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The best USB audio interface
By Daniel Varghese This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full guide to USB audio interfaces. If you're a musician who's starting to get serious about recording your work yourself, you need a USB audio interface that lets you connect any microphone to a computer or iPad and record multiple tracks at once. We tested nine audio interfaces and found that they all record clear audio, but the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 offers the best combination of features, portability, and ease of use. The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 is our favorite USB audio interface for musicians who want to record up to two tracks simultaneously onto a computer. Due to its logically arranged inputs and adjustment knobs, the 2i2 is easy to set up and use to record vocals and acoustic or electric instruments to any digital audio workstation. The interface works with iOS, macOS, and Windows devices and comes with versions of popular recording software. Its compact, lightweight design makes it easy to toss in your backpack or suitcase for mobile recording sessions. The 2i2 lacks a built-in MIDI interface, but unless you have a lot of older MIDI instruments lying around, this shouldn't be a big issue. If the Focusrite 2i2 is unavailable, or if you have a lot of older gear with five-pin MIDI connectors, the PreSonus AudioBox iTwo is a great alternative. It has the same iPad functionality and portability as the 2i2, but its smaller clipping lights and less-intuitive front-panel design make it a little harder to use. The Native Instruments Komplete Audio 6 has all of the advantages of the Focusrite 2i2, including clear clipping lights and macOS/Windows/iOS support, but it adds a built-in MIDI interface and two extra balanced line inputs and outputs. Its unique design, which places all of its monitor lights on the top panel, makes it a little easier to set up and use than the other interfaces we tested. These extra features also make it heavier than we'd like, but if you plan to mostly use it in your home studio and could use the extra inputs, it's a great upgrade.
Native Instruments’ Traktor DJ 2 breaks free from the iPad
Last fall, Native Instruments gave its DJ and production hardware a significant refresh, especially at the entry level. Today, the company is introducing a second wave of tools to complement the new line up, along with even more new hardware.
SoundCloud will let DJs instantly mix millions of its tracks
DJ sets and electronic music were integral to SoundCloud's initial success. In the past, the streaming also-ran has tapped into its community of mixers by letting them upload via Pioneer's DJ app. Now it's going one further by allowing creators to stream and incorporate its entire music catalogue in real-time using software from Native Instruments, Serato, Virtual DJ, DEX3, Mixvibes and DJuced/Hercules. That means access to 200 million tracks, in case you were wondering.
Native Instruments’ latest performance controllers do beats on a budget
If you're into digital DJing or music production, you'll be very familiar with Native Instruments. For disc jockeys, Traktor (software) in combination with the Kontrol S series of hardware is about as comprehensive as it gets. For tunesmiths, it's Maschine (production/performance) and Komplete (studio) -- both also a watertight combination of hardware and software, for whatever your preferred style of songwriting is.
Native Instruments Maschine gets color screens, larger pads
Whether you're an in-room musician or you take your craft onstage, the Native Instruments Maschine is an incredibly handy tool for working with and triggering samples and controlling MIDI instruments. Well, it just got a nice upgrade with the Maschine MK3.
'La La Land' composer on electronica's key role in the film
Damien Chazelle's La La Land might not have won that Oscar, but it did scoop up the one for Best Original Music Score. The man behind that score is Justin Hurwitz. Anyone who has seen the film will know that the soundtrack is largely divided between vintage Hollywood music and classic jazz -- the style favored by tortured musician Seb (Ryan Gosling). But for all of its antiquity, one of the biggest conflicts of the movie is Seb's struggle with pop success after joining his friend Keith (John Legend) in a band that fuses jazz flavors with modern electronic music. Hurwitz's challenge, then, was not only to score the movie but also to create a musical backdrop to Seb's journey of self-discovery, a journey that ultimately proves to be a crucial fork in the movie's twisting story.
Use Roli Blocks to control Mac and Windows music production apps
Roli's set of modular music gadgets have been around since November, but today the company announced an update that will come in handy for those who use desktop music production apps. The new Dashboard for Roli Blocks allows you to employ the LED touch-sensitive pad to control software like Logic Pro X, Ableton Live, Cubase, Native Instruments Massive and a bunch more. With the Lightpad Block and Dashboard, you can upload pre-programmed scripts and edit as needed.
Native Instruments uses 3D Touch for better mobile beat making
Native Instruments is a huge player in the music production and DJ world. Its Traktor DJ software and (myriad) hardware controllers are a favorite with digital crate diggers. The company also manages to squeeze Traktor (and Maschine) into surprisingly comprehensive iOS apps -- but there's obviously a trade off. That gap in functionality shrinks a little today with iMaschine 2, which has the ability to make complete songs (not just loops), and puts Apple's 3D Touch -- a feature that's ripe for music making apps such as these -- to clever use.
