Atomix Power Room — VirtualDJ’s web spotlight

Atomix is starting 2015 with a bang, and introduces the Atomix Power Room, a new Youtube series that travels the world and shows DJs experiencing and using VirtualDJ 8 in all its new shiny glory. Expect a lot of scratching.

atomix power room virtualdj 8

2015 is here, and Atomix is back on the VirtualDJ driving seat with renewed vigour. Realising that people need to see VirtualDJ 8 being used in comparable environments to Traktor and Serato DJ, Atomix has set up the Atomix Power Room, a Youtube series showcasing DJs using Virtual DJ 8.

First up is a jaunt to Vancouver, to check out the KlashAkt crew with DJ Abel and DJ Krisp Kutz who both talk about their trepidation about using VirtualDJ 8, but also how happy they were with it.

It’s cool to see Atomix not entirely sugar-coat the video, and at least show that DJs do have doubts about using VirtualDJ. It’s also interesting to see Atomix take a higher profile in such things, as if to underline that they’re a company and VirtualDJ is the product. They still need to unify the VirtualDJ brand ID though, if only to draw that very important line under the old VirtualDJ and push on with the new one.

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Mark Settle
Mark Settle

The old Editor of DJWORX - you can now find Mark at WORXLAB

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117 Comments

  2. well..they sound like shit. to be honest…and demonstrating one scratch sound is nothing much and the video presentation looks to cheap.
    and that delay reverb effect they putted on the voice haha :D and that sign it ain’t good atomix..more money in to commercials move it move it move it ! :D

  3. these so called DJs are straight up toys, bad scratching going on and even worse they all use the same aahh wich is getting really unoriginal, if they want turntablism to be more popular then CHANGE YOUR GAME and be more original, and that applies for promo vids too. The prob couldnt find talent to do that vid.

          • i hope you do, id rather not be in the same building as people with your mindset. the video was simply demonstrating the improvements in VDJ’s Software, not some super edited performance.

            i thought the DJ world was about being creative and playing good music and offering support to each other. if everyone starts hating on people who are actually performing using skill then the scene really is screwed. ill give you some advice, try saving the Troll comments for the actual poor DJs, or take up Marks offer of the software and lets see how good you are

            • thats exactly my point, they weren’t creative, and im not talking about editing, i come from a hiphop background, back in the days if you were wack or biting you would get dissed, thats the culture.

              Now if the demo was better i would have supported it, aside the demo purpose

              • look i can’t scratch full stop, i don’t pretend or even try to so any of it is good to me.

                My point is save the abuse for boring Sync DJs who think Steve Aoki is the greatest living human being and pressing a button allows you to stand around ‘looking cool’ for 4 minutes between transitions, not 2 guys who are just jamming a few scratches out over a HipHop beat, give it 10 more years and DJs like this will be rarer than Tigers, then you will be crying out for some scratch videos on YouTube no matter how good/bad you think they are.

                just go and Google ‘my latest electro mix’ then come back and tell me these guys are doing the wrong thing

      • He actually is fun at parties. After he insults your mom’s deserts he then rolls real pigs in cashmere blankets while busting out 3click tazers. I say invite him to your next gathering. But, honestly tho, them cats did a bad job. I’ve seen the works crew do better testing out the mini innofader on a controller.

        • Showcasing a level of ability or skill that might appear out of reach to the intended audience could make the viewer think that vdj was only for those who have that sort of refined skill level, which would be contradictory to the point of making this in the first place; which is to show a performance that a new person “could” aspire to, because it looked achievable. (and because anybody who isn’t new will have seen vdj with timecode many years ago)
          ps-that’s the head honcho offering you a license so take him up on it, and do a demo :)

    • The whole point of this video series is to show real DJs doing real things. Sure we can pay for the DMC champions of the world to come out and do a routine, like the other guys do but we aim to show real djs out there using this technology, from ppl just learning how to set up a controller or turntables for the first time as well as the pros. I’m going to be traveling around the world and having conversations with DJs at all different levels and capabilities and and don’t need to hear guys like you saying they suck. Just for the record I think these DJs are wicked and did their thang; this wasn’t pre-set routines they were just jamming and having fun. Your level of haterism and bitchassness amazes me. Inspire and positively add, don’t try and tear the community down with your crap. Even if you were 10X better than these guys your attitude sucks. If Qbert saw this video do you think he would be saying “these guys suck”? The guys with real skill appreciate that there are guys out there working and strengthening the culture. You just exposed yourself to everyone in this room with your wackness. Thanks to all the ppl that actually have questions and things to add. Criticism is welcomed but keep it classy. We want to create something great for all of us. Feel free to hit me up personally with your thoughts, ideas and things you want to see in the future. Boom.

      • You are just wrong. It is the guys(and gals) who practice day and night, and acquire great abilities and skills that inspire. the only people who get inspired by mediocre are the mediocre. “Oh look, someone’s applauding banality. Hey that means someone will applaud my trite rubbish, too!”
        Guess what? Some things in Life Suck. and no amount of make-believe positivity can change that. There is nothing “positive” about denial. You know who says twaddle like that? People who want the bar for success lowered down to where they already are, instead of raising themselves up through hard work, sacrifice, and practice.

        • whatever you feel about this video…. but now that you know what its about I suggest in the future this series is not for y’all that want to just throw shade because, like I said all kind of different djs on different levels will be featured and good djs don’t go around insulting others that are genuinely out there trying to do their thing . In fact good ppl don’t go around insulting others. This is a good lesson in life guys; no matter what you do. Respect.

