Aurora and I hit record on the camera and attacked those buttons with gusto!
Here also is some footage from our rehearsal session right before filming our entry…
This was before The Boss (aka Mummy) joined us for the final take.
Here is our entry into the competition.
I did this video with the help of my two daughters (4yrs and 2yrs) and my wife.
The girls enjoyed it mostly until they started fighting over buttons – but I left it all in the video for you to see. This was done all in one take – with only minimal practice beforehand (about 10 minutes each over the previous few days) so forgive the slip-ups.
Big ups to all y’all… you all got dope skills…
Peace out!
With someexternal help i make it on youtube!
Well i am having problems (as i expected) uploading the video to youtube due to Chinese firewall, i upload it to youku.com (chinese youtube)
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTcyNzcwOTEy.html
anyway i will keep trying to upload it to youtube…if any of you know a good proxy that allows me to do that i will be quite thankful 🙂
It’s my 1st vid i have uploaded and had awesome fun making it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTrUXdPZDAM
thanx for the inspiration!
Hi guys heres my entry.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9kcpQ4VX3o
A lower res (and louder) version can be found here.
Here’s what I put together: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPFi-3Fyg_s
Thanks to everyone here for putting together such an awesome blog and a sweeeeeeet contest!
here´s my final entry for the contest, big up´s to everyone elso who´s in the contest
This is how i wreck crazy ass lemonade is my latest contest entry.
here you go , i found it , and there is a Video to help with it . you can also see i had my problems with it and VDJ , but i am sure you will pass with ease ..
http://www.djtechtools.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7008&highlight=VDJ+Mapper
Yea – well the Nano even tho it gives you the new 12 pads x 3 modes , its not all cracked out for VDJ , there is a nice post in the forums here about how to set it up vertically and use it as left and right , with the X and Y , but programming the touch pad is very tricky , i have tried many times to tweak it out and get it to work with the various samples and effects that VDJ has , the best way it to note the active and inactive time for the pad , then use it with the VDJ to find out what that is , you have to find out all this other stuff , you should check out the VDJ site ( if you own the program ) and see there mapper , they dont from what i have read have the bugs fixed for the x and y.
there was some things i did to change this downfall. by using the alt and alt + ( number ) in the keyboard mapping , i use it to trigger the Sound loop or the effect , then when it was active , i split the numbers up 1-5 were deck 1 and 6-0 were deck 2 , after that i assigned the effects , yet again using the number , but on the additional number pad ( NUM 1 ) i made it key the 10 effects i used the most , with the X and Y to toggle the wet dry effect . keeping with the keyboard ( cause i did not own anything like a nano pad ) i sued the alt + num 1 to help with the jog wheel , so it was eazy to scratch. so num 1-3 were like 1/32 of a single beat , and up as the numers grew ,
let me go a little deeper about this , Alt + Num 1 = – 245 , Alt + num 2 = syn to active deck , Alt + num 3 = 245 . i hope that makes sense .
Guy that are reading this . VDJ is a Great program if you know how to Program , i have Tractor but dont mess with the programming , cause i feel that its out of my league .
Secial K if you like you can email me , i am sure i could write all day about this
Kilown
djkilown@hotmail.com
hey dj kilown, thanks for your idea. I allready have the multi instance skin but never used it cause i didnt get the internal sync right. But your advice sounds pretty smart, i will most def give it a try. I also bought myself another nanopad as my old one was broke, so expect another video from me soon. Well, atleast before 16th of may.
cheerio, special_K
I was watching DJ Special K’s Video , and would like to give him some sweet idea.
I was a VDJ guy then i got paid , and got me a VCI , i can say no more VDJ for me , but for the last 3 years i did use it i got really good at programming them stupid cue’s and much much more
I like what you have done , and would like to tell you , that there is a way ( if you own VDJ ) to get the 4 decks and use them to your Advantage !
Please check out the skins provided at the VDJ site and you will see
with that you can go into the Mapping and actually change each and every key on your keyboard to map out something that would be as natural as typing , i use to have it set up where half my keyboard was like the layout of my skin, then i would use spacebar to fade and soo much more , cause you are about to combine alt , tab , space , and you are able to do much more with it . i am not degrading your skills i do like your video , but i am just offering a quick idea burst.
Adding your upper 12 keys as in F1-F12 as your Cues , and then making threw the process of time and understanding , from your keyboard , Q,W,E,R,T,Y,U,I,O,P then adding A,S,D,F,G,H,J,K,L , making these all cue points with each track , meaning the first line is deck 1 and then line 2 is deck 2 , adding your alt to the making will help you get it more in sync .
Like i said i am just trying to help and let you know , that if you are using your keyboard then you should be able to run Ableton with 1000’s of cues and launch areas .
cant submit video cause even downloading your sample’s or songs , will take me up to 48 hours , got to love the internet .
Dj Kilown
Ok, another one’s up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wwvAmIHLRc
This might be a bit on the edge of the rules… Using ableton and triggering samples via drum rack. Even if its not ok as competition entry you can still watch the fancy lightning fx. Wee!
Got my launchpad a couple of weeks ago so don’t expect too much. Some input would be nice though.
i’m thinking this is probably less of a hand stretch on the midifighter than the akai mpd24 i’m using lol I have long fingers and this is still a workout
Mine is up…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vibt6X5oq50 I’m pretty sure i wont win the midi fighter, but some feedback would be nice
nevermind… i’m stupid, got Can i kick it to work
either i’m just stupid or the tribe mp3 doesn’t work… Also, is there any way I could transfer the midifighter to my mpd 24 in tractor?
