In DJTT HQ, many of our staff have grown to love the Pioneer RMX-1000 for its dynamic and expressive isolator effects. But even in our initial review of the unit, readers pondered if Traktor could be made to emulate this style of effect – and finally one of our own DJTT community members has succeeded at building a mapping that does exactly that using a secondary deck. Read on to learn more!
ISOLATION EFFECTS IN USE
First off, major congratulations and thanks to DJTT member Stewe are in order for pioneering this advanced performance technique in Traktor. It’s an impressive feat to map out a new performance style, even it if is a well-known type of effect used on the Pioneer RMX and many of the high-end Xone mixers. If you’ve never had a chance to use isolation effects before, their premise is simple: they’re used to apply an effect on just one isolated frequency of the mix (in this case, highs, mids, or lows). This is great for smooth buildups, as well as creating interesting transitions and breakdowns.
Let’s dive right in, and first take a look at Stewe’s video demonstrating the isolation effect (he’s using T3 Delay in this example) being used with his mapping for the Livid CNTRL:R:
THE EFFECT PROCESS
“In video you have seen I’ve used T3 delay, but this principle can be applied to any of other effects and that’s the beauty. Imagine dropping echo-freeze on mids and reverb-freeze on lows and highs right on a transition, love it.” – Stewe
It wasn’t completely clear in the video, so we reached out directly to Stewe to learn exactly what’s going on in this mapping and how he achieved this effect. The cliff-notes version of it is that he’s using the fourth deck (Deck D) as the source for affected sound. The mapping duplicates the deck in focus to deck D and as the effect knobs are moved clockwise past 12 o’clock three things happen:
- the main playing deck turns on EQ kill for the frequency being affected
- Deck D turns off EQ kill for that same frequency
- the effect is turned on (and increases in intensity/wetness as the knob continues to be turned clockwise)
All things considered, it’s a pretty elegant solution, and for those Traktor users who never venture past Decks A + B, the mapping finally presents an intelligent use of that fourth deck.
Stewe has uploaded the mapping to Maps.DJTechTools.com – meaning that it’s a free download for anyone with a free myDJTT account. At right is the basic layout of his Isolator Effects section – which actually loads in as its own device mapping in the Controller Editor’s dropdown menu.
On building the mapping, Stewe writes:
The idea [behind the mapping] is to map a modifier that can toggle between two different values, but to make this value change at rotary pot center (12 o’clock) giving me value ‘0’ at one side and value ‘7’ at other. I managed to map this using encoder-relative in modifier settings. […] To be honest, it took a while to find correct modifier settings to achieve RMX-1000 result.
Check out Stewe’s mapping on maps.djtechtools.com.
Of course, if you’re not packing one of Livid’s CNTRL:R units in your setup, you won’t be able to use this mapping out of the box without a bit of tweaking – read on for the plan of attack.
WHAT’S NEXT
Based on the initial feedback that we’ve already seen on the forums, we’re pretty sure that you all will be equally as excited as us to try a version of the isolation effect for your own controllers.
Before we tap the likes of mapping wizards Flashflooder or Beaubryte to take on this mapping challenge, we wanted to gather feedback from the community about what controller and type of isolator effect workflows you’re interested in. Here are some prompts to get you started in the discussion – be sure to read what’s been written so far and vote up the ideas you like!
- What controller would you most like to use an isolation effect mapping with? (Kontrol S2/S4, VCI-400, DDJ-SX, etc)
- How would you prefer to trigger isolation effects? (EQs on the active deck, effects knobs, jogwheel or fader FX, etc)
- Do you need multiple concurrent isolation effects? (two delays on different playing tracks)
- Do you ever use decks C + D? (these mappings might interrupt workflows using those decks)
We’ve written about isolation-related techniques in the past – read our Introduction To Mixing With DJ Isolators.
