There comes a time in every DJ’s career where mixing two decks is no longer creatively challenging. Three or more decks, cue point juggling and effects mastery are all ways to up the excitement, but they lack the creative expression of music making. It’s at this point that drum machines, synths, and truly musical hardware can unlock new territory in DJing. In today’s article, we will show you how to exactly that by connecting Native Instruments’ Maschine with Traktor.
WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?
Previously, running synths and drum machines in your DJ set was complicated and involved a lot of hardware or two laptops at the least. That barrier to entry made it impractical for the average DJ, and most that did ended up with the “live” label instead.
Today, it’s very possible to run a standalone version of the Maschine software and Traktor on the same laptop, with both programs perfectly in sync. By sending audio out over the same sound card, all you need is an extra controller to unlock endless creative possibility without a lot of effort.
HOW TO SYNC + PLAY MASCHINE WITH TRAKTOR
In this tutorial I have opted for the most stable, straight-forward, and repeatable model, using Traktor and the stand alone Maschine software. It is possible to run Maschine as a VST inside of DAWs like Ableton Live, but it often adds more complexity and variables.
SEND MIDI OUT OF TRAKTOR
This creates a MIDI output from Traktor to a “Traktor Virtual Output” port, which other programs in the computer can connect to.
ENABLE TRAKTOR MIDI INPUT (IN MASCHINE)
Make sure that the Traktor Virtual Output is enabled under MIDI inputs in Maschine and all other MIDI input is disabled. Be careful when connecting things like a Pioneer DJM-900, which can also send out MIDI clock and take over your syncing!
ENABLE MIDI SLAVE SYNC (IN MASCHINE)
This disables Maschine’s internal playback engine and waits for another program to “Press Play” and start the clock.
SEND CLOCK FROM TRAKTOR
The Play/Pause button will start sending out the BPM and begin playback in Maschine. To reset the cycle of the phrase, press the SYNC button.
START UP BOTH METRONOMES
Turn on both metronomes to check sync (they should be perfectly in phase). In Traktor the metronome plays back through the cue channel by default, so make sure to turn on your headphones or change the cue output.
SYNC THE CLOCKS
Chances are very high that the metronomes are not perfectly in sync. Use the MIDI sync offset slave command in Maschine’s preferences to sync them up before every set.
OUTPUT THE AUDIO
Both programs can run the same audio card, so I run Maschine out of the same output for deck C/D. This doubles up that channel, but greatly simplifies the overall setup. You could use a routing program like Soundflower to route Maschine’s audio into Traktor as well for further effects and sampling, which is also a lot of fun but beyond the scope of today’s article!
IN CONCLUSION: CONDITIONS, TERMS, AND QUESTIONS.
Chances are high you might have some perspectives or experience that should be added to this article, so please let us know in the comments. This process was designed and tested on a Mac, but things are slightly different for Windows users:
- There’s no Traktor Virtual Output on Windows
- Instead you need a MIDI interface (sound cards like the Audio 8 or even the S4 and Maschine could work)
- Run a MIDI cable from MIDI Out back into the MIDI in
- In Controller Manager, set the output and input to the MIDI interface
As usual. thank you for your support, and commitment to making digital DJing a creative, fun experience for everyone!
LIMITED TIME OFFER: MASCHINE MK2 + KOMPLETE 9
We’re offering a bundle exclusively for DJTT readers – Native Instruments’ Maschine MK2 and Komplete 9 for $699, which together pack an incredible production punch. Don’t miss out on this sale, normally these two go for about $1100. The price goes up to $799 on Monday, March 3rd – so don’t miss this special pricing!
Bringing this back from the dead. And I know it might be overkill, but I love my S5 and recently picked up Maschine, and would like to combine the two via an Audiohub 2×4. The point of the Maschine, until I get more comfortable with its capability, is just to add live production elements to my mixes. I was trying to get it all configured last night and feel like I was close, but was hoping for any specific guidance anyone may be so kind to provide 🙂 Thanks!
I recently bought the Maschine Mk2 in hopes that it would easily integrate with Traktor using a PC and my S4, however I am unable to get Maschine to receive midi from Traktor. I have gone through this tutorial step by step, but when I press the play pause button on traktors midi nothing happens with Maschine. Is there something I am missing or can anyone offer assistance?
Hey there, I really would like to know how you use the record function on Maschine to record a live session while slave sync’ed to traktor. Please help!
