Friends again: Traktor and Pioneer DJ NXS2 are BFFs

After closing the door in the face of rekordbox software competitors, it seems that the door has been edged open, and Traktor and NXS2 units will play nice.

pioneer dj nxs2 traktor

pioneer dj nxs2 traktor

Closed ecosystems have a lot going for them. But in the DJ industry, it’s something that hasn’t aways worked out so well. Native Instruments adopted this model, but their vision of the future wasn’t to everyone’s liking. And not learning lessons from recent history, Pioneer DJ marched off down the same path with rekordbox, and released new CDJs and DJMs without a smidgeon of compatibility for other leading software packages.

But it would appear that lessons may well have been learned, and Pioneer DJ has officially announced compatibility for the DJM-900NXS2 and CDJ-2000NXS2 units. Here’s the official word:

Pioneer DJ NXS2 set-up now compatible with TRAKTOR – CDJ-2000NXS2 and DJM-900NXS2 now support TRAKTOR PRO 2 and TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO 2 including USB-HID control

Native Instruments’ TRAKTOR PRO 2 and TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO 2 DJ software is now compatible with the DVS feature of our flagship DJM-900NXS2 mixer, and the USB – HID control feature of our CDJ-2000NXS2 multi player. This comes under the Pioneer DJ Certification Program, an initiative to evaluate products from other companies and certify them as compatible with our DJ gear so you know you can use them together with confidence.

Simply connect the DJM-900NXS2 to your PC/Mac and you can instantly use TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO 2’s hands-on timecode control feature to control digital audio files on your computer using turntables (with the TRAKTOR SCRATCH control vinyl) or via the jog wheels on multi players (using timecode CDs). And set change overs are made easy, with two built in sound cards.

You can use the CDJ-2000NXS2 to intuitively control TRAKTOR PRO 2 including scratching and tempo adjustment without needing a timecode disc. The deck also displays track titles, artwork and other information from the software so you can quickly select your next track without looking at your computer.

Registered users can download the latest version of TRAKTOR (version 2.11.0) for free to use the DVS feature with the DJM-900NXS2, or to use USB-HID control with the CDJ2000NXS2. You’ll also need to update your firmware for the CDJ-2000NXS2 to Ver.1.50, and for the DJM-900NXS2 to Ver.1.20 if you haven’t already.

KEY FEATURES OF USING THE DJM-900NXS2 WITH TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO 2

  1. Intuitive DVS and scratch control
    Plug your PC/Mac into the DJM-900NXS2 and use the TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO 2 control media (control vinyl or CDs) to intuitively control and scratch with digital audio files stored on your computer. If you’re using a CDJ-2000NXS2, you don’t need a timecode disc.
  2. Seamless DJ changeovers
    Taking over from the DJ before you and handing over to someone else at the end of your set is seamless thanks to the DJM-900NXS2’s dual built-in sound cards. Two top-loaded USB ports and input selector switches let you and another DJ connect your computers to the mixer at the same time, so there’s no complicated connection process.
  3. Use the DJM-900NXS2 as an audio output device for TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO 2
    Thanks to the DJM-900NXS2’s built-in sound cards, you can output audio signals from TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO 2 without needing an external audio interface. The USB sound cards enable 96 kHz/24-bit high-quality sample processing and you can input/output each audio signal and maintain sound quality just by connecting the mixer to your PC/Mac. Use the settings on your computer to configure the audio routing from the mixer to your preferred mode, such as DJ performance, track recording or track creation.

KEY FEATURES OF USING THE CDJ-2000NXS2 WITH TRAKTOR PRO 2

  1. Intuitive control
    Simply plug your PC/Mac into the CDJ-2000NXS2 and control TRAKTOR PRO 2 without the need for a control disc. Intuitively scratch and use performance features including loops, tempo adjustment, and play/cue, which are all linked to the software.
  2. Track information on CDJ-2000NXS2’s screen
    You’ll see text information, artwork images and wave form from your tracks in TRAKTOR PRO 2 displayed on the CDJ-2000NXS2’s high-resolution screen, so you can quickly find and select tracks by using the rotary selector on the deck.
  3. Use the CDJ-2000NXS2 as an audio output device for TRAKTOR PRO 2
    Thanks to the CDJ-2000NXS2’s built-in sound card, you can use it to output audio signals from TRAKTOR PRO 2 without the need for an external audio interface.