I would love to see this on a ddj – sr
[…] Filtering + Effecting Individual Elements: This takes it one further – meaning that if you just want to apply an effect on the vocals (more reverb!) or the drums (high pass, please!), it’s very possible. This is one step beyond isolator based effects (only effecting one frequency range of the track) which we’ve previously sh…. […]
[…] Filtering + Effecting Individual Elements: This takes it one further – meaning that if you just want to apply an effect on the vocals (more reverb!) or the drums (high pass, please!), it’s very possible. This is one step beyond isolator based effects (only effecting one frequency range of the track) which we’ve previousl…. […]
Kontrol X1 (original MK1). Effects pots or buttons in ‘midi’ mode. One set of pots for deck A and the other for deck B. Decks A & B Only.
S2 mapping for Decks C/D via Effects Knobs and no Delay Effects necessary…Thank you
This would be awesome on the vci 400 ege. If outdoor patio A copies to outdoor patio C and B to D then the C and D eq buttons could management the isolator results. Discuss switching it in to one whopper of a controller
La Solution Aux Régimes
hey guys, any news here? i’d love to see mapping for S4
I love this mapping, and apart from it taking nearly 20 seconds for the preferences pane to open once it’s installed (I use HID mode so this sucks when you need to access the audio prefs in a hurry!) I can’t imaging DJing without it! Tekken did a great job!
Has anyone done anything similiar with a mixtrack pro?
Like to see it on the S4 or F1 for deck C & D, thx
Would love to see this for the D deck on Vci 400. I love mixing with 3 decks, but rarely use the 4th. This would be a perfect way to fill out the workflow on this machine.
can anybody let me know how much cpu this uses? I run a macbook pro retina 2.9gz dual core 8gb with scratch control so I know its a beast, but is doing all this going to move up my cpu?
CMD MM-1 Isolator FX [Traktor] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5MnKNAAuVs
i think its a clever mapping trick, but i cant really see dedicating control surface space to this, you can pull a loop into a remix deck, apply effects, and get the same general feeling… i doubt seriously that anyone in a crowd will be impressed by this or tell you the difference between witch method you choose to apply filtered effects… you could recreate the entire rmx 1000 using ableton.. but why would you? i think this is a far cry from being impressive enough to launch a whole new campaign of mappings…
just my grumpy .02
This was the coolest dang concept that I’ve read about in awhile..After a few days of programming, I managed to integrate it into my WOP Mixtrack Mapping in Traktor. Set it up so Shift Load duplicates the deck or pauses the duplicated deck, swapping FX unit assignments as needed. Shift Load/pause resets all kills on original, and turns on all duplicate, and I just swap the kills between decks using Shift – Hot Cue buttons.
Syncing up the Jog Turns, Jog Touch, Volume Faders, Tempo Faders, and having my shift button turn on Flux Mode on the duplicated deck is purely an amazing thing to see work with effects!
a Mapping for the Xone K2 Controller please 🙂
Check mappings page 🙂
I came up with a mapping for my x1 that you can use to isolate fx. In midi mode you press left on button to duplicate to deck c for a and the right on button for duplicating deck b to d. The 1 buttons are high kill 2 is mid kill and 3 is low kill. To use this, in midi mode you press the duplicate button to appropriate deck. Once duplicated, depending on which frequency you want to put effects on you will hit hi mid or lows. Typically I like to throw fx on highs and mids leaving the low end unaffected, to achieve this you duplicate, click 1 & 2, & apply desired effect. https://maps.djtechtools.com/mappings/1114
Hey mate, can you please make a video? I’ve dl it and looked in manager just to see how you did handle this but since I’m not X1 user that was far as I’m familiar. Seems like this isn’t rmx-1000 replicate though.
Working on that today. No idea how to make it a rmx-1000 replicate, wish I did. I am working on the video right now and uploading an updated version of the mapping because I didn’t like how the encoders were acting.
It’s more I duplicate deck toggle high mid or low and apply fx to desired frequency. I’ll have the video up by tonight mate!
VCI-100 SE or perhaps an LPD8 or nanokontrol solution. I think knobs
would be the best for something like this, and I never use Deck D.
