I REALLY love the Traktor Kontrol S4 MK3

Spent some time at Guitar Center for the first time in over a decade. Didn't know they had equipment out that you could play with from the DJ world. In fact, last time I was there, at least the one by me, there wasn't much of anything you could actually plug in and mess with.

I've been out the DJ game for over a decade and when I decided to get back in (depression is a hell of a thing, thank you prescription ketamine therapy) I didn't know what controller to go with or equipment.

Originally was gonna start cheap and get a Hercules before finding an S4 MK3 that I just had to have for pretty close to the same price as the Hercules.

So. Glad. I. Did.

Is it just me or is most DJ equipment cheap junk? I'm blown away Pioneer DJ is the "industry standard" with the CDJ-3000s feeling like a four-year old kid's toy and other models feeling even worse. Cheap plastic. Jogwheels that have zero tension. Other brands of controllers suffer the same thing and feel like the S4 original did, a first gen product.

I'm blown away that the stuff costs what it does and even a little nervous that something so cheap and clunky feeling is what I have to learn to get back into DJing at a club.

I'm blown away too that revisions from these companies seem to go backwards not forward and people celebrate it and drop the money they do when it's all clearly priced to maximize profit via the cheapest parts possible.

Oddly enough, the Hercules units felt better than the Pioneer/AlphaTheta stuff but none of it felt as nice as most of the NI stuff.

And Traktor Pro 4 I love too. Haven't had issues much with bugs and that's using a Dell laptop. lol Would live stems be nice? Sure but Nuo-Stems is awesome and I wouldn't be hitting a show without proper prep ahead of time so Traktor does what I need to too.

Anyway, for those who feel similar, what else is out there that doesn't feel like junk? Once I get tired of the S4 MK3 and want to upgrade, what else is there? A second S4 MK3? lol

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lord-carlos

I'm blown away Pioneer DJ is the "industry standard" with the CDJ-3000s feeling like a four-year old kid's toy and other models feeling even worse. Cheap plastic. Jogwheels that have zero tension.

You can adjust the tensions on CDJs to your needs on the fly. Light tensions is helpful if you want to do something like a backspin.

I never tried an CDJ-3000, only older models, but for me they feel fine. Also compared to the s4. Both are plastic.

But yeah, I think the s4 is one of the best 4 channel controllers out there. Also nice size. A bit heavy though.

Miks_Max

I'm glad I'm not alone in my opinion of Pioneer.
Perhaps you'll prefer Rane and Denon products. These are the best controllers and standalone systems in terms of functionality and quality.

NooZ

I’ve been using the S4 MK3 for quite a while and I play tons of gigs with Traktor… it’s honestly the best thing in the world to perform with. No Pioneer standalone can match what it does. Sure, there’s the inconvenience of carrying a laptop, but in my case I never play the same playlist twice and I love to improvise so, I could never have as much fun as I do with the S4 MK3.

Pioneer used to be the leader, and I totally get what you mean when you talk about their “solid feel.” But their new consoles, as appealing as they are, don’t give me that same sense of robustness they had years ago. And above all, they’re just not as advanced as our S4.

I came across some rumors today about new consoles, so I dropped by here right away. Can’t wait to get my hands on them — hopefully Native Instruments has kept up with this same philosophy.

gmint

I've used every version of the S4 and they have all been great. I'm on my second MK3 after wearing the first one out that I used it so much. As far as I'm concerned, it's basically perfect. The only thing I would change at this point is to add better support for stems (which I'm currently controlling with my Maschine controller), but honestly at this point, I think it's great and I just shake my head every time I see someone with their $6000 CDJ setup.

Sûlherokhh

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/242807#Comment_242807

What did wearing out your MK3 entail? I remember MK2 and MK1 had really bad and quickly worn out recessed deck switch buttons that gave me trouble.

gmint

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/242808#Comment_242808

I used it for years, lately DJing at my club weekly, and I love to mix using the filters. To be honest, most of the wear was cosmetic, but the filter knobs on my B and C channels started to lose the dead center (off position) where you couldn't feel the little detent. It wasn't really a huge issue but on occasion I would realize that the bass was being killed because the filter knob wasn't just quite in the right position.

I just bought another one because I really can't imagine using anything else at this point.

As you can see, I only have a little bit of NI gear…

Sûlherokhh

As you can see, I only have a little bit of NI gear…

Looks like the Jam is your centre piece. You happy with it? How long has it been in use? I'm itching to get one second hand.

It's well that FilterON/OFF has a separate button, unlike Mk1 and Mk2. I think the indent erosion was one of the reasons the new NI controllers have an enormous dead zone for the knobs. Too big for my taste though. But i guess it's a matter of getting used to it. :p

unu_taiyo

Anyway, for those who feel similar, what else is out there that doesn't feel like junk? Once I get tired of the S4 MK3 and want to upgrade, what else is there? A second S4 MK3? lol

If we're talking about things that are going to work with Traktor, there is nothing that would really be worth upgrading to.

If you're willing to switch the software at some point and you want something that actually feels like an upgrade without scrificing any of the features (4 decks, motorized platters, screens) your only options pretty much are either Rane Performer or finding a 2nd hand Numark NS7III in good condition (discontunued, legacy gear but honestly, i don't think there is a single better controller on the market to this day)

Wallacedawson

oh man!!!!

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