DJs can buy remix-friendly 'Stems' music files starting today
Back in March, Native Instruments -- the company behind the ubiquitous Traktor DJ software -- announced Stems: a music format that lets DJs and remixers to control individual parts of a track. Today Stems launches to the buying public on a number of popular music stores including Beatport and Traxsource have them listed already, Bleep, Juno, whatpeopleplay, and Wasabeat will also be selling them. For years DJs and producers' only chance of finding a cappella versions of songs was to hope a vocal-only recording existed. The advent of the internet made finding these a little easier, but they were still rare. Expensive software can sometimes help you surgically remove parts or a track, or isolate vocals, but the results aren't always very clean. Stems makes all that a thing of the past.
Native Instruments' open music format is designed for DJ mixes
DJ equipment has advanced by leaps and bounds in recent years, but digital music formats? Not so much -- unless your software is clever enough, you usually have to mix whole tracks rather than just the parts that make sense for your set. Native Instruments aims to fix that with Stems, a free and open file format tailor-made for the DJ crowd. The tracks will play as usual in most music apps, but the right software lets you independently control the bass, drums, melody and vocals. You could drop singing if you don't want it during a transition, for instance, or apply effects to the beat without touching anything else.
Native Instruments teases a portable, touch-sensitive DJ deck
Native Instruments has a full-fledged DJ deck and mixer combo, but it can be a big hassle -- do you really want to lug a giant controller with you on tour, especially if you already have a preferred mixer? You won't have to make that sacrifice for much longer, it seems. The company is teasing an upcoming Traktor Kontrol system (likely to be called the Kontrol D2) that is essentially the deck half of the Kontrol S8, complete with a display and touch-sensitive faders, knobs and track controls. In other words, you have a a proper, modern deck (more than a basic controller) that's both easier to carry on the road and lets you use a different mixer. NI hasn't said when this machine will ship or what the price will be, but it's safe to say that it'll cost less than the $1,299 S8.
NI's latest Traktor DJ controller ditches old-fashioned jog wheels
Native Instruments' Traktor Kontrol DJ decks have clung to old-school jog wheels for ages, in part to help you transition from vinyl and turntables to digital mixers. However, you're probably not a stranger to modern technology these days -- and appropriately, NI has a new controller to match. Its Kontrol S8 replaces those wheels with displays and touch-sensitive input that lets you control many aspects of the included Scratch Pro 2 software directly on the mixer, rather than having to switch to your laptop. Aside from embracing the digital era, this also lets you focus more on your performance (and, presumably, the crowd). Just be prepared to play some extra gigs to pay this off. The S8 will go on sale October 30th for $1,299, or about as much as the computer you'll need to host the companion software.
Native Instruments' new Maschine Studio controller keeps your eyes on the music
When you're focused on music editing, you don't want to switch back and forth between a computer screen and a hardware controller. With Native Instruments' newly unveiled Maschine Studio, you won't have to. The peripheral expands on the original Maschine with dual color displays that let musicians edit patterns and samples without having to glimpse at the host PC. The upgrade also adds new editing controls, and a revised Maschine 2.0 software suite simplifies plug-ins. Maschine Studio will ship on November 1st for $999, although you won't have to buy one to get the new software. NI promises that anyone who buys a Maschine or Maschine Mikro from now on will get a free update to 2.0; existing owners can also pay $99 for an upgrade.
Native Instruments intros second-gen Traktor Kontrol S2 and S4 DJ systems with iOS support (video)
Many modern DJs prefer to mix with an iPad instead of a laptop, and Native Instruments has just updated its Traktor Kontrol S4 and S2 decks (shown both above and below the break) to accommodate those tastes. The new controllers now work directly with Traktor DJ, giving iOS-based artists hardware controls for everything they see onscreen. There are updates to the controls themselves, of course. The two systems now have backlit RGB buttons, higher-precision jogwheels and sturdier designs; there's also a shortcut to Flux Mode, which helps DJs tweak cue points and loops in mid-set. The revised version of the two-channel S2 is available for $499, while the four-channel S4 sells for $799.
Native Instruments outs Kontrol Z1: an iOS DJ mixer with audio interface
It wouldn't take a genius to figure out that Native Instruments was going to release some hardware to cozy up to that shiny new iOS version of Traktor DJ. And here it is -- the Kontrol Z1 -- a two-channel mixer with a built-in audio interface specifically for iPad and iPhone. Plug this into your iDevice, and Traktor DJ gets full pre-cue functionality, plus some proper (club-level, 24-bit) audio output, not to mention dedicated faders and 3-band EQ controls. The hardware (which is similar in size to the Kontrol F1) means you can break out the mixer section, leaving the touchscreen display dedicated to transport and performance. The Z1 will keep your iDevice charged up, too (it needs to be plugged in), so you're good for that epic Balearic chill-out set. Likewise, it also works with Traktor Pro 2, if you're looking to integrate something a little smaller into your laptop setup. It'll need a lightning adapter to work with the latest devices, and costs $199 / €199 from your favorite DJ outlet. The app won't support the hardware until a June 24th update, but in the meantime, roll past the break for the demo video.