I have a S4 & F1 in my set up. From what I’ve seen this set up needs two channels used….. one for main track & one for effects, as you also need a 3rd channel to mix in the next track how about Channel A & B for mixing, Channel C for F1 & Channel D for effects ( this also allows other DJ’s who mix on 3 Decks then to also have a suitable set up… I just hope DJ Techtools does not allocate Decks C&D for effects and rather sets this up so that for tracks played on either A or B that effects are routed through to D… I believe this will be then suitable to a wide audience’s set up…. Really excited bout this, not just for the main effect demonstrated but also for others
I got BCD3000 laying in the box. Anybody interested in Isolate FX mapping for this guy?
dood sell it and get an x1 lol
Not gonna happen sorry. Reason is that I made an ultimate mapping for BCD some time ago that contain a bunch of button/fader/jog FX which I’m replicating for other controllers so I need BCD for checking this out when looking for parameters. I’m not using it to mix anymore but still need it for this purpose.
make one for a quneo plz that thing has kept me up for weeks trying to map the lights to work with the buttons but its so near impossible on it. thinking about just selling my quneo bc its so hard to remap.
Nah, don’t own Quneo ether, although It’s great controller for performance mappings. I might get one in future.
you can buy mine 😛 im sick of it was impossible for me to map.
Anyone got any ideas on how to do this in ableton live? Can it be done?
Is this just another word for multi-band effects? Any tips for this in live?
Are these essentially just multiband effects?
What will it take for someone to make this for the x1
an X1 and some free time 🙂
I’d let you borrow mine if you were in Florida lol
VCI-400SE for sure!
straight up if someone busted it out for an x1 id have em on my fm radio show for a guest mix
I think it’s a given that everyone contributing here would want the mapping for whatever controller they are using 😉
But PaulHolland makes an important key point, which when generalized applys to any DJTechTools special FX mappings from the past (and into the future.)
Ideally any special FX mapping(s) like the ISOLATOR mapping should use a control to turn that mapping ON/OFF. Better again, use a control to CYCLE through different special FX mapping(s) and/or DJTectTools special mappings (maybe using a modifier).
The end result would be that you could have a controller that can cycle through mappings. i.e. use the default mapping that you are used to. or add a new mapping to what’s already there so that you can keep adding functionality rather than deciding to use one or another.
i.e. use the default C&D deck for when you want to use them as normal, toggle or cycle to the effect, in this case ISOLATOR when you want it, toggle or cycle to the next big effect mapping (that gets released in the future), toggle or cycle back to default C&D deck.
Well done Stewie.
Your spot on with that suggestion as its been on my mind for months now
I seriously feel im goin to have too really get my head down into this mapping malarkey
As I love tech tools Ian’s mapping but would love the ability to toggle or cycle through different maps and if I’m not mistaken this is possible
Working on micro mapping it to an akai lpd8 and then midifighter 3d if successful I may start a thread on it, 10 up this and ill grind both out for sure
been rackin my brain for two days over how to map this to my lpd8. definitely share if u get it locked down!!!!
http://min.us/mb0uxGAAzKqcKA/1 here’s what I have so far for my lpd8
S2 mapping will be highly appreciated
Hehehe…. Nice work Stewe!
But, why doesn’t NI just make an effect that can do the isolation? I’m sure they could get it done and save us all a lot of time. LOL!:D
scamo
Is like to see an x1 midi mode and midifighter 3d . or midifighter only with tilt ?
please make a version for the S2, it shouldn’t be to hard since the mapping concept will be similar to the S4
+1 to mapping this for the S4, this would be pretty handy. maybe in some spare time map it out to the MF3D could use the movement aspect of it.
Ddj Sx
An S2 mapping please!!!!!!!!
Traktor x1 midi mode would be ideal!!!! Enough knobs and buttons and something a lot of people already own
Pionner DDJ SX mapping please
So is this mapping only for the controller in the vid? Or is it S4 friendly?
I’m sure the Twitch-heads out there would love to try this.
for the knobs and buttons K2 sounds good…pls give the K2 some love!!
