Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol S2 Operation Manual
Manual
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a
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Document authored by: Native Instruments GmbH
Software version: 2.6.4 (05/2013)
Disclaimer
Special thanks to the Beta Test Team, who were invaluable not just in tracking down bugs, but
in making this a better product.
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1 Welcome to the World of TRAKTOR KONTROL S2! ........................................................
1.1 What Is TRAKTOR KONTROL S2? .................................................................................................. 11
1.2 The TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 Documentation at a Glance .............................................................. 12
1.3 System Requirements ................................................................................................................. 14
1.2.1 Which Documents Are There? ..................................................................................... 12
1.2.2 Recommended Reading Order ................................................................................... 13
1.2.3 In This Manual ........................................................................................................... 13
2 TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 Quick Overview .......................................................................
3 Preparing Your Music Library .....................................................................................
3.1 What Is the Track Collection? ..................................................................................................... 18
3.2 Importing Music Folders ............................................................................................................. 19
3.3 Tracks Managed by iTunes ......................................................................................................... 20
3.3.1 Playing Tracks Managed by iTunes ............................................................................ 20
3.3.2 Importing a Selection of Tracks from iTunes .............................................................. 21
3.3.3 Importing iTunes Playlists ......................................................................................... 22
4 Tutorials ...................................................................................................................
4.1 Playing Your First Track .............................................................................................................. 23
4.2 Mixing In a Second Track ............................................................................................................ 29
4.1.1 Quick-Loading a Track ............................................................................................... 24
4.1.2 Playing the Track ....................................................................................................... 26
4.1.3 If You Don’t Hear the Track ........................................................................................ 27
4.2.1 Loading and Playing the Second Track ...................................................................... 29
4.2.2 Using Headphones to Prepare the Mix ....................................................................... 30
4.2.3 Synchronizing the Second Track ................................................................................ 30
4.2.4 Setting a Cue Point as Starting Point ........................................................................ 31
4.2.5 Interlude: In Case the Left Track Has Reached Its End .............................................. 33
11
15
18
23
Traktor Kontrol S2 - Manual - 4
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4.3 Adjusting Levels ......................................................................................................................... 37
4.4 Looping and Cueing ....................................................................................................................41
4.5 Using Samples in Your Mix ......................................................................................................... 46
4.6 Adding FX ................................................................................................................................... 52
4.7 Synchronization .......................................................................................................................... 57
4.2.6 Mixing In the Track by Using the Channel EQ and Filter ............................................ 33
4.2.7 Doing Everything by Hand .......................................................................................... 34
4.3.1 The Theory ................................................................................................................. 37
4.3.2 The Practice ............................................................................................................... 38
4.4.1 Playing with Loops ..................................................................................................... 41
4.4.2 Using Hotcues ........................................................................................................... 44
4.5.1 Loading a Sample from the Collection ....................................................................... 47
4.5.2 Triggering the Sample ............................................................................................... 49
4.5.3 Capturing a Sample from a Track Deck ..................................................................... 50
4.5.4 Unloading a Sample .................................................................................................. 52
4.6.1 Group Mode ............................................................................................................... 53
4.6.2 Getting the FX Unit Ready .......................................................................................... 54
4.6.3 Assigning Decks to the FX Unit and Bringing In the FX .............................................. 55
4.6.4 Controlling the FX Unit .............................................................................................. 55
4.6.5 Single Mode ............................................................................................................... 56
4.6.6 Storing a Snapshot of an FX UNIT .............................................................................. 57
4.7.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 57
4.7.2 Who’s the Master? ..................................................................................................... 59
4.7.3 Another Useful Tool for Synching ............................................................................... 62
5 Using the S2 with TRAKTOR DJ ...................................................................................
5.1 Key S2 Functions Using TRAKTOR DJ ........................................................................................... 65
5.1.1 Browsing & Loading Tracks ....................................................................................... 66
5.1.2 Deck Volume Controls and Crossfader ....................................................................... 66
65
Traktor Kontrol S2 - Manual - 5
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5.2 Using the Transport Section ...................................................................................................... 73
5.3 Using FX .................................................................................................................................... 82
5.1.3 Using the Filters ........................................................................................................ 67
5.1.4 Adjusting Channel Gain ............................................................................................. 68
5.1.5 Using the EQ’s ........................................................................................................... 69
5.1.6 Headphone Cueing .................................................................................................... 70
5.1.7 Deck Control .............................................................................................................. 71
5.2.1 PLAY buttons ............................................................................................................. 74
5.2.2 CUE Buttons .............................................................................................................. 74
5.2.3 SYNC (MASTER) Buttons ............................................................................................ 74
5.2.4 FLUX Buttons ............................................................................................................. 75
5.2.5 HotCue Buttons ......................................................................................................... 75
5.2.6 Using Loops ............................................................................................................... 76
5.2.7 Using the Loop MOVE Encoders ................................................................................. 79
5.3.1 Reveal a Deck's Effect Display .................................................................................. 82
5.3.2 Using the S2's FX Section .......................................................................................... 83