          • ah yes, because anyone who dares to not complete your little circle-jerk of compliments isn’t simply being honest, their being mean, right? That’s classic passive aggressive behavior. Good content doesn’t need to bully anyone into liking it by quickly leaping to portray itself as a victim of insults. There certainly is a life lesson here, but I don’t think you’ve learned it. It is that if you attempt to silence anyone who doesn’t agree with, you are a bully.

      • Saying that those scratch sounds are played out is the same as saying that a saxophone or any instrument for that matter is played out. The instruments have had the same sound forever yet no one is calling them played-out. The Ahh and fresh are a Dejays saxophone.

  6. The video demonstrates that you’d be able to scratch pretty quickly without much lag, regardless of what you think of the DJs’ skills that were demonstrating. Incidentally, I thought in the context of what they were doing there’s a whole load worse out there.

    What Atomix need to do now is get someone to do a full Angelo/Shiftee/Craze routine on it to showcase the potential of more of the features of the software. Sounds like a job for Grandmaster Cutselekta!

    • what your’e saying is obvious, well incredibly obvious actually

      what i was saying is with all that technology available isnt it better to display something more than a couple of aahs? sloppyness aside, maybe DJs dont want to be original and just be copycats?

      • Post some footage up of you rocking on your preferred setup and prove you’re the man coming with all the skills and originality or stay behind your keyboard mincing on anonymously – the choice is yours.

        You must dj under a different name ‘cos there’s nothing on the internet under ‘cutselekta’ – how disappointing, I was preparing to have my mind blown! Share your talent with the world – no point having it if you don’t share it mate!

        • i dont need to prove myself to ignorant ppl who dont understand what a copycat is, if you are fine with boring performances then good for you, i wish you a happy 2015 :)

          dont hate, just relax

          • Same to u mate – don’t waste too much time on the forums in 2015 that you could be spending developing new routines and techniques! All the best you wise old owl

          • I’m not claiming to be a great dj – I’m just someone that’s been messing around on turntables since I was 15 and is now 39 who knows the difference between good and bad and competent and next level skills.

            The minute I start slagging people off that have the balls to put up I’d expect to have to show that I can do better. Where does your stuff hide online Steve?

  7. I’ll say this… Virtual DJ is taking a step in the right direction by separating themselves from the image a lot of people have about their product. When I think of VirtualDJ I think of bedroom DJs, point n’ click DJs (guys who DJ with just a mouse), cheesy mobile DJs, and DJs who download the software for free with no intention of buying it. This video presents a much better and cooler image of VirtualDJ.

          • Haha! Nah, keep it going! I’m an old dude exposing myself from Blackpool, in the UK if you’re not familiar, that’s never been to Canada in my life, unfortunately, let alone married some geezer from over there! With your hophop/graf background I’m surprised you don’t have a bit more respect for the old school mate, some of the originators of your culture will be knocking on 70 now. Personally, I think those that paved the way deserve respect but that’s just me – it’s probably my age!

            For the record, of the 2 guys on the vid the Krispy Kuts guy is definitely the stronger of the 2 and his cuts are decent. The dj Abel guy does lose it a couple of times but you can tell that when he gets in his groove he’s got a few tricky patterns. Is the software responsible for him losing it a bit? I don’t know. Either way they’re both better than me. It’s two guys having a freestyle scratch session using that well worn sample – it’s not gonna set the world alight but it is something that most DJs with a hip hop background will have done at some point in their time as a dj. I know I have with some of the best in the world – courtesy of DJworx as it goes, thanks Mark! – and although I’m not very good at no point did these well practised and highly skilled guys start heckling me – thank God you weren’t in attendance cutselekta, I might have started questioning my place in the culture!

            Anyway it is what it is, and the guys in what is a pretty rough and ready video are not bad – in fact Krispy Kuts is pretty good. Anyway all the best with your djing and other endeavours son. Peace!

        • im european, im not here to promote myself, no need to, was just saying the scratching was bad, why is that making you uopset? are you married to one of those guys?

          • Why do you have to be so rude? I have not seen one constructive post from you yet. You sound like a child, stamping his feet in a supermarket ‘cos mommy didn’t buy him his cocopops. Why indeed are you even here ? Do you not understand the concept of this site ? If you want to bitch about things go back to the school playground and let the grownups talk. Anonymous posts from a fake DJ … how big of you … why don’t you post under your own name, with a facebook profile .. or are you too scared to do that?

            Mark Stewart – 47
            married with a daughter
            Born in Middlesbrough
            Held residencies in Middlesbrough / London / Barcelona
            Played all across Europe for the last 15 years.
            Vinyl collector for 35 years
            Vinyl dealer for 20 years
            1st DJ spot at age 15 in Stockton on Tees

            Who the F… are you ?

            I’m calling you out …

    • If my comments sound that way, I certainly apologize to you and Andrew. I would remind us all that unless we welcome the comments and commenters perceived as negative, then all we have here is advertising. I believe that this site was, is, and shall continue to be much, much more than that.
      This is, after all, a video demonstrating scratching. Scratching is intimately connected to and intertwined with “Battling” I’ll say it again, “Battling!” This ain’t a knitting circle. I would ask Andrew to welcome and embrace the competitive, posturing nature of scratch djs as a key element to solidifying VDJ as a serious choice for scratchers, once and for all.

