Traktor Remix Mapping - the controversy and the facts

Traktor Remix Mapping – the controversy and the facts

Traxtor remix mapping

Who knew Traktor Remix mapping was so controvesial?

My my… it seems that Native Instruments have ruffled a few feathers within the controllerist community with a single forum post that essentially said that to get the fullest Remix Deck experience, you’ll have to buy the new Kontrol F1 hardware, and that it wasn’t possible on any other MIDI controller – not even Maschine. Spitting feathers was an understatement.

This got my inbox twitching, so being the diligent hack that I am, and wanting the full picture, last week I fired off a deliberately provocative email to NI, designed to illicit a response about this obviously contentious matter. Here’s what I sent:

“Does this mean that to use the remix decks to their fullest capability, you’re forcing people to buy at least one Kontrol F1? You won’t be able to map other NI products, let alone 3rd party controllers to Remix Deck functions?

For argument’s sake, let’s say I own a MIDI Fighter Pro, APC40 or A&H K2 and want to map them to the Remix Deck functionality – you’re saying that you simply won’t allow this to happen? Or is it a limitation of the current controller manager? Or can current open protocols simply not handle the complexity of messaging so you need to do some fancy proprietary messaging?”

Oh I got a response alright. Sorry if I annoyed you NI, but this needed an answer. And essentially, the original forum post is correct, but doesn’t give the complete picture, something that we now have, thanks to a couple of detailed skype calls with the NI mothership.

Firstly the good news, there will be limited mapping ability for Remix Decks in Traktor v2.5 NI have  also told me that more (rather than the expected less) functionality will be added in future versions of Traktor.

But right now in the upcoming v2.5, the interaction between Traktor and the F1 is currently hardcoded in a deliberately closed loop. This will allow NI to hone and perfect the workflow without impacting on anything else. Things are getting so complex now that a small change in one place can have a house of cards effect and break much more than it fixed. Thus the full Remix Deck functionality remains closed off to everything else except the F1.

For now that is.

Once NI are happy that the workflow functions as they want it to in the closed loop, they’ll open it up to mapping in the controller manager. This is no easy task, as it’ll require quite a bit of deconstruction of Traktor and the controller manager to reengineer relevant parts to work in an open manner.

But, and here’s the big but – the complexity of interaction needed for full Remix Decks use simply isn’t achievable with current open protocols. For example I’m told that there is no standardisation for third-party controllers in terms of LED control. So it seems that there are wider issues that just making a button work. Things are getting complex in there.

So can you or can’t you?

So you’ll probably be able to maps parts of the Remix Decks, but not the whole lot. Well… that’s what they tell me, but some round these parts are ready to rise to the challenge. I may offer a prize for the first to be able to achieve successful Traxtor remix mapping.

NI tell me that the addition of Remix decks is not just a new feature – it’s like having a whole new application grafted into the heart of Traktor. I guess what they are hinting at here is that they have basically shoehorned the cooler performance elements of Ableton Live inside Traktor. They’d never say that, but to me, that’s largely what this looks like.

So this move is to ensure that Remix Decks actually works without breaking anything else. But bear in mind that the complexities of the F1’s hardcoding may mean that even after the options are coded into Controller Manager, it would be hard for anyone to provide a user experience as tight as the F1 manages. And if you do rise to the challenge and really can make 3rd party controllers work with Remix Decks, they joked that a job could be waiting for you at NI.

So just to recap – yes, the full Remix Deck functionality is closed for the moment, but it is purely a quality control thing. Mapping will open up, but NI don’t believe that full functionality is currently possible via mapping alone. Time will tell on that one of course. An official statement is coming, and will be added in here.

But how does this bode for the future of Traktor Remix mapping?

It must be borne in mind that closed systems are nothing new. Maschine’s software doesn’t work without the hardware. Want to use Traktor Scratch? You’ll need an NI interface for that. And Serato’s loop has been partially closed (SSL) or fully closed (ITCH) since day one. There’s also the issue of how much Remix Deck functionality will be found on 3rd party controllers, if at all. NI really do seem to be transforming into the Apple of the DJ industry – hardware and software tightly knitted together for a much better user experience. Perhaps they’ll license these features out for a fee. Or perhaps they’ll keep the loop closed and sell more controllers.