6 Hardware Overview ...................................................................................................
6.1 Top Panel - Main Areas ...............................................................................................................87
6.2 The Rear Panel ........................................................................................................................... 93
6.3 The Front Panel ...........................................................................................................................95
6.4 Types of Control Elements .......................................................................................................... 96
6.1.1 Decks ......................................................................................................................... 87
6.1.2 Mixer .......................................................................................................................... 90
6.1.3 FX Units ..................................................................................................................... 92
6.2.1 MIC Section ............................................................................................................... 94
6.2.2 OUTPUTS Section ....................................................................................................... 94
6.2.3 POWER Section .......................................................................................................... 95
6.4.1 Buttons ...................................................................................................................... 97
87
Traktor Kontrol S2 - Manual - 6
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6.4.2 Knobs ........................................................................................................................ 98
6.4.3 Encoders .................................................................................................................... 98
6.4.4 Jog Wheels ................................................................................................................. 99
6.4.5 Faders ....................................................................................................................... 100
6.4.6 Meters and Indicators ................................................................................................ 100
6.4.7 Switches .................................................................................................................... 101
6.4.8 Sockets ...................................................................................................................... 101
7 Hardware Control Reference ......................................................................................
7.1 Things You Should Know .............................................................................................................102
7.2 Using the Jog Wheels .................................................................................................................. 104
7.3 Using the Tempo Unit ................................................................................................................. 105
7.4 Using the LOOP Section .............................................................................................................. 107
7.5 Using the CUE/REMIX SLOTS Section .......................................................................................... 110
7.6 Using the Transport Control Area ................................................................................................ 114
7.7 Using the Mixer ...........................................................................................................................117
7.1.1 General Structure of the S2 Controller ....................................................................... 102
7.1.2 TRAKTOR's Deck Flavors: Track Decks Vs. Remix Decks ............................................. 103
7.1.3 SHIFT Buttons: Accessing Secondary Functions ......................................................... 103
7.3.1 Tempo Fader .............................................................................................................. 105
7.3.2 Tempo Reset ............................................................................................................. 106
7.4.1 LOOP IN and LOOP OUT Buttons ................................................................................. 107
7.4.2 Loop MOVE Encoder ................................................................................................... 108
7.4.3 Loop SIZE Encoder ..................................................................................................... 109
7.5.1 Cue Mode ................................................................................................................... 110
7.5.2 Remix Deck Mode ....................................................................................................... 111
7.6.1 CUE and PLAY Button ................................................................................................ 114
7.6.2 SYNC Button .............................................................................................................. 115
7.6.3 SHIFT Button .............................................................................................................. 116
102
Traktor Kontrol S2 - Manual - 7
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7.8 Using the FX Units ...................................................................................................................... 126
7.9 Browsing, and Loading ............................................................................................................... 128
7.10 Native TRAKTOR Mode Vs. MIDI Mode ......................................................................................... 130
7.7.1 GAIN/FILTER Encoder ................................................................................................. 118
7.7.2 EQ Knobs ................................................................................................................... 119
7.7.3 FX Assign Buttons ..................................................................................................... 120
7.7.4 Channel Fader and Channel Level Meter ................................................................... 121
7.7.5 Crossfader ................................................................................................................. 122
7.7.6 Main Section .............................................................................................................. 122
7.7.7 Headphones Cue Button ............................................................................................ 123
7.7.8 Master Display ........................................................................................................... 123
7.7.9 Browse Encoder (BROWSE) and Load Buttons (A and B) ............................................ 125
7.7.10 Remix Deck Knob and Mode Buttons (A and B) .......................................................... 125
7.8.1 Single Mode and Group Mode .................................................................................... 127
7.8.2 FX Unit Reference ...................................................................................................... 127
7.10.1 Native Traktor Mode ................................................................................................... 130
7.10.2 MIDI Mode .................................................................................................................. 131
8 Customizing TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 ............................................................................
8.1 The Preferences Window ............................................................................................................. 132
8.2 Settings and Preferences for the S2 Control Elements ................................................................ 134
8.3 Other Settings of Interest ........................................................................................................... 140
8.4 The Setup Wizard ........................................................................................................................ 141
8.2.1 S2 Control Options ..................................................................................................... 136
8.2.2 Restore Default .......................................................................................................... 138
8.2.3 Calibration ................................................................................................................ 139
8.2.4 LEDs .......................................................................................................................... 140
8.3.1 Switching the Deck Flavors ........................................................................................ 140
8.3.2 Adjusting the Input Routing ...................................................................................... 141
132
Traktor Kontrol S2 - Manual - 8
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9 The S2 Audio Interface and Control Panel ...................................................................
