Where is all the new gear?

No eta with NI.

And even if they would tell you “soon”, with them it wouldn’t mean anything 😂

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I don’t think op wants any replacement for Traktor.

And…good suggestions…but, even if I’m a big fan of using iPads for music (I use them also for producing, within their limitations), I don’t think that neither DjPlayer nor Djay Pro come even close to Traktor, being it for number/quality of fxs, stability, access to functionalities like remix decks or sequencer, …

iPads for djing is still a “hey look…I can EVEN use an iPad” thing.

Not that it can’t be done…but surely not at the same level.

In any case staring at an iPad screen isn’t too different that staring at a laptop screen

We're all wondering the same thing here.

It’s not about workflow.

I use my iPads daily to make music (probably even more than my PC)

I used Djay Pro many times paired with a Pioneer DDJ WeGo (or also DJPlayer) to put music at parties at my friends homes.

I would NEVER use my iPads to DJ at professional gigs (or better…I used them…but only with DubSiren DX to have some Sound System style horns and “Wheela selecta” things)

But maybe you are braver than me 😉

Class compliant is fine, but it is not the feature pro gear must have.

Pro devices like RME audiointerfaces do have its own drivers, the both for Win and Mac. Beside that, it is possible to use them as class compliant, if desired. Class compliant is sort of non-pro bonus, not the main way to use it.

Any NI hardware is class compliant. That includes soundcards as well as any controller.

The controllers including Maschine and Komplete Kontrol are USB devices which include a MIDI subdevice and a HID subdevice usable with generic MIDI and HID drivers. To explain it easier: The devices combine a MIDI controller and an HID keyboard. Some devices also include two LCD screens. If so, the devices include another USB subdevice allowing to send bulk RGB16 data to them.

There interfaces to the hardware are neither top secret nor proprietary. But without any complex software handling them, they are stupid "MIDI-HID-Controllers" sending data if you push a button or move a knob. They are designed to interact with the Maschine or Komplete Kontrol software on your computer which handles button and knob events. The software also sends hid strings to the devices if the button illumination and the LCD content is being changed. There is nothing self-sufficient on them.

The class-compliancy makes it possible to create your own software handling the devices which may also run on different platforms like Linux. But there is no generic software which handles HID keyboards containing an individual set of knobs and buttons in a senseful way.

I coded my own software solution for the Komplete Kontrol S49/61/88 a few years ago which also runs on linux. The I/O functions may give you an hint how to interact with Maschine and DJ controllers if anybody has too much time to write a custom software:

https://github.com/GoaSkin/qKontrol

NI knows how much their SW runs on Surface and like computers. As well they know how much have run on iPad in past. That is sound base for decision, what move to do....

And you are right, MS Surface is not anything like iPad. Traktor, Cubase, Maschine, runs on it for years. And all plugins that run on Win as well. The same with HW for Win. And there are not any artificial OS obstacles like on iPad.

Probably not many folks use Surface for Traktor. When I searched almost year ago, I found nothing. And my question at NI forum was without response....

But yes, it runs Traktor just fine and it is great for playlist preparation.