The new booth output is a very welcome if not timely addition. This makes using remix cells on a macro level with the S4 much easier. Included in the S4 is also a deck swap button for each channel, allowing you to swap decks A with C, and B with D. Libraries are commonly divided into sections for genre, beats per minute, and key. The sections on selecting songs and arranging them for performance will only cover the technical methods for doing so. The faders have new slimmer caps, and the grey filter knobs are a nice touch.
They are perfect one-to-one in operation and we expect nothing less from the company that designs both the software and hardware. There is no way to change this, and without external controllers it is impossible to have multiple effect routings without digging into the controller manager. The user can then simply connect the outputs as necessary to start getting busy. All of the knobs have a plastic post underneath and I would have liked to see metal reinforcements in this area, however, the jog wheels now have a metal push style surface at the top. These pads feel exactly the same as the pads on the F1 or on the Traktor Z2 mixer with a nice tactile feedback and an audible click can be heard when they are pressed. While I initially felt like the platters required too heavy a hand to press the plate down, as I was using them I understood why.
The knob on the left also allows the user to jump through the song forwards or backwards in the bar-length that is set by the Loop length knob. For those dipping their toe into the world of scratching, this makes things a whole lot easier. When the buttons are deactivated, the four buttons return to HotCue buttons for deck A and B once again. There are integration changes, though, including more control options over the Remix Decks and more options through the controller manager. If Native Instruments is going to take pride in their direct integration, they should offer as many options as possible as easily as possible, to allow users to take as much advantage of their controller as possible. The top four buttons which are a little smaller than the others in this section are used for launching the top four positions of a remix deck.
The Jog wheels are actually the same size as those found on the first iteration of the S2, but these are now made of metal. Treat each other with respect. The jog wheels still feel more mechanical than digital since you have to actually press the top surface instead of having a touch-sensitive top. The front panel also has the cue volume and mix controls, as well as a Mic Engage button. The Line faders have much more resistance to them and they are good enough for good and accurate mixing.
In addition, the unit is built better, sounds better and looks better. Towards the outsides of the deck controls are the tempo adjustment faders. If you play a track live, please support the artist that spent countless hours producing that track. The Loop length knob can also be pressed to start auto loops and loops can be saved in the HotCue pads or remix slots once they are captured. The option to adjust the crossfader curve lies within the Traktor Pro 2 software and it was great for scratching in the sharpest cut setting and just right for mixing in the softest setting. Subjectively, there is a punchier, more dynamic quality to the audio reproduction.
While I appreciate the addition to the face since I enjoy using flux mode, there are so many other things I would have wanted to be added to the controller. It still feels a bit on the plastic side, but the crossfader has a loose quality to it and a really short less than 1mm cut-in distance which makes it ideal for scratching and pulling off some hard fader trickery. If you want a complete but straightforward mapping suitable for performing, this is for you. This is a nice update to the original as the user can now have two independent outputs with volume control for monitoring or recording. It was great not to have to use as many cables either. The controller feels exactly as I expected, what with being surrounded by various Native Instruments gear.
The same way is also possible if you prefer to search by choosing the menu:. Beat Tap: Use the Shift buttons. There is also a Freeze and Slicer function that chops the beat up into various parts so they can be remixed and re-ordered on the fly as seen in the video above. This is a nice update to the original as the user can now have two independent outputs with volume control for monitoring or recording. Instead I want to talk about the integration of the S2 into Traktor. They also feel just a bit smoother than the last jogs as well.
The Line faders have much more resistance to them and they are good enough for good and accurate mixing. Using this controller helps to simplify the processes of blending songs, using loops and cues, and using effects. They also feel just a bit smoother than the last jogs as well. In the middle of the entire unit, there is an oversized Browse knob and a Load A and Load B button for file navigation and for loading new tracks onto the decks. The Controller Editor wont register the controller either. Flux mode is now featured on each channel aside from the sample deck channel via a button above each tempo fader.
They both are found towards the outside edge of the controller for easy manipulation without accidentally touching other controls when trying to ride the pitch for perfect beatmatching. Each channel has a chunky Filter knob, but still includes an endless single-function clicking push encoder for the Gain at the top. With Legacy you can play only one remix cell, sort of like the Sample Decks of old, but you can hold Shift to control the Volume and Filter of your selected cell using the loop size and move knobs you select cells by holding Shift and pressing the appropriate Remix Slot. I also found that the crossfader, although scratch-worthy with low cut-in distance, still felt cheap and plastic-like in construction. The jogs are tight, the sheer amount of control is vast, and the feature set they focus on is mostly the important stuff. It still feels a bit on the plastic side, but the crossfader has a loose quality to it and a really short less than 1mm cut-in distance which makes it ideal for scratching and pulling off some hard fader trickery. If you are interested in having as much control over Traktor, though, as close to plug and play as possible with the ability to slightly tweak your workflow depending on your style, this is a great idea.