9.1 Settings on Mac OS X ................................................................................................................. 144
9.2 Settings on Windows: The Control Panel ..................................................................................... 145
9.3 Using the S2 as your Default Audio Output Interface .................................................................. 150
9.2.1 Opening the Control Panel ......................................................................................... 145
9.2.2 Audio Settings Page .................................................................................................. 146
9.2.3 Diagnostics Page ....................................................................................................... 148
9.3.1 Windows ................................................................................................................... 150
9.3.2 Mac OS X ................................................................................................................... 150
10 Troubleshooting and Help ..........................................................................................
10.1 TRAKTOR Won’t Start .................................................................................................................. 152
10.2 Hardware-related Problems ........................................................................................................ 152
10.3 Loose Jog Wheel Top Plate .......................................................................................................... 155
10.4 TRAKTOR Crashes ....................................................................................................................... 155
10.5 Getting Help ............................................................................................................................... 156
10.6 Updates ...................................................................................................................................... 157
10.2.1 Basics ....................................................................................................................... 152
10.2.2 USB and Driver Issues ............................................................................................... 153
10.2.3 Updating the Driver ................................................................................................... 153
10.2.4 USB-related Power Issues .......................................................................................... 153
10.2.5 Using the TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 with a Laptop ......................................................... 154
10.5.1 Knowledge Base / Readme / Online Support .............................................................. 156
10.5.2 Forum ........................................................................................................................ 157
11 Appendix A – Common Setups ....................................................................................
11.1 TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 Basic Setup ............................................................................................ 158
11.2 Adding a Microphone .................................................................................................................. 166
12 Appendix B – Technical Information ...........................................................................
12.1 Technical Specifications ............................................................................................................. 167
144
152
158
167
Traktor Kontrol S2 - Manual - 9
12.2 Environmental Specifications ..................................................................................................... 167
13 Appendix C – Quick References ..................................................................................
13.1 Quick Reference .......................................................................................................................... 168
13.2 Mixer Quick Reference ................................................................................................................ 170
13.3 FX Unit Quick Reference ............................................................................................................. 172
13.4 Browsing, Loading and Copying Quick Reference ....................................................................... 172
13.2.1 Main Section Quick Reference ................................................................................... 170
13.2.2 Channel and Crossfader Quick Reference .................................................................. 171
13.2.3 Master Display Quick Reference ................................................................................ 171
Index ........................................................................................................................
Table of Contents
168
174
Traktor Kontrol S2 - Manual - 10
Welcome to the World of TRAKTOR KONTROL S2!
What Is TRAKTOR KONTROL S2?
1 Welcome to the World of TRAKTOR KONTROL S2!
On behalf of the whole Native Instruments team, we are delighted that you have chosen TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 as your DJ controller!
1.1 What Is TRAKTOR KONTROL S2?
TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 is a fully integrated hardware and software DJ performance system
created by the makers of TRAKTOR. TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 fuses the full-featured TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 hardware controller with the state-of-the-art TRAKTOR PRO 2 software.
The all-in-one TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 controller offers you an ergonomic DJ mixer, a built-in
24-bit/96 kHz audio interface, and a high-resolution control surface, perfectly tailored for
TRAKTOR PRO 2. All controls needed for live performances now are at your fingertips!
Document Conventions
This document uses particular formatting to point out special facts and to warn you of potential issues. The icons introducing the following notes let you see what kind of information can
be expected:
Whenever this exclamation mark icon appears, you should read the corresponding note carefully and follow the instructions and hints given there if applicable.
This light bulb icon indicates that a note contains useful extra information. This information may often help you to solve a task more efficiently, but does not necessarily apply to
the setup or operating system you are using; however, it's always worth a look.
Furthermore, the following formatting is used:
▪ Text appearing in (drop-down) menus (such as Open…, Save as… etc.) and paths to loca-
tions on your hard drive or other storage devices is printed in italics.
▪ Text appearing elsewhere on the screen (labels of buttons, controls, text next to checkbox-
es etc.) is printed in light blue. Whenever you see this formatting applied, you will find
the same text appearing on the screen.
▪ Important names and concepts are printed in bold.
Traktor Kontrol S2 - Manual - 11
Welcome to the World of TRAKTOR KONTROL S2!
The TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 Documentation at a Glance
▪ References to keys on your computer's keyboard you'll find put in square brackets (e.g.,
"Press [Shift] + [Return]").
Single instructions are introduced by this play button type arrow.
►
Results of actions are introduced by this smaller arrow.
→
1.2 The TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 Documentation at a Glance
1.2.1 Which Documents Are There?
The Setup Guide
A Setup Guide is available on the product registration page. Find a link to the registration page
on the registration flyer, which is included in your TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 product box. It will
guide you through the software and hardware installation of your TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 system, from the very beginning to the first sound coming through your speakers. This should be
your first stop in learning TRAKTOR KONTROL S2.
First read the Setup Guide. Then proceed with this TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 Manual to get
more familiar with TRAKTOR KONTROL S2!
The TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 Manual
After having read the Setup Guide and followed its instructions, your TRAKTOR KONTROL S2
system should be up and running. The next step is to read this document, the TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 Manual. The Manual first gives you a practical approach to TRAKTOR KONTROL S2.
Then, it provides you with a detailed reference of your TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 hardware controller in the hardware reference chapter, and task oriented information in the task reference
chapter. Section ↑1.2.3, In This Manual will give you an overview of the manual content.
The TRAKTOR 2 Manual
For in-depth information on all features provided by the TRAKTOR software, please refer to the
TRAKTOR 2 Manual. It is available as a PDF file in the Documentation subfolder of the TRAK-
TOR 2 installation folder.
Traktor Kontrol S2 - Manual - 12
Welcome to the World of TRAKTOR KONTROL S2!
The TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 Documentation at a Glance
1.2.2 Recommended Reading Order
We advise reading the documents in the following order:
1. The Setup Guide.
2. The TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 Manual.
3. The TRAKTOR 2 Manual.
1.2.3 In This Manual
What you are reading now is the TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 Manual. This manual is structured as
follows:
▪ Chapter ↑2, TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 Quick Overview quickly introduces you to the TRAK-
TOR KONTROL S2 user interface and its main areas, both on the hardware side and software side.
▪ Chapter ↑3, Preparing Your Music Library shows you how to import your own music into
the powerful Track Collection of TRAKTOR, so that you can use all TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 features with your own tracks.
▪ Chapter ↑4, Tutorials is a selection of tutorials focused on your controller. They will let
you progressively discover how to use the various tools provided by TRAKTOR KONTROL S2. These practical examples will simplify the learning process and get you quickly
started with computer-based DJing.
▪ Chapter ↑5, Using the S2 with TRAKTOR DJ is a concise overview of using the TRAK-
TOR KONTROL S2 with TRAKTOR DJ on an iOS device.
▪ Chapter ↑6, Hardware Overview is an extensive reference of all hardware control elements
to be found on your TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 hardware controller. Whenever you are unsure about the functionality of a particular control element, you will find all the necessary
information here.
▪ Chapter ↑7, Hardware Control Reference is a collection of mini tutorials, showing you how
to work with the individual areas of the controller, e.g., you'll find a subchapter explaining
what you can do with the Mixer section, and how you can do it.
▪ Chapter ↑8, Customizing TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 shows you how to customize TRAK-
TOR KONTROL S2 in order to make it fit your particular needs.
Traktor Kontrol S2 - Manual - 13
Welcome to the World of TRAKTOR KONTROL S2!
System Requirements
▪ Chapter ↑9, The S2 Audio Interface and Control Panel describes the on-board audio inter-
face of the TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 hardware controller.
▪ Chapter ↑10, Troubleshooting and Help provides you with a list of most common prob-
lems and their solutions, along with info on how to get help.
▪ Finally, three appendixes provide you with additional information:
◦ Appendix A shows you how to integrate TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 with your studio or
live setup in various configurations.
◦ Appendix B gives you the technical specifications of the TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 con-
troller.
◦ Appendix C provides you with quick reference tables for all control elements on your
controller. Should you have any doubt about a particular control element, you will find
a useful reminder here!
Pet Names for Software and Hardware
Throughout the documentation, we will refer to the TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 hardware controller whether as “TRAKTOR KONTROL S2,” "S2 controller," or simply “S2.”
Likewise, the TRAKTOR software will sometimes be referred to as “TRAKTOR.”
Hence, a sentence like “TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 is a highly integrated DJ system allowing you
to control TRAKTOR from your S2” shouldn’t sound weird to you.
1.3
System Requirements
For the minimum system requirements your computer needs to meet, see the TRAKTOR specifications section of the Native Instruments website:
http://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/traktor/dj-software/traktor-pro-2/specifications/
To check the compatibility with several operating systems, please have a look at: http://
www.native-instruments.com/compatibility
Traktor Kontrol S2 - Manual - 14
TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 Quick Overview
2 TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 Quick Overview
This mini-chapter will quickly introduce you to TRAKTOR KONTROL S2’s main areas and concepts both on your TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 hardware controller and in the TRAKTOR PRO
software.