[…] DJs how awful Windows MIDI clock is. While Mac users have a relatively easy way of setting up both (check out Ean’s article on syncing and performing) Windows users are left to figure it out themselves. Microsoft apparently now offers better MIDI […]
[…] DJs who awful Windows MIDI clock is. While Mac users have a relatively easy way of setting up both (check out Ean’s article on syncing and performing) Windows users are left to figure it out themselves. Microsoft apparently now offers better MIDI […]
[…] DJs who awful Windows MIDI clock is. While Mac users have a relatively easy way of setting up both (check out Ean’s article on syncing and performing) Windows users are left to figure it out themselves. Microsoft apparently now offers better MIDI […]
[…] DJs who awful Windows MIDI clock is. While Mac users have a relatively easy way of setting up both (check out Ean’s article on syncing and performing) Windows users are left to figure it out themselves. Microsoft apparently now offers better MIDI […]
Problem: After adjusting the Sync slave offset in Maschine and having everything playing in sync, if I press the sync button in the master tempo tab on traktor, Maschine gets out of sync. Any solutions?
Setup:
Maschine 2.3.1
Traktor 2.9
OSX 10.10.2
[…] Sync and Perform With Maschine + … – DJ TechTools The largest community for DJ and producer techniques, tutorials, and tips. Traktor secrets, controller reviews, a massive MIDI mapping library … […]
You guys just linked to this old article in your instagram. Any news on further integration? I’ve heard some rumblings about it in Traktor Pro 3 and the timing of your instagram post has me thinking an announcement may be soon.
Hey ! I was wondering if there was a way to match the auto gain feature in traktor to maschine while syncing the 2 of them for live performance ? If not how could I properly fix this issue ? Thanks…
Peace !
Nice tutorial!! However I’ve got a big issue with the setup because while I play Traktor, Machine plays the pad. For example if I select the pad I want to play, Traktor plays the pad automatically, repeating the note!! How can I fix this?
Thanx
[…] there has been no official integration between Traktor and Maschine, the closest it gets is running Maschine and Traktor on the same laptop and syncing them via midi. With more DJs making the transition into production, Native Instruments […]
so i have the settings right but the midi clock is fuked my traktor is at 140 and maschine is jumping wildly like in the 260bpm range how come?
Hey DJTT, Is that amazing collabo also working with the Maschine MK1?
Can someone put up a tutorial an links to do this on pc. Please!
Can this be done on the Maschine Mikro? Many thanks
Hello nice video . I have a question i want to buy a machine mikro . I have tsp 2 and a audio 4 and a small mixer off 2 channels our a ergo v . My doubt is what i really need to setup machine with traktor .
When is Traktor going to update their software to send midi note and automation changes to control external drum machines and synths through the remix decks? Boom! There I said it!
Great video Ean! Im currently working on incorporating maschine into my live sets, maschine being slave to traktor but the issue i am having is that when i change bpms on the fly my samples wont match my sessions current bpm. They stay at the bpm they were sampled at. Is there any way i can make my samples sync to the master bpm? For example i have a reverse symbol im trying to use for a build up but i can never get it to hit at the right time because every time i try and use it the sessions bpm is different. Any advice??
Is this with the maschine mikro also possible?
Great tutorial thanks mate. Cleared up a lot of uncertainty. Is all of this possible with Maschine studio as well?
I had not MIDI synced Maschine with Traktor in some time, but I recently discovered an internal audio routing problem with SoundFlower not allowing the microphone and Maschine to work together (they would work separately, but not with the same configuration). I chose instead to use JackOSX (which is also free) and found while the program is much more complex, it also gives more control. I asked a couple of DJ friends to try using their controllers with a microphone (like my Shure SM58) coupled with Maschine and they too had the same problem I had: Inability to route a mic line in while also routing the audio from Maschine.
After about an hour of reading the manual and configuring JackPilot, I was able to send the microphone to Deck C, Maschine to Deck D and everything worked as it was intended. My old configuration was Maschine playing on its own (volume control on the Mikro Mk2) and microphone on the Twitch (Deck C). Now, everything is routed to a dedicated deck on my Twitch and everything seems just fine (and it’s amazing to actually not have to constantly tweak the timing of Maschine to keep in time with Traktor).
If you are having routing problems with Soudflower, you might want to try: http://www.jackosx.com/
My next step is to attempt to route the microphone into Maschine (because of the nice effects) and route that separately.
G’day guys, I have tried to do that but my send button in traktor is not showing active. Am I doing something wrong. I have to run S4 and Maschine Mikro together and how I route Maschine Mikro in Deck C. Apperciated if someone help me on this issues.
Did you go into Traktor’s preferences and click on the MIDI clock tab, and then click Send MIDI clock?
Routing back into Traktor takes some doing, but you experiment with it.
Somehow I manage to run Maschine Mikro with Traktor but I am still figuring out how to route Maschine Mikro into my Deck C or D for my live performance any idea how to do routing? I have tried using Live Input but its not working.
You need to use some type of audio routing. Many people have done this with SoundFlower or JackOSX (both free), but you really should read the documentation regarding audio routing. Just having Traktor set to Live Inputs on a Deck (and the corresponding audio inputs set to the channels Maschine is sending), you need to route the outputs (from each device) to the (to each device) without duplicating paths that would circumvent your control. It works, but you need to really spend the time and energy on doing this… and troubleshooting later when you think you have it all set up properly, but you don’t because the computer didn’t save your configuration properly (just a hint… it’s not you, it’s the computer sometimes).
just wondering what sound banks you are using in maschine? prob own made ones but can ya recommend any?
