Ever glanced jealously at the sample decks, loop recorder and cleaner interface of the Traktor Kontrol S4’s software and wished your version of Traktor Pro had the same features? Well today Native Instruments has made that possible, with the release of its next-generation Traktor Pro 2 software.
Replacing Traktor Pro, Traktor Pro 2 is just one new product in a host of announcements today from the German music and technology company, and aims to cement Traktor’s position as the number one DJ software choice among controllerists.
Headline features of the new software include:
- TruWave frequency-specific coloured waveforms – borrowing a much-loved Serato feature, although they’re still not parallel like most DJ software
- Sample decks and loop recorder – allowing for the creation of remixes and edits on the fly
- Up to four-deck control – the new sample decks can be used in place of decks C and D, or the software can be used as straight four-deck workflow like the current Traktor Pro
- Full iTunes integration – Long a bugbear with Traktor DJs, now the software gets proper iTunes integration including crate flick cover art
- More studio-quality effects – Now over 30 effects, designed “to be used like an external effects unit”
- Easy syncing with Maschine – Allowing creative DJ/producers to incorporate this popular production hardware into their Traktor Scratch set-ups
- Simplified user interface – Native Instruments seems to have realised that cluttered is not necessarily good, and has cleaned up the interface to bring to the fore what matters and hide away features that aren’t so top priority
- SoftSync improved tempo awareness This promises to make beatmatching easier, with auto beat gridding and phrase matching
If the iTunes integration is good (we want editable ID3 tags for a start), and the software is indeed simpler to use than its sometimes clunky predecessor, Native Instruments on first look has just safeguarded Traktor’s place as the DJ controller software of choice. We just can’t understand why they resist parallel waveforms at every opportunity…
Software updates will be available for current owners of Traktor software.
• Native instruments also announced Traktor Duo 2, the 2-deck stripped sown version of this software.
We can confirm the pricing to be US$229 / €199 for Traktor Pro 2 (US$79 / €69 upgrades), and US$119 / €99 for Traktor Duo 2 (US$49 /€39 upgrades).
Video
Here’s the official Native Instruments video for the new software:
Do you welcome the porting across of sample decks and loop recorder from the Kontrol S4 software? What’s your take on the company’s continued resistance to parallel waveforms? What features excite you the most from the above – or do you feel they’ve missed a trick or two? Let us know in the comments.
Phil Morse
