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Push More Buttons Presents: Sunday Digs™ 026

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 10:01:12 -0400

Happy Sunday, Friends and Happy Father’s Day to all the cool funny, BBQ pit-master Dads. This week we have some nice boom kat type of tunes. Ben Samples’s Carousel had that nice solid glitch hop crunk vibe. It’s my favorite tune of the digs and accompanies the other tunes very nicely.

Enjoy the digs this week. All of them have been pre-gridded, cue pointed, (Traktor) and tagged with BPM and key. The are also tagged in the “grouping” field with an energy level from 1-10.

As always if you love the free tracks support the artists and pick up some more tunes on Beatport, iTunes, or their webstores.

Keep it cool.

Priscilla J.

** All tracks in pack have been released for free by the artists, no copyright infringement is intended and Push More Buttons Sunday Digs™ packs are never for sale. **

DJ TECHTOOLS reports a possible new Traktor controller - Kontrol X1 mkII

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:22:00 -0400

Okay, Native Instruments has been releasing some really cool products lately and if this is true, I am very excited. I’ve had the Kontrol X1 for a number of years now and find it to be a great secondary controller if I am using turntables, however as a standalone it’s not as powerful.

Here are my thoughts on this new rumored controller;

1. Touch Strip
While I have never been the biggest fan of touch strips, I am happy these will be included. If you wanted to do a small show with say the X1 and the new Z1 it would be hard to skim tracks and do any on the fly prep. Sure you can use the mouse or pre-prep your tracks, but let’s face it we all have messy libraries and not every single track in our collection is gridded or cued up. Even I who am the queen of keeping tracks neat and tidy have a ton of old drum and bass dub-plates that are not gridded or cued. Mainly because I don’t sync those tracks and prefer to manually nudge into phase. With the X1 MK2, you can manually beat match and skim your tracks in a more natural way and while it’s no CDJ or 1200 it’s better than a trackpad.

2. RGB LED Feedback
It’s 2013 and components are much cheaper now than they were even 5 years ago. RGB LED’s are a must. Traktor heads have always heard the “Traktor’s interface is too cluttered” smack talk on forums and social media. Therefore, having a controller that provides clear feedback will effectively eliminate having to look at the interface at all. For the record, I don’t mind the interface as it can be stripped down to the bare essentials.

3. Portability
Look i’m not going to say, hey so and so could totally rock this at EDC. While I think it could be used on the main stage, I’m excited for different reasons. I live in LA and summer is approaching and summer BBQ’s and house parties are as native to Los Angeles as food trucks and bad celebrity drivers. This controller can easily be packed up with the new Z1 and my iPad mini in a very small bag, effectively giving me an interface, 16gb of tracks/crates, and full control of effects, mixing, loops, browsing, and manual track nudging.

I also see this as a perfect after-party companion where you can on the fly throw down a great set at a bar.

However, I do think that pairing it with a club setup at any high-end club is also a solid way of using this controller. It seems very versatile due to it’s portability and pairing with Traktor Pro & Traktor DJ (should this be true).

I think the true power of this comes in the entire approach. If this controller is real, it proves that NI is taking a hard look at providing DJs/Producers with more modular control. They are in essence empowering you to customize your setup. This alone is something to be excited about.

I for one cannot wait to get official conformation on this new lovely. Again all of this is rumored and is strictly speculation. Shout out to the DJTT crew for uncovering it first.

What do you all think, real? fake? powerful?

Pro on the Go - Traktor Kontrol Z1

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 12:50:38 -0400

Native Instruments launched a new teaser video for their new controller. The Kontrol Z1 is a highly portable midi controller with a built in soundcard. Perhaps one of the biggest highlights of the controller is the way it seamlessly integrates with Traktor Pro and Traktor DJ. Sure this may seem like a novelty item but if you strip it down to it’s basic use, it transforms your ipad into a great mobile practice and prep station.

TRAKTOR KONTROL Z1 is the ultra-compact 2-channel mixer, controller, and soundcard for TRAKTOR DJ and TRAKTOR PRO 2.