This is one of those age-old questions, can you recommend something good? Honestly, I think they’re all good (in their own way, otherwise they wouldn’t be $49 each), so this comes down to personal taste and music style. You can go to the website and listen to tracks made up entirely from Maschine sound packs directly on the site.
definitely, Well i’ve got static friction + pulswerk, just wondering what ean is using maybe something id didnt have see what it was like, that was all i totally agree its down to personal taste as we all play differently and different style
Maybe soon NI release an update which make this straight forward (and automation recording by default) like the Bridge but well done (remix decks are more or less the “missed feature” from serato)
Add video in traktor (like it seems in the last ad for the s2/4) and you have serato video too.
Dreaming is cheap…
hi
I have problem
when I open traktor and maschine(both on SSD)
system beggan gaging
everythink work extra-slow
I use mac pro 2009 13″ op/memorie 4GB
what it can be?
Upgrade your Mem. to 8Gb I have the same problem
upgrading RAM in a macbook pro from 2009 is possible, but it’s hard to find DDR2 in an 8Gb set and you’ll be spending about $250-$300 for it. after which you may have either an overheating issue or power supply problems. knowing your hardware is as important as knowing your software.
I have a 2009 mbp and purchased 8gb of ram for 70$.
my bad, 2009 was kinda weird for mbp build. they used DDR3 1066Mhz on a core 2 duo. in previous years it was DDR2 making the upgrade to 8Gb a bit more unreasonable.
I’m melancholic about this tip. I like that Ean is showing how to do what I’ve been doing for about a year and a half, but it was my secret weapon… which is no longer secret (oh well). I really hope that Native Instruments incorporates some 2-way communication (between Traktor and Maschine), because there are some wrinkles they still need to iron out.
I bought the Maschine Mikro Mk2 and hoped that I would have a more “Kontrol F1-like” interaction with Traktor (like times, colored-synched buttons corresponding to Traktor), but once I got over the “Traktor-centric” (everything, all in one box) view, I freed my thinking to accept that Machine is there to support Traktor and it will diligently work in time. I still think I made the right move getting into Maschine… it’s clearly a better instrument and controller than the F1. The (tunable) Drums, (loadable internal and VST) Synths and Maschine Expansion Packs is truly something special. I’m still in awe of what this does to my sets.
Oh yeah, if you have a microphone, route it through Maschine (and back into Traktor on your fourth deck) as well, the real-time effects are pretty cool.
Whats up Ean?? I set-up everything up right and watched this video 5 or 6 times now.. everything is fine but when I hit a pad on the maschine im still only hearing the sound out of my laptop speakers and not from traktor.. Could it be because I have a traktor s2 mk2 and only have two channels on it? That could be a issue but I still have decks C/D in the program for remix decks.. anyone that may have a idea help me out!!
Yes!! You can do what is shown in the video but you need a program like jackpilot or Soundflower (Mac Only) to virtually send the audio from Maschine Master to a Traktor deck and finally to the speakers 😉 Ean shows a setup where the DJM 900 Nexus Soundcard is routed in External mixer mode on Traktor, probably like this… Out 1&2 Deck A, 3&4 Deck B, 5/6 Deck C and… for the 7/8 Out you go to maschine preferences and set the out of maschine to this Out (7&8)…. so in the mixer you will have the first 3 channel for traktor and the 4th for maschine. You need another method… that DJTT has explained yet!! here it is: http://www.djtechtools.com/2013/05/27/maschine-mikro-with-a-kontrol-s2-on-1-mac-using-a-live-input-deck-in-traktor/
thanks man!!!
First of all are you on ewindows or mac? it sounds like you need to select the S2 as the sound device for Maschine. file/audio midi settings/device/kontrol s2
im running mac
Would this sync with any drum machine? Like roland’s new TR8?
if it can recive clock it should work
Im totally new at maschine, when I load a project into maschine and press the “play/pause” button in traktor on the globale section, the maschine project starts automaticly. But i only want to use the step mode in maschine, nothing else, how can i do that?
The only difference with it playing VS using step mode is that as soon as you program some steps its going to already be pumping the audio out because its already playing. If you want to avoid this then you need to drop the audio level or mute whats playing in Maschine. Then bring it up when you want the audio. Now having said that it sounds like you are loading “projects” into maschine but only want to step sequence specific sounds in that project. If that is correct then you need to either load the “Kits” associated with the project or when you load the “project” you need to delete the MIDI notes so you can start from scratch.
