Routine: DJ Shiftee Rocks the Kontrol S8

It has been about six months since the Kontrol S8 debuted last October – for many, it came off as a strange new jogwheel free direction. While many DJs may feel left out that Native Instruments wasn’t catering to their genre, turntable/controller aficionado DJ Shiftee thinks otherwise. Watch the NI video below and see how a turntablist incorporates the S8 into his set.

DJ Shiftee + No Jog Wheels = Harmony

As seen in the video,  Shiftee utilized the DVS control functionality of the Kontrol S8 rather than depending on just the controller itself. Unlike other product videos we’ve seen where the performer ignores the unique features of the technology being demo’d, Shiftee goes in hard on Freeze Mode and Remix Deck functaionality.

Anyone see a laptop around? It’s well hidden – but he’s kept his turntables as his primary weapons. This video goes to show that a controller’s layout doesn’t necessarily dictate a specific way it should be used.

The video also seems to be specifically focused on bucking the common refrain that Native Instruments is catering only to techno and house DJs. Shiftee does a good job of reminding us that it’s not the controller that chooses the tracks – chopping up Alt J’s “Left Hand Free” (remixed by Lido) and mashing it together with the Low Pros’ “Who Wanna Play (Feat. Que)” along with his own track “Uh Yo And Also Yo”. A set list with three different songs with three unique vibes all mixed and mashed using a “techno/house” controller.

Want to incorporate the Kontrol S8 into your setup? Check it out in the DJTT store!

alt-Jcarl coxControllerismdj controllersDJ ShifteeDVSHouse DJkontrol s8Low Prosmixing techniquesNative InstrumentsScratch DJscratchingTechnic 1200sTechno DJTraktor Scratch ProTraktor Tipsturntablesturntablismturntablist
Comments (17)
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  • PrefersTheFunk

    The skills are ok, but the music gives me ear-cancer

  • Chaser720

    Currently I use 1200s with a X1, Z2 and F1 in between. After seeing this video I would actually consider replacing the 3 with an S8. This is a good move by NI because I would never consider buying an S8 before watching this.

  • Dj Monk

    I asked for a s8 scratch dj video and n.i. responded. crazy job Shiftee. big up. djtechtools good post. ni.i can u state d type of faders in d specs for d kontrol s8.
    thanks

  • Autrelle Holland

    Shiftee is the LAST person that needs an S8! OMFG dude is too talented.

  • Onno Kaell

    As usual an amazing TRAKTOR Routine by DJ Shiftee – but I still feel as thou the Kontrol S8 looks a bit weird and seems waaayyy to big especially for someone like me with rather shorts arms to handle for juggles between the turntables!

  • deejae snafu

    let me be the first one to actually just say :

    that was ill as f^ck…

  • Wolf

    It may have been performed in one take, but it certainly wasn’t shot in one take with all those different camera angles and close ups.

    • deejae snafu

      uh yes it easily could have, with multiple cameras…

    • OH SHIT

      I know this is a revolutionary idea but… what if I told you…

      you can have more than one camera. (!!)

      • Wolf

        That all magically moved out of the way of each other? 15s, camera enters room (long distance shot). Then immediately cuts to a closeup of Shiftee filmed by a camera that would have been in view of the camera we just cut away from. I’m not saying that he doesn’t have skill (he has MAD skill, I love his work) but the video is clearly comprised of several different filmings of the same routine edited together.

        • deejae snafu

          seeing as we now have cameras that can take a piture of a postage stamp from the moon… im pretty sure they could have zoomed in from 15 feet away to create the close ups…

  • Ezra

    can you use the SL1 box with Maschine to sample?

    • Winston Reed

      not sure what you mean by “to sample”. You can use maschine as a midi controllers for stuff in serato like samples and cue points. You could also have the maschine software running in the background and have the audio come out of your headphone jack into a seperate channel on the mixer. You would need to manually sync up maschine with the tempo of tracks in serato.

    • here_comes_the_sheik

      you can tap on your sl1 box, record it to your maschine with a mic and then sample it…

      • Ezra

        thanks