To start off with, there are four virtual Decks in the TRAKTOR PRO software, and each of
them can be operated in several modes: Track Deck mode, Remix Deck mode, and Live Input mode, so you have a very flexible system on your hands. However, in combination with
the TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 controller, the software's upper Decks should always be Track
Decks, whereas the software's lower Decks should always be Remix Decks. Setting up your
S2 controller and the TRAKTOR software with the Setup Guide, this is how your software
will initially be configured. Keep this in mind throughout the rest of this manual.
Take the time to read these few pages, as they will familiarize you with the way TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 works and let you catch sight of the power of its design. If you're familiar with importing music files in TRAKTOR, you can skip chapter ↑3, Preparing Your Music
Library and start with the tutorials in chapter ↑4, Tutorials (after having read this chapter).
Traktor Kontrol S2 - Manual - 15
TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 Quick Overview
Hardware controller and software side by side.
(1) Decks: TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 provides you with two physical Decks. The Decks are the
place where tracks (and Samples) are controlled. They can be seen as the equivalent to the
good old vinyl or CD decks, but with a bunch of additional features and the flexibility of a computer-based system connected to them. The left Deck on your S2 controls Track Deck A in the
software. The right Deck on your S2 controls Track Deck B in the software. Additionally, you
can gain control over TRAKTOR's Remix Decks C and D with the controller's CUE/REMIX
SLOTS section. For that, the CUE/REMIX SLOTS section needs to be switched to Remix Deck
Traktor Kontrol S2 - Manual - 16
TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 Quick Overview
mode (as opposed to Cue mode, where the buttons control the Cue Points in Track Deck A and
B). For more information on the two modes, please refer to section ↑7.5, Using the CUE/RE-
MIX SLOTS Section.
(2) FX Units: The signals coming from the Decks can be processed by two FX Units, located at
the top of both your hardware and software interface. The FX Units give you access to the
whole collection of high-quality FX included in TRAKTOR: The left FX Unit on your S2 controls
the left FX Unit in the software, which processes Track Deck A in TRAKTOR. The right FX Unit
on your S2 controls the right FX Unit in the software, and processes Track Deck B in TRAKTOR.
To be honest, you can assign the FX Units to process whichever source you want (Decks AD); however, as for the introduction, let's keep things simple.
You can also activate two additional FX Units in the software, allowing you to process Remix Decks C and D in TRAKTOR, or even to send a Deck of your choice through numerous
FX units. The TRAKTOR architecture is very flexible when it comes to the use of the virtual
Decks and effect routing. See the TRAKTOR 2 Manual for further information.
(3) Mixer: Sitting in the middle of your TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 controller, the Mixer receives
the audio signals coming from all TRAKTOR software Decks A-D; there is one channel for each
Track Deck A and B, and one combined channel, controlling both Remix Decks C and D, so
basically you have a three-channel mixer. As any DJ mixer, the Mixer’s purpose basically is to:
adjust the relative level of each channel; to control the channels’ frequency content; possibly
to feed them into FX Units; and to send the overall result to the Main section at the top of the
Mixer section. In the end, this is the mix that is sent to your audience.
You will find a more detailed presentation at the beginning of chapter ↑6, Hardware Over-
view, followed by a thorough description of each control element to be found on your
TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 controller. For an in-depth explanation of each and every functionality provided by the TRAKTOR software, please refer to the separate TRAKTOR 2 Manual,
provided on the installation disc.
Traktor Kontrol S2 - Manual - 17
Preparing Your Music Library
What Is the Track Collection?
3 Preparing Your Music Library
Most likely, you already have a collection of music files on your computer. For those of you who
can’t wait for mixing their own tracks, this chapter is for you! You will learn here how to quickly
import your music into the powerful Track Collection of TRAKTOR.
If you prefer to start learning how to use TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 right away, skip this chapter
and go on with the tutorials in chapter ↑4, Tutorials, which make use of the demo tracks provided with TRAKTOR KONTROL S2. You can always come back here at a later point.
3.1 What Is the Track Collection?
The Track Collection (or simply “Collection”) represents the whole music that you have in your
TRAKTOR database.
Based on the music files on your computer, the Track Collection is just another way to display
these files. The Collection makes it easy to organize, tag, and prepare your tracks for being integrated into your mix.
Worth to note is that the Track Collection doesn’t care about the actual file structure on your
hard disk, nor will it alter this structure in any way (as long as you don’t delete your files from
within TRAKTOR).
