It’s a brave company that relegates its premium product to the great DJ software scrapheap in the sky. But Traktor Pro 2 3 is quite the ageing bag of code spanners that has been relentlessly added to, to a point where it’s hanging together like a game of Jenga in a wind tunnel. So all hail Traktor DJ 2, the co-developed replacement for TP3 that you can now get a first taste of, and it comes with Soundcloud access too. But don’t worry — it’s free, and TP3 is still being developed… for now.
May 28, 2019, Berlin – Native Instruments today releases TRAKTOR DJ 2, a new, free DJ app for desktop and iPad. The app is designed to break the barriers to DJing – with greater accessibility, an easy-to-use interface, SoundCloud Go+ integration, and simple plug-and-play integration with TRAKTOR hardware.
TRAKTOR DJ 2 is released as a free app, meaning more people than ever can now get into DJing with pro-quality software.
SoundCloud is the world’s largest open audio platform, with over 200 million tracks by more than 20 million creators across the world. SoundCloud Go+ integration lets users mix tracks streamed directly from the music platform, enabling access to an ever-growing track collection, and tapping into the cutting-edge of mainstream and underground music.
The release of TRAKTOR DJ 2 coincides with the launch of a series of artist-curated playlists exclusive to Native Instruments’ SoundCloud profile. Users can add these to their collections and DJ with them in-app to practice their mixing skills, discover new genres, and to learn new techniques.
The playlists reproduce real setlists by top-tier artists across a spectrum of genres, with diverse approaches to both programming and mixing. Current contributors include: Objekt, Forest Swords, DJ SAMA’ سماء, Tommy Four Seven, Kornél Kovács, Felix Da Housecat, Lyzza, DJ Rachael, and Gafacci.
TRAKTOR KONTROL S2, combined with the iPad app, allows users to play without mains power, with the same physical control provided by a full DJ booth in a take-anywhere setup. The app also fully integrates with the TRAKTOR AUDIO 2 and KONTROL Z1.
During the first month after launch, users can suggest changes and request features via an open forum on the NI website. This feedback will be used by the TRAKTOR team to steer future updates, and to create an app built in collaboration with its users.
Pricing and availability
TRAKTOR DJ 2 is now available for free via the App Store (iPad version), and the Native Instruments website.
The highlights
Traktor DJ 2 is free, for now at least, and available for iOS (and by iOS that means iPad right now), Mac, and Windows. It also comes with Soundcloud integration, one of many to get this baked into the software. I haven’t mentioned Android, because it isn’t available for Android. So don’t go asking about Android, because I’ll have to give the same “Android is crap for audio” speech every time an iOS only audio app comes out.
Why free? Well when you download it (and you should), you’ll soon see how barebones it is. This really is a back to basics build it from the ground up approach. Capitalising on this means that NI can give away basic but good quality DJ software that does just enough to the masses, and get them invested in the NI ecosystem. The iOS version works with the S2 MK3 making that a cheap but decent entry into DJ land.
Slowly but surely features will be added, and in time it’ll become a paid version that replaces Traktor Pro 3. But it’s absolutely nowhere that yet, and I can’t see it hitting that kind of level for maybe 12-18 months, maybe even 2 years. Unless of course the betas simply portray a stable version with the currently wonky high level features currently in alpha only.
But I like what I see. The smooth waveforms and retina rendering brings a sharp freshness to Traktor, and it’s one that looks right against the S2 and S4 hardware, something that the software is clearly trying to emulate. But here’s something I don’t get. The iOS version has symmetrical pitch faders, but the desktop doesn’t. The world has spoken — asymmetrical pitch faders are where it’s at, and Traktor DJ 2 should offer a consistent interface, or at least make it an option.
Anyway, we’re interested to hear your thoughts on the look and feel of this spanking new rendition of the Traktor timeline.
GALLERY
Ok, been waiting for this one to drop ever since NI announced the new S2 mk III
Now, I’m confused. Will this app work on my iPad Pro 2018 with USB-C using S2 mk III? How do I connect these? Via a USB-C to USB A cable? No external power supply needed?
Secondly, my iTunes Match music library is not seen by this app.. Are you telling me I need to stop using iTunes match and resort to the old ways of iTunes music sync via cable, involving a computer?!
Where is NIs product videos showing this app with the S2 mk III?!
@happydan:disqus has the S2 emkay 3 and an iPad Pro. He should be able to answer that one.
Yes it does. You need the iPad and S2 to have power. I use a cheap-ish USB-C hub with USB-C charging, HDMI, and one USB-A port (which also works with a standard USB hub plugged in, I think).
thanks for the info. So you cannot run the S2 mk III from the USB-C port directly without connecting to a wall socket? Thats disappointing to hear. Pass for me then.
No, the S2 needs to be powered unfortunately.
Even though my gut was aginst it, I ended up buying an S2mk3.
Seems like NI has “crippled” the controller, you cannot connect it to the iPad with a USB-C to USB-B cable directly. When plugged in like this, the app doesn’t recognize the controller.