  11. Leaving aside the performance part of this video, all I can see is VDJ losing cue point positions. Especially the guy on the left is repeatedly missing those chirps cause probably that cue point keeps drifting back & forth. Or he simply can’t do chirps, which cancels the whole point of this demo.

    PS The same thing happened during the entire video below (I’m on the right), with the beta version of SDJ 1.7.2. Thankfully, they fixed it in the official release.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glI7cl10DLs

  12. Still can’t get VDJ8 going on my DVS system (2 Denon 3900’s + X1700 Mixer). One player is fine, but VDJ8 doesn’t initiate the other player’s platter to spin (also no screen display of track info). If I hold the cue button, or spin the still platter the other side will play. I’ve been trying to get this going for about a week, spent about 4+ hours trying to get it going, left a message on the forum (no answer). Read the support page about what needs to be done to get 2 dns-3900’s going. Nothing

    It’s amazing that sites like this will talk great stuff about a product when the reality is that the actual user setup experience can be a nightmare. I like VDJ8 and wanted to use it as my primary software but I can’t. VDJ8 doesn’t work with my system. A simple setup like mine shouldn’t require what I’m going through now to get it going. And even with the player that’s working, I’m getting issues while playing the song. The first few seconds of the song gets played at 5000x the speed. I would say that it skips it, but you can actually hear the first few seconds of the song fly by in about 1/10th of a second.

    VDJ8 isn’t perfect. I really wish is was. I’ve used the other 2 major DJ softwares and I like VDJ8 better. Fix it!

  13. VDJ is just another tool. If it can inspire a new DJ to push the bounds, I say bring on as many tools as possible. Still, I cannot wait for the hate for VDJ to disappear; it seems unfair that something that has such a devoted user base has so much hate from outside that community. DJs with skills are great regardless of tools, so why the hate?

      • I think it’s an interesting business model, sort of akin to SDJ these days but with more potential for your custom experience. For example, that $299 includes karaoke functionality and video. Do you need those? Do you need custom MIDI scripting? If not, then don’t buy them.
        And, at that, $299 for lifetime upgrades is pretty spectacular compared to the competition. Traktor “seems” free but every upgrade usually requires a hardware purchase, or more money down. And Serato DJ is going to get very expensive over the long run, since you can easily spend more than $299 for the full SDJ upgrade AND all the expansions after a few more come through.

        • I’ve used Traktor as my DVS software for three years and didn’t have to upgrade any hardware or pay any additional fee. I take it that you are not a traktor user? A traktor S2 mk1 will still work with the most recent version. My Traktor X1 from 3 years ago, and my F1 from 2 years ago still works with the most recent version of traktor. Where did you get the “every (Traktor) upgrade usually requires a hardware purchase, or more money down.” from? That simply isn’t true. sry

          • I am a religious Traktor user and have been using it for… god… 8 years?
            I am incorrect with what I said regarding more money down thus far, kind of. To upgrade from Traktor 3.4 to Traktor Pro required money down, or owning Traktor Scratch Pro. To upgrade from Traktor Pro to Traktor Pro 2 required an S4 or money down. To get Remix Deck functionality when they were released required an F1. When they went to available MIDI control the functionality was terrible, but it was there, that’s true.
            Same goes for the Slice feature. It’s there, you can use it, but it’s not easy to integrate into external software, and nothing other than the S8 has built in access to it.
            And I am willing to put money down their entire business model is going to change with the release of Traktor 3 to come in line with Serato. I hope it doesn’t, since I personally hate it, but I can’t imagine them not doing it.
            I would be willing to give NI $300 for unlimited lifetime upgrades of Traktor, in a heart beat, if it meant I actually got everything without needing to also buy hardware to unlock it.

            • Come to think of it, I purchased the F1 because the X1s wouldn’t do the remix decks properly. I had 2 F1’s. one for samples and one for browsing, loops and effects. When 2.6 came out, it made the X1’s useless as sample decks. People were upset. So I take it back… You were somewhat correct.

              But I’m starting to get turned off from NI. They seem to be straying away from the turntablelist and going the push button controller DJ route. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I also have issues with NI’s newest versions (2.7.0 and 2.7.1) not being able to scale on windows 8.1 machines with high res displays but I digress. I thought that I would be able to replace Traktor with VDJ 8, but VDJ 8 is a nightmare to setup with my system. Haven’t been able to get it to work after countless hours and 2-weeks.

              • How do you think Traktor has strayed from turntablists? I’m not being trollish, sincerely asking your opinion. As you can read in my S8 review, I had many issues with Traktor 2.7.x compared to everything before.

                • How can you scratch on an S8? NI’s latest and greatest controller (S8) doesn’t allow for any type of turntable tricks. No jog wheels means that they don’t care about folks who want to perform their own chirps, flares, orbits, baby scratches, and the tons of other scratch techniques. Maybe it’s me, but NI from a hardware standpoint could care less about folks who want to scratch. If they did the S8 would have jog wheels.

                  I read about the ability to load scratch samples. How cheesy is that? No jog wheels but it can play samples of other folks scratching? What if you want to actually scratch? Won’t happen on an S8. And I doubt that the next revision of the S2/S4 will have jog wheels. Hope I’m wrong.

                  I’m glad that NI still supports DVS. But DVS doesn’t seem to be high up on their radar lately.