What the Track Collection is
▪ A database storing numerous information about your music files.
▪ A convenient way to represent and search your music files, according to many of their
characteristics (tags) like title, artist name, BPM, genre, length, etc.
▪ The place where TRAKTOR-specific information about your tracks is stored.
▪ The basis on which you can create your Playlists.
What the Track Collection isn't
▪ Moving, copying nor converting any audio file to some secret location.
▪ Modifying in any way the hierarchic structure of your files on your hard disk.
Traktor Kontrol S2 - Manual - 18
Preparing Your Music Library
Importing Music Folders
To make use of the Track Collection, you have to populate it by importing your music files.
3.2 Importing Music Folders
TRAKTOR offers an easy import function for tracks stored on your hard drive:
Right-click (Windows) or [Ctrl]+click (Mac OS X) on the Track Collection entry in the
►
Browser Tree and choose Import Music Folders from the menu.
The contextual menu for the Track Collection, with the Import Music Folders entry selected.
By default, this process imports all music files contained in the My Music folder of your operating system.
Be sure to prepare the tracks you want to use in a DJ set beforehand if you want to use features such as synching or Auto Looping with them: TRAKTOR analyzes music for certain characteristics (BPM, etc.). This is done by right-clicking on one or more selected tracks in the
Browser and then choose the option Analyze (Async) from the Right-click menu. Another quick
way to analyze a track is to simply drag it into a Track Deck. A light blue bar at the bottom of
TRAKTOR moving to the right indicates the analyzing progress.
Traktor Kontrol S2 - Manual - 19
Preparing Your Music Library
Tracks Managed by iTunes
If you have stored tracks in other folders or on external storage devices, you can add these
folders to the list of TRAKTOR Music Folders as follows:
1. Open Preferences > File Management.
2. Click Add… at the bottom of the Music Folders section.
3. Navigate to a folder you want to add.
4. Confirm with OK.
Repeat to add all of your Music Folders.
Subfolders are automatically included in the scan. Hence, you don’t need to add them to this
list.
3.3 Tracks Managed by iTunes
If you have organized your music collection with iTunes, TRAKTOR offers direct access to your
iTunes Library and your iTunes playlists.
3.3.1 Playing Tracks Managed by iTunes
You can browse your iTunes Library and playlists directly from your TRAKTOR KONTROL S2.
By the way, this will be the opportunity to introduce you to browsing and loading from your
hardware controller. For this, we will use the following control elements:
▪ The SHIFT button:
▪ The BROWSE encoder:
Traktor Kontrol S2 - Manual - 20
Preparing Your Music Library
Tracks Managed by iTunes
▪ The LOAD buttons A and B below the BROWSE encoder:
To browse for tracks and add them to the Decks:
1. Press and hold SHIFT (no matter which one) and turn the BROWSE encoder to scroll
through the Browser Tree until the iTunes icon gets selected. Then, while still keeping
SHIFT pressed, push the BROWSE encoder to open the iTunes node.
2. Scroll to a playlist within that node in the same manner.
3. Once the desired playlist is selected in the Browser Tree, release the SHIFT button.
4. Turn the BROWSE encoder to browse through the iTunes playlist selected in the previous
step, until you find a track worth playing.
5. To load a track into the left Deck (which controls TRAKTOR's Track Deck A), press LOAD
button A below the BROWSE encoder.
6. Repeat steps 4-5, but at the end press LOAD button B to load the track to the right Deck
(which controls TRAKTOR's Track Deck B).
The iTunes tree node represents a read-only view on your iTunes Library and playlists. Editing
functions are not available in this view.
Software Equivalent
Of course, you can do all this from the TRAKTOR software user interface too:
1. Click the iTunes icon in the Browser Tree to open that node.
2. Browse through the Library and playlists as you would do in iTunes.
3. Load a track into a Deck as you would do from a normal TRAKTOR Playlist — for example
by dragging the track onto that Deck.
3.3.2
You can import a selection of tracks from your iTunes Library into the Track Collection via the
TRAKTOR user interface:
1. Click the iTunes icon in the Browser Tree to open that node.
2. Select the tracks to import into the Track Collection.
3. Drag the selection onto the Track Collection icon in the Browser Tree.
Importing a Selection of Tracks from iTunes
Traktor Kontrol S2 - Manual - 21
Preparing Your Music Library
Tracks Managed by iTunes
4. Alternatively, right-click (Windows) or [Ctrl]-click (Mac OS X) on the selection and choose
Import to Collection in the contextual menu.