There’s something to be said for this – proprietary performance from NI and Serato controllers is as good as you can expect from jogwheels. But when you try to get conflicting packages to work with software that they weren’t designed for… well it’s not exactly awe inspiring. Closed loops traditionally work so much better – making software work with a very limited range of hardware means massively reduced lead times, tighter controls and ultimately a better product with less support issues. Ever thrown a VST at Ableton and had it grind to a halt? Exactly.

To be honest, I wouldn’t blame NI, or anyone for that matter if they did close the loop. I have no idea if making an ITCH controller mappable to Traktor helps sell more controllers or copies of Traktor. In my experience, people are fiercely loyal to a brand (usually software) and would most likely want a controller that bears that name too. And while the DJWORX team is full of MIDI geeks (myself NOT included in that), I wonder how many users just want to use the product out of the box and never hanker for anything but a plug and play experience. While I applaud the open mentality, I just want my gear to work first time, every time. And work without compromise.

Logical extension of this does lead to a rather interesting place. If open messaging just can’t deliver the levels of complexity that users are demanding, is the end nigh for user mapping? Do the big boys need the niche community to come up with cool new things? The NIs and Seratos of this world certainly have the resources and connections to deliver scoops of nextlevelness without recourse to the niche communities. And being able to deliver them in a tightly engineered closed way, especially when things are likely to get way more complex, is the way to go.

That’s just my opinion of Traxtor remix mapping. But what do you think? Open or closed? Flexibility or a tighter user experience? Would you still use Traktor if it was closed? Would you use ITCH if it was open? It’s quite a broad topic, but one that demands your feedback.

The Old Owner
  1. I want everything to work right out of the box, no need for open anything (although I wish NI would get it together and get advanced HID working on Pioneer CDJs like Serato has had for a couple of years now). Not that I am interested in the Remix decks anyways. I’ll be upgrading to 2.5 as soon as it’s out but I will never use the remix decks (except for how I use the sample decks today).

  2. @Gavin Varitech:
    At least the Advanced HID Part looks like it could finally happen after all the long waiting if NI’s recent Traktor on the Record is to be trusted: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/native-instruments-traktor-advanced-hid/blog/9519
    Anyways, I’d like to have a plug and play out of the box experience while still maintaining open protocol standards and interoperability. I find it so much better to be able to mix and customize the gear that seems to best fit ones creative needs.

  3. Well that’s knocked my plans for six!

    I was going to give Traktor 2.5 a shot for under £70, but if I’ve got to shell out £200 for an F1 when I already have a bag full of controllers, that’s a big no-no.

  4. Silly as it might sound, I’m perfectly fine with the closed platform – I just want to be able to plug ti in and have it work out of the box with as little fiddling about as possible. Not that such news really irks me, given that I was planning for just their hardware to replace my current gear in the first place

  5. “Once NI are happy that the workflow functions as they want it to in the closed loop, they’ll open it up to mapping in the controller manager. This is no easy task, as it’ll require quite a bit of deconstruction of Traktor and the controller manager to reengineer relevant parts to work in an open manner”

    Translation:

    “Were knocking off Live, and creating some expensive as Hell hardware that is invalidated by dozens of controllers already. In order to make our money back, we need to sell this hardware really good, so until we make a ton of money, you’re stuck using our system. Once we make our money back, we’ll open up the protocol, tell you we created some arcane mapping technology that Live has had since it’s inception, and then let you go back to using your cheap clip launchers.”

  6. two comments. firstly it is extremely annoying and quite the f you to all the people who use the software and follow news about the updates. i have yet to understand why the hell they didnt just mention all this when they first made the F1 official. it was obviously a marketing ploy which is ridiculous. its high time NI realize that though they are running a business, they are suppliers of a product and as such they should focus more on providing good and accurate descriptions of EXACTLY what this product can or cannot do. i don’t need any more high profile djs on youtube videos showcasing their button mashing and other abilities. sure that shit is great fun to watch but before that flashy video i want a clear and concise idea of what the capabilities of this particular machine are.

    as for the open vs. closed. i think the question really is, what provides the greatest level of stability AND performance versatility at the same time. ive been a laptop based dj since 2007 and i mostly do weddings and private events at club/hotel. and so far in my experience closed has been better. the better integrated they are more stability they offer. if that is the future then so be it. but i think its important to note that the key here to be able to provide tighter and more stable integration! if they close the system and can’t even provide then then i’ll move back to virtual dj or consider serato. market factors are also at play here. if NI decides to close off their systems then over time they will lose the hobbyist market share which i imagine is an important portion of their sales and this is not something they want to do. i imagine what they may do ever time is produce hardware that will start unlocking certain “pro” feature. the hobbyist (and even pros) can do without these feature.

    i want to know what other controls does F1 provide a user with! also while im here does anyone know why traktor isnt a 64bit program?