Xone k2 or NI F1 pls
It would be cool to program an “instant gratification” mapping using isolation effects for the midi fighter.
It’s what my Livid CNTRL:R mapping does.
almost looks like vst effects in traktor!!!!
Great work Stewe! You’ve just triggered some great ideas for my future mappings. Thanks for your hard work and the head start! 🙂
we need to make an X1 mapping for this!!!
I’d love to see this mapped on the FX section of an X1
This would be perfect with the Kontrol X1! If we’re trying to make a MIDI version of the RMX-1000, might as well pick the controller that looks the most like it.
But are there any other controllers that look like the RMX-1000?
Kontrol X1 mapping that can be used with the S2, S4, VCI380 &/or VCI400 as an add on to 2 deck mode please. I think the S2 or S4 will produce the best results though due to popularity of the controllers. Most people with traktor controllers either have an “S” controller or an X1 :p
Any chance this could somehow be adapted to the cue-master ?
would be interesting to use it alongside an S4 or vci-100 as an isolator
effects unit….
On 2nd thought i just realized i could use deck c/d instead on the vci-100…..
hmmm….
A little love for the TMX 4 owners,please.
An x1 mapping would be perfect maybe an edit of @0notice ‘s x1 mixer mode mapping to turn it from standard mixer to an isolator fx unit. plz and thank you :d
This would be great with the Kontrol S4 using the wheels to control the depth.
I have a DJ2go, mixmeister control, kontrol F1, and a lpd8- i’m thinking the lpd8 would probably be pretty effective to add to teh setup- but I would love to be able to map this to the MMC
We need this on the x1
Anyone else think it’d be awesome to have a mapping for a secondary controller? Like one of the midifighters or an f1 or something?
electrix tweak would be a perfect controller for this too thinking about buying one just so i could utilize this
+1 electrix
plz stewe holla at yo mapping buddies n ill buy one! i was thinking about getting a cntrl:r but i have an x1 and a quneo but im not too fond of the quneo for traktor like it most for production. thinking an x1 on left side electrix in middle for isolator n more and f1 on right will be my perfect set up.
VCI 400 EGE , don’t use grid, often an isolator would be a much more usuable. Performance grid for fx selection eq knobsfor control…..yes please by yesterday if you don’t mind
dam.. i know im gonna get screwed cause im still using hercules rmx.
i would have to suggest though that this mapping bemade available for all djtechtools staple products like the VCI400, S4, MF etc.
S4! and the EQ’s on the active deck would be awesome.
ALSO MidiFighter 3D would be awesome
Like on Beaubryte’s Midifighter 3D mapping. change 3 of the effects on the main deck control page to isolaters instead of the currents effects.
i made a rough attempt of something simmillar but it doesn’t quite feel right yet. i’m using the tilt controls for amount and the buttons to dupplicate the decks pick a frequency and pick effects…. stiil feels like it needs work but i’m not all that great :p
My vote is for the S4, EQ’s. Would love to see a 3D combo also.
this is something i would love to have on my S2 and I think that if you end up making an S2 mapping, the S4 version is going to be a very similar concept of mapping
I rock an X1+ F1 set up so I have Deck D currently un-used.
I’d quite like to see the one of the FX sections of the X1 used – that would be pretty sweet maybe with the FX on/off toggle allowing to switch between Deck A & B?
I think the X1 is very widely used. Plus you could still keep one of the FX sections for a chained FX.
I agree completely! I too have x1/f1 setup (+timecode) and would love to have a mapping for use with the x1 on deck D.
agreed as well this would be perfect.
X1 all the way, I have 2 but one is spare due to me buying a Denon MC3000 and an F1. Was wondering what to do with it.
Not really sold on it with the F1, but I’m all about it on the X1. That’s only because I don’t see how the F1 would be mapped for it. I like knobs more than faders.
quneo mapping would be cool too i really dont need it as much anymore as i have an x1 and and s2 and an f1
As much as I want to see this on the VCI-400SE, I think a mapping for the MF3D would be awesome as well (using motion sensors for the wet/dry and parameters). Don’t limit it to knobs!