If you want some advice I would make you own project from kits you dig then save it and load that project when you want to play it inside a trakor setup. The thing to keep in mind is Maschine “porjects” are full pre-sequenced songs and when you send that play signal from traktor to them , yes they instanly start playng. I hope that helps I ramble alot so if you need clarification let me know.
I want to take that opportunity to ask you, guys, a really debatable question.
I’d like to buy a controller for exactly this kind of DJing, and I’m really at a loss. Should I go for Push, or for Maschine?
At this moment, Push has a slight advantage, due to its ability to actually “see” everything without looking at the computer. It’s step sequencer is (in my opinion at least) much easier to use than the one on Maschine. And it’s succesfully used by Hawtin and Dubfire.
Should I change my mind, or should I go with Push?
Thank you in advance, guys!
That’s a good question and probably a good topic for our next deep video pitting 2 products against each other…
Would really like to see that.
With Maschine – almost everything can be done without ever looking at your computer or touching the mouse.
As both Maschine and Push user – That’s no reason for preferring Push over Maschine.
By the way – the step sequencing on Maschine is very very (very) flexible and smart.
So should I go with Maschine?
From what I’ve read, Maschine is a much better sampler, and that’s preety important. Moreover, I don’t quite like the way Ableton instruments sound. They are quite linear and barely customizable compared to the one provided by Maschine.
And Maschine has also those big pads, which are better for fingerdrumming than Push.. I’ve read so much, that I don’t even know what to choose.
And yeah, I haven’t told you, but I should buy one of those by the end of this week.
It’s so hard, hope you are the one to help me decide, if you say that you are familiar with both of them.
If you ask me, from a drum machine’s point of view: I would go with Maschine. The new 2.0 version is a beast, and the built-in Drum Synths are a blast. Pure fun.
I have both Maschine Studio and MK1 btw.
I have both, the number 1 question is do you have either if not get mashine, as a controller I think it is far better and the samples + massive you get with the purchase of Maschine blows push out of the water as far as value for then money. Maschine over push is a no brainer. PLus the Ableton template for Maschine is the boss. I hardly even use my push.
N.I. also gives you a voucher for downloading a free expansion pack… which are… majestic. I think I have something like 10 expansion packs now.
Buy Maschine first, Its a dope controller for Ableton and the sound libarary + Massive its a huge plus. If you Already own Ableton, buy Maschine there is no camparing it to Push. I wish I would have bought Maschine Studio over my push and I own Maschine MK1 and MK2 already!
I’ll take an initial stab at this… While there are a few differences between the Ableton Push and Maschine (range of products), there are three main topics that should drive your decision (if you choose to buy only one of them). “Do you prefer the sounds of Maschine or Ableton?”, “Do you prefer the larger (fewer) trigger buttons to smaller (and more) ones?” and finally, “Do you prefer the Ableton interface or the Maschine (software) interface?”
Of course, this decision does not have to be binary, you could buy and enjoy them both. Ableton will host Maschine (1 & 2… along with other VSTs) which I know because I occasionally use Machine as a VST in Ableton.
If money is an issue, remember that all Maschine products come with Maschine Software (Version 2.0) which is awesome (IMHO), so you should factor that into what you consider if you’re shopping for a controller (the software, not my opinion). Buying an Ableton Push with the “Ableton Intro” package is priced as much as the Maschine Mk2 ($599) and the prices go up from there as you want to add greater ability to your DAW experience. The price of buying a Maschine Mikro Mk2 is only $349, but you get the full Maschine 2.0 software kit (plus a thank you gift from Native Instruments, which most people would use to buy expansion packs… totally worth it, BTW). The Maschine Studio ($999) is priced only slightly higher than Ableton Push with the “Ableton Standard” package, and if you want to use Max for Live (the development package), you’ll need to purchase the “Ableton Push with Live 9 Suite” which is priced at $1,198 at most retailers).
The Ableton Push gives you a unique interface with velocity sensitive pads, but it seems to be competing with the LaunchPad more than Drum Machines like the MPC and Maschine line. None-the-less, the Ableton Push has a unique interface that allows you to play only the notes in key through use of a harmonic table (which, to a lesser extent, is also doable in Pad Mode on Maschine).
Don’t be fooled by the fact that Maschine looks simple, there’s a lot to love about it when you peel back the layers (like an onion) including; effects, tune-ability of the (seemingly) endless list of drum kit elements, and expansion packs. I personally got the Maschine Mikro Mk2 because it’s a small, rugged, inexpensive unit that will allow me to control most of what I want, on-the-fly, without having to compromise anything about Maschine 2.0 Software.
Also, take a look at this video (released before Maschine 2.0 software was released). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSuFK5_iUew
Finally, choosing any production environment (IMHO) will give you the freedom to explore more of what you got into DJing for (if you got into it for the love playing music how you want).
Hi, I did everything Ean said, but the tractor virtual output in machine is “off”, how can i change that?
