2024 and mine is still rockin'! Got a Rane 12 on each side of it, running VDJ to map those middle faders to individual stems. Guess everyone complaining about no jog wheels never thought to just add two turntables? 😂 This thing is a beast!
Reading this comments tells you a great deal about the way DJ'ing is progressing. I keep hearing the same complaints over and over from people who are unwilling to move on from previous methods of DJ'ing. I can understand that people feel a need to preserve skills such as beat matching etc. Personally I really feel that controllers have the possibility to be way more musical than other forms of DJ gear. In the right hands controllers can let you manipulate tracks on a deeper level, they allow for the art of improvisation and they allow the user to explore more sonic territory than previously possible. For me I don't want to be known for my impressive ability to perfectly align two records manually, I want to be known for creating a unique live experience where I can creatively control what is happening and how the music is conveyed to the audience. I want to be free to focus on giving the audience something they can't experience at home. This is only my opinion though so if you think otherwise that's cool too.
I've been using tracktor for 5 years at least, and in all that time I haven't felt the need of use a jogwheel... NEVER. In fact, I feel very comfortable mixin' without it. Is that really bad you can't scratch in a party? Of course not. You can say what ever you want, but tracktor is far better dj software than any other, in many ways... and this controller it's a perfect complement for it. This will be my next purchase for shure. :) Great overview, thanks dude! :)
The most fun part about watching reviews on new innovative DJ gear is the comments where DJs reply stupidly about how its not the right tool because it makes mixing too easy or has too many options. Its like listening to a guy with a screwdriver praise how awesome it is to a guy with a power drill. Mind-numbing.... The internet gives everyone a voice and boy do DJs want to be heard :)
Garrett Trott well thing is mate u can grab one of these and be able to mix right out of the box - people who play records or learned on vinyl because it was the only way at the time, had to spend hours a day for months just learning how to match beats, which, take it from me is fkn frustrating for a long time until you get it. So of course people are butt hurt when there’s DJ’s who never had to learn to mix properly and use the sync button when they play out and think they’re carl cox on the decks. Anyway, DJ stands for disk jockey sooooo if u ain’t jockeying disks are u really a DJ or just a manual iPod shuffle with nice transitions? JS
As a producer I find this setup really intuitive, when I want to play a live show now I can export some loops from my song and load them into my remix deck, this is going to bring a whole new dynamic to live electronic performances.
From The Oxford English Dictionary: A Disc Jockey or "DJ" is a person who introduces and plays recorded music, especially on radio or at a disco. This definition does not change whether you use a controller or cdjs, or vinyl to play live. Therefore, the argument for or against anyone using one or the other is invalid as long as they are performing the same basic function, none of this "real DJing" malarky. Carl Cox uses an s8 and two cdjs, would you say he isn't a real dj? He himself states that he "know(s) how to mix two songs together very well" but he wants to further his horizons. I suggest you use whatever works for you, and don't criticise other people's choices if they work for them, that will make us all better DJs in the long run. Thank you.
Carl Cox also can mix on 3 vinyl players. This is a tool for DJs who throw in lots of stuff and are "creative". I like the oldschool mixing style more so its not really for me.
I love the design! I feel like jog wheels are honestly a thing of the past at this point. They just take up space and if you really wanna do some scratching you'd be much better off with timecode vinyl than using a little toy wheel on your controller. I also absolutely LOVE the screens on the controller. That's gonna let us really get into the mix and hopefully make everyone stop thinking that you're on fucking Facebook the whole time! Build quality looks fantastic as well and I would love to pick one of these up when I get the cash!
+1 for mentioning Timecoded vinyls for scratching. I too have mapped those tiny Jog wheels for FX modulation and kill (touch sensitive) and never missed scratching! The nudge still works.