Complete, ultra-portable setup for TRAKTOR DJ
Pro-quality knobs, faders, and backlit buttons
Mixer with 3-band EQ, built-in 24-bit soundcard

This marks a very subtle approach into a modular system. While companies like Behringer and Korg have launched their modular controllers all at once, NI has made a cautious move into perfecting these small footprint controllers.

I’m really excited to get my hands on one of these for a full on review. Look for this in the near future.

What do you think of the new Z1? Excited, Meh… Drop your comments below and start the Z1 discussion

Push More Buttons Presents: Sunday Digs™ 025

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 10:01:00 -0400

Happy Sunday, Friends. I hope this post finds you in good spirits. This week we have some very nice tracks. Team Bayside High brings the heat with a nice remix of The Isley Brothers “Shout.” The vocals get chopped up in just the right places, creating a nice rhythm.

Enjoy the digs this week. All of them have been pre-gridded, cue pointed, (Traktor) and tagged with BPM and key. The are also tagged in the “grouping” field with an energy level from 1-10.

As always if you love the free tracks support the artists and pick up some more tunes on Beatport, iTunes, or their webstores.

Keep it cool.

Priscilla J.

** All tracks in pack have been released for free by the artists, no copyright infringement is intended and Push More Buttons Sunday Digs™ packs are never for sale. **

Push More Buttons Presents: Sunday Digs™ 024

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 15:18:00 -0400

Nothing much to say this week other than enjoy the digs. This week is filled with a ton of different genres and tempos. It’s a grab bag of goodies.

Enjoy the digs this week. All of them have been pre-gridded, cue pointed, (Traktor) and tagged with BPM and key. The are also tagged in the “grouping” field with an energy level from 1-10.

As always if you love the free tracks support the artists and pick up some more tunes on Beatport, iTunes, or their webstores.

Keep it cool.

Priscilla J.

** All tracks in pack have been released for free by the artists, no copyright infringement is intended and Push More Buttons Sunday Digs™ packs are never for sale. **

Push More Buttons Presents: Sunday Digs™ 023

Sun, 26 May 2013 10:01:00 -0400

Hey hey, Happy Sunday everyone. This week the digs will focus on Trap, however instead of the standard bubbles popping and 808s the digs will have strong emphasis on different sub-genres. Mellow, Reggae, Rock, etc, all while still having Trap be the main genre. By far the Mr. Carmack “Ego” track is my favorite. The track starts off a bit eerie and then hits you straight in the gut. I hope you enjoy the wide variety of Trap this week.

Enjoy the digs this week. All of them have been pre-gridded, cue pointed, (Traktor) and tagged with BPM and key. The are also tagged in the “grouping” field with an energy level from 1-10.

As always if you love the free tracks support the artists and pick up some more tunes on Beatport, iTunes, or their webstores.

Keep it cool.

Priscilla J.

** All tracks in pack have been released for free by the artists, no copyright infringement is intended and Push More Buttons Sunday Digs™ packs are never for sale. **

Push More Buttons Presents: Sunday Digs™ 022

Sun, 19 May 2013 10:01:00 -0400

Welcome back to a new edition of Sunday Digs. This week we have a nice eclectic mix of tracks ranging from Trap to House. My personal favorite for the week is Salva’s remix of Problem’s “Like Whaaat.” Salva brings a nice production value to the track. Enjoy the rest of the digs.

Enjoy the digs this week. All of them have been pre-gridded, cue pointed, (Traktor) and tagged with BPM and key. The are also tagged in the “grouping” field with an energy level from 1-10.

As always if you love the free tracks support the artists and pick up some more tunes on Beatport, iTunes, or their webstores.

Keep it cool.

Priscilla J.