Double click the word “Off”. This threw me off when I first started doing this too, since it looks nothing like a button! Ha
If that didnt work go into Traktor’s settings /midi Clock/ check enbale MIDIclock send
Yes, both what Steve and Anski said is true. Both of these things seemed skimmed over in the video, but both can cause you to be stymied. #1, In the Traktor Control Panel, click MIDI Clock, and then click the checkbox next to “Send MIDI Clock.” This action allows you to press the “Send Play/Pause” button. #2, in Maschine (… okay the OSX interface), when Ean clicked on the Audio and MIDI settings, he actually clicked on the “Off” text, to the right of the Traktor Virtual Output “Device Name”… it’s not really intuitive as Anski says. OH! Also make sure you’ve clicked the Input (not the Output) tab in this Settings window.
I hope that clears some things up.
working on it for my new set up, replacing my mf pro…OOOOOOO
OKay damnit. Having serious audio issues with this setup. I have a brand spanking new MacBook Pro (one week old) and Kontrol S4 MKI and Maschine 2 MKII Gold. Using my S4 for audio out. Massively tweaked out audio. I have read an article on Native Instruments site regarding some issues with OSX Mavericks and audio from a few of their products, one being the S4 MKI. Have you done any testing with this setup. Native Instruments really needs to address this audio issue pronto.
Check if the soundcard is running with the same settings in both programs… if is setted at 192samples@44100 in traktor you MUST use the same settings on maschine software’s preferences to avoid audio dropouts… i’ve a macbook pro 13″ with Lion 10.7.5 and the setup explained in the video run without problems 😉
I’m thinking it’s an issue with Mavericks that Native Instruments has yet to resolve. I have checked everything and double triple quadruple checked
Well after spending an hour and a half on the phone with Native Instruments tech support the only conclussion we came to is that my S4 for some reason has an audio issue. They duplicated my setup while on the phone (same OSX 10.9.2, S4 MKI, Machine MKII) but with only 3GB of memory and I have 8GB and they were not able to produce the results I’m getting. Clearly I have a faulty audio card in my S4. I was able to get the two apps to sync and run flawlessly together if I switched the audio output on one or the other to the built-in audio. This does nothing for me in the long run but it does at the very least let me know that it’s a sound card issue.
So now I’m shopping for audio a new audio interface even though I already have one that SHOULD work fine.
Have you installed the latest 2.6 driver for S4 MK1? It resolves the audio problems in Mavericks.
BTW – it was released in October (!) 🙂
Of course! I’ve been using Traktor on the iMac for years. Had the S$ for a couple of those. Just last month my friends all pitched in and got me a Maschine for my birthday. So excited and took it home and start playing around learning to navigate the software and I start getting really glitchy bad sound. I tried a bunch of different things including taking the S4 out of the equation and using my M-Audio firewire 410 soundcard that I used with Vestax VCI-100 years ago before the S4. Nothing worked. I reinstalled my operating system. I reverted back to 10.8 from Mavericks. EVERYTHING!!!
Long story short I came to the conclussion that my 2007 iMac was just too damn old and tired and BARELY met the system requirements for Maschine. So, thanks to Barclaycard financing through Apple, I’m now the proud owner of a brand new MacBook Pro 2.3 GHz Quad Core with 8 GB Ram.
This computer runs Maschine or Traktor individually with no problem whatsoever. I can run Maschine at 64 samples without any issue.
When I try to run them both I get weird feedback. I tried running them in the same Mission Control window thinking maybe they didn’t like that. I check the sample rate and sample buffer and they are both the same. I can hit one pad on the maschine and it fine hit a couple okay. soon as i start to rock a beat (not playing a song) on the pad I get echo and feed back. If I do that long enough I get some serious weird spiraling feedback which sounds incredibly awesome and I wish I could record it, but it is not fucking cool.
Sorry for the long message. I’m calling Native Instruments today
oh dude… more people should know about their computers… a bit of reading and you’d realize that you could upgrade the iMac’s RAM from the standard 1Gb of memory to 4Gb at a reasonable price. the opening to access the RAM modules is on the bottom side of the monitor, you may need to push the stand back. unfortunately due to the slim form of the all-in-one concept of the iMac there are only 2 slots.
Oh dude DUH! What the $&@€?
I upgraded the Ram on my iMac four years ago or more.
I spent an hour and a half on the phone with native Instruments tech support yesterday. Apparently I’m an anomoly. We went through every thing in the book twice. And still no fix. They only way I get a good sync and no audio distortion or feedback is when I put one of the software sir the other on built in audio which means it’s not me or my computer or the setup but the S4. Tech support tried to duplicate my setup as best they could with same operating system same controllers and sound card(S4) and they had no issue and they were using a Mac mini with 2G ram and I have 8G .
