Discover 25 DJ tips and techniques that will help you to improve your skills, from building your DJ set to performing live to getting more gigs. The post Top 25 DJ tips to improve your skills first appeared on Native Instruments Blog ..read more

Remixing live allows DJs to play elements from tracks that the crowd will recognize in a new and unexpected way. It’s a great opportunity to experiment and get creative, and it’s a surefire way to make your sets totally unique to you. Traktor Pro 4 offers limitless possibilities for remixing live with its new stem separation option. This hotly-requested feature means DJs can mix together different elements from two or more tracks and pair elements like drums and bass from one track with vocals and melodies from another. In this blog, you’ll learn what live DJ remixing is, how to create stems ..read more

There is a certain unofficial “canon” of electric pianos that have made their mark on music history. A few of those are the Fender Rhodes, the Wurlitzer EP-200A, and – of course – the Yamaha CP-70. The Yamaha CP-70 is an electric grand piano that has carved its niche in the music world, primarily through recordings from the 1970s and 1980s, but also on a few modern classics. With the release of Alicia’s Electric Keys for Kontakt (based on the sound of Alicia’s personal CP-70 and her signature effects chains) it’s a perfect time to celebrate this iconic keyboard. We’ve picked out ten of the b ..read more

Our original Alicia’s Keys instrument from soul legend Alicia Keys focused on authentic acoustic piano tones, and now it’s been joined by Alicia’s Electric Keys, which introduces a broader palette of sounds. These include processed piano tones that take the instrument in new directions, from ambient pads to crunchy distorted leads. In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to make a chilled-out, soul-inspired beat with Alicia’s Electric Keys, including chords, bass, melody, and counter melody. Jump to these sections: 1. Making a backing track with samples 2. Composing chords 3. Adding bass 4. Ma ..read more

When a DJ uses phrase mixing, they pay attention to the song structure of each track and use the tracks’ arrangement as a guide to blend them together in a natural-sounding way. The two tracks are mixed in a way that makes musical sense and allows for seamless and logical transitions from one song to the next. In this blog, you’ll learn what phrase mixing is and how to phrase mix using Traktor Pro 4. Jump to these sections: What is a phrase? What is phrase mixing? How to use phrase mixing Prep your tracks Listen for phrases and set cue points Beatmatch Plan your transition Adjust your tran ..read more

Over two decades ago, Native Instruments created the first-ever DJ software. Since then, Traktor has filled sound systems and dance floors and is used by hundreds of thousands of DJs worldwide. Now, Traktor Pro 4 builds on this legacy, delivering some hotly-requested features in a serious upgrade from its predecessor, Traktor Pro 3. There are many reasons to upgrade, and current Traktor Pro 3 users will get 50% off the purchase price. Get Traktor Pro 4 What’s new? 1. Stem separation Stem separation is finally here to transform the way you mix and remix. This long-awaited feature is powered ..read more

If you’re thinking about getting into DJing, a good way to get started is on a laptop. Traktor Pro 4 is perfect for this and will allow you to organize your music collection, mix together tracks, create transitions between tracks, and add effects. It’s also a great way to learn basic DJ skills and a cost-effective way to learn. Once familiar with Traktor, you can easily incorporate a DJ controller into your setup and transition into using hardware alongside the software. This blog is a step-by-step guide on how to DJ with a laptop for beginners. You’ll learn how to start DJing using only a l ..read more

The Fairchild compressor, a legendary piece of audio equipment from the 1950s and 1960s, is known for its lush, warm sound and musicality. Designed by Rein Narma, it quickly became a staple in pro recording studios worldwide. The Fairchild compressor’s intricate tube and transformer-based design offer a unique character that enhances recordings with rich harmonics and smooth compression. We’ll explore the Fairchild compressor’s history and modern use cases while focusing on its most famous models, the 660 (mono version) and 670 (stereo version). Jump to these sections: Fairchild compressor ..read more

Music formats are a tricky business in the 2020s. Musicians used to be limited by the media they used. Vinyl, cassette tapes, and CDs all had their constraints, which shaped the way that music was released. In the digital era, few limits exist. A music release could be five seconds long or last an entire day. How can we decide which format to release in? The terminology has also gotten confused. Words like “EP” and “LP” come from old media, and their modern definitions are vague. So what is an EP exactly, and what is an LP? In this article, we’ll define these terms, explain the pros and cons ..read more

As contemporary composers, producers, and beatmakers, we may not always gravitate towards classical music. Perhaps we assume its style is conservative or outdated. But there is timeless compositional wisdom that we can glean from classical music. Among the valuable lessons we can learn from this style of music is the principle of voice leading – the art of crafting smooth and coherent movement between voices in harmonic progression. Understanding this compositional principle gives us a way to fluidly transition between chords and support the organic flow of our melodies. If you want to level ..read more