Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol S4 MK2 DJ Controller

Product Information

I was impressed enough with Reloop’s Beatpad with Algoriddim’s djay, which I would say is as good as this from a scratching perspective, but this is some next-level shizzle when you consider the technology at work here. The Stems audio format splits tracks into four musical components, such as drums, bass, vocals, and melody, so you can mix them independently. You can instantly see which deck you’re on when playing across four channels, with color-coded light rings and deck buttons. The “1” and “2” buttons, which in Traktor Pro assign the corresponding FX bank to the channel, work slightly differently for Traktor DJ, when button “1” is pressed the FX selection/viewer window for that channel slides into view on the left side of the waveform to show what’s going on. This may not work for everyone but makes some sense – whether Native Instruments intended this to be ideal is unclear!

Traktor Kontrol S4 Setup Guide - Native Instruments

Having said that, when scratching they feel a lot nicer and the action of pushing down to engage scratch control feels and sounds a lot less clunky than before. TRAKTOR KONTROL S4 lets you connect with your tracks in entirely new ways: Not only do its motorized jog wheels spin and react to nudging, scratching, pitch-fading, and backspins, they transmit cue points, loop markers, and more direct to your fingertips.This means the software is no-longer restricted by “sync-only” DJing, and if you are wanting to hone your manual beatmatching skills it’s now possible with Traktor DJ. However, the X/Y pad becomes full screen when you hit the “1” button and turns the whole phone into a performance pad. The new S4 improves on what was already a fantastic controller, and the all-important control over the Traktor DJ app is spot on.

Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol S4 MK1 vs Native Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol S4 MK1 vs Native

If you plan to DJ solely from Traktor DJ on iOS, then go for the S2 Mk2 instead (or the Z1 for entry-level control), because on the S4 you have two surplus channels that you can do nothing with, as Traktor DJ is only (currently) a two-channel application. They’ve had a go at providing additional control over the Remix Decks, and once you wade through the manual to work out what’s what, the feature is certainly a lot more accessible and controllable, but unfortunately not enough. When button “2” is engaged, a less enthralling EQ window slides into view which seems to just show the current values delegated by the controller, none of which are controllable by the screen; however, by tapping the Filter tab, you get an X/Y grid for the filter controls and you can have great fun using a combination of finger on the screen and knob rotations on the controller, to let rip with the filter. So if you’re considering this as your first Traktor controller, or perhaps stepping up to it from from an S2, then go for it. Edit and re-edit in the heat of the moment, blend basslines and vocals from tracks you know to create tracks you didn’t.First Impressions / Setting up New, slimmer fader caps for the track volumes, crossfader and tempo adjust contribute to the sleeker more streamlined look of the S4. Use external inputs on each channel to mix audio from other sources, connect microphones, and monitor through a new booth output.

Traktor Kontrol S4 MK2 | DJ Controller | GAK

For DJs using both the iOS app and Traktor Pro 2 via computer, and you want previously saved meta data such as beatgrids and cue points to be present here, you’ll need to sync your tracks via Dropbox, and vice-versa if you want any changes applied while working in the app to be applied to tracks in your Traktor Pro collection. Easily see tempo, looping, track time, and waveform information, as well as Stem and Remix deck components. The button that was previously mapped to toggle in and out of browser mode is now mapped to play the highlighted track in the preview player, and by holding down the preview button you can use the browse knob to scroll through the track and audition for energy levels and breakdowns, etc.So it works great, but this integration is more of an added bonus than a practical use for the S4 because it just feels odd to be using such a capable, and large, controller to DJ from a tiny phone.