3.3.3 Importing iTunes Playlists
You can directly import iTunes playlists as TRAKTOR Playlists via the TRAKTOR user interface:
1. Click the iTunes icon in the Browser Tree to open that node.
2. Select the playlist to be imported.
3. Drag the playlist onto the Playlists icon.
Alternatively right-click (Windows) or [Ctrl]-click (Mac OS X) on the playlist and choose
►
Import to Playlists in the contextual menu.
Traktor Kontrol S2 - Manual - 22
Playing Your First Track
4 Tutorials
This chapter will guide you through the most common tasks that you will encounter during your
work with TRAKTOR KONTROL S2.
The tutorials are workflow-oriented. They start with the simplest tasks and progressively lead
you to more complex operation, helping you to get more and more familiar with your TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 system. After reading this, you should have the basic know-how, allowing
you to mix with TRAKTOR KONTROL S2.
The tutorials presented here and in the following chapter make use of the included demo
tracks, which were copied to your hard disk during the TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 installation
procedure. Thus, you can follow these tutorials even if you haven’t imported your own music
yet into the Track Collection. For more info on how to import your music into the Collection,
please refer to chapter ↑3, Preparing Your Music Library.
Keep in mind: The left Deck on the controller corresponds to TRAKTOR's Track Deck A,
while the right Deck corresponds to TRAKTOR's Track Deck B.
Tutorials
4.1 Playing Your First Track
This first tutorial will show you how to load and play a track, how to check the needed audio
outputs, and how to quickly troubleshoot your system if no music can be heard.
Prerequisites
We assume here that your TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 system is already up and running. If it’s
not the case, please follow the instructions in the separate Setup Guide and come back here
when you’re done!
In case you already changed some settings in TRAKTOR before you start with these tutorials,
we strongly recommend you to reset your system to the initial settings by doing the following:
1. In the TRAKTOR software, click the Help menu in the menu bar at the top of your screen
(on Mac OS X) or at the top of the window (on Windows), and select Help > Start Setup
Wizard.
Traktor Kontrol S2 - Manual - 23
Playing Your First Track
2. In the window that opens, click Next to confirm your S2 is connected.
3. The next window asks you whether you want to use an external mixer with TRAKTOR. Select Yes, as you will be using the controller's mixer for mixing with TRAKTOR.
4. The next window asks what combination of Deck Flavors you would like to use in TRAKTOR. Select 2 Track Decks + 2 Remix Decks from the drop-down menu, and click Next.
5. Click Finish to confirm your selection and close the Setup Wizard.
TRAKTOR is now optimized for use with your S2 controller.
→
One more thing: Using an external mixer, TRAKTOR assumes you do not want to see the software mixer on the user interface. But we do want to see what's happening in the software's
mixer when controlling it from the S2. So what we need to do now is change TRAKTOR's interface appearance with the Layout selection drop-down menu in the following way:
Click on the drop-down menu next to the magnifying glass symbol in TRAKTOR's Header
►
and select Mixer from the list.
Tutorials
You can now see TRAKTOR's mixer in the middle of the user interface.
→
4.1.1 Quick-Loading a Track
Let’s load the track “Techno 1” from the included demo tracks on to Deck A. To select and
load the track, we will use these control elements on your S2:
▪ Any of the two SHIFT buttons (one at the bottom of each Deck):
Traktor Kontrol S2 - Manual - 24
Playing Your First Track
▪ The BROWSE encoder (in the center of the Mixer):
▪ The left Deck’s LOAD button (labeled "A" below the BROWSE encoder):
While looking at the TRAKTOR software window, do the following:
1. Hold SHIFT and turn the BROWSE encoder to select the Playlists folder from the Browser
Tree. While keeping SHIFT depressed, press the BROWSE encoder button to expand the
folder node.
2. Hold SHIFT and turn the BROWSE encoder to select the Demo Tracks Playlist
The tracks of the Demo Tracks Playlist appear below (in case you can't find the Demo
Tracks Playlist here, you can also open it from the Browser Tree's Explorer node):
Tutorials
3. Release SHIFT and turn the BROWSE encoder to scroll through the Playlist and navigate
to the track Techno 1.
Traktor Kontrol S2 - Manual - 25
Playing Your First Track
4. Once the track is highlighted, press the LOAD button A on the controller to load that track
on to Track Deck A. (Obviously, to load the track to Track Deck B, you would have to press
LOAD button B on the controller.)
The track is loaded. In TRAKTOR, its waveform and info appear on Deck A:
→
Tutorials
In addition to using the S2 to load a track, you can also drag and drop tracks from the
Browser or from a folder on your computer directly into one of TRAKTOR’s Decks.
4.1.2 Playing the Track
Once the track is loaded, simply press the PLAY button on the left Deck:
►
The track starts playing. The PLAY button lights up and the waveform starts moving in
→
TRAKTOR.