Personally, I’d love a Korg NanoKontrol mapping for something like this. That way I can keep all my existing S4 and MidiFighter mappings and use this on a separate controller.
An VCI 400 ECE for C/D Decks, good to have
Thanks for sharing this guys! I’m glad to see you’re on it and can’t wait to see in which way will it go. I’ve mapped only one deck as Isolator for now because my mapping mainly affect all FX units to one deck at the time but it’s something that can be expanded for more decks in future.
stewe
I just want to clarify what’s going on here. Basically you’re doubling the track decks (the same song playing on two decks, most-likely on the same side of the cross-fader) then you’re applying a (deck focus) kill toggle for each of the EQ knobs on each of the decks in question while both decks play at (but not necessarily the same) volume? You would not then be able to use the Remix Decks (at least on this side), correct?
I like this idea a lot and wish I thought of it. Thank you for sharing.
It doesn’t copy same volume value. I use dedicated fader for deck D instead.
I definitely think that having a mapping that could isolate effects using the midi fighter 3d would be great, having four pages for four effects. Also if an even more in depth mapping for the s2/s4 allowing the user to switch between the default settings on the knobs, to switch into isolation effect mode. This would allow the user to still use the effects they are comfortable with and also use the isolation effects. In my opinion the use of decks C & D for me doesn’t require isolation effects, (yes it requires effects, but usually i want that effect on everything).
Id love it to work with a kontrol X1 the left side as deck a controls and right side for deck b
I really want this for the S2, it would be something very cool to have
Seems to me if you use the loop recorder for the effect & frequency in question you could continue to use channels c/d (once the loop has been recorded)
You could do this – but then you wouldn’t be effecting the song as it continues to play- you’d be limited to the loop.
A mapping for the vci 400 would be awesome, not just for the egg edition 🙂
Currently shopping a Denon DN-X1600 and with the midi control plus the input matrix, I think I can map the mixer knobs on an unused channel to apply effects to an isolated frequency band.
VCM600 Plenty of spare knobs and buttons!
I’m going to design a spinoff for Launchpad! Surely “range” (in steps I assume) over multiple pads has been tackled. This is cool.
I’d love to see this work with the s4 controller!
ALL I KNOW IS. It’s gonna be an EPIC SUMMER! OMG … This got my wheels turning!
“Here at Dj TechTools, we just shot an extensive “How I Play” interview with Madeon (to be published soon!) ” AARRRGGGGHHHH This was sooo long ago!!! Is this ever going to be posted?? Is he refusing to let you guys put it up or something?!!??!
If you’d like to see this interview, please reach out to him and let him know. @madeon on Twitter.
Message sent. So he is blocking it then??! why, did you call him a silly name or something?!
Sent too ! We wannnnnt it 😀
Make a full blog post about it then! We want to see it! (or you could just send me the video…no-one would know…)
stange…
Kontrol S4 on decks C and D EQ knobs please. This is just awesome!!!!
thank you so much Stewe, this is awsome
when are the chroma caps competition results coming out
http://www.djtechtools.com/2013/01/04/glow-in-the-dark-faders-chroma-cap-tion-contest-winners/
this on the Pioneer DDJ-SX would be dope since the remix unit would not work with it. Plus launching this off the pads would be neat.
It would be great if there was a way to use one other deck, because one remix deck is nice to have
With ability to duplicate decks A/B to both C or D there’s still room for one rmx deck if you’r not affecting both A/B with Isolate FX at the same time.
An S4 mapping for the C/D decks that does this would be highly appreciated
if you have an S4 then why not try to make one. Ill download the mapping later and see if i can make the attempt for the S4
VCI 400 EGE for sure… posibilities are limitless, deck C and D Eq Knobs for sure… maybe another rack of turntable effects under the green “loop” section?
Hmm..I guess I’ve been doing this manually for years. 80% of the time I play doubles of tracks so EQing and adding effects to certain frequencies is part of that. The mapping does seem worth checking out nevertheless.