The Subtle Difference

The key word here is certification. Previously, hardware would fall under the respective programs of NI (Traktor Certified) and Serato (Serato DJ Enabled). This would involved the software companies umming and aaahing and generally making hardware companies squirm while charging a pretty penny for the pleasure of supporting their assorted mixers. The hardware companies would be extremely grateful to be able to boast that their offerings would work out of the box with your software of choice.

But Pioneer DJ has turned the tables (geddit?) now controls this program, and I’m suspect that they’re not paying a penny to NI or Serato (compatibility has been announced too) either for the pleasure. It’s mutually beneficial for everyone concerned. But I imagine that it’s an uneasy truce, especially between Serato and Pioneer DJ.

In more recent times, NI has tolerated the unofficial hack that made 3rd part mixers work with Traktor Scratch Pro, if only because it means more people will use it and stick with it, and it doesn’t cost them a penny in support either.

But times have definitely changed, and the software companies find themselves in a weaker position than before. Pioneer DJ has rekordbox, and doesn’t technically need Traktor or Serato DJ to succeed. While mercenary, Pioneer DJ could essentially cut off every other software product from their ecosystem, and make the end user to get used rekordbox.

But here’s the problem

There’s a huge world of DJs out there totally locked into their software of choice. Moving many thousands of tracks and crates to rekordbox is doable via Rekord Buddy, but it’s not ideal when someone is so invested in Traktor or Serato DJ. There’s also the fact that rekordbox is still new, and not without its teething troubles. So to force DJs to jump ship, and for that ship to not quite be proven seaworthy in the minds of DJs isn’t a great plan.

This has been reflected in the sales of new Pioneer DJ units. Industry sources tell me that venues aren’t upgrading to new NXS2 units because of this lack of compatibility. And if that’s happening in clubs, then you can be sure that it’s happening further down the chain too. End users don’t want to shift to rekordbox, and clubs don’t want to invest in spangly new gear just to have it sit idle. It’s an impasse.

So this shift in policy from Pioneer works for everyone. It’s certainly better to open the gates up again so that users can upgrade if they want, and at the same time its rekordbox in their hands for them dabble with and try out. Give it a year or so of honing and people will have considerably more confidence in rekordbox, which does lead to a potential situation where an established market share could see the gates closed again.

So if you’re a Traktor user, you can now upgrade your DJM and CDJ NXS setup to the latest Pioneer DJ shiny offerings. Let’s hope that the spirit of cooperation continues and spreads so that the DJ scene can return to a more open time.

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Mark Settle
Mark Settle

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

Articles: 1228

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20 Comments

  1. We are in special situation which x86 platform growing slowly (and creating angry users claiming for new macbooks with rumours about apple event this month)
    In other hand you find more and more standalone projects (with Raspi, FPGA’s…) and in the mainstream Traktor/Serato struggling with updates, macOS sierra promising stability (lost with el Capitan) and Pioneer trying to enter the Arena with rekordbox meanwhile keep themselves as the standalone standard…

    Future of Sound? Who knows…
    Future of Djing? Back to basics with two turntables and a mic…

    • Since the last of the power pc and RISC processors were replaced by Intel processors in Macs, it’s all x86 architecture. All I have to say about Traktor… wait till you see what the next update has in store for its’ users.

      • I’m talking about Arm inside Raspberry pi (or iPads) and FPGAs and desktop/laptops issues with intel tic toc to tic tic toc schedule chips slowling all the x86 platform (meanwhile iPhones catching the macbook air and even a rumoured macbook air with a10x in the “air” lol).
        About traktor if it’s not related to iOS it doesn’t going to worry me… And it comes to iOS (maybe an updated app made for transition all this mesh like seemed three years ago with the iPad air launch and some videos pointing to traktor with video (link below)) then I’m in the right position (iPad mini 4) BUT if not standalone players with Rasberry Pi (or even a NUC like thug rumble mixer) seems the only option in this blocked market (x86 hardware) and more suitable for the majority of budgets.

