S4 Mk3 problem: playback slowdown, freezing, crashing..

Hello everyone!

I've been using an S4 Mk3 controller almost from the beginning, but unfortunately, it hasn't been working well with the Traktor software for some time now. Currently, I’m using version Pro v4.2.0 build 36. At illogical intervals, either playback slows down and the sound becomes distorted, or the sound suddenly cuts out, or—worst of all—the software crashes completely, accompanied by a sound effect as if I had activated a 1/8 loop on the track.

These issues have been happening for quite a while now (over a year), but I assumed the problem was on my end or at the venues where I perform. I thought the S4 Mk3 might be sensitive to voltage fluctuations, so I bought an APC voltage-regulated power strip and even a new power adapter for the S4 Mk3. Then last weekend, I came here and searched for "S4 Mk3 crash"...

Well, I was quite surprised to see that I’m not alone—many others have experienced the same issues. Previously, I used a Numark 4Trak, which I never sold and has been resting in its original box in like-new condition since I bought the S4 Mk3 when it was first released.

Since I read that others had the same experience, I started testing to rule out a few things and to figure out whether the problem is software-related or with my S4 Mk3 itself.

I took out the 4Trak and swapped it with the S4 Mk3. I left it playing continuously for 24 hours, and no problems occurred during that time. After that—having read that version 3.4 was one of the most stable—I decided to install it on my laptop and test it with the S4 Mk3. Interestingly, with version 3.4.2 build 256, playback ran for nearly 24 hours without a single issue!

I closed the program and reopened version 4.2.0 build 36 and set the S4 Mk3 to auto-play again. I left it running and checked it two hours later… and the issue had already resurfaced: the music slowed down and the sound became sluggish and distorted.

So I believe the problem isn't with the S4 Mk3 controller itself, but rather with Traktor Pro software—starting from version 3.8 and onwards.

Since I play 99.9% original audio recordings—many of which are Hi-Res audio files (96kHz/24bit)—my audio settings are:
Sample Rate: 96000kHz, Buffer Size: 512, and USB Buffer: 3ms.

I tested the S4 Mk3 with versions 4.2.0 build 36 and 4.0.2 build 13 using all available sample rates (44.1/48/88.2/96kHz), but in every case, one of the problems would appear after 1–2 hours.

It’s concerning that one of NI's flagship products (the S4 Mk3) cannot work properly with the latest Traktor Pro software, while the 4Trak—which hasn’t been updated in ages—functions flawlessly… :/

I’ve attached screenshots from the LatencyMon software.

System Configuration:

Operating system: Windows 11 Pro v24H2

Notebook: Lenovo Legion 5 17ACH6
Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 5800H with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050
Memory: DDR4-3200 (32GB RAM)
System partition SSD – Kingston SA2000M81000G (1TB)
Data partition SSD – Samsung MZ7LH7T6HMLA-00005 (7.68TB)

I kindly ask the support team to resolve this issue within a reasonable timeframe, as I’m unable to take full advantage of either the S4 Mk3’s capabilities or those of the new software.

Thank you!

Respectfully!