The Complete Traktor Pro Video Tutorial Guide From Setting Up Your Gear To Mixing In Key Like A Pro
This course will show you the fast way to master Traktor Pro and become a professional DJ. After learning and implementing what I teach, you’ll be ready to rock any party and start playing paid gigs around the world.
When I bought my first Traktor S2 Controller in 2012 I was really excited to get it up and running. Which did not take me too long - after one hour or so I had figured out how to drag my first track into a deck and press "Play". Yey! I was now a Traktor DJ. Or so I thought...
Soon thereafter I began to feel overwhelmed with all the options, functions and settings. Where to start? What do all these buttons do? Which ones are important and which are not? I felt confused, uncertain. Lightyears away from having the confidence to walk up to a club manager and ask for a gig.
After didling around for a while I started digging through the manual. 349 pages! Are you kidding me??
349 Pages - Are You Kidding Me?
What to do. I was serious about becoming a great Traktor DJ and read the manual back to back. Just to find out that most of the stuff wasn´t really necessary for me to know! Waste of time most of it! At one point I spent 6 hours straight checking the preferences! (In my course, I will cover all you need to know about preferences in a 5 minutes video. Just to give you an idea how much time and hustle you are going to save.)
I knew that what I needed to master was the decks, effects, EQs and cue points. So, I started organizing my playlists and analyzing tracks. And - finally - I began mixing! But I soon found out that reading up on stuff in my bedroom and playing live were two very different things.
"Reading up on Stuff in my Bedroom and Playing Live were Two Very Different Things"
I kept on searching, reading, watching YouTube videos, trying this and that. Until I finally, 6 months later, had built enough confidence to go out and look for gigs.
Since then I have played well over 250 gigs and my setup now looks very different from when I first started out. I spent a lot of time optimizing my sets, created loads of controller mappings and deleted them again. Tried out all the effects and ended up using only two.
I invested a lot of time on the Mixing-in-Key topic. I love mixing in key. But when you first start doing it, it's very challenging to get it right.
“DJing is a live performing art. You need confidence to go out and play in front of a crowd.”
My biggest obstacle was feeling insecure. Not knowing what I’m doing. And there are two ways to build confidence: the hard way and the smart way.
The hard way is trial and error. Go play, make mistakes, take the beating, learn from it and get better. I’ve seen many DJs giving up in the process. Because it’s hard. Not everybody can take the pain.
The smart way is to find a proven system and learn it. And that’s what I am offering you here. DJing is a live performing art. You need confidence to go out and play in front of a crowd. This confidence comes from two things: learning the right stuff and practice. I can’t take away the practice part. But I can teach you the right stuff.
After I had become successful I remember one day thinking: "I wish I had all the knowledge that I have collected thorough trial and error, back when I started, in a compact, comprehensive video tutorial. Hey, why not make one now, to make it easier for people who are just starting out?”
And that's how this Traktor DJ Course was born
All the information in this course is “Battle-tested” at gigs. And trust me when I say that these are the nuts and bolts of being a great Traktor DJ.
In the Tutorial you’ll learn:
- The fast and easy way to become a professional Traktor DJ
- Everything you need to know to DJ with Traktor Pro
- Exactly what mixing-in-key is and why you need to learn it to get ahead of your competition
- How to save weeks and months of painful trial and error (imagine making mistakes at a live gig with people depending on you? Not fun…) by learning from my mistakes
- The way to speed up your learning curve so you can become a pro in a matter of weeks rather than years…
- How to avoid the typical “newbie” mistakes that can mess up your night and ruin future gig opportunities
Best of all:
the course will make you confident in your abilities as a DJ because you know that you can deliver. Leading to more fun and success in your career.
Sounds exciting?
I thought so. Now let's get to the meat of the corse. I divided it into three parts so that you can find whatever you need help with right now.
Part 1: "Getting Started"
Part 2: "Mixing Techniques"
Part 3: "Mixing In Key"
Here are the details:
Traktor Tutorial Part 1: Getting Started
In part 1 of the course I will explain all you need to know about setting up your gear:
wiring, connectors, function of software / controller, organising and loading tracks.
1.1 What is Traktor?
1.2 What's in my DJ bag
1.3 Organizing tracks on your computer
1.4 Software overview and preferences
1.5.1 Importing and loading a track
1.5.2 Setting hot cues
1.6 Organizing tracks
1.7 Track sourcing
Traktor Tutorial Part 2: Mixing Techniques
Part 2 is about understanding the tracks structure and mixing. How to select tracks, Headphones / CUE function, Where to mix, Beat matching, Using Effects and EQs.
2.1.1 FX and decks
2.1.2 Mixer
2.2 Find matching tracks
2.3.1.1 Beat matching intro
2.3.1.2 Beat matching exercise
2.3.2 Find the right mix point
2.3.3 Using EQ
2.3.4 Mixing example
2.4 Playlist arrangement with dummy tracks
Traktor Tutorial Part 3: Mixing In Key
One of the huge advantages you have with Traktor is the option to Mix in Key. This part will make sure you make good use of it. We will find out how to identify the track key, mix in key and adjust track keys using the custom KeyMap included in the course for download.
3.1 Why mix in key
3.2 How to detect the track key
3.3.1 Which keys match?
3.3.2 Circle of fifths
3.4 Why key shifting 5 custom key map
3.6 Example
All videos are in HD quality (can watch in full screen). Recording and editing is professional. Good sound, custom made info graphics and voice over.
See for yourself:
Here are some sneak-previews:
But that's not all...
