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Traktor Kontrol S4 (First week)

Ok, so I think I got the hang of it now and I've finally got it set up to my liking in conjunction with the other equipment. I've been using traktor for about a year and love it but using the Kontrol S4 has been a.....different experience.

The product itself is amazing. I def don't have to touch the computer nearly as much as I used to using traktor scratch pro, and the mixer layout is quite easy to use. The faders feel nice, the buttons are solid, the cue points/sample decks simply rock, and in no way does this product feel like one of those "DJ in a Box" toys. It's simple, yet advanced and really pushes Traktor to a new level. WIth that being said, I just don't see myself using this thing for the long haul. Here's why....

Like I just said, it's a little too intuitive and creative causing me to do too many things at once. And I got it so I could stop staring at the computer screen and to stop playing with the computer so much but it has done the exact opposite. It has created a traktor monster out of me. I recorded a two hour set I did on it and I kid you not, 119 minutes of it was spent staring at the computer screen scrolling through tracks, loading them into different decks, grabbing loops and samples, loading useless acapellas, switching from mixer mode, to browse mode, to s4 mode, back to browse mode, rifling through more loops and cue points I'd saved, etc, you get the point. I think in two hours, I'd fired through about 50 tracks all played with god knows how many cue points, another 20 loops and several acapellas. ....It's changed me from a DJ to an ADD ridden little boy with a star wars lego set. Don't get me wrong, it was pretty awesome but just b/c you have 100 ingredients in your pantry doesn't meant you have to use em all, right? And even when I tell myself to just keep it simple, I can't b/c it's just so easy to do all this shit that I couldn't do before just with with CDJs or Traktor scratch pro.

Now, I'm sure 99.9% of people aren't going to have this problem and will use the S4 more sparingly than I have, but it has just created this monster out of me. I'll probably go the Sasha route and switch back and forth from digital to CDJs just to keep my sanity.

Even with all that being said, this really is an amazing product that I'd recommend to anyone looking to go digital or to advanced Traktor users. I think it's reasonably priced and worth $899.

Great to hear a solid review, thanks for sharing.

Really glad you threw in the "DJ-in-a-box" comment because that's what all of these all-in-one MIDI controllers have always looked a bit like to me (this, VCI-100/300 etc)

I've been really impressed by the quality of every NI bit of kit I've got: I recently became the proud owner of a Kontrol X1 and a Maschine and have been using Traktor and their soft synths for a few years.


On the "doing too much" front, I'd say maybe give it another week or two see how your habits change. Maybe try recording a demo for a specific party using it - that should focus your mind, so you'll be thinking about what would be right for that party rather than just abusing the equipment.


Keep us informed

I like being busy through a whole set.

Why with Scratch pro do you touch your PC the whole time?
Even without a midi controller one hardly ever needs to touch the mouse.

It's too intuitive and creative?? WTF are you smoking?


You seem to be complaining over things that are actually used as the selling point.

I just got traktor scratch pro, havent used it yet, but it seems the kontrol X1 makes things the most simple...ill just go with that, but great review none the less

quote:

Originally posted by chewy dragee I like being busy through a whole set. Why with Scratch pro do you touch your PC the whole time? Even without a midi controller one hardly ever needs to touch the mouse. It's too intuitive and creative?? WTF are you smoking? You seem to be complaining over things that are actually used as the selling point.

I'm not complaining about the product itself, it rocks. It's more a knock on myself trying to do too much at once. I had this problem when I initially switched over to CDJs about 6 years ago but not nearly as bad as this. The S4 is loads of fun and does tons of things that you can't do with CDJs but it's just causing me a little sensory overload.

I've had the same problem with trying to do too much at once. When I'm messing around I can do some really good things but when I was recording I was trying to fit even more in and really it did get over complicated.

What a piece of kit though.

no one likes fidget house, give it some time and make it fit your workflow

can you play time coded vinyl with the S4 without needing the audiodj8

used one this weekend, played for 9 hours yesterday and 6 hours this morning. I'm in love.

quote:

Originally posted by orTof�nChiLd can you play time coded vinyl with the S4 without needing the audiodj8

From what I can remember not yet but it should be enabled in a future update. Someone can correct me if i'm wrong about this

quote:

Originally posted by n3lly From what I can remember not yet but it should be enabled in a future update. Someone can correct me if i'm wrong about this

thats cool, however i just want the s4 software

quote:

Originally posted by orTof�nChiLd thats cool, however i just want the s4 software

+1 mate, and that too will come in the next few months

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