Friday 7 December 2007

First Glimpse Of Kombine Harvezter



It plays and scrolls the waveform already, and playback speed can be adjusted according to the target BPM - none of this plus or minus % nonsense!
I really have a bee in my bonnet about Traktor. For instance, it seems to take a staggering amount of CPU to simply play back an MP3, whereas this simple deck tops out at about 2%. I think the general philosophy of that program is wrong, it is both over complex and lacking in imagination.
When I've completed the first phase of this new patch, it will feature 4 decks, 3 crossfaders (2 top to bottom and one left to right) and a global pulse to keep them all in time, if desired. All controls will be assignable to MIDI or keyboard learn. The track selector will be in REALLY BIG LETTERS to minimise squinting in darkened clubs.
Phase two will feature granular and spectral synthesis, automatic remixing tools and various effects. I don't know how long those things will take, but the principles involved are not complicated.
I keep thinking that there must be something I'm missing about making a DJ program, some really big problem that I'll come across when I try to put it together, since as much as Traktor irritates me, it seems about the best of a bad bunch. So far, hacking this together has been relatively easy. Where's the catch?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yo Chris. Would you not just use Ableton live? I recently switched to it from vinyl and i have to say, its spot on.

cylob said...

Hi Christopher, while it's just become possible to do so with the tempo nudge feature, there are still issues such as track selection (it's better to have a list that can be readily ordered by artist, title or bpm rather than dragging files from a mini-finder) and setting up markers (which would involve copying clips and changing playback info, which is much more time consuming.) However, with some tracks or mixes, there are certainly possibilities in taking the time to prepare these things and then mixing them in occasionally, which I was planning to do as it happens!
Also, since there is a version of the SuperCollider server (just the sound generating part) that can work as a plug-in, I could very well have my own program going through Live's EQs or other effects (I've always liked their EQ and compression, but they sound super nice in the new version.) So I am 50% in agreement!

Anonymous said...

have you considered making this available for purchase when its finished?