“An enhanced application that is nonetheless reassuringly familiar and reasonably priced”: Native Instruments Traktor Pro 4 review
Native Instruments Traktor Pro 4: What is it?
A full update to Native Instruments’ Traktor DJ software has been a long time coming.
In the six years since the arrival of Traktor Pro 3 there have been some major changes elsewhere in the industry, with PioneerDJ doubling down on its own rekordbox software while its parent company AlphaTheta makes a bid to buy Traktor’s other big rival, Serato.
Native Instruments Traktor Pro 4: Performance and verdict
The design of Traktor Pro 4 feels reassuringly familiar although the software has been updated in all the right places. One of the key additions here is stem separation and mixing. Traktor was actually the first application to introduce a form of stem mixing, back in 2015, although this relied on DJs, artists and labels embracing the proprietary Stems format, which never really took off. In Traktor 4, stems can be separated from a standard pre-mixed audio file – as in other DJ applications – meaning these no longer need to be imported separately. Traktor can analyse and separate a track into stems ‘live’ as a track is playing, though the process can be slow, so the better approach is to pre-separate tracks in the browser. Right now this can only be done one track at a time, rather than as a batch.
Reassuringly familiar but updated in all the right places
In terms of isolation quality and stem mixing, Traktor Pro holds its own against the best of its rivals. We’d assume it may be relying on the same tech as that in iZotope’s RX 11, which is now owned by the same parent brand. On that front, another interesting new feature for Traktor Pro 4 is its Ozone Maximiser – an intelligent output limiter borrowed from the iZotope mastering software of the same name. This is a simple, hassle-free tool that imbues the output with a decent level of loudness without risking distortion.
Traktor Pro 4 also introduces flexible beat grids, allowing its syncing capabilities to work around tracks with drifting timing or tempo changes. This is more of a fix than an exciting new feature, but addresses one of the major weaknesses of previous versions, in that it was near-impossible to work with musical styles that weren’t focused around a rigid electronic beat.
The software also gains a neat and fun mini drum machine in the form of Pattern Player, which can be loaded with sounds from artists including Luke Slater and Rebekah. Both Pattern Player and the Ozone Maximiser were previously offered as part of NI’s Traktor Pro Plus subscription, now thankfully abandoned. In fact, as dull as it sounds, Traktor Pro’s new pricing structure is its best feature. Where many rivals lean into subscriptions and add-ons, Traktor Pro is now a single, unified product available for a single – very reasonable – outright purchase price (or a cheaper upgrade from previous versions). It’s this that is likely to appeal most to a lot of users.
While it holds its own against the big names, Traktor feels reassuringly neat and self-contained, both in terms of its usability and cost.
MusicRadar verdict: Traktor strikes back, with an enhanced application that is nonetheless reassuringly familiar and reasonably priced.
Native Instruments Traktor Pro 4: The web says
“This feels like a breath of fresh air. One price. One version. No subscription. And new features which make the software once again fit for purpose for DJs who prioritise performance and sound quality over everything else, but who want some of the things they’ve jealously watched other platforms implement.”
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Native Instruments Traktor Pro 4: Hands-on demos
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Native Instruments Traktor Pro 4: Specifications
- KEY FEATURES: DJ software with stem separation capabilities. Plug and play capabilities with official NI controllers, ‘Traktor ready’ controllers, or via custom MIDI mapping.
- SUPPORTED AUDIO FORMATS: MP3, WAV, AIFF, Audio CD, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, non-DRM AAC
- CONTACT: Native Instruments
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