Native Instruments' Traktor Pro hasn't received a significant update since Traktor Pro 3 was announced all the way back in 2018. Today, though, NI has finally revealed Traktor Pro 4, bringing a ton of creative tools to its flagship DJ software, including stem separation and flexible beat grids.
Traktor Pro 4's AI-powered stem separation makes use of sophisticated machine learning algorithms developed for iZotope's RX 11 software - a company Native Instruments now owns - enabling you to isolate and mix stems for bass, drums, vocals and other instruments for any song in your Traktor library before tweaking per-stem, MIDI-mappable controls for volume, filtering, and FX.
The software has also introduced flexible beatgrids, helping you accurately mix tracks that feature tempo changes without falling out of sync. These grids can help you pull off looping and beat jumps and apply time-based effects with tracks that vary in tempo, something that would've been tricky in Traktor's previous iterations.
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Pro 4 also introduces two features that previously only came bundled with Traktor Pro Plus, Traktor's subscription-based tier. Pro Plus is being discontinued, with all of its features being folded into Pro 4. These include Pattern Player, a 16-step sequencer that enables you to incorporate drum patterns into your sets, arriving with a selection of kits that includes classic drum machine sounds such as the 808 and 909, and samples from artists and producers such as Luke Slater, Rebekah and Chris Liebing.
Another useful feature lifted from Pro Plus is the inclusion of iZotope Maximizer, an adaptive multiband limiter from iZotope's Ozone mastering software that'll help avoid clipping and distortion in your sets, boosting loudness and achieving a consistent output level across multiple tracks.
Traktor Pro 4 is priced at $149/€149 but existing users can upgrade for only $74.50/€74.50. Find out more on Native Instruments' website.
“An enhanced application that is nonetheless reassuringly familiar and reasonably priced”: Native Instruments Traktor Pro 4 review
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