                  • Wait… what? I mean, I kind of see where you’re coming from, but not having jog wheels means they don’t support turntablists?

                    First, if you NEED jog wheels on your controller, get an S4. If you are a turntablist you probably own turntables. So you slap one on either side and you have a full turntablist set up, with scratch samples and everything else.

                    I’m not going to rehash the “no jog wheels” discussion, cause nobody wants that, but to say that NI releasing a giant mixer that doesn’t NEED jog wheels means they’ve abandoned turntablism is madness. You can hook up to four turntables to the device, run real vinyl or DVS directly, and scratch just fine.

                    And how is DVS not high on their radar? They offer it, it works really well, stands its own against Serato’s… What more can they do?

                    • umm…turntablism gets pretty difficult with those big controllers in between two TTS. as with the earlier parts of this discussion, Mr. Mitchell’s thoughts are partially correct. What he is sensing from NI, (and NOT from Atomix and Virtual DJ), is an attempt to control the customers and users. (In this sense, the $299 for VDJ is a great bargain) NI has definitively been about DVS, oh god how they Luvvvv selling those interfaces. However, the partially correct part is that NI is Not About Scratching with controllers; something that began with the Scs1d;, which had they been concerned about their users, Like Atomix IS, they would have integrated into Traktor, and the entire dj gear landscape would be very different today. Mr Mitchell is entirely correct in his thinking that it is time to move away from Traktor if you want to scratch. If hindsight is 20/20, it may take some time for us to exactly put our finger on what was changing at NI, but our gut feeling tells us something surely is, and it’s time to look for something else.
                      Now, I agree that VDJ is more difficult to set up now, than it used to be, and I don’t like it. Once, you get it set up, it works great. Here’s the thing, Do you want a solid “does everything software” at one price, and you know you won’t be asked for more $, if so get VDJ. If you want to order a la cart(video or dvs) and have a good idea of what it will cost, the get Serato. And if you want to use poorly made timecode vinyl, be tied to their interfaces which have more dropouts than a buds class, and be stuck worrying about how much the next version (and it’s undoubted switch to a la cart pricing) will cost you, get traktor.

                    • There’s so… so much wrapped up in your statements I’m not sure if it’s worth unpacking all of it, but here we go.

                      First, fine, don’t use the S8 for turntablism (though you can). Use the Z2, which as far as I understand it, is a perfectly find DJ mixer. Or use an interface (like you would with a mixer and Serato or VDJ).

                      NI isn’t about scratching with controllers? Okay, cool, that’s great. Your criticism is the SCS1 units? You know they are almost universally terrible, right? They are plagued with motor issues and work around 2/3 of the time, and were really expensive when they were released. And before anyone questions, I have done a LOT of work on the SCS1s, consulted with Stanton on them, and integrated their updated mapping to Traktor 2.03, and later to 2.5. Did NI screw Stanton? Maybe. Was Stanton really at the top of their game? Not in the least.

                      And beyond that, they have the S4 and the S2. As far as I was aware, those controllers are just as serviceable at scratching as… every other controller on the market, with the exception of the NS7 (which isn’t a fair comparison) and the VCI-400 which probably had the best MIDI platters put to a controller in a long time.

                      I have my issues with all of the softwares. I’d love something perfect to come along. But to claim that NI is somehow… flat out worse than Serato and VDJ is just bizarre. And your reasons don’t make any sense. Serato loves selling interfaces just as much. VDJ pretty much assumes you’re buying an interface as well, or a controller from someone else… or something.

                      And a la cart pricing is better. VDJ uses it, or charges triple what everyone else does. So yeah, your reasons are mostly opinion and preference, or bordering on trollish.

                    • Hi Jared, of course I know about all the hard work you put into the 1d’s. I put in a lot myself.
                      I think this is a very simple issue, at present, Atomix and Virtual DJ are a software company. Their sole focus is creating and supporting software. VDJ does far more than any other company of supporting any hardware you want to bring to their software. Since they are a software company it behooves them to support as much hardware as possible.
                      NI, on the other hand, seems to be much more focused on creating and selling hardware. Since NI is now a hardware company, it behooves them to support as little of their competitors hardware as possible.
                      Personally, I have found traktor timecode records to be inferior to serato records and have found traktor interfaces to be inferior to serato interfaces. These are with my own experiences with equipment that I used with a wide variety of softwares.
                      The Numark NS7 is the best combination of all possible desired scenarios for DJing. It is great for scratching, ok for juggling, and perfect..just perfect for mixing. I mean nothing else comes close (one can buy one right now, brand new for $699, the original) It is the crowning achievement of the modern digital djing era.
                      The NS7 is supported in Virtual DJ and Serato DJ.
                      It is not supported in Traktor. and so I ask you, why? Why is the best product available, in an “all round” sense, not available in a software that wishes to consider itself among the elite in it’s industry?
                      I believe I have already stated why I think it is not. Because it competes directly with the sales of Traktor interfaces. I feel that we have a duty to point out such conflicts of interest to the readers.
                      (as a disclaimer, I was given my copy of Virtual DJ Pro, many years ago, by Andrew Van Almen. I was also given Traktor, and Traktor Scratch, by NI, and given two sets of SCS1s by Stanton. I purchased my Traktor Pro, Audio 2 & 4 interfaces, and I bought my SL1, SL3, and NS7)