  7. Well, the other way around. The same scenario happened with traktor Kontrol S4 when it cames out.

    You can use it only with Traktor Software, it doesn’t work as standalone, neither as a midi controller with third party software like SSL. BUT, you get 512 steps resolution against 128 steps of any other controller out there because of the native language. I’ve been trying several controller and no one is comparable to kontrol S4.

    I like the comparison with Apple Marketing strategy, which is a winning strategy so far. And I love the fact that you don’t have to loose time and become crazy mapping all of the controls. Plug & Play has never been so perfect term to describe NI Hardware.

  8. I’m reading a lot of comments about the cost of this controller. Let’s give it some context. A lot of those complaining about the cost will most probably be upgrading to v2.5 for free. So you’re getting a full upgrade that NI would normally charge for with all the Remix Deck stuff for nothing. NI aren’t making any money on giving away upgrades, especially reaching as far back as they are. There is benefit for them, but not financial.

    The controller – £199 is a decent pair of headphones, 50 drinks in a club or 5 decent console games. Importantly, it’ll last much longer and be way more useful. But you also get a full version of Traktor in that price too. Seems like quite the bargain to me for what you get in return.

    Most people who are voicing disdain (which is the vast minority of users) , seem to be bothered about NI closing off the loop to other controllers or at least at launch. They’re wilfully missing the fact that NI have come up with a potentially game changing workflow which they’re more of less giving away to most users, or providing a lump of hardware designed to exploit those features to the fullest.

    Why should NI make it work with 3rd party controllers? They make really good software and hardware and want you to use them together. I suspect that most potential users will rush out and buy one with the confidence that the F1 will be the best controller for the Remix Decks. And those buyers will most probably use it without even thinking about custom mappings and be very happy indeed.

    Sales of F1s will number in the 10s of thousands globally, and my guess is that the people unhappy with all this are in the hundreds – not really a number that NI can consider as a reason to spend a disproportionate amount of time and money to keep happy. The DJ market is too niche to pander to every minority’s need, especially if doing so has the potential to compromise a product.

    Another way to look at this – DJs are a conservative bunch, and the vast majority of users might not even give a crap about Remix Decks. So the approach that NI have adopted here makes much more sense. Keep it closed, get it running and see what happens. If it takes off, then develop it further and open it up. What NI are actually doing is presenting this new idea for the first time with a highly focussed and compelling workflow that they know will work. No point in putting out something that has been compromised just to keep a relative handful of MIDI mappers happy. It’s solid business sense that will keep the vast majority of customers happy.

    This whole thing has taken taken all the focus away from the actual product and what it can do. The Remix Decks are pretty damned hot, as is the F1. That’s what we should be focussing on. So let’s look past the poorly worded forum post fuelled by some knee jerk reporting and see the real bigger picture. And if you’re honest, many of you who are actively hammering your keyboard in disgust, were most probably going to buy an F1 anyway.

    “Do not concentrate on the finger or you will miss all the heavenly glory”.

    1. The issue really isn’t with a “buy it to use it” strategy, it’s more along the lines of how the Remix Decks fit into the ecosystem. If clip based performance is your thing, you probably already own a Launchpad/APC/whatever, and are very comfortable with it. Now, in order to use a workflow integrated with Traktor, you have to buy NI’s hardware. So instead of having a more closely integrated clip launcher, you have an entirely different ecosystem to buy into.

      NI aren’t shutting down a niche market by not including MIDI support, they are literally alienating their core market, and telling every Ableton user (the only people that actually care about the Remix Decks) that they can pony up for NI’s shiny new hardware, or piss off. NIs shift into a hardware driven company has really caused them to shoot themselves in the foot with this, they’re not only insulting their target market, they’re giving them a bill, and potentially ruining the competitive advantage NI had over Ableton.