Fixed the sound problem on my entry. Same routine, just sounds like it should now.
here´s a bit i did yesterday. I dont have a cam that often, thats why i had to shoot without proper training. Anyways, i think its cool.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7rnVOGt5JY
I think i posted it as a response to ean´s video, but it doesnt show up as a response yet. Dont flame me, this is not my comfort-zone.peace ya´ll.
Rest in Peace Guru!!!
[quote comment=”29542″]
2) if you’re using ableton are we limited to just Gate mode for launching clips? also, are follow actions off limits?
3) no-sequencing means no-quantizing as well correct? just want to clarify before i start putting something together
[/quote]
we dont want to place any limits on creativity, these contests are more about exploring new ideas and sharing techniques than dictating the way it should be done. That being said, i will be judging on difficulty and execution so launching with no quantization would score you higher points.
[quote comment=”29543″]The really interesting feature of this “simple” example is that there’s no way this can be done using vinyl. Now we’re wandering into country where only Digital DJs can go. Let’s keep going and see where we end up…[/quote]
great point- had not really considered that aspect.
The really interesting feature of this “simple” example is that there’s no way this can be done using vinyl. Now we’re wandering into country where only Digital DJs can go. Let’s keep going and see where we end up…
I’m IN! I’m addicted to these DJTT contests now!
My q’s:
1) can you use more than one controller?
2) if you’re using ableton are we limited to just Gate mode for launching clips? also, are follow actions off limits?
3) no-sequencing means no-quantizing as well correct? just want to clarify before i start putting something together
thanks again for the rad contest! by the way you might want to add “Contest” to the article title. I had no idea there was a contest here until today.
[quote comment=”29520″]Is there A way to use the midifighter and the vci together in traktor pro?[/quote]
http://www.djtechtools.com/2010/02/24/set-up-multiple-controllers-in-traktor/
Cant wait to get on it , thks Ean golden and dj tt team for sharing all your hard work
I’m in! Gonna work on a little routine this weekend. I love these types of contests…. it’s a great diversion, and with a MIDI Fighter up for grabs, how can you NOT enter!
due to a lacking of buttons, and not wanting to fully remap vci/nanopad, can i use 2 tracks as loops and juggle the other 2?
rest in peace G.U.R.U. thank you for the music!
[quote comment=”29488″]big ups for using some guru, how is he doing? last i read he was in a coma….[/quote]
He died yesterday…It is very sad …
can we use fx and can we use more than one controller?
Is there A way to use the midifighter and the vci together in traktor pro?
good stuff. looks really fun, and i think it’s awesome that you can be so expressive using more traditional dj software.
someone mentioned doing this in drum racks in ableton, but if you arent using ableton to dj normally, u might not want to risk incorporating that into your setup. (more programs running at the same time and things mapped all over the place etc…)
i think these concepts are fantastic 🙂
[quote comment=”29508″]Its really nice to see creativity in all things we do, but to be honest, this video is just a rework of beat juggling per se. The fact that you are using more than one track, or some samples is largely incidental.
[/quote]
sure, its still cue point juggling but a significant advancement in the juggling concept. The layout and sequencing of controls offers an entirely new way of working. I could see how that might seem like a small change from the outside but for me it was a really big improvement. Something that everyone should at least try, which is why I wanted to share it.
Awesome!
Cant wait to get to work on this! 🙂
I would love to enter this but have some serious exams i need to revise for, and this would be a great distraction. Will there be any more competitions? I would love to lay my hands on a midi fighter
In all seriousness this is what I thought 4 decks and cuepoints was for in the first place.
But really if this is the sort of thing you want to do I suggest just using Ableton Live’s drum rack and an Akai.
Its really nice to see creativity in all things we do, but to be honest, this video is just a rework of beat juggling per se. The fact that you are using more than one track, or some samples is largely incidental.
But otherwise, good effort!
SICK! This is great, Ean!
woud love to battle…but no midi fighter!
So I kept listening to the song… then I realized the song I heard wasn’t on the list. Can I kick it samples from Lou Reed- Take a walk on the wild side. Listen to it once. The samples you used in the juggle could have been taken from the Lou Reed song also.
Great Vid anyways.
Been workin on one ever since I saw the QC video 🙂 SUPER fun
Woot. Uber video. Love the rough edges.
May the games begin!
…
And the price?
😉
…
Not good enough to enter this yet – but tying up a midi-fighter to essentially use as 16 trigger buttons, and a VCI100 to to the rest is something I’d been thinking about investigating for ages … more info on this would be good …
WORD!!!
I’m thinking of throwing my hat in the ring because:
1. It’s cool to see something based around classic hiphop instead of the usual tech/house.
2. I could use a midi fighter. I did a set last year where I triggered cue points containing keyboard parts and FX for a live band and I swear it was the most pain my fingers have ever felt. I’ve been a leery of using my trigger finger for extended periods of time since.
Awesome stuff Ean. Love the “Can I Kick It” sample. Now time to make a video…
big ups for using some guru, how is he doing? last i read he was in a coma….
Do the clips we use need to be 100% dry in the final mix, or can we use some effects?
Saving my student pennies for a Midi Fighter now!
Oooh! I love a challenge. Working on it!