AES: Traktor DJ Studio Updated

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Native Instruments' DJ software Traktor DJ Studio receives a comprehensive update to version 2.5. Traktor DJ Studio 2.5 fuses live mixing, remixing, and performing into a new entity.

New in Traktor DJ Studio 2.5:

Advanced Time Stretching Engine - Traktor DJ Studio 2.5's new time stretching engine opens exciting possibilities for creative mixing. Traktor can now smoothly adjust a track's speed without changing the pitch, and vice versa. Tempo changes of up to +/- 30% and pitch changes of six semitones are now possible without audible artifacts, according to the company.

Visual Interface Enhancements with Full Track View - The user interface of Traktor DJ Studio 2.5 has been fine-tuned with several enhancements. A full-length track overview is displayed for each deck as a dual-shaded miniature waveform, making it easy to directly jump to any point in the song. The extended wave display stretches across the entire screen, can be given different colors, and adds six freely configurable text fields with user-defined font sizes.

OSC Integration for Syncronization across Networks - Traktor DJ Studio 2.5 can be synchronized to or control other computers or sequencers. In addition to MIDI clock, this update also supports the network-based OSC protocol for synchronized performances across the room or across the Internet.

Compatibility - The database in Traktor DJ Studio 2.5 is 100% compatible with Final Scratch. Playlists and music archives on external storage devices can be seamlessly swapped to and from both platforms.

Several Improvements for Live Performance and Library Management - Many more detailed improvements now make it even easier to perform live with Traktor and to manage large libraries. Improvements include:

• 'Seamless Looping' uses short crossfades to ensure smooth transitions between loops
• Two user-defined screen setups can be instantly toggled with the mouse or keyboard shortcuts.
• Advanced ID3 tags allow all database information to be saved in the MP3 file
• Complete import for all iTunes library fields
• Hot swap of external devices even while the program is running
• The database in Traktor DJ Studio 2.5 is 100% compatible with Final Scratch. Playlists and music archi ves on external storage devices can be seamlessly swapped to and from both platforms.
• When importing music tracks, Traktor DJ Studio 2.5 now recognizes the perceived volume levels along with the tempo to reliably match different levels of digital music formats to each other.

Traktor DJ Studio 2.5 is available at all NI retailers for 199 Euro/$199. Registered Traktor users will be able to purchase the update through the NI Online Shop for 49 Euro/$49 as a direct download or for 69 Euro/$69 as a boxed version.