      1. I see what you’re trying to get across, but allow me to give you my view on this.

        We have to decide if NI are trying to bring Live users to Traktor, or give Traktor users Live features. I think it’s the latter. With the Remix Decks and F1, NI are offering the best Live features in a single package – one that requires just one piece of tightly integrated software. And when Maschine is fully integrated with Traktor, the need for Live will be even less.

        If a Traktor DJ wanted to get into clip based workflows, they’d have to buy something like a Launchpad and run Live in a separate window, and get Traktor and Live talking – not an attractive workflow at all. The reverse is true too.

        We mustn’t lose focus on how NI are offering existing users a Live like workflow in a tightly cohesive package. I’d say that Traktor users are going to be all too happy to invest in an F1 to get it, and it’ll sit quite happily next to the X1 they already have.

        As for shooting themselves in the foot – NI are doing pretty well with closed hardware/software packages to the DJ market. Sales of Maschine and Traktor Scratch are pretty epic. They are canny businessmen, and it must be remembered that at the back of all this, they’re trying to make the most amount of money by pleasing the biggest amount of people.

        This reminds me of the recent Final Cut Pro mess, where pros claimed to be ditching it at Apple’s betrayal yada yada yada. And now they’re all back using it again, because at the heart of it all, they know it, love it and trust Apple to deliver. And the same is true with this. Mark my words – the F1 will come out to universal acclaim, NI won’t be able to supply enough, and the current vocal people will go out and buy an F1 and be deliriously happy.

        T’was ever thus.

        1. See this is where I think I’m not following you. The F1/Remix decks are aimed at producers, or DJs into production. If the Remix Decks were baked into Traktor, I could see it taking off, but when it requires a $300 upgrade to Traktor, when a Launchpad and Live Lite costs around half that, only the invested producers and controllerists are going to make that leap.

          NI are already dealing with a minuscule audience with the F1 as it is, locking functionality to the F1 only cuts off all but the middle of that spectrum between producers, who would use it in addition to their hardware and workflow, and DJs, who would dabble in clip launching to supplement a set, and adds a $300 barrier to entry to it. Their market just shrunk to well invested controllerist-producers who aren’t Live users, and don’t like a production type workflow. Not exactly the average producer.

          The reason I don’t equate this with the Maschine and S4 is because those are fully integrated systems working around the controller that provide feedback (screen) and/or latency (NHL) that gives it an edge over other hardware. The F1 is essentially Live Lite-Proprietary Edition, only controlling an extrenuous addon to the S4’s software.

          However, I will say that this move isn’t NI shooting themselves per se, but rather their shift to a focus on hardware, and then not bringing anything significantly innovative to the product. Pioneer gave us digital file manipulation, Rane gave us PnP audio integration for a DVS, NI gave us controller integration with the S4, and now their follow up is an expensive, proprietary version of exactly what we’ve been able to do for years. If they’re going to be a hardware company, they need to choose between definitive hardware, and flexible hardware.

  9. Keeping it locked for the moment, seems understandable to me – having their product being rock solid must be of upmost importance to most proffessional users. Its reason i have always used Serato products as you know what you are getting and what to expect – if extra features mean flakey performance then its not for me. All the N.I. users i know say there is a fair bit of jigging around required to get the best from Traktor Scratch or even the S4 which isn’t really something i would always want to do.

    In regards to cost & etc you really seem to be getting a lot for your money – i can’t see how that could be a problem – its got me tempted to try a switch over. I’m not overly keen on spending hours midi mapping, The most i do is make a Nano control, control effects in serato & pmc 05proMK4 for the sp6. This as mapping goes is dead easy and thats how i like it. If getting the F1 keeps it simpler than that then i will definitely consider it.

  10. Well I’ve decided to wait now, until Atomix release VDJ 8 – and see what (if anything) they’ve done to the sampler section which may possibly (hopefully) be similar in features to the Remix Decks.

    VDJ users have been pestering Atomix for some time about upgrading the sampler, and about the possibility of utilising the “99 decks” capability for something useful (sample players).

    As is the Atomix policy, it won’t cost me anything, so we’ll see what happens.

    Shame, as I do use Live, and have been longing for some Live type functionality in a DJ prog for ages. The Bridge was a flop (possibly because it was so proprietary?) and Ableton don’t seem to be planning DJ software anytime soon, so the Remix Decks seemed to be a winner.

