Beat Grid Manual Allignment In Traktor Pro

Hi LR users.Let me first state that the video in this post this isn't my own tutorial.

Some of you traktor users may have experienced that sometimes when mixing a track with an offbeat bass,or a track with a complex rhythm that traktor doesnt quite manage to work out where the beat is or allign the grid properly.This can prove annoying and troublesome especially as you try to bring your next track in.Sometimes traktor just will not cue the track you are mixing in exactly on the beat for you.This can result in some severe manual correctiions and a bit of panic maybe to ensure your mix is going to be both on time and in good sync.I have found this Beat Grid tutorial to be VERY useful as it gets rid of the problem,and proves a good insight into what i currently believe is a more effective way of using the software.As far as i can gather when you follow the steps shown in the video for every track you use,traktor will remeber your manually set grid lines.

I appreciate that some of you will already know how to do the stuff in the vid but it was useful for me and Im sure can be useful for others.


This method even works for tracks with big tempo changes in them.I have tested it with a very extreme example and been successful with it.

PLEASE NOTE-There are some cases where the a massive tempo shift in a track will be simply too much for traktor to handle,resulting in a very difficult process trying to set a beat grid for the start and end of the offending track.The way I have got around this so far and been able to mix in/out such a track is to use a loop at the start/end where your grid lines still line up on the beat.

Another factor that can cause problems in a virtual mixing program is an event in a track happening not on a menotrome or grid/bars/beats basis.

eg. you have a track playing away,your grid is lined up,the track builds up nicely into some sound effect with a long reverb tail as the beats have temporarily come to a halt,then when the next group of beats kick in it again they are no longer in cue again/lined up again.WHY????

This I believe is for one of two reasons...

1 - The producer that wrote it like that made it that way on purpose just to piss you off (and make you mix properly!)

2 - He/She was working with audio files and as he/she finalised the tune had snap set to off and were working in an events based mode rather than grid/bars/beats and subsequently has placed the two parts of the track back together at the point where your dj software starts to malfunction.

To try and demonstrate,below I have made a very basic example.

In this first screenshot Cubase is in grid mode (bars and beats) and all parts of the track are lined up smack on the beat at a tempo of 120 bpm (fixed).Your Dj software would have no problem mixing/syncing this.


http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...enshotaue.jpg/


However...in this second screenshot you will notice how the yellow audio clip is lined up on the beat but the green audio clip is not.Your dj software will start to play up in when things like this happen in a track.(even with beat gridding)

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...eenshotbq.jpg/

If anyone else can think of any other instances where traktor or other dj software start to have problems please let me know as
I would like to know all possible scenarios that can make things go wrong when relying on mixing software to keep mixes in time.

Anyway here is the link to the beat grid tutorial and i hope you find this information useful.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ1IH...eature=related

:)