** All tracks in pack have been released for free by the artists, no copyright infringement is intended and Push More Buttons Sunday Digs™ packs are never for sale. **

Push More Buttons Presents: Sunday Digs™ 021

Sun, 05 May 2013 10:01:00 -0400

Happy Cinco De Mayo, Friends! It’s Sunday and a fresh set of digs are here to keep you company while you do your thing today. This week we have a nice mix of trap, beats, and even some electro. I’m a huge fan of Butch Clancy and his new Rihanna Stay Remix is fire. Butch manages to inject some horrific sounding kicks and snares that almost sound like they are clipping but make them all work in cohesion. The subtle pitching of Rihanna’s vocals give the track a smooth crate digger beat feel but the beat transforms it to a more modern track. Grab his track as well as a few other goodies after the jump.

Enjoy the digs this week. All of them have been pre-gridded, cue pointed, (Traktor) and tagged with BPM and key. The are also tagged in the “grouping” field with an energy level from 1-10.

As always if you love the free tracks support the artists and pick up some more tunes on Beatport, iTunes, or their webstores.

Keep it cool.

Priscilla J.

** All tracks in pack have been released for free by the artists, no copyright infringement is intended and Push More Buttons Sunday Digs™ packs are never for sale. **

Push More Buttons Presents: Sunday Digs™ 020

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 02:33:00 -0400

Happy Sunday Folks. This week I bring you some nice bass tunes with some nice catchy hooks. My personal favorite this week is On The Edge by Angel Haze. This track has it all bass, 8-bit, hip hop samples, and of some hilarious trash talk (“I think my album is more done than yours and I just started a week ago”). Diplo murders this beat with the lead synths and stabs. The remaining digs will be sure to make you shake your rump while you clean your house or wash your car.

Enjoy the digs this week. All of them have been pre-gridded, cue pointed, (Traktor) and tagged with BPM and key. The are also tagged in the “grouping” field with an energy level from 1-10.

As always if you love the free tracks support the artists and pick up some more tunes on Beatport, iTunes, or their webstores.

Keep it cool.

Priscilla J.

** All tracks in pack have been released for free by the artists, no copyright infringement is intended and Push More Buttons Sunday Digs™ packs are never for sale. **

Push More Buttons Presents: Sunday Digs™ 019

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 10:01:00 -0400

Happy Gloomy Sunday, Folks! This week I bring you some really well laid out beats and a few mellow trap tracks. My personal favorite is Brock Berrigan’s “Party and Bullshit.” Brock is one of my favorite beatmakers. He always brings heat and simplicity which are very hard to do. Check it out and the rest of the digs after the jump. Enjoy!

Enjoy the digs this week. All of them have been pre-gridded, cue pointed, (Traktor) and tagged with BPM and key. The are also tagged in the “grouping” field with an energy level from 1-10.

As always if you love the free tracks support the artists and pick up some more tunes on Beatport, iTunes, or their webstores.

Keep it cool.

Priscilla J.

** All tracks in pack have been released for free by the artists, no copyright infringement is intended and Push More Buttons Sunday Digs™ packs are never for sale. **

Push More Buttons Presents: Sunday Digs™ 018

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 16:03:00 -0400

Happy Sunday Everyone! I hope you are all enjoying this beautiful lazy day. This week we have a nice mix of pure tweak tracks. These bad boys will for sure have you shaking your rump. My personal favorite is a nice Pretty Lights-esque funk soul beat by Griz. Check it out and the rest of the digs after the jump. Enjoy!

Enjoy the digs this week. All of them have been pre-gridded, cue pointed, (Traktor) and tagged with BPM and key. The are also tagged in the “grouping” field with an energy level from 1-10.

As always if you love the free tracks support the artists and pick up some more tunes on Beatport, iTunes, or their webstores.

Keep it cool.

Priscilla J.

** All tracks in pack have been released for free by the artists, no copyright infringement is intended and Push More Buttons Sunday Digs™ packs are never for sale. **

Push More Buttons Presents: Sunday Digs™ 017

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 15:54:00 -0400

Happy Easter Sunday! Easter reminds me of downtempo chill time with the people I love the most. Therefore, for this special Sunday Digs I bring you a smooth downtempo crate digging Hip-Hop edition. It’s filled with smooth tracks to make your lazy Sunday complete. Enjoy!