  11. IMHO, having the Remix decks open or closed doesn’t really matter. As an alternative, the Traktor v2 sampler – which is a rudimentary version of the remix deck – will allow the mapping that most use anyway. For the short term when v2.5 becomes the most prevalent version, NI can solve the mapping issue just as it does with MIDI control of Traktor’s platters – it’s a lesser experience.

    I don’t understand the big deal. If NI doesn’t use MIDI to deliver a tight experience in it’s products, why should others expect it to? Silly people, Trix are for kids.

    MIDI v1 is at the end of its useful life. It got a breath of fresh air when transports became faster (ethernet, USB, etc.). Now the problem is the protocol itself. Release MIDI v2 (aka MIDI-HD, HD Protocol). Le MIDI v1 is dead. Vive le MIDI v2.

    -KLH

  12. I am of two minds with this, unfortunately.

    As I’ve been talking about for a long time (mostly to deaf ears), the current movement of controllers (not controllerism) and software has opened up a world of choice. NI can put out the S4, DJTT can put out the VCI-100SE, Serato can put out Itch and all the locked controllers, and that’s wonderful. A lot of their ideas stretch bounds of normal workflows (Slicer, auto-looping, fader fx) and I can take that and develop my own preferred workflow.

    NI locking down Remix decks for now with the F1 isn’t a terribly frustrating experience yet. Why? Because I am going to get it and study their workflow and how THEY did it, and I am inevitably going to want some changes. My working methods might be different from their in-house brains and I’m going to want to tailor and hack. Hell, I might want to load my Launchpad or Maschine into it and because it makes more sense to me. MAYBE I’ll even want to run it into Bome MTPro and hack something really extraordinary that makes sense to me that they would never think of.

    But I can’t now because they have locked the functionality down to the hardware. And here’s the thing: I don’t care about the F1. The F1 can be locked down tight with their preferred functionality with the Remix Decks, much like the S4 is. BUT the remix decks are different. I have a hard time believing that basic MIDI can’t do what the remix decks demand. Fine, the average controller can’t handle the outputs and animations they may have in mind, but what is it that’s happening that the Launchpad can’t do? Are there layers? Well, MIDI can handle layers. ARe there multiple messages being sent at once? Well, MIDI can handle that.

    My honest opinion is a lot of this is coming from NI being understandably hesitant to seriously recode and rebuild their awful, terrible, miserable controller manager. Now comparisons are coming up with Ableton’s MIDI editing, but even that is severely limited. Once you want to start changing outputs or dealing with seriously layered controls you’re S.O.L., whereas NI gave us some form of control in that. Limited control, but control none-the-less.

    ALso, MIDI is FAR from dead. MIDI v2 is coming, though, and will have a TON of control layered right on top of the current protocol, but it’s going to be REALLY interesting watching manufacturers embrace it when they can instead fall behind the fallacy of HID being “better”. Granted, it may be better for the manufacturer but it sure as hell isn’t better for the user.

    Like I’ve said, it’s about choice. We can have this both ways, the manufacturer just has to decide to give it to us. And in NI’s defense, they’ve been pretty good at that in the past, especially compared to their large scale competition. I just don’t want to see it go away.

  13. So NI are currently laughing their socks off as it seems every traktor user is talking about their new product. Good or bad opinion, its all free publicity none the less.

    1. Trust me – NI were a long way from laughing.

      I’m quite sure that NI will weather this particular storm in a teacup quite easily and go on to sell boatloads of F1s to tens of thousands of happy users. Irrespective of Remix Decks, the F1 looks to be a pretty useful controller on it’s own and will find a home in many different setups. Let’s not forget that it’s going to be very useful for DVS users who want to use the sample decks as well.