                    • I think you hit the nail on the head. NI is not just a software company. They are providing hardware and software, and Atomix is not. VDJ requires as much compatibility as possible to stay viable, no question. Traktor does not, since they have preferred hardware they are making. They also have an insanely robust MIDI integration, FAR better than Serato. And I prefer their interface to VDJs, though VDJ offers options via scripting. So, saying they don’t “support” other hardware is kind of disingenuous. It isn’t terribly hard for a manufacturer to create a solid TSI, or pay a guy like me to do it, which some have.
                      I have found Serato and Traktor interfaces and timecode to be pretty much fine at this point. I prefer the loudness of the NI interfaces, but it’s kind of 6 to one half dozen to another. Some people like Serato’s, some people like Traktor’s, and I don’t think there has ever been a truly objective comparison done. I would put money down that any comparison would show them to be pretty similar, and come down to preference.
                      You believe the original NS7 is the best all around controller on the market. That’s fine. Frankly, I think the VCI-400 is. And that has a TSI for Traktor, as well as tons of customizability, as well as VDJ and Serato DJ. And that’s a product that got left behind by every software manufacturer, unfortunately, yet still holds its own today.
                      And to say that the NS7 competes with the S4 so it’s not integrated is also disingenuous, since any controller that sends MIDI can be integrated into Traktor (and with a little careful planning can be pretty damn accurate). The jog wheel support is really the issue, and for that communication to happen Numark and NI need to work together. For a variety of reasons, that will probably never happen. To place that solely at the feet of NI, though, is not a fair representation of the situation.
                      Also, as a note, as far as I see it, Traktor still has the best external MIDI support of any DJ software on the market. VDJ comes close but it requires scripting. While I am a huge critic of the controller manager, and have been for a long time, the access it gives to the tools within Traktor is fantastic.

                    • The VCI-400 TSI Traktor file isn’t complete. Namely the LEDs around the Jog wheels that shows que position doesn’t work with the NI’s TSI file. Works with Serato. Not sure about VDJ8.

                    • It doesn’t work because of the misery that is the Controller Manager. My work has gotten it to circle over the course of the entire beat, but not any slower. I’m sure if I really dug into some virtual devices I could figure it out, but I only have so much energy to stare at that thing.
                      The jog wheels work great, though, and that’s a lot more important to me than the LEDs. And you can always make the TSI better for your needs, something you can’t do in Serato and something you need scripting knowledge to fix in VDJ.

                    • Working great is a given for the jog wheels, I wouldn’t get a controller with crappy jog wheels in the first place. But no visual reference and you don’t care? You are obviously not a turntablelist.

                    • I am not a turntablist at all. I never claimed to be, and make it a point to acknowledge that every chance I get. my needs are very different than yours and that’s okay.
                      In fact, it’s what I love about talking to other DJs :p
                      Enough sappy stuff. My point, in the end, is that the representation can probably be added in, it just won’t be perfect. My assumption is it’ll work just like it does on the VCI-380 TSI, where it circles every beat. Goes real fast, but it’s there.

                    • The way that the TSI functions on the VCi-380 is useless for a turntablelist. If all the LED is doing is spinning around, and cannot be
                      manipulated by holding the platter, then it’s useless. If you cannot use that LED to determine a cue point? Scratch at that Cuepoint, and the LED actually move with your scratching motion, then it’s just a gimmick and really a waste of time.

                      You say that it can probably be added in. That sounds really reassuring? A key feature that is needed for a certain popular style of dejaying isn’t present but it can be added. Can be added? :) What good is that if it still isn’t actually there and functioning now? Should we purchase it on the hopes of it being added? The VCI-380/400 has been out since 2011 (or so). If the feature isn’t up and going now with Traktor on the VCI-380/400, it will never be a functioning feature.

                      I don’t think that anyone who purchased a VCI400 would want to lose that feature just for the sake of using traktor, I wouldn’t.

                    • First, the VCI-380 TSI. The LED stops moving when you grab the platter. It moves too fast. With enough work that can be fixed. It doesn’t just spin forever with no reference given at all. It just spins quickly. That’s a limitation of Traktor.

                      Second, you can add it… yourself. With a little elbow grease and effort you can attempt to modify the TSI, something you can’t do with Serato. That’s my point in this whole discussion. What good is it? You get all of the other features in Traktor, as well as fantastic jog wheel response. You want a feature that’s not there? Add it yourself. That’s where the compromise comes in. I don’t want to lose all the things Traktor gives me for a spinning light, that if I really want to I can probably figure out how to put there myself and not need to wait for anyone to update it.

                      That being said, I am not a turntablist. our needs are different. Not better or worse, but different. But even then, we’re discussing the nuances of adding a feature to a controller, not whether Serato or Traktor care about turntablists more. I figure having rock solid DVS support is a whole lot more important. Serato and Traktor both offer this.
                      And as far as the VCI releases, a lot of that is on the state of Vestax itself. Most manufacturers won’t put any work into integrating hardware with Traktor for reasons we’ve beaten to death in this thread. I know that for a fact cause they’ve paid me to do it. But that’s a different argument.

                    • A feature that’s not there add it yourself? Why is NI themselves not creating the TSI files for popular hardware? Instead of leaving it up to the community, which BTW isn’t the best way to have your product represented. You say that Serato and VDJ8 doesn’t offer the configurable settings file like the Traktor TSI file. Serato and VDJ 8 both worked perfect with my non NI controller. In fact they worked better out of the box and didn’t require someone to create a TSI file for my controller. What good is a config file if the software company themselves refuse to update it for the latest controlers? Or even be a part of the process?