Enjoy the digs this week. All of them have been pre-gridded, cue pointed, (Traktor) and tagged with BPM and key. The are also tagged in the “grouping” field with an energy level from 1-10.

As always if you love the free tracks support the artists and pick up some more tunes on Beatport, iTunes, or their webstores.

Keep it cool.

Priscilla J.

** All tracks in pack have been released for free by the artists, no copyright infringement is intended and Push More Buttons Sunday Digs™ packs are never for sale. **

Review: Traktor Kontrol Stand

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:01:00 -0400

Native Instruments recently introduced the new Traktor Kontrol Stand. While I am not typically the type of person who cares much for cases and DJ bags this particular stand really caught my attention.

The stand is made from what appears to be the same solid aluminum that tops of the F1, X1, and Maschine. It feels both light and solid all at once, this is key for transporting in your carry on but still providing a nice solid surface while at the club. The stand features rubber pins as the base for locking in your controller into the stand. While the controller doesn’t ever really “lock in” it does sit nicely and feels very secure.

Prior to the stand my setup used a the NI soft case to hold my F1 next to my mixer. While I had no real issues with the soft case and it did the job just fine it did leave a lot of wiggle room for the controller. The new hard case effectively eliminates this wiggle room and creates a nice tight and solid fit. Not only is the height perfect for standard mixers and turntables but it also reduces the space between my mixer and turntables by about 2 inches. Check out the image below it clearly shows how much nicer the profile and fit is with the hard case. This is key because it creates a tighter environment with my turntables and controller thus eliminated the need to reach further to my tone arms.

The stand will set you back $59. Is it worth it? Well it is if you don’t have a case to protect your X1 or F1. Could you do without it? Probably, but I will say this, it’s a much nicer stand/bag than the soft case. Therefore, if you don’t have a case my opinion is skip the soft case and go for the hard case it’s well worth the cash.

Check out the Native Instruments site for more details.

Keep it cool,

Priscilla J.

Push More Buttons Presents: Sunday Digs™ 016

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 10:01:00 -0400

Hey hey. Another beautiful Spring Sunday, another set of digs. This week we have a few nice tracks. Some heavy hitters but also some nice melodic chopped up hip hop beats. The Rihanna flip is one of my personal favorites. I love the way the vocals are pitched and chopped. A fine example of good solid beat making.

Enjoy the digs this week. All of them have been pre-gridded, cue pointed, (Traktor) and tagged with BPM and key. The are also tagged in the “grouping” field with an energy level from 1-10.

As always if you love the free tracks support the artists and pick up some more tunes on Beatport, iTunes, or their webstores.

Keep it cool.

Priscilla J.

** All tracks in pack have been released for free by the artists, no copyright infringement is intended and Push More Buttons Sunday Digs™ packs are never for sale. **

Traktor Kontrol Z2 Performance Mappings (Free Download)

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:41:00 -0400

A few weeks ago I posted my Traktor Kontrol Z2 routine, since then I’ve finished up the custom mappings for the Z2 and the Maschine. This post will focus on the Z2 mappings while a later post will have the Maschine MKII mappings. The Z2 has quite a bit of functionality already built in but I wanted to add a few items that I felt would be deal breakers had I not added them. Grab the mappings after the jump.The beauty of the new mapping system in Traktor is the new “override factory mapping” checkbox. This allows you to override only the features that you don’t use instead of having to build any entirely new mapping from scratch. This is huge because if you have tried mapping an NHL enabled Traktor controller in the past you had to completely rebuild the mapping to add any features or else they would be stacked on top of the original factory mappings.

(Click Like to unlock free downloads)

Mapping Features

1. Effect Presets

2. Jump to Intro

3. Browse Crates

4. Tempo Adjustments (Deck & Master)

Effect Presets

(Cog + Cue Point 1-4 on a particular deck to load an effect preset)

I added effect presets because the Z2 only has one knob for any sort of effect controls. While I usually use the Z2 with my Maschine the ability to quickly jump to an effect that I need to use for a specific mood or transition is crucial. Therefore, I added a Beatmasher, Stretch, Delay, and Wormhole to the cue points on each deck. This is easily interchangeable in the mapping if you prefer to swap these out with your favorites. In the video I only cover the new macro effects because the Beatmasher and Delay are fairly self explanatory. It’s important to note that when this command is engaged the mapping also automatically turns on the effect unit for that deck and turns it off of the opposite deck. This is meant as a fail safe to prevent accidentally triggering the effect on the deck not intended.