  14. well,
    that makes sense,i got traktor scratch A6 yesterday and it boasted the new /re,mix’ decks.they didnt work any different,but they look different.im still gonna try and figure this out.i have an X1,so i cant even control half of them?…that really blows….for those that dont know,the old remix decks sucked and only allowed a very short loop,and the pitch was always off and was more of a jpeg on the gui…while the new ’64 in all now’,can hold whole gigantic samples,or songs.i will get an F1 if i have too,but im pretty sure a company as big as NI will have ‘leaks’ like all others.also,you can run traktor scratch with an m-audio connectiv sound card…even though it will read ‘error’ i have done it.the card isnt as loud for starters and has only 2 ins,but it does comply if told to work as ‘m-audio asio w/shared’,instead of whatever other option,like just ‘m- audio connectiv or wasp…again,it will state that there is an error at the bottom,but will work.here is an example for non believers…
    http://youtu.be/VwsnrlQ6XvY
    anyway,i think some midi head will solve this,he’s probably like 11 years old and just knows exactly what to re-write…i just hope they evolve a better way to midi map period,for doing any changes with the control editor is like fucking pulling teeth,and by the time your done,you dont even wanna play music anymore that day..lol
    j-kutta

  15. “it would be hard for anyone to provide a user experience as tight as the F1 manages. And if you do rise to the challenge and really can make 3rd party controllers work with Remix Decks, they joked that a job could be waiting for you at NI” ….

    Chalenge accepted, I’m Going to map the APC 40 to the Max

      1. No Problem….My Current APC 40 Mapping for Traktor is the Most Absolute and insanely Complex..I Used the Modifiers to the Last Detail!

    1. The challenge doesn’t come from mapping or MIDI ability. The problem is that NI designed the protocol so that it isn’t compatible with MIDI mapping.

    2. I get that Native Instruments might have a problem opening up the protocol to other manufacturer’s hardware, but what about their own? Certainly there is an argument to be made for mapping the Remix Decks to their own hardware (Maschine), yet there’s no word about this. Intelligenly integrating your own hardware and software products seems a no-brainer, however there seems to have been either a great mis-communication or failure to see the big picture at Native Instruments. I understand that Native Instruments is going through a damage control period, desperately trying to justify two similar products (the F1 and the Maschine) but without tight integration (Traktor/Maschine), Native Instruments is leaving the door wide open for another company to (re)offer a 4×4 drum (sample/pattern) machine and DJ controller. It seems that both of the companies whom have tried this have stumbled with this integration (Serato with the Bridge and Native Instruments with the Remix Decks). I do not believe that a couple of rogue engineers (at DJTechTools with their MidiFighter 3D) are more capable than a team of Engineers at a large corporation with unlimited resources, inside knowledge of how Traktor and Maschine (hardware) work and source code, so I’m going to instead believe that there is an effort inside Native Instruments to justify the price of developing the Kontrol F1 before opening development up to the Maschine (Mikro) Mk2 and then other controllers.

  16. You are are making a very good point, but I wonder why no one is talking about the art of Djing, I mayself have Dj’ed for may years and I have My own style as do I am sure all of you, and part of that style comes from and is limited to the equipment I use

    I just got the K2, the reason for this is because I can map the K2 to how it flows and makes sense to me and in doing so I am very proficient in My work flow.

    I know NI is trying to make money, thats there job. but the K2 tho it may not be as tight of a remix controller as the F1 thanks to NI, but the K2 is a solid unit well constructed and 100% customizable to how I flow as as an artist that is what I care about.

    I want the music to flow out of Me, but when I have to use a piece of hard wear that is
    not to standard to what I could buy, well when I’m using it I would feel I am allowing NI to control relearn a style that is, well in there eyes as the best flow. and to Me that is the real issue.

    I want to Make the people dance, and be happy and put on a good show, but now if I want to take advantage I have to change My style. thats like saying ” kid if you want to DJ here you need to cut your hair”

    No thank you. but yes I will still use traktor and My hardware mapping as I always have, if I cant use the remix decks well I wont. I will not change everything just so I can add that feature, Im the artist they supply the paint brushes, is all Im saying.

    AA

    1. I’m working on a minimalistic setup like a single xone k2 (i mapped it myself (beatjump,sync 2channel mixer and lots fx + recording stuff… with layers..hell of a work ^^ ) and a machine micro for use with maschine software with a notebook.

      Question — is there any way to record my sets in traktor with maschine output without an extra audiocard? (I managed to sync traktor and maschine through loopbe1 channel and it works … and yes without messing up my channels – it just works dunno how cause on my desktop (with same config) it syncs but sends midi signals from traktor to maschine software but thats another issue…

      Is it possible to get maschine output to traktor (as remix deck or somethin xD) that i can record a liveset with maschine and traktor with traktor– uh complicated..???