Thanks for treating me like an idiot. I’ve been working in Macs since OS8. I know you can upgrade the memory.
wow, a little irate. sorry for trying to save you a bit of cash. not everyone is as tech. savy as you. no worries, you are probably more qualified than i am to figure out your technical problems. i’m just A+ certified and have studied for my ACMT papers, just haven’t gotten around to write it yet.
Not sure how you were gonna save me cash considering I had already purchased the MacBook before I wrote anything here but thanks for paying attention.
When sending midi from traktor, every time I press a button on controller there is an sound like an electrical short or something… Any one know a fix for this? I’m on Windows using maschine, apc40 with komplete audio 6 for a sound card.
i know this sounds stupid but, is ur Ethernet card still turned on when this happens? turn if off (Disable), restart / reconnect your midi devices and try it again
Hey thanks for the response! Sadly disabling the ether net card did not help. This problem is constant in both my computers, when sending midi clock from traktor there is glitchy audio feedback when pressing buttons on any midi controller. This is very frustrating. I have tried hard routing with cables as well as internally through virtual ports. This same with live 9 as well as maschine. It sea to be a traktor bug.
you can save a bunch of memory space by turning off windows aero if you are using win7. just use a basic or high contrast theme. if you aren’t using 8Gb of RAM you may want to invest in some. system requirements for traktor is 4Gb of RAM and maschine system requirements are 4Gb as well. more RAM is always a good thing.
Dont have any problems there, I have 16gb on the laptop and the pc I also tested this on is a tower of power with 32 gb ram on a 4.3 ghz proc. I have tried disabling just about every service possible and still get this problem. I give up on it for now, I think it is cross talk of some nature because pressing buttons on the software with mouse causes no issues, only when using hardware midi controllers.
hmmm… i’m a little stuck then. i’ve done this set-up before with a friend a while ago, but we ran midi cables from my S4 to his maschine without many problems. if it wasn’t for the fact that you have stated that you hard-lined the set-up too, i’d recommend trying a new virtual port like rtpMIDI instead of loopbe. honestly, i prefer using maschine at home on my desktop to create stems and compile into .trak files, then migrate them to my laptop for my two F1s. i’ve always found that the simpler you make things, the less will go wrong.
Is it at all possible you are sending MIDI signals to a device with that voice? I’ve done this a few times and when I tacked down the problem, it was my device sending CC codes to a voice channel in Ableton. Just a thought…
I’m not quite sure how to investigate that… On both computers I have tried to sync traktor with maschine, the hardware I used have been combinations now of a Z2, midifighter 3d, APC 40 and Maschine, I even pulled out my old S4 to see if there was any difference and switched which midi ports I connected to, used virtual ports and none of the combinations produced any different results. I once read in a post by Beaubryte in a thread about his mf3d mapping that there is a bug that turning off sending midi cures, this seems to be the root of the problem but I can’t find any reasoning, or solution to this other than not sending midi clock from traktor.
You should always try to isolate a problem by completely isolating pieces. I suggest starting from scratch and adding pieces up (this also means a clean version of your application with no devices assigned (or plugged in), and if necessary, your Operating System… and possibly the computer). I think this is called “troubleshooting 101” 🙂 Anyway, if you suspect there might be spurious MIDI signals, find an app that displays all MIDI traffic (like any DAW) or a device (I used to have a MIDI Ant toy that lit up its eyes when traffic was sent). It’s always nice to have replacement gear to ensure that the problem is not at the bottleneck. Anyway, happy hunting. I hope you fix your problem.
had a small epiphany, if forcehand’s suggestion doesn’t work. i was just wondering if you are using win7 and a usb 3.0 port with a usb 2.0 sound interface? backwards conversion in win7 has been known to cause issues.
It’s not stupid at all. The network stack might cause timing troubles with the audio subsystem. I’d, however, rather turn off Bluetooth and -first of all- WiFi than ethernet, as wireless protocols are time-critical and likely to have higher priority.
send the*
When I try to sednt eh clock from traktor to maschine, the blue play/pause button is dim and unclickable, what do i do!? 🙁
In traktor go to settings/MIDI clock/enable MIDI clock send
Thanks, but how can i beatmatch into a dj Set when im the next dj in the line up with masterclock?
You need to set Traktors MIDI clock to “Auto” This way your free to adjust the tempo and mix in. I always have mine on auto because I use time code vynil and need flexiblility to adjust tempo(via my turntables) in my sets. Having auto enabled in no way affects Maschines sync, it stays right with you the whole time. Though you may need to use that Sync button on Traktors MIDI clock more often, but not much I need to slap a re-sync maybe every 10 minutes or so, sometimes never, I have only used auto in this setup maybe “master” only alleviates the need to ocasionally re-sync.
Yeah, still trying to figure out a way to set up some control to trigger the MIDI Clock Sync button every now and then. I haven’t really delved into extended delays in Traktor’s Controller Manager.