You can currently do this already with Traktor delays in advanced mode. Using the first parameter called Filter. But hats off to Stewe for this mapping. I used it on the CNTRL-R and it’s fantastic.
I would like to know more about what are speaking of. I’m not as familiar in this area of Traktor as I’d like to be.
I have a DDM 4000 mapped for 4 decks in traktor I have been wondering if you can map the mixer to have one button mapped as a master filter for all four channels, this would be to kill the low frequecys in all the decks? any help would be great. have looked in tracktor for a master filter to map to but cannot find it. I know in the older versions of traktor you had the feature or am i mistaken?
You can map the Filter of deck A B C and D on one knob? If you want me to help me write me!
Definitely would love to see this for the s4. Don’t often use Decks C & D so using the EQ knobs would be fine with me…looking forward to seeing what you guys come up with!
would like to see this mapped to the f1 using one of the sample slots as the effected source and three of the knobs used as isolators for that one sample slot. You could also set up the fourth knob to do the “release effects” featured on the rmx-1000
I use fourth knob to control key on isolator deck.
Would love to see something like this for Maschine so that my S4 keeps all of its functionality. Isolation Effects should be triggered as special effect knobs but I don’t think multiple concurrent isolation effects are needed at least not more than two. Deck D (and deck C if really needed) could be used for this as they’re not really indispensible imho.
Yes, this is a very interesting idea and I think the Maschine *CAN* do something like this which would be very nice since losing 2 decks to doubling seems kinda’ wasteful to me and it’s especially vexatious when trying to do this AND using the remix decks. I like that someone did this, I would just like to see a more elegant approach.
Traktor S2. I use the F1 on decks C and D but with thus I could manage to live with just Deck C lol. I have the maschine mikro so even another mapping for that would be aswesome!
Vci 400 se. Deck C&D eq knobs!
This would be amazing on the vci 400 ege. If deck A duplicates to deck C and B to D then the C and D eq knobs could control the isolator effects. Talk about turning it in to one whopper of a controller
The mapping I’m planning has isolators (when not controlling macro effects) but they won’t have effects when you turn it up
I think this would be a quality mapping, at the end of the day playing out it isn’t often I would need to get more than 2 tracks in the mix. Your average punter just doesn’t care. I find some of the effects settings on the 400 ege a bit over the top for the styles that I play but find allot more use for these effects than grid or slicer for example
noted on VCI-400SE. had thought about this concept before but hadn’t made it into a mapping yet. looks like it might be time to get back to the mapping drawing board.
Any chance of this coming out anytime soon? Cheers 🙂
It could also use the deck D (and or c) Volume fader for controlling the effect, as it becomes useless for any other actions anyways. I personally love controlling effects with faders.
All of this just sounds glorious! 😀
P.S. Do it!
I’d love to see a mapping for the APC40.
mm Isolators are mostly useful in rhythmically tweaking the knobs. I mostly find myself using a lowpass filter and rhythmically tweaking the resonance, honestly. How about sidechaining a freq band to modulate the crossover? I’m trying to think of something technically interesting to talk about vs the performance aspect.
Nice to see an old school type techtools fx post, massive kudos to Stewe.
As a Z2 owner my vote would be to use the channel EQ’s for the deck you wanna fiddle with. At least that way a Techtools version of this isolation map could be easily re interpreted across all NI controllers.
I’m trying get use out of Deck C & D so for me it would be important to be able to switch in and out of isolation mode to gain access to default deck C&D use
I like the idea of being able to have the option of applying this fx mode to two tracks or individually.
so with this effects i cant use deck D 🙁
Do you find yourself using all four decks through an entire set? I’m impressed : )
I use the traktor kontrol s4 and the s2. I use the kontrol x1 as an additional controller mostly for effects. I would love this for the kontrol x1.
from what it looks like someone needs to make something for the x1 :O wish i knew how
incredible! Traktor s4 por favor / EQ knobs / deck C / D. GRACIAS!