frustration and disappointment all at the same time !!!

dj lp liang

After been a Traktor user for more than 10 years, been bought S4 MK2, (2) Kontro F1, Kontrol S8, having branded my crew uniform, all my Dj gear with Traktor and NI logos, just looking all over the internet about the new RANE PERFORMER, just adds to my frustration and disappointment of the same question I've been asking for the past 3 years… " How much longer do all Traktor Loyal users have to wait for Stems, Flexible bit grids & New Controllers specially a S8 replacement and updated hardware & many other more functions people have been asking for years ".

I was doing great with S4 MK2, but as all Dj's or most of us, we all want the best of the best and Kontrol S8 "WAS" the best of the best 8 years ago.

I know NI people have been announcing big improvement and changes and eating for updates available that have just minor glitches fixed, no major changes or at least significant changes " Adds Tony frustration and disappointment.

Even upgraded to Traktor Pro Plus membership and this month I decided is not worth the extra few dollars, at leas, not now, maybe when the sun comes up backwards and receive the major update we all have been waiting for the past 2+ years then all will be worth it, or at least that's we all hope for.

In conclusion I just had to take it out of my system and don't take me wrong NI People, I still believe or at least want to… Traktor is the best there is out there.

Peace out everybody !!!

Matt_NI

@dj lp liang I'm not sure if you saw this already but our Chief Product Officer already shared that Traktor Pro is coming with the features your mentioning here sooner than later :

Traktor customers don’t have long to wait to get their hands on some highly-requested features: flexible beatgrids and stem separation.

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/31981/june-2024-a-community-update-from-our-chief-product-officer

Ejub Petrovac

@Matt_NI Please don't take this wrong, but the word "soon" is around since the beginning of the year. We've been waiting for a long (looooooong) time for those features (years for some) and I hope you understand someone's disappointment/frustration behind that.

This is not intended to be criticism only, but only a perspective.

Alex Partyz

black hole. when a person comes out and says soon or now. I think that even the time for a standard beta has already passed.

dj lp liang

@Matt_NI YesI have seen that and many other posts from Ni People. as @Ejub Petrovac says, I think we've gotten to a point that the word " Soon" is not longer accepted among this community.

There is no doubt in my mind that Traktor Dj Pro "Was" the best Dj software in the face of the earth and I really want to keep thinking that way, but what really bother me and I'm sure, a couple of hundreds to even thousands of loyal Traktor Users have is the same "Frustration and Disappointment" of seen Traktor fall behind every single Dj Software, even the cheesiest and most cartoonish Dj software is ahead of Traktor in every single feature.

I have bought a DDJ-1000SRT and DDJ-FLX10 about a year ago and just used them a few times with Serato and let me tell you, the only reason I haven't really used them is because I know if I do, Traktor will be buried forever.

I remember the days when people came up to me and said " uuhhhh you use Traktor " and feeling proud about it, but now I have to take it when someone comes up to me and say " Ahhhhhh you use Traktor " or every time people sees the Kontrol S8 asked the same question " How do you Dj without Jog Wheels ", " What is that Controller", " Tha's dope", I wish I could afford that, mine is a Pioneer " You start feeling NI deep down your soul and eellike you are part of something very special, That is what every single Traktor user would had to feel, and I'm pretty sure that don't right now.

I know for a fact that Updates are coming "soon", that New gear are coming "soon", that changes are coming "soon", the fact is that "Soon" had become ,for the past year or so, the only "great news from NI Staff" and I think it is not fair that for Traktor users to be able to use the long awaited Instant Stems Integration have to invest in 3rd party software as NouStems ( which I had also bought ) and different DAW's as Mixed in key for energy level detection and Platinum notes for, clipping and volume normalization, instead of having Allin this star of the art software.

Re writing Traktor from scratch to be able to do all those things takes time, I know that, but I guess we just have to wait "again" for something really meaningfull happened to Traktor "soon".

dj lp liang

@Matt_NI you have to understand, or better yet "NI have to understand" that not all Traktor users are producers, and to be honest, what Simon is saying is NI have been working extensively on the production portion of Kontrol Keyboards, Plugins for Maschine ( which I also have ) and a lot more features regarding production and just a little paragraph dedicated to Traktor Dj Pro.

Again, is no doubt in my mind that "when" Traktor Update and new Dj Hardware " not production hardware" comes up, it would be great !!!, but again I think all Traktor "LOYAL" users from years ago are entitle to know or have concrete dates of "when" not "soon"

Sûlherokhh

I think (you may agree or not) that this is primarily a PR problem. Apart from that, i must say that what Traktor can do for me as a DJ is pretty much what it has done for me for the past 10 years: provide a stable platform to do my chosen vocation. And it has not gotten worse in that time, only better. Any gripes bouncing off the walls for the last two years has primarily to do with what other platforms have done, promoting (and creating) the need to get the latest, newest shiny thing. That need is an illusion.

I'd rather have a stable, functional platform, with irregular fixes of occasional or even long-standing bugs.

Apart from that, it's not helpful shaking up the people who actually know what's happening beyond the veil, 'cause they simply are not allowed to talk about it. They are not having fun pulling your nose. They are just doing their job. The contract users enter with NI does not contain any title to know anything about internal proceedings. And that is the norm for just about every business.

I recommend to just use what you've got and don't wait if you think you can't stand waiting. As mentioned above, PR could be better.

That being said, looking back at what has actually happened development-wise, it has been slow-going but consistently going well, which is the basis of my personal expectations for the future development. I don't think Traktor needs to be leading the pack again.

dj lp liang

@Sûlherokhh I do agree with everything you said, that is the reason why after 10+ years of been a Loyal Traktor user, I still have all my hopes to have, as always, the best Dj software in there is. But that doesn't keep me to express my need to have the best, I don't know about you but I always want to have the best of everything, I just wish NI would take into consideration the Dj Niche as good as the Producer's Niche, after all, that's how Native Instruments begun if not mistaken.

I know for a fact when Ni comes up with Stems it will destroy, Serato, VDJ, Algorythm, and many more and also will pay whatever the cost for the BEST Traktor Dj Controller.

I will disagree with you about " I don't think Traktor needs to be leading the pack again." is the least I can expect from a company like Native Instruments, that is why I'm still use it, because IT IS THE BEST, but it will be better, no doubt about that.

This post was just to get it out of my system and try to fall madly in love with Traktor allover again.

Steven69

It seems obvious that NI has shifted its focus to music production components. I'm not sure how this strategy will play out in a world dominated by Pro Logic and other similar software, but it appears to be a deliberate strategic decision. There is a clear race for market share in the field of DJ controllers and software, and Traktor has significantly lost ground. I'm uncertain whether they can compete effectively with Serato and other competitors.

As a long-term user of Traktor, I appreciate the reasons already mentioned. However, I feel that NI has deprioritized the DJ software market, leading to slower development and an apparent willingness to concede this market. Perhaps the profit margins in this sector are not high enough to justify a stronger focus (but this is just my personal guess)