Our own Chris Brackley (aka Mojaxx) has a Kontrol S8 right now for an upcoming review of the flagship Traktor controller. Over the last few months we’ve seen loads of people ask all kinds of questions about how reasonable it is to use the S8 in a real mix, how the jogwheel-free layout really works, etc – and Chris has set out to demo exactly that in this new mix. It’s very Tech House-oriented and a solid mix overall, with just a few little flubs, but most importantly it’s a great demonstration of how the NI controller’s features actually function in a long-form mix.
Watch now:
Serato T-Shirt, Serato Stickers on laptop.. Kontrol S8 confusing 😉 Nice mix by the way.
got about 2 seconds in and lol’d at that too!
After seeing this video I am now officially confused on if i should purchase this. I’m on the fence with the Pioneer ddj-sx and the s8. I have little experience with djing i would be fairly new but i wish to start investing in the craft. So for a beginner, would buying this equipment be a step in the wrong direction. I personally enjoy NI (traktor) other than Pioneer (serato), i feel they (NI) are trying to approach djing extremely out of the box, but Pioneer is trying to hold on to whats left of djing almost staying stagnant (I don’t know much to back up either arguement though, just an outside looking in perspective). With so many bad reviews for NI’s products the decision is swayed exteremely, such as i wont be taken seriously without Pioneer equipment, mostly all the clubs use Pioneer equipment so investing in anything other than that would be a waste, and beatmatching is to important to leave behind even for more possibilities to be original. It would be greatly appreciated if someone with the s8 can give some advice on what a beginner such as myself should invest in, Serato or Traktor. Thank you before hand, quick replies would be amazing so i can take advantage of the great deals going on! :}
Hi Pl(h)ead, thanks for watching.
I’ll make this nice and quick so you can score a good deal.
The S8 is not ideal for a beginner at all. It’s for a DJ who knows what style and direction they’re going in, and who already understands the general techniques and principles.
My advice is this: buy an SX or a Kontrol S4. Both are very capable, as are the software platforms they come with.
And both have the traditional ‘platter and pitch fader’ setup which is still very much worth learning as you start out.
Pl(h)ead : Buy the SX2 – i have here both the s8 an DDjSX. Want “total control” and jogs? Go Pioneer then – ist solid and its TMT-Sytyle (TiurntableMixerTurntable)
Agree. I have both the S8 and the SX. I also have the SZ though and the price being as low as it is (if you do the research) I would say it is the better of all three for his purposes. The S8 honestly gives me the feeling of ……………… something else. It’s certainly not DJing. Not in the traditional sense……………. maybe not at all. Lotta cool features, GREAT build. Sound is spot on too. I can doo ALL kind of cool tricks but I certainly do NOT feel the connection I do with platters.
Thank you both for your input i’ve done a lot of research and the SX2 would probably be best to start off with, I will then understand what to look for when i choose to upgrade. I appreciate you guys for taking the time out to reply.
Serato t-shirt and laptop sticker is a nice touch… mix was nice, enjoyed the tunes, wouldn’t mind a track listing if available.
I’ve just gotten an S8 a few weeks back and slowly learning the ropes, good to see someone else having a go on camera to see if there is anything obvious I’m missing out on.
More like this kind of content please!
Cheers for the feedback Chris! If you click through to YouTube, there’s a full tracklist in the description.
Thanks mate – got a little too excited hehe