The feature I miss the most on the S8 which my old S4 had was the ability to use a rotary knob in the middle of the S4 which allowed you to quickly scroll through a playlist and if you pressed it in allowed you to hear the track in headphones as well as quickly scroll through it, also I seem to remember somebody saying something about the ability to alter the loop start on the fly, I do love the remix feature though and the ability to manually beat grid much more easily. Thanks for the vid :)
This looks like such a cool musical interface! I've been dj'ing on and off since 2004 both casually and professionally and the last setup I had was hybrid (2x techs and cdj800, xone 4D traktor and ableton)...it was kind of overkill and I wasn't maximizing it and most importantly I couldn't settle on a fun/intuitive way to get beyond running samples on top of beatmatching. Ultimately I moved on to other things. Several years later now it looks like the technology has moved along and the S8 looks like exactly the tool that could be both fun and useful in creating music! Hope to pick one of these up soon :), thanks for the great review, well articulated Ean
How is the pitch control? Some users are saying the pitch control is not accurate. What are your thoughts? Syncing the same genre of music is fine, but what if you do a variety of genres.
so much win, just ordered mine and I can't wait. A little disappointed the form factor is larger though, I don't know how anyone is going to be able to travel with this. The S4 allowed you to fit it in an overhead compartment on a plane. Can you expand on the capabilities of using the S8 with the laptop turned off, if this really true or partially closed like in the Video? How does the S8 work with the iPad like the S4 MKII? Still, I can't wait! Any word on cases / bags?
Seems a lot like the excellent Novation Twitch with a few bells and whistles. I guess if you factor in the built in Traktor A10 and Kontrollers its good value.
Can you set it up with your laptop and forget it during the mix? The screens look good enough to do everything you need without looking at your laptop and for that, I would like that, it would give it the feel of an all-in-one unit even though it isn't.
A few weeks ago I picked up a Denon DJ Prime Go because I still couldn't afford a second hand S8, don't get me wrong I will still get one some day and I know I will enjoy the music from it all the same.
what tracks are you playing...deciding on whether to go with this or ddjsx2... I am coming from novation twitch so I don't miss the jog wheels....not sure about traktor...always had serato
Question about the remix deck: do you actually need to load up the tracks (eg: bass, kick, snare, hihat, synth, etc) individually to manipulate them (cut them or add effects to)?
I'm moving to France and now i've seen this, i do not know if i'll take with me the DDJ-SR from Pioneer or buy this one. Can anyone give me an advice? I've learned how to djing live with a CDJ2000 players and then i'd got my DDJ-SR so this one it will be new for me. Pros and cons?
+Juan Sevilla I had some issues with it freezing recently so I am not so crazy about it anymore. Is definitely not the computer since I have the most recent MacBook Pro
It is a cool tool, I just haven't seen a collection of really good videos showing all that you can do with it. Reason is that people more than likely would like to spend all that energy making better tracks than getting good at something that might be an outdated brick in 3 years
Looks like a ton o' fun BUT....how does it sound compared with the other NI audio interfaces etc? Apparently the same Cirrus guts as before but can you do an actual comparison for us? Thanks
Was almost considering selling my Xone 4D to get one of these but after watching that i've realised that i already have FAR MORE control on my 4D that i could ever get on the S8 plus i also have jog wheels... It looks nice though, i'll give them that...
The grip is that you still need to carry around your laptop..... One is there only one fully integrated DJ controller one the market, the now ageing Stanton SCS.4DJ ?
I Like this Kontrol a lot but can u also connect an iPad to it?. It would be cool to use the remix decks on the s8 and have big wave forms on the ipad. I also noticed that the wave forms on the s8 are just the same as the ones that are in the software for the iPad. Maybe in the future N.I will work on making a more pro software for the iPad. Laptops sometimes are to risky to take to certain gigs. Other then that I think its amazing
love it - would love to purchase through you guys, but as i'm UK based i cant (can i?) shame as would love to support and also get the bonus bit you throw in.
If you only have CDJs or turntables plugged in, does it still need to be plugged into Traktor? In other words, could it run in stand-alone mode, for instance in a club?