But luckily one can still supply power to the controller via a USB power bank plugged into the USB-B socket. So portable use is possible after all, phew!
Now if only I could adjust the xfader curve in the app.. the default curve is terrible for scratching ;) However, I must say I am digging using the app with the S2mk3, feels fluid to use. Sure enough, the app seems a bit basic, but actually most of the bread & butter things of mixing are totally doable. I really love the layout of the S2mk3, just enough dead space and operating the hotcues while scratching feels very ergonomic after using denon SC3900’s for an extended amount of time (denon engineers really dropped the ball there).
Looking forward on seeing the upcoming “pro” version of the app!
As much as I’d like to get excited, I wish this would’ve work with not just an Ipad, but with an Iphone as well. Also, this leads me to my biggest point: Why couldn’t this be compatible with the traktor s2 mk3? In my opinion, missed opportunity.
It works out of the box with the S2. and the Z1.
SO it’ll work with an Iphone?
There’s no iPhone version of the app.
No. Not yet anyway.
I want the basics and DVS. I doubt it will happen though.
Will be downloading this over the weekend and having a play around on a 10inch windows 10 tablet. Got myself an s2 mk3 recently so will be interesting to see how it all behaves.
I’d pay for an external mixer mode addon.
It’s reasonable to assume they’ll support the cost of the program with DLC. I don’t like it, because as always, subscriptions and micro transactions are a way for businesses to extract more money from customers with less effort expended, but every company will go that way eventually. It’s a more profitable model.
Honestly, I’m more concerned that their choosing mobile as the platform core will lead them to make compromises to save CPU, or fit into whatever frameworks they’re using. I want VST hosting! :) NI has a history of producing garbage code and relying on third party solutions. The current Traktor datagrid (playlist library) sucks because they’re using a junk 3rd party control to run it. NI actually said the name of the provider a while back in an interview, but I don’t recall now whose code they’re using. So maybe they get out of that rut. …Or they do something stupid, like driving the whole GUI with javascript. I want to have a reason to have faith, and I don’t have that right now.
I appreciate them making it free. As someone who’s spent a LOT of money at NI, the previous $10 asking price was a little insulting. Their pitch right now is “Please stay with us, even though we’re doing a year+ code rewrite, because… ” There’s no ending to that sentence. It’s just because, at this point. They made a big gamble on Stems, and it didn’t work out. Now they’ve got nothing to differentiate them. I play out with Traktor and Maschine now, which I love. But there’s no integration. Maschine just feeds into my C deck on the Kontrol Mk2, and I have awkward crossfader-ness when I use the D deck, so I mix with the upfaders mostly. It’s not better than using anything else, with Maschine on top.
I assumed this feature was already supported with the Audio 2 interface. Is it limited to internal mixing only?
Yep. One output to master, one monitoring.
Thanks for clarifying @happydan:disqus, I too hope external mixing support becomes an available option.
@happydan:disqus — I made a request for this in the NI feedback forum. Feel free to upvote/comment to help gain momentum for this feature: https://support.native-instruments.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/360005911817-External-Mixer-Mode-iOS-en-us-
Brace yourselves for in-app purchases.
I can smell an effects pack (9,99) already.
Maybe a good middle way between the “old” model and the (much hated) subscription plan.
I think it’s a great gateway, give a free version so everybody gets addicted, when they want more like effects, or DVS or 4 decks, pay for what you want/need etc, they could even implement mini maschine to go with it as a remix/sample deck etc…
It sounds good on the surface, pay for what you need, but in the end, it could cause more frustration than its worth. For starters, people don’t like to feel like they are getting nickle and dimed to death. They want to pay once and be done with it. Secondly, it makes it so that not every copy is the same. I don’t use FX really so I wouldn’t buy the FX pack. But lets say I am doing a gig with a friend and he uses them alot and has the FX pack. Well if we use my copy without the FX pack, my friend is going to have a bad night. Now that doesn’t mean it can’t work, Serato does it with their Club Kit, DVS, Video, Pitch N’ Time, ect expansion packs. But it is also very confusing as well.
Just a heads up (and not a moan) before you try installing onto a windows 10 tablet, It needs a 64 bit operating system. Most tablets have a 64 bit processor but theres a good chance its a 32 bit OS installed.
Bit of a shame as my Linx 1020 Tablet runs Virtual DJ reasonably well.
I think I used to have a have a free LE version that worked great. It was a demo but it worked. It never timed out. Had no nags. It would crash if you had bad files however. Eventually it disappeared off the NI site. A barebones version of Traktor is great to have when you just need the basics. DVS would be a nice addon purchase.
I bought a full version of Traktor recently when they blew it out for the holidays last year. It’s bloated. Way too many unecessary features which I would like to learn how to turn off. I mostly spin vinyl and use Scratch Live DVS because I prefer the minimalism.
So this is why I paid for the TP3 upgrade, so they could finance the development of this toy app?
Meanwhile, not a single meaningful update for TP3 post launch…Seems like NI is back to it’s program of not caring about actual DJ products.
:)