                      It ends up being the Wild West out here when it comes to TSI files and non-NI gear. You end up with incomplete
                      TSI files, and missing options that whoever created the TSI file felt didn’t need to be setup. It just isn’t a good
                      look for NI. I didn’t get back into dejaying to become a traktor TSI file editor/expert. VDJ8’s scripting is more complex but guess what? I didn’t have to change anything with VDj8 when I hooked up my controller. Everything worked. Can’t say that about Traktor. VDJ8 worked because Atomix made a concerted effort to have their software work out-of-the-box with my very popular controller. NI didn’t. It isn’t looking good for NI out there for anyone using Non NI gear. There was a time when traktor was just as good with non NI hardware. That time just isn’t now (or the future it now seems). Traktor isn’t the best solution for non NI gear.

                      You say that you wouldn’t want to lose all the things that
                      traktor offers for a spinning light. I’m the opposite, I say that traktor doesn’t really offer anything that special,
                      which would make me want to use the traktor software with the non-working spinning light.

                      Traktor offers rock solid DVS support? That simply isn’t true. My current system suffers from time code drift. Do a google search and you will see plenty of folks with the same issue. Even on another thread on this very website someone is complaining about time code drift on his Traktor DVS system. VDJ8 doesn’t exhibit that behavior. Hence the reason why I’m using VDJ8 now as my DVS software and not Traktor. What’s ironic is that I’m still using my NI Audio 6 with VDJ8 and I get no timecode drift. The same Audio 6 when used with Ni’s traktor 2.6.8 and above exhibits time code drift. So Atomix is able to create a tighter DVS solution with VDJ8 on NI’s very own hardware, then NI could do with their own traktor software. NI doesn’t have a rock solid DVS experience. If it did I would still be using it. When you say that traktor has a rock solid DVS experience, that sounds more like the marketing side of you talking, not the user community side. :)

                    • Why is NI themselves not creating the TSI files for popular hardware?

                      That would be like us writing reviews for DJTT. NI want you to buy nothing but NI gear. It’s not like there aren’t enough Traktor users now – software market share is never going to be a problem. So they only actively support their own hardware with the express intention of getting people to buy it.

                    • So it would be wise to not use Traktor on Non Ni hardware? Why even have a TSI file then? They could just hardcode everything in to match their hardware. The TSI file now seems to be token support for something that NI doesn’t seem to want anymore. And that would be having its software run on hardware that doesn’t have “NI” or “Traktor Certified” on it. I don’t see this improving. Traktor isn’t going to be the solution for Non NI hardware. So why are they even trying? It just seems half hearted and will run anyone away from Traktor who tries to use it on Non NI gear.

                    • Just as a note, that whole marketing thing really ticks me off. I’m not taking it personally, because I don’t think you mean it in any malicious way, but what am I marketing? A product I use, that I have paid for (Traktor Pro 2, not the S8), that I receive no compensation whatsoever from in any way? We don’t get paid for our reviews. We don’t sell their products, we have no incentive, but only for discussion. This is me being just as passionate of a user as you are, evangelizing a product I believe in. Let’s not bring marketing in because it is disingenuous, and is an attempt to dismiss my opinions.
                      In my experience, and the experience of others (I’m assuming, what with professional turntablists using Traktor) that their DVS isn’t terrible. in fact I could probably find just as many people who stand behind it as you do who don’t. So your experience has been negative, and mine has been at times as well, but my experience with other applications has, and I’ve also used almost every application on the market. Hell, there’s a comment on this thread about the misery of actually setting VDJ up. And their DVS has only gotten passable in what? The last 3 months? And I’m sure it’ll get better with Traktor Pro 3, as Serato improved after SSL, and Itch. And I actually think that person complaining about NI’s DVS was in this thread, a few posts up.
                      Once again, it comes down to needs. I have never been 100% happy with the integration of either NI’s gear directly into their software, or Serato. I have always wanted some change, like the default loop lengths, or secondary controls like the sampler, or 4 band EQ instead of a Gain knob, etc. I’ve always wanted something changed. I can’t. And with NI’s branded gear I can’t as intuitively as I should be able to. And once again, the functionality is there, but NI doesn’t build third party TSIs.
                      What good is a config file is the software developer doesn’t update it? It’s… not about a good config file. It’s about having the ability to make a config file that is perfect for me. My workflow is different than yours and my software should accommodate that. Even if the differences are miniscule. And then you have the community side of it. When one manufacturer makes config files they all end up the same, fitting into a template. Hardware manufacturers, and users, have different ideas.
                      And your point regarding the spinning light is completely valid. That was what I was saying. We have different needs. It doesn’t make Traktor worse in any objective sense, just not for you. And I still say it’ll improve with time, just like Serato and VDJ have. And Traktor Pro 2 is 5 years old this year. Serato and VDJ 8 are effectively brand new. We can’t write them off.
                      And, honestly, I think we’re talking in circles. We aren’t going to change each others minds, and I think we have both eloquently, and politely (thank god) expressed our opinions. We are just going to end up talking in circles more. I’m not trying to have the last word, feel free to reply, but I think we should shake virtual hands and go back to yelling about sync :p

                    • I’d just wish the NI’s latest and greatest controller supported scratching. That’s all. No big deal :) The S4 is nice but I already have a Reloop Terminal Mix 8 which I feel is a better unit than the S4. Plus after seeing the newer screen equipped controllers (S8, numark), the S4 becomes even less desirable for me.

