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Having given up the easy life with steady income and worked my arse off for 5 years just for you guys, I've worked myself into the esteemed position of respected DJ hack, which in turn got me and a few chosen fellow hacks invited to the Native Instruments mothership for an exclusive glimpse at the "Future of Traktor". I wasn't especially sure of what to expect but when I saw the future unfold before my eyes (as well as a signature on an NDA), I liked what I saw. NI have listened to user feedback and combining this with their own directions and ideas, they've moved Traktor to the next generation. No longer a number but Pro - welcome to the brave new world of Traktor Pro and Traktor Scratch Pro.

Everybody at NI in Berlin is living on a diet of intravenous Redbull and quad expresso to get this to you. And there is a lot to wade through so grab a chair and a notepad so you can bullet point the relevant bits. There's words, pictures and movies so I'll put the words first just to annoy the increasingly non-reading visitors:

Native Instruments announces TRAKTOR PRO and TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO

Major revision of the leading digital DJ solutions focuses on performance and workflow; offers powerful effects and control features

Berlin, October 16th, 2008 – Native Instruments today announced TRAKTOR PRO and TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO, the next versions of its groundbreaking digital DJ solutions with MIDI and time-code control. Based on years of software evolution, the latest TRAKTOR generation offers superior creative workflow, an extremely functional user interface, powerful sound shaping features, advanced syncing and control functions, and much more. TRAKTOR PRO and TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO were designed with a strong focus on efficiency and ease-of-use, making them outstanding performance tools for DJs of all styles and experience levels.

With computer-based DJing solutions finally established as a standard, TRAKTOR PRO and TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO now set the new benchmark in professional DJ technology. With four full-featured decks and extensive sound shaping and MIDI control options, TRAKTOR PRO strengthens its position as the leading DJ software, ready to be complemented with the huge available range of DJ controllers on the market. The new TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO combines the full-featured TRAKTOR PRO software with the acclaimed AUDIO 8 DJ interface and a set of high-resolution time-code records and CDs for extremely responsive hands-on control through turntables and CD decks.

TRAKTOR PRO introduces a new, highly optimized GUI that combines forward-thinking software interface design with familiar and highly efficient workflows established by popular DJ hardware. The concise, completely scalable screen layout with clear, high-contrast elements results in an interface that is highly convenient to work with under all conditions. All crucial performance functions like cueing and looping have been revised and refined in TRAKTOR PRO for fast and intuitive handling in a performance situation, while extensive cover artwork support including the innovative “Crate Flick” feature allows DJs to visually browse their music library in a new and especially efficient way.

Advanced syncing functions in TRAKTOR PRO give DJs more time to focus on the creative aspects of their performance. Precise beat grids are now created automatically for all tracks, and the “Sync Lock” function makes sure that even multiple decks and tempo-synced effects never drift out of sync. New “quantized navigation” also allows DJs to seamlessly jump between loops, cue points or any other part of a track without missing a beat, offering huge potential for the spontaneous rearranging of entire tracks, beatjuggling and similar techniques.

TRAKTOR PRO also opens up vast new possibilities for creative sound manipulation, with a powerful performance effects section that is both extremely versatile and highly accessible. Two separate multi-effect units offer more than twenty studio-quality algorithms, from a full range of standard DJ effects to a wide selection of unusual effect types like “Mulholland Drive”, “Iceverb” and “Reverse Grain” that can easily add a unique sonic twist to every set. Up to six effects can be chained and freely assigned to any number of decks at any time, and can be effortlessly synced to tempo in all circumstances.

To give DJs the maximum level of control over their performance, TRAKTOR PRO offers state-of-the-art MIDI controller integration, and comes with mappings for all relevant DJ controllers on the market. New “MIDI modifier” functionality provides even finer performance control, allowing for dynamic and multi-layered knob and fader assignments, on-the-fly adjustments of parameter resolution and much more. Furthermore, new extended MIDI sync features make it easy to seamlessly integrate outboard gear like drum machines and software sequencers into the mix.

With the new generation of TRAKTOR, the integration with the leading dance music download store Beatport will also be taken to the next level. Starting in 2009, all new releases on Beatport will come with TRAKTOR metadata, enabling DJs to add newly purchased tracks to their collection without any additional preparation time.

Further improvements in TRAKTOR PRO and TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO include incremental track search, portable collection and setting files, dedicated key correction and filter sections for each deck, an included library of loops, FX sounds and scratch files as well as full compatibility with the latest 64-bit Mac OS X and Windows operating systems.

On the occasion, Native Instruments is also launching a series of videos that feature Hip Hop legend Grandmaster Flash and techno icon Richie Hawtin in conversations about their personal perspectives on music, DJing and technology. The first episodes are available now on the dedicated TRAKTOR PRO microsite, with further installments scheduled for release in the coming weeks.

Pricing and availability

Starting November 1st, TRAKTOR PRO will be available for a suggested retail price of $229 / 199 € at authorized dealers and in the NI Online Shop, with TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO priced at $669 / 599 €.

Software updates will be available for owners of TRAKTOR 3 ($119 / 99 €) and TRAKTOR SCRATCH ($99 / 79 €). Customers who own both TRAKTOR SCRATCH and TRAKTOR 3 will receive a free software update to TRAKTOR PRO.

Further product information and press material

Additional information on TRAKTOR PRO and TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO is available at www.listentopro.com

And capitalising on their collective and extensive DJ experiences, NI poster boys Ritchie Hawtin and Grandmaster Flash met up in a quiet NYC cafe with several camera and sound men and exchanged DJ stories. Here's the first 2 movies:





Finally, here's a load of pictures that goes with this release, just for other blogs to steal and pass off as their own:





So what's to make of this? From the rather more look but don't touch demos I saw, this very much has the feel of consolidation and rationalisation - to give the Traktor range the stability that others offer, but also to enhance what is already there. It's most certainly not about adding more bells and whistles and thus instability, but about making the existing ones run a lot better. But it is a lot more than just a point release - it does feel and look like a new version and making it "Pro" does seem to be justified.

It has a much better interface, better MIDI, better syncing, more effects with greater flexibility etc etc. Many will love the artwork view on their tracks that gives a more crate digging than database browsing feel to using Traktor. The solid foundation of years of Traktor has come of age in this Pro version. Interestingly, Traktor Scratch Pro now comes complete with Traktor Pro - it's one integrated package.

Having seen Traktor Pro in action, my rather more A to B mixing mentality got a seriously needed wake-up call. I watched Speedy J do a demo using just 3 2 beat loops and bouncing each one in and out of different chained effects and making all new music. I started to wonder how I could apply this to my own style - 2 decks in Traktor Scratch Pro with 2 looped internal or MIDI controlled decks doing background stuff and using effects over all of this.

Feel free to ask questions about all this. I'll plumb the depths of my addled brain cells and try and give answers from knowledge gleaned in Berlin. Otherwise, I feel sure that NI people will be happy to respond - after they've had some sleep and come down from the collective caffeine high.

For us lucky people in the UK, NI have a stand at BPM and Rafik will be on hand on Sunday to show you Traktor Scratch Pro running in all its shiny new glory. See you there.