You still need an F1 (or another controller, as now you can map third party ones) to truly have a blast and get the most out of the Remix Decks. 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. This may not work for everyone but makes some sense – whether Native Instruments intended this to be ideal is unclear! The much-needed booth output features as 1/4″ TRS outputs on the rear of the Traktor Kontrol S4 Mk2 alongside the volume control. This would leave the booth speakers connected to the RCA outputs with their level controlled via the more conveniently located “master” volume knob on the front panel of the controller. So, at first look it seems strange that you would you use an unbalanced RCA as the master and have a balanced booth out that you have to reach over the back for… but by applying some lateral thinking to this it could actually be a great idea. The booth is adjusted a lot more often than the master in DJ-booth situations the master tending to be more “set and forget” while levels are maintained with gain staging or occasional rises of the master, so although the 1/4″ outs are labelled “booth”, you could actually connect them to your main speakers, controlled via the knob at the back (and this would be a balanced output). They are TRS outputs, switchable between booth and main output, and with a volume knob for when in booth-routing mode. However, the only way to control the level is to fish behind the unit where the volume knob is located, which is actually not that accessible and feels quite recessed not very useful for the constant raising and lowering of the booth monitors as you check the main output level independently. This is a welcome and much-requested feature on the S4. The new look jogwheels, filter knobs and Flux button. If you are used to the previous S4 then all it takes is a slight adjustment in touch, and the familiar tight engaging control over your music is there. 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. There is no other part of the jogwheel construction that differs from the Mk1, except a different circuit board for the mechanical scratch contact underneath (we know this because there’s a video on YouTube of a guy actually pulling apart the Mk1 and Mk2 demonstrating the difference, or lack of it). Well, they are exactly that, just “tops”. So, about those shiny new aluminium jogwheel tops. This daylight-dimness is more than made up for by the spaceship-meets-70s dancefloor appearance you get in the dark, which combined with the new aluminium jogwheel tops gives a really attractive look. On USB power you simply cannot see the lights in bright daylight, but they’re just about acceptable once hooked up to the power source (which incidentally is a different power rating to the previous S4, so if you’re upgrading, your old power supply is useless). These feel tactile, responsive and infinitely more playable. This playability is especially relevant when you take control of the loop slice mode in Traktor DJ with your iPad or iPhone and start to use these buttons to chop up tracks – they are so much better than before. The new RGB buttons for the transport and cue controls are a huge improvement on the Mk1, with a smooth rubberised “MPC” feel to the surface (and the elimination of the previous problem of the buttons getting stuck in the down position, getting caught on the edge of the button aperture when pressed hard). Previous reviews of the S4 have covered its features and performance extensively, so here we’re going to concentrate on what’s new, and where the successes and failures lie in this upgrade: The S4 Mk2 comes with a full version of Traktor Pro 2 (as before) and although it’s now mapped to work out of the box with Traktor DJ, the fact that the S4 retains the identical casing assembly as its predecessor means that there’s no iPad or iPhone stand, slot or docking station, leaving you to figure that one out for yourself (or wait for the inevitable Traktor-branded iOS stand as an accessory). Little touches like the slimmer fader caps and grey filter knobs in tandem with the RGB buttons and aluminium jogwheel tops have combined to give the S4 a fresh, modern look. 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.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |