s4 vs 3 deck Serato

[DjOtis]

Hey all this is my first post on DJ TT forums but have been a avid reader for quite some time.

Im currently torn between what I'm running and what I could be using for my setup.
Currently: 3cdj 1000mk3s, djm700, sl3 and a mbp (i7, 8gigs, 2010 edition etc)

Ive been loving running all 3 decks, not only am I the only one where I come from to be doing this (trying to differentiate myself from all the other up and comers or even established guys in my city). I use two of the decks as to where I load up my main tunes and the third to run beat loops or even acapellas at time over the main mix.

The Issue:
Setup time has finally been brought down to about 15-20 mintues dependant on the location and availability of wires/connections needed, I feel when I need to setup and take down its a TON of wiring and each time I setup has the chance to go wrong.
I feel as though making the jump from Serato to Traktor might result in mishaps or glitches or failures with the system (soley due to me running TSP in the past (on a pc whos specs are not comparable to my macs) has bugged up quite a few times while playing out)

**Also, the standard for dj setups in the city is "Serato"
S4 a possible solution?

Ive been looking into this for around a month now and seeing more and more professional djs making the switch from DVS to midi controllers

The s4 looks like a very solid piece of kit and was wondering would it be able to do what I have been doing in serato all along?

Im still not completely hooked on Traktor yet (just from negative past experiences), if anyone can give me some pros and cons about it just to justify this switch

I wasnt too keen on the platter sizes of the s4, always liking the 7 inch of the 1000s (then again I did adapt from tts and vinyl to cdjs), whats the transistion like or another one of my ideas were to get the TSP2 upgrade for the s4, run my cdjs as if they were going through the DVS system and use the smaller jog wheels for internal deck mixing.

Lastly, if transfering my music over will I lose all "my precious" cue points to each of my songs?


Tons of questions I know,
but Im sure some of you will be happy to pull though!
Thanks
Otis

[JesC]

psst...I would use SSL.

[DJZILCH]

keep in mind in traktor if you wanna line up 3 decks with the phase meter you'd have to properly beatgrid your tracks for the phase meter to work accurately

also the quantized loops (very useful for multi deck setups) will depend on the beatgrid

the phase meter helps when using 3 decks or more, but its just a bit tiring sometimes to do the beatgrids in traktor

[Cyribro]

In my opinion the s4 is an amazing alternative to using CDJs. Mostly because cuing in them is very similar.

I have used ScratchLive in the past with vinyl and I am not impressed with the layout, although I have friends who say it looks a lot better than traktor.

TSPD2 enables you to have sample decks which can be controlled via the TKs4 or an external MIDI controller (such as the MIDIFighter).

Since the TKs4 has a sound card built in and has line inputs to connect CDs, it almost makes sense to purchase something that has all the basic tools you need to perform your set.

With the optional timecode upgrade, you have the choice on whether or not you want to keep using your CDJs before making the complete jump into the digital world (not as CDs aren't digital, but MP3s right off the computer is, i guess.. "more").

As I have told people who have used my TKs4 in the past and have liked the way it looks and feels integrated with TP2, you always have the option to use it as an analog mixer, so don't be afraid to try something new.

This unit is light. portable, comes with everything you need plus more with the upgrade, and doesn't look all cluttered like some of the other 4 deck controllers out there that look daunting as hell.

I'm no product specialist and I don't work for the company, but I've spent my fair share of time and late nights reading up on the best solution and more universal feel and the TKs4 seemed to be the most logical answer.

Try before you buy.