Again, pressing the PLAY button on the right Deck would have started the playback on
Track Deck B.
Traktor Kontrol S2 - Manual - 26
Playing Your First Track
To Each Deck Its Own Channel
The audio playing on each Deck can be further shaped by the controls on the corresponding
channel of the Mixer. Since the track is loaded on Deck A, you can control its sound on channel A (the left Mixer channel):
Tutorials
The Channel A.
At this point you will probably hear some audio coming through your speakers or PA. If not,
please check the following section.
4.1.3
If You Don’t Hear the Track
If the track is playing on the Deck but the audio coming through your amplification system
sounds too low, or if there is no sound at all, check the following:
Traktor Kontrol S2 - Manual - 27
At the bottom of your S2, verify that the crossfader is moved all the way to the left:
►
Above, the channel fader of channel A should be raised to its highest:
►
The Level meter of Channel A should show some activity. If not, check that the HI, MID,
►
LOW on the left channel are set to center position; and at the top of the channel, push
the GAIN/FILTER encoder once to reset the channel’s input gain to 0 dB.
Tutorials
Playing Your First Track
At the top center of the Mixer, the MAIN LEVEL knob should be turned at least part of
►
the way to the right:
Traktor Kontrol S2 - Manual - 28
Mixing In a Second Track
If you see some activity on the S2's MAIN LEVEL meters, or on TRAKTOR'S MAIN level meters
in the software's Header but don’t hear any sound, then double-check the connection starting
with the cable going from the S2’s main outputs to your PA.
4.2 Mixing In a Second Track
Now that you have learned how to quickly load and play tracks using the TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 (see chapter ↑4.1, Playing Your First Track), let’s see how to mix in a second track.
On the way, you will learn a few basic mixing tasks that every digital DJ needs to know: how to
pre-listen to tracks, how to synchronize tracks, how to start the playback at the right position,
and how to mix the tracks together using the crossfader.
Prerequisites
We assume here that you already followed the instructions in the previous tutorial (see chapter
↑4.1, Playing Your First Track). TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 now is in the following state:
▪ The track “Techno 1” is loaded on Deck A. The track is playing and audible.
▪ The crossfader is all the way to the left.
Tutorials
4.2.1 Loading and Playing the Second Track
We will choose the track “Techno 2” and load it on Deck B, as we did on Deck A in the previous tutorial:
1. Navigate to track Techno 2 in the Demo Tracks Playlist.
2. Press the LOAD button B to load the track on to Deck B.
In the TRAKTOR window, the track info and waveform appear on Deck B.
3. Press the PLAY button on the controller's right Deck to start the playback.
The track starts playing. The PLAY button lights up and the waveform starts moving on
→
TRAKTOR’s Deck B.
We don’t hear anything from Deck B through the speakers yet because we have set the crossfader on the S2 all the way to the left — our plan is to slowly mix in the track on Deck B.
Before we go on, we have to turn up the CUE MIX knob on the front panel of the S2 to its
middle position.
Traktor Kontrol S2 - Manual - 29
Mixing In a Second Track
You can already give it a try: by slowly moving the crossfader to the right, you should hear the
track on Deck B fade in, whereas the track on Deck A progressively fades out as you move the
crossfader further to the right. Obviously, our mix is not satisfying at all yet: before mixing in
the second track, we first have to beat-match it to the track playing on Deck A. So for now,
pull the crossfader all the way back to the left.
If you don’t hear any sound coming from Deck B even with the crossfader all the way to the
right, check the few troubleshooting guidelines in section ↑4.1.3, If You Don’t Hear the Track.
4.2.2 Using Headphones to Prepare the Mix
From now on, let’s get used to preparing our mix with headphones until the next track (here on
Deck B) is ready to be mixed in.
The CUE button
On your S2, press the CUE button on channel B (the one above the fader).
►
The button lights up, indicating that Deck B is now sent to the Cue channel, which you
→
will hear in your headphones.
Tutorials
At any time, use the CUE MIX knob at the front panel of your S2 to adjust the balance between the cued track (Deck B) and the main mix (Deck A) in your headphones: turn it counterclockwise when you want to concentrate on the cued track; turn it clockwise when you want to
hear more of the main mix.
You are now ready to work on the track playing on Deck B without interfering with the main
mix sent to your audience. Regardless of the mix that you’re hearing in your headphones, the
main mix is still controlled by the crossfader and channel faders.
4.2.3 Synchronizing the Second Track
Before mixing in the track playing on Deck B, we will use TRAKTOR’s automatic Sync feature
to adjust its tempo to that of Deck A. This is done in just one step via the SYNC button:
Traktor Kontrol S2 - Manual - 30
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