                      I like to scratch and I love the new screen based controllers. When I saw the S8 I felt left out. Not everyone wants to lug around a full DVS system to gigs (especially smaller gigs). It’s just that if you purchased the S8 (NI’s latest and greatest controller), and bring that to a gig by itself, you aren’t going to be doing any scratching. That’s a show stopper for me. Of course you could bring another controller with jog wheels to do the job, just not NI’s latest and greatest controller. That’s how they are (starting) to abandon turntablism from a hardware standpoint.

                      By not including jog wheels on the S8, NI has reduced the amount options that they offer in which turntable tricks can be performed. If the S4’s replacement doesn’t contain jog wheels, then we both can say, that from a hardware standpoint NI is lessening their choices.

                      I’m talking from a hardware standpoint. They are also lacking from a software standpoint (I get into that next). Once you start reducing options (which is what NI is doing), and lacking key DVS software features, Then the writing is on the wall. NI isn’t as committed as they once were to my favorite form of the art.

                      NI want’s to push their own hardware. NI’s DVS system hasn’t made the improvements on the DVS side that Serato or even Virtual DJ have made. Things like HID display on external controllers. Serato and Atomix’s software is able to display track, album info, etc.. on the external CD players that support HID MIDI. NI’s HID support is limited to the CDJ 900 nexus and CDJ 2000 Nexus. Strangely enough, NI’s HID isn’t supported on the newest pioneer media player the XDJ 1000. Maybe they will support HID for the newer players down the line, maybe not. Who knows? But if they don’t, then the choices for DVS software would have just been reduced.

                      Look at it like this, folks have their CDJ’s, Denon 3900’s, etc… Serato and even Atomix would be better choices for them because NI doesn’t even pipe the song info to their external players screen display. Already NI is down a strike right off the bat. Even though I’m having issues with my VDJ8 setup on my DVS system, I was blown away when I saw the track info on my Denon 3900’s display. I said to myself “Why doesn’t NI do that”? There are other things as well but I think you get my gist.

                      If NI’s DVS system is lacking in features (which it is) and their own hardware doesn’t even support turntable tricks, then yes, their support for turntablism is becoming less and less. They’re are clearly better options available. I’m a diehard NI person, but after seeing Serato and Atomix’s current DVS improvements. It would be hard for a turntablist to keep using Traktor. And that’s the dilemma I’m facing.

                    • (I’m glad this discussion can continue. Thanks for being civil, etc. We can disagree and all, but I’m always interested in others opinions. That being said…)
                      I’m not sure why you think the S4/S2 upgrade wouldn’t have jog wheels. The S8 is its own thing, I think, and while I understand the concern I just think it’s not realistic. NI isn’t abandoning jog wheels (or turntablists). They are releasing a new product line, which is similar to the Xone:4D.
                      As far as HID support for CDJs, I completely agree with you. This is the problem with the closed circuit NI has created for themselves. They are in their own little world, and they need partners for some things, like that HID display. NI has no real reason NOT to do that.
                      But keep in mind, Atomix and Serato each released their new software versions last year. Traktor 2 is 4 or 5 years old now, and Traktor 3 is probably coming around April (not confirming anything, just my guess following their past trends). Serato Itch was never a finished software, yet people weren’t writing them off. Serato DJ isn’t perfect, but it has finally, after all of these years, surpassed Traktor. But I wouldn’t write anything off until Traktor 3 comes out, and we see what the is coming.
                      I think my confusion with your point is the conflation of HID and DVS. Those are two very different things, and NI’s HID support is definitely lacking. But with the S8 and two turntables/CDJs, what tricks can’t you perform that you can on VDJ or Serato with two turntables/CDJs and a mixer?
                      The display, 100% agree. It is kind of unacceptable that the XDJ-1000 isn’t supported, but we don’t know if that’s a Pioneer decision or NI. Regardless, NI users suffer. But I am not prepared to write Traktor off yet. My guess is the next version of Traktor is going to change more things than the S8 has, or SDJ or Atomix. But remember, Serato is only finally at parity, and partially surpassing, Traktor. It took them years, and the new upgrade is due, and I have a hard time believing NI isn’t going to make serious changes, while also supporting DVS/Turntablism.
                      All of that being said, if NI’s partnerships are going to drop this extremely, then they need to make their own CDJ/media player. No question.

                    • Hope it wasn’t me that caused the thread to get closed :) Any way, it just seems that the more hardware that NI puts out, the more their software doesn’t seem to function as well with non NI hardware. VDJ8 functioned as good, if not better than the software that my controller came bundled with (Serato). Not so with Traktor

                      Here’s my point. Before I start; I fully understand that Traktor 3.0 will be out and certain things might change. But I’m under the impression that certain things won’t change.

                      I purchased a Reloop TM8 controller about a month ago (Love it!!). The TM8 came bundled with Serato. That was my first experience at all with Serato. It was ok, but I’m not 100% sold on it. I decided to give VDJ8 a try. As soon as I connected theTM8 and launched VDJ8 everything worked. Everything was as tight (low latency, etc.) as with Serato. There was a few things that I didn’t like about VDJ8 in regards to music management and search methods. So I decided to see if the TM8 controller would work with Traktor.