        • Honestly, I’ll take an i series Intel any day over an ARM. Don’t get me wrong, Acorn is decent architecture, but it’s lower power consumption. Other than the huge amounts of L3 cache, an i series processor uses more power and has a significantly faster FSB. This directly affects the speed in which binary is processed and distributed. The issues that you are talking about with the Intel release schedule are a result of a thinner die on the processor and the stability of the flow of electrons through the die. Instead of the usual 2 year schedule Intel is known for, they opted for a 3 year instead to increase profitability and to space the release dates out a bit for the consumer.

          As for using a NUC, again lower power consumption (slower electron traffic) and chip mounted on board… not a fan. I like something that I can fix when it fails. Not if it fails, computers are designed to fail over time. The fact that most of these things are surface mounted ball solder is the dead give away, as your die warps over time they peel from the board. If you’ve ever had to reflow a GPU, you know what I’m talking about. A lot of NUCs only hit the required specs for operation. There is a difference between required and recommended. It is recommended that you use more than the recommended specs given due to the lack of page files and swap partitions from the use of SSDs. The OS now has to be held in volatile memory.

          As for an iPad, the cost of 2 of them is more than an affordable Lenovo with an i5 and an upgrade of a 240Gb SSD and a matching set of 16Gb of RAM. Some of us like doing more than one thing at a time and holding more than a few Gb of music. My current laptop runs Traktor, Maschine and Komplete Ultimate. It’s an on the go studio, not just an instrument.

          • Yeah sure but Apple seems not care about users like you or almost point most of them will be ok with iPad pro. All the drawbacks you pointed and more (soldered ram ie…) are real but business is business and one-function machine were also the “usual” (from mpcs to toRaiz, from turntables to cdjs) so IoT and Arm offer A chance (30€ for a raspi…)

            http://Www.pideck.com

            ITOH Djs have slow tech evolution (the thing which was cheat 5 years ago is today “gospel truth” starting with final scratch and laptop djing finishing by dvs on iPads). Most of thrm doesn’t want more than A>B mixing. Most of them will prefer a dedicated hardware. Most of them directly hate laptops but feel ok about advanced cdjs (which are a embeded computer nowadays) because these seem computerless.

            Djs usually want one-function machines due if your laptop fails all your set fails with it. Two iPads are two chances, if one brokes the other take the place but I still see the point and that’s why I said “arm standalone one function machines”.
            That’s how Pioneer had become an standard like Technics was: one function and stable machine.

            Djs doesn’t care about reflowing mainboards. They care about made enough money to buy the next hardware or fix their old. Anyways Native seems trying to keep both worlds and 2.11 isn’t a usual numbering as actual intel chips in Macbook pro aren’t pro neither but this combo is the most advanced one in djing realms nowadays but ¿It’s the most popular? Gone back with Pioneer support, add Link and step secuencer are one step in each direction to keep themselves inside all the trends (A>B, iPads and Live producing like dj808, volcas etc etc…)

            If the rumours about new macbook pro are real it will reinforce the x86 portion of “game” but don’t forget that Link was first implemented in iOS as Siri, as Core Audio stability (meanwhile people were ranting about el Capitan iOS users had recieved usb3+charging from iPad pro, garageband updates etc etc)
            So it’s not a question about being right or wrong or taste neither… it’s about expending few thousands into a platform which even Apple seems not care so much against standalone solutions (expensive in pro such pio or iPad; cheap with Raspis) and about how “many things” one need/expect from the setup.

    • Mixxx can do everything your two turntables can do, is opensource and can run on non-x86 platforms. It is only a matter of time until someone creates a ARM based device for standalone DJing.

  3. Now all they have to do is open the door for Serato. Pioneer’s strength in the DJ booth over the past few years has been due to it’s durability and flexibility when dealing with software. It’s my opinion that making the unit Rekordbox ready only would have hurt it’s market share, giving way to Mixers like the Model One and the 92 or PX5.

  4. Personally i think all major software should talk to each other full stop, allowing all DJs to switch seamlessly to their preferred option, and also latch onto any equipment alongside whatever the other DJ is using.

    i would even go further and suggest Pioneer add the HID capability to Nexus, that way the deck sends what it needs to the mixer which then feeds it via USB to the laptop (or even through Ethernet/Thunderbolt, now that would be cool) allowing somebody to just plug into the mixer and start mixing direct from their laptop with one cable connected.. then we would really see ‘next level shit’

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