Jump to Intro

(Shift + Flux on a particular deck to jump back to the beginning of a track)

I added this small yet useful feature because when I practice routines or sets I like to be able to jump to the beginning of a track quickly without having to mess with the timecode or clicking on the interface. This was a feature embedded into the S4 but did not make it onto the Z2.

Browse Crates

(Shift + Browse Encoder)

This simple feature overrides the factory command and browses through your crates rather than the entire playlist.

Tempo Adjust (Deck Specific)

(Cog + Loop Encoder)

A crucial feature for anyone using the Z2 without turntables or anything that gives any sort of tempo control.

Tempo Reset (Deck Specific)

(Cog + Loop Encoder Push)

This small feature is another one that I find handy for resetting the deck’s tempo in a case where a weird syncing instance happens. It’s important to note this feature is already built into the Z2 if you press and hold the sync button but I find that adding it to the loop encoder’s push is a bit more instantaneous.

Set Master Clock

(Cog + Browser Push)

This feature is useful for multiple deck mixing and sample deck mixing. It sets Traktor’s clock to the master and all subsequent synced decks will snap to the master clock tempo.

Master Clock Tempo

(Cog + Browse Encoder)

Lastly we have master clock tempo adjustments. Useful for tempo adjustments to the master when other decks are synced to the master clock.

These mappings are meant to provide supplementary controls that when combined with the built in Z2 controls elevate the Z2 to provide a slightly more robust mixer/controller.

Thank you for your continued support and interest in my custom mappings. Your kind words make all of the mapping conceptualizing and execution worth the headaches of Traktor modifiers. Stay tuned for the Maschine MKII mappings.

Keep it cool

Priscilla J

Push More Buttons Presents: Sunday Digs™ 015

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 10:01:00 -0400

Happy Sunday everyone. It’s been a good week for new tunes. Some heavy bangers and some more melodic beats have been circulating my Soundcloud feed and a few of my reliable sources. This week we have a nice mix of tunes but my personal favorite is The Ninetys remix of Flume’s “Sleepless.” This has it all nice heavy kicks mixed in with some legit vocal chops, almost reminiscent of an MPC groove.

Enjoy the digs this week. All of them have been pre-gridded, cue pointed, (Traktor) and tagged with BPM and key. The are also tagged in the “grouping” field with an energy level from 1-10.

As always if you love the free tracks support the artists and pick up some more tunes on Beatport, iTunes, or their webstores.

Keep it cool.
Priscilla J.

** All tracks in pack have been released for free by the artists, no copyright infringement is intended and Push More Buttons Sunday Digs™ packs are never for sale. **

Push More Buttons Presents: Sunday Digs™ 014

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 13:28:00 -0500

It’s a beautiful cloudy day in LA today. This week the digs focus on some smooth mellow trap blended in with some hip hop instrumentals that are reminiscent of some good ole MPC style beats. My personal favorite for this week is WISHKRFT’s Snapp. Smooth like butter but with enough sub and drop for the club.

Enjoy the digs this week. All of them have been pre-gridded, cue pointed, (Traktor) and tagged with BPM and key. The are also tagged in the “grouping” field with an energy level from 1-10.

As always if you love the free tracks support the artists and pick up some more tunes on Beatport, iTunes, or their webstores.

Keep it cool.
Priscilla J.