                      It was then that I realized that NI doesn’t really want their software out there like that on non NI hardware, and would rather you purchase their hardware. The only mapping files that I found that would enable the TM8 to work with Traktor was community created. NI didn’t even bother. I decided to load up the mapping file. In order to get the TM8 going with traktor I had to go into the settings and make all kinds of changes (there was a user created doc). I didn’t have to do that with VDJ8, it just worked. After making the setting changes (it wasn’t too much to be honest) I cranked up traktor. Everything just seemed off, Latency was very high, to the point where the only thing I could do was just play songs. I’m not sure if NI’s involvement would have made it work better, but it just seemed like traktor wasn’t really optimized for my controller. VDJ8 worked perfect. What gives?

                      I’m sure that NI’s S8 controller doesn’t suffer any latency issues. So if you want a tight Trakor experience? You have to get hardware that has “NI” or “Traktor” on it.

                      It seems now that in order to get a glitch-free, tight experience you have to get hardware that gets bundled with its own software, whether it be Serato, or NI. And I’m willing to bet that Recordbox will be the only decent running software on Pioneer’s future media players.

                      All of this just sucks for the end user. Capitalism can suck at times.

                    • I can assure you this conversation had nothing to do with the thread being closed. :)
                      I have a lot of issues with Traktor right now, resembling those same latency issues you have. Try turning off Multi-Core Support and trying that (make sure to assign Traktor to a core (set affinity) when you do this). Traktor has serious bugs right now, no question.
                      But that seems to be an issue with 2.7, and while the fixes are there, they aren’t perfect.
                      And I want to make it clear: Traktor is far from perfect. I’m curious what you think will not be changed that is make or break, because I have almost no idea what’s going down. They are very tight lipped.
                      I had tons of issues with the S8 in Traktor 2.7. Read my review. I tried to be as open as possible. The problems were not just with the S8, though, but with Traktor as a whole. And if the multicore thing doesn’t work, contact them and see what they say. They’ll at least help a little.
                      I don’t think Rekordbox is going to go in that direction, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it did. I think it would be a bad move on their part, since so many of their sales of controllers are linked to Serato (the DDJ-SX wouldn’t have sold nearly as well if it was Rekordbox only).
                      These kinds of competitions hurt us all, but that’s also a software issue, much more than hardware. There are tons of controllers to buy, but their integrations rely on software, something the market still hasn’t really adjusted to. Hardware used to dictate our choices, but now the hardware almost doesn’t matter. It all depends what app it’s plugged into.

                    • Tony, it’s not just Reloop, I have a traktor Scratch certified mixer the DENON X1700 (their flagship mixer and an established brand – and for that matter a bleeding expensive one too) and I just can’t get a stable vinyl timecode response from anything after 2.6.2. NI don’t seem to care too much, blaming Denon or my kit. I think you are correct in saying NI now are only interested in their hardware solutions …. BTW give deckadance a try, I was pleasantly surprised with the experience ..I’m not brave enough to use it out yet …but it may be my next software solution.

                  • NI’s position is that if you want to scratch, add CDJs or turntables. They provide everything else, bar the decks that you probably own anyway. They’ve been pretty clear on that, and is why they haven’t brought out a separate MIDI deck.

                    Your extrapolation of an S8 equalling death to Traktor turntables is quite a reach.

          • Yeah, there are other licensing options for VDJ the competition doesn’t use. Granted, you can buy a controller and just get SDJ. Same with Traktor. So there are alternatives.

  16. After the recent releases of TSP, I’ve been looking for an alternative DVS solution as the timecode drift since 2.6.8 is now at a point where I can’t use it. NI have gone quiet on the issue, concentrating on their new baby the S8. So, I may give this a whirl, only thing is the timed demo is 10 mins, not enough time to get a real feel for it ..and as soon as I click timecode it asks for a paid upgrade. How do I test Timecode vinyl with an external mixer without paying upfront for it ? I have tested the deckadance DVS solution and I was impressed to say the least, coupled with Luis’s external screens he’s developing that could be my next solution. I just want a simple reliable DVS solution thats not tied into very expensive hardware. I’d like to use my NI/Denon/Pioneer hardware with another software solution, so going to Serato isn’t an option now ..too much money invested.

    • I too have the time code drift in traktor. My setup consists of 2X Denon 3900’s and an X1700 Mixer. I’m looking at other solutions. Right now I’m using my NI Audio 6 with VDJ8 and the timecode is tight. I couldn’t get it to drift no matter how hard I tried. The que mark was always on point. I’d scratch a section, go forward scratch another section, spin back the platter (several times) to the first section and the mark was still at the same place. Traktor failed this test every time. I sat there doing all kinds of crazy scratches that weren’t even scratches just trying to get it to drift. Que marks remained constant.

      I spent all weekend with VDJ8. I can honestly say that I’m officially done with traktor. I might come back when 3.0 comes out but I don’t see them making any improvements on the DVS side. Traktor seems to get worse and worse with each version when it comes to DVS support. I tried Deckadance last night but I didn’t like the interface.

      I’m not sure how NI dropped the ball. But they cannot expect folks to continue to use bugged software (DVS) when they’re solutions out there that are better. I’m actually using Serato as well (who would have thunk it?). I really wanted to keep using Traktor, but the DVS portion isn’t usable. They’re are tons of other issues that I had with Traktor that I’m not even going to bother mentioning.

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