In this video, 2-time DMC champion and Dubspot DJ curriculum director DJ Shiftee heats things up in his new routine with the TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 and his devastating scratch skills! Learn many of these DJ skills and more in any of our upcoming DJ course dates. Enrollment Details!
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Turn up the air conditioning, DJ Shiftee gets locked in on another hot routine and takes the original jogwheels out for a spin with TRAKTOR KONTROL S8. In this video, 2-time DMC champion and Dubspot DJ curriculum director DJ Shiftee unleashes his turntable wizardry that has made him one of the most well-known and respected turntablists out there. Shiftee is not only a world-class turntablist but also incorporates the latest digital DJing technologies available. He’s a unique blend of the old and new school.
Watch DJ Shiftee bust his way to freedom with the full creative power of TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 and devastating scratch skills!
Music:
Alt-J – Left Hand Free (Lido Remix)
Low Pros Feat. Que – Who Wanna Play
Shiftee – Uh Yo And Also Yo
Q+A with Shiftee – Traktor S8 Routine
Tell us your impressions of the S8 after building this routine. Did the S8 bring new variables to work with in your routine?
The S8 is a lot of fun! I love the screens for overall workflow and being able to hide the laptop. From a performance standpoint, it’s a new look for me to have such nice big pads so close to the faders and in between the decks (rather than on the outside), opened up some new creative possibilities.
What is your favorite part (or parts) of this new controller?
Freeze mode is really cool, especially when using it to chop up loops into smaller loop slices and then still being able to scratch those. The screens are also very Hammer Dance (my highest compliment).
How was the transition to working with no jog wheels on the S8?
I’ve never really used jog wheels and probably never will, so the transition was seamless. I look at the S8 as a mixer with midi control built in that I can use in conjunction with my turntables. I wouldn’t DJ without turntables, so this is just like getting a mixer with steroids. It’s like a really buff mixer, hits the gym really hard.
Are you able to maintain the same level of control as with other controllers?
In many aspects, you get much more control from the S8. When you turn a Fx knob, for instance, you can see the exact values of the Fx on the screen. The screens are just Bonkers, by which of course I’m referring to the 90′s cartoon series on Toon Disney.
What challenges did you encounter working with the S8 instead of a traditional mixer setup?
It’s width. I watched sumo wrestling videos to think wider and prepare myself for beat juggling with the decks so far apart.
Are you excited about the new Stems file format? Will this provide new options for turntablists?
Stems look cray! I’m excited to experiment with throwing parts in and out while I scratch, juggle, and spin around.
Tell us about the musical choices you used for this routine..
The musical picks represent a nice cross section of my tastes these days. We’ve got rap with Low Pros – Who Wanna Play ft. Que, super melodic future-y stuff with Lido’s remix of alt-J, and then dirty bass with my own track Uh Yo And Also Yo. Ultimately the picks also come from experimenting with a bunch of different songs and then zooming in on what sounds, to use a clinical term, the most dope.
About DJ Shiftee
DJ Instructor & Native Instruments Specialist
DJ Shiftee is a tuntablist, party rocker, Harvard math grad, and one of the premiere battle DJs in the world. He is the 2007 and 2009 DMC Supremacy World Champion, the only US champ ever, the 2008 IDA/ITF World Vice Champion, and the self-proclaimed
greatest sandwich maker of all time. Using two turntables and a mixer as his instruments, Shiftee actively performs turntablist showcases, experimental group projects, and party sets around the globe. Known as an established force on the international DJ scene, Shiftee has translated his intuitive math geek mentality into far-reaching success on the turntables.
Connect with Shiftee on the web!
Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud | E.A.S.Y. | Hot Mom USA
Shiftee + Enferno Present: E.A.S.Y. “Coming Around Again” Video
Click here to view the embedded video.
DJ Extensive Program
Immerse yourself in the complete art of DJing: from the fundamentals of beatmatching and mixing to using effects and programming extended club sets. Whether you’re a beginner wanting to learn fundamentals or a seasoned pro looking to take your talent to the next level, our curriculum is designed to accommodate all skill levels and styles of music. This comprehensive DJ program covers everything from basic mixing to advanced digital DJing with both Serato and Traktor.
What’s Included
- DJ Level 1: Rookie Sessions | Essentials I
- DJ Level 2: Phrase Mixing | Essentials II
- DJ Level 3: Beyond The Blend | Intermediate Skills
- DJ Level 4: Preparation | DJ Psychology
- DJ Level 5: Classroom to the Club | Advanced Techniques I
- DJ Level 6: Club to the World | Advanced Techniques II
Start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.
Or if you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.
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