After mastering this course you’ll want to look into all the other different aspects of being a pro DJ like listening to mixing examples, checking out DJ charts, downloading your music, browsing DJ magazines, getting support with road blocks you might have hit...
No worries. I've got you covered.
The Members Area contains all these goodies:
Bonus #1: HighTechSoul Charts
Sharing some of my fav tracks with you that I’m sure you will love. Deep & funky House Stuff…
Bonus #2: Email Support
If you are stuck at any point in the course and need help - no problem. Just drop me an email and I'll help you out!
Bonus #3: Mixed in Key Mixes
Wanna hear what applied Mixing in Key sounds like? No Problem. I posted a few of my favorite mixes for you to check out!
Bonus #4: TDJC eBook
Some people like to watch videos, others like to read. If you belong to the latter species - fine. I created an eBook version of the Traktor Tutorial for you to download Free-of-charge.
Bonus #5: Web Links for DJs
There is a lot of great stuff out there on the Web. Download sites, Magazines, DJ ranking sites. And I'm sure you have discovered many of them by now. But you might also find a few gems in this list of mine.
Bonus #6: Custom KeyShift Map
Key Shifting is one major feature you need to utilize to make Mixing in Key work. I'll explain that in the videos. But Traktor Controllers don't support that - without this KeyMap, you'll have to change your Track Key using the mouse - which is very very inconvenient. This custom Key Map is nothing short of a game changer when it comes to mixing in key. Get the free download in the Members Area! (designed for S2)
Bonus #7: Facebook Group
Share your thoughts and get support in the dedicated Facebook group for TDJC members.
How Much Does It Cost?
All you need to cover the cost of this course is one gig. One single gig!
The average beginner-DJ-fee is USD 100.- and above. Now will this course help you to get this next (or first) gig faster? Will it help you to succeed at your next/first gig and get a follow up engagement?
Will it maybe even make all the difference between not getting a gig at all, stuck and confused learning the skills, and feeling confident to go out and get that gig, because you know how to play?
When I was in your shoes, back in the days, desperately trying to figure out how to dj with Traktor, I would have given an arm and a leg for a course like this. Which is the reason why I created it. To make it easier on you. To keep you moving forward towards what ever it is you want to achieve.
Here is what TDJC Members have to say:
I was truly blown away by Dano's skills on the decks whilst keeping the crowd moving
I first met DanoEF a few years ago via some mutual friends and was also invited to watch him spin at a local club. I was truly blown away by Dano's skills on the decks whilst keeping the crowd moving.
Dano really has a keen ear for music and a serious passion for the DJ industry as a whole. Dano is ready to help whether you're a novice or just someone who enjoys music. He's also running a truly informative website on DJ'ing with Traktor and over time I believe it will be a definitive guide to burgeoning users of Traktor Pro and other Traktor products.
I found the course very useful
It was very good that you summarized the content of hundreds of pages of the manual to 30+ pages, emphasizing only what is important and what is actually going to be used in everyday work and practice. For three days, that I have been reading and watching the tutorials, I collected lots of useful information on:
- How to customize settings in Traktor
- How to organize tracks
- How to set hot cues in tracks
- Finding the right mix point
- How to mix in key and why shift keys for one semi-tone
There are also other very useful tips, but these were the ones the most beneficiary for me.
Also, free items (bonus) that you give are awesome :)
Dano’s course is awesome!
The content is well-organized and very clearly presented. Dano focuses on what’s important for getting you up and running quickly so that you can get to what’s most important — making music! TDJC saved me a ton of time and money. I’ve taken a lot of online music courses and I can’t think of another course that’s a better value. I highly recommend it!
I was upset with myself for not discovering your course sooner
I am very thankful for all that you have done Dano. I first purchased my Traktor in September. Between September and October, I had purchased a DJ schooling through the Stafford brothers, Master DJ Course. Sure, I was able to learn and gain new understandings through their course, but I didn't really feel like I learned anything from them. The course was $150, and I sat there thinking to myself, how in the world can I start DJing. I didn't feel as if I learned enough to even begin mixing. I continued to search the internet to learn, and luckily discovered Traktor DJ Course at the beginning of November. I asked for a refund from the Stafford Brothers, and without hesitation, signed up for Dano's class. I am being completely honest here, I learned more in three days of your course, than I did with the Stafford brothers course. I was upset with myself for not discovering your course sooner. I could not have asked for a better teacher. Dano is so smooth and professional with his work. I am able to grasp each video that went along with the e-book. Your course has given me the confidence to begin recording mixes and apply what I was able to learn from the video, within days. My learning curve jumped through the roof. It is hard to find teachers for this subject, but you helped save my life with this. I will remember this course as my journey begins to unfold. I currently am a radio DJ, and will begin to be working for a DJing event company. Aside from those two situations, my goal is to be performing live mixes at venues. I can see this possible within the next year or so, and all thanks to you. I would hope to meet you someday in life, so I could learn even more from you. You truly are changing lives. You give such clear enough details and teaching, you can turn anyone into a DJ. That anyone happened to work out with me. I loved the quote that you used in the book, because it will stick to me with everything I apply in life; A smart man learns from his mistakes, a wise man learns from others. Dano, thank you for teaching us all of your years of practice and energy. You are very inspiring. I would love to be in a position as yours, and teach whoever out there who is willing to learn. Also, Dano is unbelievably professional. I had asked for a question on how to do something, and I kid you not, an hour later, he emailed me back with a full video tutorial. I couldn't believe it. It shows how much he cares about this, and wanting to see his students thrive. I can't thank you enough.
"The smart man learns from his mistakes. The wise man learns from other people's mistakes.”
Be the wise guy and learn from my mistakes.