Traktor DJ gets remixed for iPhone, brings big features to small pockets (video)
Traktor DJ for iPad showed us what can be done when you resist the urge to simply shrink your existing software or just slide it under a touch interface. Since its iOS debut, the folk at Native Instruments have spent the last couple of months cautiously considering how best to transplant the same waveform-based interface over to the iPhone. Today, you can find out. You get everything you find in the iPad version, like three band EQ, filters, hot cues and effects --along with the same key, tempo and timbre matching utilities, plus library sharing with the full-fat desktop version. The UI isn't the only thing getting downsized, either: this iPhone-friendly version costs just $4.99 (compared to $20 on the iPad). That should leave enough change to drop a few on party rock anthems.%Gallery-187296%
Native Instruments announces Traktor DJ for iPad, brings the mix to iOS (video)
DJ apps for iPad? There's a bunch. But -- if you're at all familiar with the craft -- there's a very notable name absent from the crowd. Until today that is. Native Instruments set the high watermark for DJ software with its desktop-based Traktor application, and now it's available in compact iOS form. Designed by the same team as the full-fat version, aspiring DJs can enjoy two waveform-based decks, with three-band EQ, eight effects (ported over from Trakor Pro) all redesigned from the ground up for the iPad's touch-based input. The interface eschews the conventional virtualization of a turntable set-up, instead creating a workflow more congruent with the hardware's form factor. Notably, a new "Freeze" mode stops the waveform from galloping on, letting you tend to cue points, loops etc or slice it into samples for "playable" parts. There's also interaction between the mobile and desktop versions via dropbox-based media sync, so any tracks loops and so on made on the move can be seamlessly transported to your club performance too. Think an iPad app is nice and all, but want a little more spice? Well, hook it up to one of the firm's popular Audio 6 or Audio 10 interfaces (via the USB connection kit) you just got proper pre-listen and cue functionality too. Traktor DJ is available today for $19.99, and if you're still undecided, there's a demo video after the break that might just swing it for you.
Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol F1 review
What is a DJ? Everyone who considers him or herself one can probably give you a unique answer. Is everyone with a music collection and a sense for good timing a DJ, or does their music collection have to exceed a certain number of gigabytes or slabs of vinyl to be in the club (no pun intended)? Audio playback devices are certainly getting more plentiful and powerful on a large scale; anyone who's played with an iOS DJ app can tell you that. In the deeper end of the DJ pool, things aren't expanding at such a frantic pace. But every once in a while a new toy crops up that adds depth and breadth to the way music nerds play back music. Native Instruments' just-released Traktor Kontrol F1 is a blinking slab of rainbow-tinged hardware with an intense devotion to manipulating samples. While boxes from Roland and Akai have been defining genres for decades, this 16-pad add-on takes the sampling game to a new arena. Will DJ's want it? We feel it's safe to say they will. At $279, should they buy it? That question's a little more complicated.%Gallery-156497%
How would you change Native Instruments' Maschine Mikro?
Native Instruments' gear is a must-have for those in the beat making world. We put the cheaper, dinkier Maschine Mikro through its paces and found that while we loved the portability, we weren't so hot on the lack of MIDI ports and absence of knobs for twiddlin'. That said, we weren't able to hate on the compromises that were made to bring it in under $600 and small enough to stow in a backpack, but how about you guys out there? When you've used this gear day in, day out, can you forgive its flaws in exchange for that extra cash in your hand, or do you wish you'd saved up a little more? If you were in NI's position, what would you have done differently?
Native Instruments announces Traktor Kontrol F1 controller with Traktor 2.5 and Remix Decks, we go hands-on
A very colorful light will shine upon Native Instruments' DJ ecosystem on May 30th, and it's called Traktor Kontrol F1. The rainbow-flavored box aims squarely at the growing number of beat junkies who fall somewhere between DJ and producer. New Remix Decks in the accompanying Traktor 2.5 software cater to a more granular perspective on mixing, and the F1 is the tool that brings the new layers to your fingertips. We had an exclusive sit-down with a beta version of the adorable blinky-buttony-slidery controller/instrument-thing that we're itching to spill the beans on, so join us after the break, won't you?