Hi, i have experience some problems using Maschine in this setup. Suddenly if i load a sound ou edit something, my Maschine controller freezes and i can do nothing. Maschine Software still plays and if you connect and disconnect the controller, the problem continuous. I already tried using Maschine inside Ableton Live and same thing happened. I think there is some incompatibility using the internal Native Midi Sync IN/OUT. So, i am not confident to use this in a live show.
By the way my setup is:
Traktor 2.6.6
Maschine 1.8.2
If someone know a solution to this problem, i appreciate some help. Already google it , and some people have the same problem.
Regards,
you may want to update 2.6.6, it is known to cause a playlist corruption issue… just a heads up.
Thanks for the info. I will !
2.6.8 came out on feb. 27. it had a couple hotfixes, seems to run fairly smooth so far. enjoy 🙂
Maschine 1.x is known for having epic failure for MIDI sync (read as: do not rely on it to sync), but this sounds like your software audio router failing or the fact that you lose play control in Maschine when you click on Sync to External MIDI clock. The only way to get Maschine to play at this point is to click the Sync button in Traktor (that’s why I want two-way communication for these programs). Try setting everything up the way it should be and then clicking on the Syn Play/Pause button in Traktor.
Old news is old. Dubspot and DJ Endo did this tutorial years ago. Please push yourself Ean to write new articles about all the creative knowledge locked in your head not just mine articles from other people. I continue to be unimpressed by the articles coming out from you guys.
hey bruce there is such a thing called email, you dont need to blast ean just because he just said some shit you saw somewhere els…really dude…
Hey Bruce,
The mission of this website is simple:
Inspire and encourage people to find new ways to express themselves creatively through music.
There is a good chance that 80% of our readers never saw a tutorial on this subject, and even if only 5 people get value – that’s worth my time in writing the article.
As you mentioned that other tutorial was done years ago – and things have changed since then – so that alone is reason for a fresh update.
I found this article useful, I would be happy to hear your thoughts on – Maschine vs Roland Tr8. Im already a Traktor DJ but like the idea of adding drum patterns behind.
Yes, Endo (from Dubspot) did cover this topic a while back, but to be fair, I did that tutorial (when I got my Maschine Mikro Mk2) and came to the conclusion that the communication between Traktor and Maschine was really (and I mean exceptionally) bad. I’m very much happier with Maschine 2.0 and believe that the sync problems are nowhere near as bad as they used to be. Before Ean wrote this article, I had resolved to either freestyle or manually attempt to resolve sync issues on my drum machine because the MIDI sync issue was so very bad. I must say (since I bought quite a few Maschine expansions) that I’ll be using more synched-fills now that Ean has revisited this issue.
Seems even with Traktor 2.6.8 and Maschine 2.0.6 it still has huge syncing problems – I just set everything up and after some minutes it can get completely out of sync. Do you have any tips for me that I could try?
I’m having the same problem, did you figure it out ? Thanks
Are you lactating?
Ean what is up with that stain dude lol? great video as always 🙂
I like to take this setup one step further and route Maschine’s audio back in to the 4th deck in traktor. Then I use either https://maps.djtechtools.com/mappings/448 or my midi fighter to apply traktors effects on top of it. I find this provides some super cohesive sounds that match up with the rest of the mix, as it give you access to use the same filters and FX your applying to everything else!! Try it, its Awesome fun sauce.
now THAT is a slamming idea!! i didnt think about MF3D on the 4th deck with audio routed in there. great idea man.
This also allows the use of the loop recorder, Set source to “cue” then cue deck 4 and grab some bars from Maschine’s audio, mix in the loop recorder while mixing out the 4th deck. This solves the age old ” but how do I load a new project in Maschine with out having the audio stop/gap” problem that I hear alot.
I like the idea of using the CUE button as the loop record/play (and shift+cue = delete) option. Most controllers now-a-days have plenty of hot cue buttons that replace the CDJ-legacy “single cue point”… this, indeed is a fresh take on sample management.
I’m currently routing Maschine back into Traktor as a Live Input so I can get Post-fader effect (in Maschine) Pre-Fader effects (in Traktor)… at the moment, I want to maintain Deck C as my Mic input, but I might route that through Maschine as well (as Maschine 2.0 has some sexy vocal effects).
Out of curiosity: what usb cables are those?
dj TT https://store.djtechtools.com/products/dj-tech-tools-high-quality-usb-cable
take a good look at the usb cables in the video.
Do they look like DJTT usb cables??
since when they start producing yellow with matching color ferrites?
possibly a new product coming down the pipe… *cough* chroma cables
oh snap! that would be the best! Chroma cables for the win 🙂
I would try this, but I have to use my Mikro for deck controls. 🙁
I NEED MORE CONTROLLERS.
You Should be able to switch from MIDI mode (controlling your decks) to Standard mode (controlling Maschine software) on the fly. This is done by pressing SHift+control atleast on the full size ones. Hope that helps because this is the funest way to DJ
nice tutorial, but i would still rather pattern loops with maschine and gather them in a .trak file with chunks of old gems like collapsing new people from fad gadget for layering.
