TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 FULL
TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 WINDOWS

The crossfader curve knob is depressed into the controller and can’t be pulled out. Unfortunately, since the controller doesn’t have a USB hub you need to make sure you have enough USB ports on your computer, and if you’re using an external hard drive you may be out of luck. Syncing in both directions was seamless and easy, though it does require the standard set up it always has.

TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 WINDOWS

On a Windows machine this was great since we couldn’t take advantage of Traktor’s virtual MIDI ports. I hooked the MIDI in and MIDI Out to Maschine (separately, of course) and tested the clock sends. Traktor is very smart with the Kontrol S8 and it makes using it that much easier. So, you could lay this down in the beginning of the night, have your friends on CDJs or Turntables going nuts across all four decks, and when you want to use Traktor you can hook your computer up, and move seamlessly to your set without needing to worry about transitioning.

The vinyl kept playing, Traktor recognized it as a live input and switched the deck accordingly. I expected to get some sort of click or pop, or have the deck overtaken by Traktor and switched to a Track Deck. Later I decided I wanted to switch to Traktor so I turned Traktor on while the records were playing. I turned on the S8 and started playing vinyl. I did run into an interesting feature that I think we should all be grateful for in a controller/mixer like this.

TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 FULL

The filter is the same as the Z2 and while I like it, others have complained, so your mileage may vary. The mixer sounds fine when you’re not using Traktor, and the EQs work as full kills. When using it without Traktor it uses the onboard mixer, which sounds just fine. When using it with Traktor these features are controlled by swapping the Deck Type to Live Input, and it still uses the virtual mixer in the software. I hooked my turntables up to it and went playing internal decks to vinyl seamlessly, and when I switched the inputs by pressing the Traktor icon under the Gain knobs, there was no audible click or pop, a complaint with earlier NI gear. It’s loud and crisp, the headphones can pump out some great volume and the mics sound great. The audio interface fits with NI’s standards. We are going to start at the top with what has been requested to hear about the most, the way it sounds. That’s not a comparison of the audio, since I personally think Allen & Heath make the best sounding mixers ever, but that’s a personal taste more than anything.

The S8 is wider, but feels a lot better spaced out and more elegantly designed. I’ve played with the 4D and always thought it was a huge, overwhelming mixer/controller. Maybe?Īnd as a note, I’ve been comparing the Kontrol S8 to the device I think it most closely resembles: the Xone:4D. It’s heavy and deep, but I really wish they provided little legs to raise it to turntable height, like the Electrix Tweaker, or a case like the X1MK2. Who really cares, right? My only comment is that while I knew it was a large controller, the pictures and video don’t really show how much table space it really does take up. Honestly, we’ve spent so much time talking about the Kontrol S8 in the lead up to getting our hands on it that I don’t think it’s really appropriate to discuss what it’s like to take it out of the box. This is usually the place where we discuss first impressions, and the unboxing process. After spending a few weeks with the controller and dealing with a lot of its mixture of genius and insanity, as well as Traktor Pro 2.7 and its general frustrations mixed with awesomeness, I figure it’s time to finally write this thing down. Native Instruments was kind enough to provide us with a Kontrol S8 to review and, while it was not a perfect experience, I have definitely garnered some insight into what Native believes the future of DJing is. But we can’t know that until we get our hands on it and put it through its paces. We had conversations on this site amounting to the death of DJing, and the future of DJing, and how nothing will change at all. And the feedback we saw, the vitriol and bile thrown at the internet, mixed lovingly with the love and excitement of the converted, created a beautiful mess none of us had any idea what to make of. I have concluded it requires all caps because science. For months now (eons, it seems), we’ve been told about the #FUTUREOFDJING.

Traktor kontrol s8