Personally I just got a second hand S4 MK1 with x2 F1's controllers and a flight case for a more than reasonable price and I am personally glad I got it before this was announced. An S4 has the jogwheels and tempo faders which is more hands on and would get you use to working with other controllers and even cdjs. And the F1 controllers are essentially launch pad grids for the remix decks with the possibility to map 64 loops and samples split on to its 4 pages. So in total that's 128 loop and sample slots at my disposal. With a price drop to be potentially expected for the S4, I reckon they are still the better use, this controller still needs a laptop regardless of the lcd screens.
It seems native instruments has learned a lot from the novation twitch, which is a good thing! If I ever find myself looking to upgrade I think I'll go for this.
DJ TechTools I have go to know the name of the track that starts at 0:21! There's very few genres of music that catch my ear like that. It's got a simplistic calming feel and I would love to mix it into a set!
Nerd question: Any idea if the mixer sums all the tracks separately through the analog mixer? Or just outputs everything through one output? IE is the mixer just controlling traktor's on screen faders?
I have a hard time trusting touch strips on these types of things. If they do the same thing as the jog wheel then its fine but how durable are they? For people that pitch bend to mix tracks that thing will be getting used a lot.
Hi there i have a question.Where do dj get all they're songs that arent so well know like martin gayrix and etc.They surf Beatport for hours?I would like to get songs like Carl Cox is using.Deephouse and that good old techno.Since im a bedroom dj as a hobby.
Matthew Walsh and we can play mixes and tracks in the controller Traktor Kontrol S8 ?because not ever one is not good to do remixes our to be criator and so it can be fun to play pair cdj pionner850 input is good mixer in the tracktor and input audio to use one extra laptop for serato it be fun to our numark nv to input to Traktor Kontrol S8 ok sir thank you for support
even if some people dislike it, on youtube theres plenty good stuff too! just search the sidebar, build yourself youtube playlists, if you like an artist, dig him/her on beatport, look at the beatport suggestions, check what he/her liked on soundcloud, etc. etc. like William Robinson said, building your collection is one of the main aspects of djing
The S8 looks great i just wish that the screens were at a tilt so that i wont have to keep looking over the controller, also i have never actually had a need for jog wheels. The jog wheels are always in the way taking up space. If those of you need something to scratch with then just add onto the controller. I think that the s8 is at a great price right now and i hope on getting one for myself when they come out.
Not clear if I can use it with TimeCode Vinyl and keep the controller as an internal mixer and hot cues and stuff, but using Traktor Scratch Pro. Can I?
DJ TechTools I'm looking into upgrading my equipment, do you suggest buying a Z2? the S8 is a little out of my price range.I already have a X1MK2 and an F1 and I'm looking to simplify.
E Bush Nio GodSent A Z2 is a great mixer - but it is no where near the level of integration and control of the S8. If a Z2 is $799 and the X1 and F1 are each $150, seems like you could get pretty close to the S8 price. On the otherhand if you want highly portable/modular, the Z2 and X1/F1 setup is more versatile.
I would have loved to have seen at least an attempt at a better jog-wheel replacement. Havent had my actual hands on one of these yet but that touch strip (if its anything like the one's on Pioneer's CDJs) seems great for *seeking through a track* and inadequate/overkill for nudging or intricate phase/speed adjustments. Even a couple small, tension-adjustable embedded wheels on the top left and right sides (off the face of the S8) specifically for nudging and start/stop, spin/wind down control would have been cool. The emphasis on FX & stems seems to be what is being marketed by NI here. The size and price are a big turn off for me (as an owner of the S4 looking to upgrade). Im loving the direction of more control over every aspect of sound and the screens are beautiful. However, I dont think I'd drop close to $1k on this beast though...not until it comes with a collapsible 15-17" screen, a proper CPU with USB inputs and a stable OS.......I can spend the same amount of cash for a higher end laptop. Just sayin...
pretty impressive, i think the most advanced feature are the screens, i like the idea of not having to look at my laptop. :) the freeze mode looks fun too, do you think NI will implement this feature (and the others as well :D) for regular maping? I hope so, since i like my setup modular can you browse 4 effect sections, if you'd expand with, lets say, an x1 on the screens? (i think expanding with an x1 MK1 would really unleash this beast, since you wouldnt have to switch between decks), because 1 think 2 effect sections aren't enough for 4 decks. And another question, is it fixed that you have 2 track decks and 2 remix decks, or can you have 4 track decks (or even 4 remix decks^^)?