** All tracks in pack have been released for free by the artists, no copyright infringement is intended and Push More Buttons Sunday Digs™ packs are never for sale. **

Push More Buttons Presents: Sunday Digs™ 013

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 10:01:00 -0500

Hey Hey. Happy Sunday everyone. This week I wanted to do something a bit different. See while I was digging throughout the week for the very special few tracks for this week I fell so far down the rabbit hole of new artists that I came across a 20 year old producer from Belgium named “Houcemate.” His style is unique and quite beautiful in the beat / trap game. I loved his diversity so much that I wanted to start a new little series that will be part of the digs from time to time. This series will focus on one artist and some of their most interesting, diverse, and hard hitting tracks.

Houcemate’s tracks take you on an emotional journey that also hits hard. His hip hop style beats combined with melodic orchestral instruments really take his tracks to another level. My personal favorite is his XX remix of Angels. Do yourself a favor and check him out on Soundcloud and get up on his Facebook.

Enjoy the digs this week. All of them have been pre-gridded, cue pointed, (Traktor) and tagged with BPM and key. The are also tagged in the “grouping” field with an energy level from 1-10.

As always if you love the free tracks support the artists and pick up some more tunes on Beatport, iTunes, or their webstores.

Keep it cool.

Priscilla J.

** All tracks in pack have been released for free by the artists, no copyright infringement is intended and Push More Buttons Sunday Digs™ packs are never for sale. **

Push More Buttons Presents: Sunday Digs™ 012

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 16:53:00 -0500

Hey Hey. Happy Sunday everyone. This week I wanted to give you a few extra tracks due to no digs last week. As most of you know I launched the Z2 routine and will be launching the walkthrough and mappings soon, so stay tuned. If you haven’t already seen the video check it out here. Now onto the digs.

This week we have some great electro house remixes and some very new simple trap. I also wanted to throw in a smooth and mellow dub step remix with some nice cue-pointing on the piano notes.

Enjoy the digs this week. All of them have been pre-gridded, cue pointed, (Traktor) and tagged with BPM and key. The are also tagged in the “grouping” field with an energy level from 1-10.

As always if you love the free tracks support the artists and pick up some more tunes on Beatport, iTunes, or their webstores.

Keep it cool.

Priscilla J.

** All tracks in pack have been released for free by the artists, no copyright infringement is intended and Push More Buttons Sunday Digs™ packs are never for sale. **

Traktor Kontrol Z2 + Maschine MKII Performance Routine

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 12:22:07 -0500

Traktorheads! It’s been a long time since a Traktor video was posted. In this video we focus on the Traktor Kontrol Z2 and the Maschine MKII. I’ve been working hard in the lab to polish up some mappings for these two beasts. Check out the routine after the jump.

My first impressions of the Z2 were not as exciting as say the F1. It seemed a little too standard for a Native Instruments product. Surely I was mistaken, upon taking a look underneath the hood I realized the Z2 possessed massive “Kontrol” in a very small footprint.

Hybrid Power

Perhaps one of the greatest things about the Z2 is it’s hybrid nature as both a standalone analog mixer and a Traktor controller. For me this is quiet possibly one of the biggest breakthroughs NI has accomplished to date. Aside from the F1 and Remix deck integration this piece enables you to collaborate with Serato friends, wax fiends, and midi controllerist all within one small robust mixer. Simple plug and play action as well as hot swap buttons enable this collaboration to flow smoothly and quickly.

Custom Mappings

I’ve made some small custom mappings that sit on top of the factor standard mappings to help make the Z2 more tailored to my needs. The beauty of this new mapping standard is that you can override certain functions that you may not use with functions that you use all the time. More on this in the next article that will have my mappings and a more in-depth walkthrough.

Sidekick

My preferred method of using the Z2 aside from mixing some old drum and bass wax is to pair it with the Maschine MKII for added control. These two are a deadly combo with the right mappings. The MKII mappings will feature colored LED feedback for effect transitions and cue points. These will also be released soon.

Stay tuned for a more in-depth review, walkthrough, and mappings for the Traktor Kontrol Z2. A special shout out for your continued support in Push More Buttons.

Check out the Native Instruments website for more info and specs on the Traktor Kontrol Z2.

Keep it cool.
Priscilla J.

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Gear List
Traktor Pro 2.6
Traktor Kontrol Z2
Maschine MKII

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