Trayze

Trayze Performs With Roland and Serato’s DJ-808 Controller, Part 1

Trayze

In September, Roland and Serato unveiled their new DJ-808 controller during a special 24-hour live stream event. To showcase the device, the companies called on Red Bull Thre3style US Champion Trayze to throw down a set.

Thankfully, those who missed the stream can watch Trayze perform the same routine in a new video filmed at Serato’s New York studio. Check it out above and stay tuned for part two.

Tracklist:

1. Eddie Kendricks – Day By Day
2. Lil Wayne – Let The Beat Build
3. Lil Wayne ft. Mannie Fresh – Go DJ
4. Mssingno – XE3 (Wheathin Turn)
5. Bassnectar ft. Mighty High Coup – The 808 Track
6. Clipse ft. Kelis & Pharrell – When the Last Time
7. Tropkillaz & Buku – Follow The Beat – Trayze 909 Day Edit
8. Faith Evans – Love Like This
9. Beyonce ft. Sean Paul – Baby Boy – Trayze 909 Day Edit
10. AlunaGeorge – You Know You Like It – DJ Snake Remix

Related: Serato Releases Serato DJ 1.9.5

Meet Red Bull Thre3style World Finalist, Trayze

Trayze
Trayze at the Red Bull Thre3style US Finals in Philadelphia on Aug. 11, 2016. (Tim Blackwell/Red Bull)

The USA’s Matthew Alexander, a.k.a. Trayze, will compete in the Red Bull Thre3style World Finals in Santiago, Chile between December 11 and 18. Here are some facts about him. (To see all of our contender profiles, click here.)

Age: 33

Residence: Washington, D.C., USA

Awards: 2016 Red Bull Thre3style US Champion, 2014 Red Bull Thre3style “Lucky Bastid” Wild Card, 2013 Red Bull Thre3style Washington, D.C. Champion

Sponsors: Reloop, Roland

DJ influences: Craze, A-Trak, Jazzy Jeff, Xclusive, Celo, Iran

Preferred battle setup: Turntables, two-channel mixer, MIDI controller

Job outside of DJing: Music producer, engineer, and educator

Follow Trayze on Facebook, Instagram, SoundCloud, Twitter, and YouTube.

2016 Red Bull Thre3style World Finals

Related: Meet Red Bull Thre3style World Finalist, N.E.Z

Trayze: Must-Have Items in My DJ Bag

Trayze

Trayze
Trayze competes at the Red Bull Thre3style US Finals in Philadelphia on Aug. 11, 2016. (Tim Blackwell)

If you follow the Red Bull Thre3style DJ competition, you’ve most likely heard of Trayze. The Washington, D.C. native is this year’s US champ and was a wild card finalist in the 2014 world championship. He’s also an instructor at the Beat Refinery DJ and production school, which has partnered with DJcityTV for a series called Turntable Techniques. And when Trayze isn’t competing in battles or teaching folks how to use Ableton Live, he can be found rocking clubs around the US. Below are five must-have items that he always carries in his DJ bag.

Items

SubPac M2 wearable subwoofer

“This may be my favorite piece of mobile studio gear. Paired with my Ultimate Ears UE-7 in-ear monitors, it’s the most incredible listening experience ever. It’s battery-powered and wireless with Bluetooth!”

Lucky stones

“I carry small pieces of jade, turquoise, and moonstone. They’re gifts from my wife; you never know when you’ll need energy or extra good luck!”

Huawei E5770 mobile Wi-Fi hotspot

“The E5770 provides LTE speed anywhere in the world. It works with all SIM card sizes, and I can charge my iPhone with it for like five times. It supports 10 devices at once!”

Colgate Wisp mini-toothbrushes

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve brushed my teeth in the back of an Uber. Maybe my wife is trying to tell me something…”

OWC Thunderbolt 2 Dock

“Since I travel with a pretty small laptop, it’s essential that I have more USB ports and other inputs and outputs, especially if I want to use HID mode with CDJs or use multiple MIDI controllers. It has video in/out and a sound card!”

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Follow Trayze on Facebook, Instagram, SoundCloud, Twitter, and YouTube.

Related: DJ Scene: 5 Must-Have Items in My DJ Bag

Using the ‘Silent Cue Point Start’ Technique in Serato DJ

Turntable Techniques


 
DJcityTV and Beat Refinery have returned with a new episode of Turntable Techniques, this time focusing on the “silent cue point start” in Serato DJ. The technique enables DJs to keep their crossfaders and upfaders open while mixing in new tracks. It is essential for certain kinds of routines, especially those that require DJs to have both hands on one deck. Watch above to see instructor DJ Trayze, a former Red Bull Thre3style USA finalist, demonstrate the technique with two examples.
 
Related: Using Acapella Edits to Enhance Your DJ Sets, Part 2

Watch Trayze’s ‘Turn It Up’ Routine


 
Earlier today, we shared a photo of Trayze’s new DJ setup on our social media accounts. The pic, which has already amassed over a thousand likes on Instagram, depicts a variety of gear: from two turntables and a mixer to multiple controllers and a set of drums.
 
It turns out that Trayze had more in store than just showing off his DJ equipment, though. The 2014 Thre3style World Finalist has now posted a video of himself performing an unreleased original track with the setup in the photo.
 
Watch Trayze’s three-minute routine above and be on the lookout for his FOUND EP in 2016.
 
Here’s the gear that he used:
 
Serato DJ 1.75
– Ableton Live 9.2
Reloop RP-8000 turntables (2)
Reloop Neon pad controllers (2)
– Rane Sixty-Two mixer
– Roland V-Drums
– Roland SPD-SX sampler pad
– Akai MPD-16 pad controller
– Apple MacBook Pro
 
Related: Watch Trayze’s Red Bull Thre3style Application Video

How to Incorporate ‘Word Play’ Into Live Mixes

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Trayze performs at the 2014 Red Bull Thre3style World Finals in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Nika Kramer/Red Bull)
 
The Beat Refinery is back with a new tutorial and this time the focus is on “word play.” Their four-minute video features Thre3style World Finalist Trayze explaining how to transition between songs by connecting words and phrases.
 
The examples used in the tutorial are the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Around the World” with 2Pac’s “California Love,” The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Just Playing (Dreams)” with Mariah Carey’s “Honey,” and LL Cool J’s “Phenomenon” with 2Pac’s “I Get Around.”
 
Watch below and stay tuned for a collaboration between the Beat Refinery and DJcity.
 

 
Related: Effective ‘Drop Mixing’ Techniques

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