Good Job on the introduction video. I heard you mention new feature that you had unlock. That sound very interesting hope you can show that later. The only thing That I'm a bit sad about is that Native_Instrument may not as of yet invest in improving on their library. Making it smart or some thing similar to what the Serato or Engine have. I love to see what the new feature you talk about are. I have to say even thought I'm a Traktor user and own nothing but Traktor gear for the most, the Serato Flip mode and slicer are some thing I would enjoy on the traktor gear.
Awesome controller, really took it to the next level. It would be also great if they had added 2x USB ports like on the Z2 mixer. Still it's a great controller!
We thought so too at first- but it actually lets you have enough room to really have your hands on the mixer. S4 and S2 designs were prone to accidental button presses, fader brushing, and you can really tell NI thought about how to avoid that on the S8
I am looking to buy one of these but i noticed it was released in 2014 - will the s8 be replaced soon and i should wait or will this stick around for a while?
ok, i miss the jog wheels, this controller-s amazing. but i miss my joggy joggy wheels. Well there's still people who can feel really confortable with this and make awesome music. Cheers
Why don't they add usb sticks and let it run on some software like Rekordbox ? then you don't need to bring your laptop. your music is pre analyzed, you still can enter Q-points, loops , etc ....
How do you scroll threw tracks to set cue points? I do it with my jog wheels on the controller I have now but I'm confused on how that works on this controller.
this was a super detailed video. Loved it, so thank you! I felt like the information presented was appropriate (not excessive, but definitely well covered) and it was done at a level that I could understand! (subscribing now!) small question: why is the video edited to have us not being looked at ? It was weird, I was like, wait I want to be in in the other camera! :)
I'm looking for a first mixer, something I can contantly learn, and grow into. Whilst many people might think to start with something entry level, why keep upgrading, and having to get used to new mixers, when you can set a foundation to become more and more familiar with. I have children also, and I hope at least one of them will take interest in DJing, so they can DJ their s hool events, and one day be pro club DJs, or even well paid sound engineers. The S8 is our future, and doesn't suck as much as the S5.
Why do you have to change all the channels and the crossfader? Why not just the crossfader? If you want to change it you have to remove all of it? I dot get it....
Absolutely amazing intro to the s8 functionality it is a big help specially with effects and pitch and filter of remix sets and I can use deck b and d on the one channel ty.
I have a little doubt . When carry on the button to load the songs appears the name of the song , artist, BPM and key . I wonder if it is possible to show the comment bar in the D2 display or S8 .
i need to use input audio usb soundcard to broadcast on mixify but i dont no sure if can be direct from Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol S8 it can be done to use on mixify thank you for help and support
This is a great video Ean, I have been interested in this since i seen the amazon leaks. I wasn't sure how browsing for tracks would work. It seems that those screens would still be big enough to be able to see your tracks and playlists and not have to have your laptop open which i like a lot. As far as the pitch bend or tempo fader in the traditional sense being gone. From what i am understanding it isnt gone its just now the same fader style tempo fader you would use the touch strip for that now which would be fine for me. So the estimated price is going to be about 1200$ from what i am seeing.
I miss the days spending hours in the record shop spinning vinyl, listening for that all important next massive tune lol, on another note, I like jog wheels, this looks good but if you have the X1 and or F1, why do we want this?? a freeze button??
How do you ! or can you ! keep the Loop at a set 2 - 4 - 8 etc ... when i introduce Loop it goes to the lowest setting & i have to adjust to 2 - 4- 8 etc everytime How Do i !! When into Loop goes to the lowest value ... can i set it to (for example) to 4 or 8 .. so it is that everytime ? add a loop & have to adjust everytime ?