I love Fad Gadget… are you also using Visage – Fade to Gray as a looped bassline?
i like to throw in stuff that i used to enjoy, it’s almost always been electronic. new wave, house or industrial in the latish 80’s on my way to ambient, “experimental” techno, jungle and terror core/rotterdam in the mid 90’s. i fell in love with collapsing new people in the early 2000’s due to a dj hell set (citrus lounge, i think… had to hunt that track down for a few years), i’ve checked few of their other tracks, but haven’t bought anything else of Fad Gadget to play with. although i have been known to throw in some butthole surfers, skinny puppy, malhavok or nitzer ebb to a set if the mood is dark and dirty enough. i never called myself a dj, i always said that “i’m just a guy that likes to play his music”.
Sounds like we should be friends. 🙂
Traktor’s virtual output doesn’t exist on windows, you can use this program to create a virtual output: http://www.tobias-erichsen.de/software/loopmidi.html
Cool tutorial Ean!
In windows you also can use a virtual midi port like loopMIDI or LoopBe
Just out of curiosity how was the audio routed?
And what did you spill on your shirt? =p
Neat
what about syncing ableton push with traktor?
The process is allmost the same… check on youtube… there are lots of videos that explain well how do the sync 😉
So is it possible to run alongside the Traktor S4? How would this routing be done audio hookup wise?
This basically works with external mixers, you have to “sacrifice” one stereo channel for Maschine in this setup. You would need to use a separate audio interface, or you could also assign it to your S4 main out, but then you won’t be able to mix the Maschine signal separately from your Traktor.
If you use traktor in internal mode you could configure one input on your S4 as the AUX input, this way you can still use all 4 decks in traktor.
The simplest way is to configure the S4’s sound card as the audio device inside Maschine software. This way there’s no need to hook-up anything and control Maschine’s volume with its volume encoder.
This works, but you don’t have the ability to route Maschine to a deck fader… you’ll have to control the volume on Maschine itself.
question: if Maschine can be used as a controller for the remix deck, and if Maschine is used to control Maschine, can it switch between both using the setup? Or can Maschine do the things a Traktor remix deck do?
The Maschine hardware can switch between “midi mode” and native control of the Maschine software on-the-fly with a simple shift+button press. So yes, you can flip between using the Maschine controller with Traktor and Maschine software.
I use this in my setup sometimes, just hit Shift Control to swap between controlling traktor and Maschine software
something like this…..small test… Sorry for the low qualiy sound… but press “HD” button 😉
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10203290523133847&set=vb.1532997012&type=3&theater
how do you set this up? i’m using the same set-up but the problem is that there would be audio distortion maybe due to latency issues. please enlighten me on your settings?
Hi! I’m using the db2’s soundcard that has a low latency but use lot of cpu… my macbook has the intel i7 2,8ghz, 8gb of ram and a SSD 6gb/s because when i have the hdd on it my mac has your same problem… The ssd speed up the performance of the mac and let me use this setup without any trouble 😉 in the video i’ve the latency set to 192 samples@48khz. IMPORTANT: you must set the same latency in both programs
therefore it won’t work without a solid state drive? is your mac a combination of solid state as well as hdd?
the reason why ssd is better is because information transfer is linear, istead of grabbed in chunks and buffered as it is from platter based hard drives. it has everything to do with the speed at which information that can be read. although it recommended to keep samples and such on a second hard drive to take the “pressure” off your OS drive. the speed at which information is moved and the amount of RAM available in a laptop these days allows (windows at least) to operate without a page file.
no, i totally replace the HDD with an SSD Kingston HyperX 3K 240GB. I use my mac only for music, so i don’t need hundreds of gigabites. i’ve all the music in this drive but i’ve also another SSD in a usb box when i have my vinyls ripped in Wave format…. so one rip is about 100/200mb and i preferred not to overfill the ssd as it gradually loses performance filling.
it’s not that the drive looses performance by over filling an ssd. each block on your ssd has a lifespan determined by delete and rewrite. each delete and rewrite is a cycle and ssd’s these days (from what i’ve read) is about 2000 to 3000 cycles. the 10% hard drive space that used to be recommended is now moot, due to linear information transfer eliminating fragmented files and registry as well as eliminating the need for swap or page files. that being said, swap and files will cause your ssd to burn out faster due to page and swap files constantly buffering to your OS drive.
if you have swapped out your optical drive (dvd drive) and installed a second drive for storage… your OS should be on the ssd, but music and samples can be stored on an hdd with no real hit to performance.
although, if you are talking about a hybrid drive you are out of luck. hybrid drives still buffer information and write it to a magnetic platter in fragmented chunks. the use of solid state drives eliminates this need to buffer as not to bottle neck information at the hardrive’s controller.