Traktor dj s5 update#
Traktor dj s5 full#
Traktor dj s5 plus#

Traktor dj s5 update#

So please, don’t throw that S4 away if you do update – find it a home. And you might already own it or find one cheap. That shouldn’t stop you from continuing to use an S4 if you’re happy with it, especially as it remains a nice piece of gear in terms of I/O, it works with the iPad app (which means you may not miss those new displays after all), and it’s bus powered. But I think the S5 should be of interest even if you don’t care about Stems, because those controls remain useful otherwise. Now, the S5 completes the Stems-compatible lineup, joining the S8, the single-deck D2, the entry-level F1. Of course, NI really wants you to use Stems. The S4 I think wins in almost every other case. With the S8 now at US$/€999, it is worth considering the S8 basically for the added I/O. But the S5 is more likely to be the mainstay of the fleet. The S8 is the very definition of a flagship it’s impressive. And the screens are really everything, because they mean you can use the S5 without looking at your laptop. I like the S5 a lot I think it may woo away some S4 users by offering up more dedicated controller features and those slick screens.

Traktor dj s5 plus#

On the other hand, I think the use case for this kind of gear is probably most likely laptop plus output, and there, the S5 is just fine: you get XLR and phono (cinch) main outs, plus a stereo booth out. There’s one stereo line input instead of two, plus the same one mic jack. The S5 itself is actually a bit of a step backwards from the S4. That’s part of what makes it overkill – maybe you just want to buy a separate mixer – but it is impressive.

Traktor dj s5 full#

The S8 is really a full-featured mixer, with 4+2 channels, standalone operation, and a full four stereo inputs for turntables, CDJs, and so on. Here’s where the S5 is a bit behind the S8 and even S4. It has dedicated loop recording controls. The S4 still has some other advantages, though, over the S5 and S8: And the dedicated encoders are terrific if you’re using effects. It’s really easy to trigger cues and loops, and use “freeze mode,” with those same pads.

There’s still a lot from the S8 and D2 line you may find very useful. Now, again, if you really want wheels, you should look at something else – though frankly I do wonder if you what you really want in that event is turntables.īut let’s assume you don’t care at all about either Stem Decks and Remix Decks. Here’s the weird thing: I think the simplified layout might actually be a bit easier to learn – or at least less intimidating to look at.Įverything else is there. Also gone are the S8’s second round of encoders. Instead, those map to the encoders on the top. So, what do you give up on the S5 versus the S8, as far as controls? Well, the main space saving feature here is that you don’t have the four dedicated vertical faders on each deck for controlling volume of Stems Decks and Remix Decks. But it is a lot smaller, and I quite like it in hybrid setups – though that’s another story.ĭepth: 32.2 cm, Height: 6,6 cm, Width: 50 cm, Weight: 3.7kgĭepth: 33.8 cm, Height: 7.2 cm, Width: 50 cm, Weight: 3.4 kgĭepth: 37.8cm, Height: 6.6cm, Width: 19.6 cm, Weight: 1.5kgĭepth: 38.7 cm, Height: 6.6 cm, Width: 58.5 cm, Weight: 5 kg There’s no comparison to the all-in-ones: you need some other gear for a mix control surface, it’s not an audio interface, and you have to swap between decks yourself. I have been playing around with just a D2. In fact, the S5 is so close to the S4, they both share NI’s own flight case. But what it is is a piece of hardware that does the vast majority of what you need from the S8, in a narrower and lighter package. I wouldn’t describe the S5 as “mobile,” exactly – you’re going to need to ask for some space on your tech rider to fit this in. The closest equivalent to the S5 is the S4 – it’s slightly heavier, and slightly shorter. I actually consulted with NI on this to get the stats. It’s got mixing controls – quite a lot of them, in fact.Īnd it has direct access pads, knobs, and triggers, for use with effects and loops and so on, or if you’re a fan of such things, Stems and Remix Decks.

It’s got a built-in audio interface (even with some basic input). It’s got touch strips – no wheels, if you like such things, but at least something that lets you cue manually. But in that space, you get the stuff you’ve probably envied on the bigger Traktor controllers (the S8, and its one-deck-at-a-time counterpart the D2). It’s roughly the size of the S4 – the two-wheel controller that was once flagship of the Traktor line. So, without much fanfare, NI last week gave us the S5.

It’s also expensive and hard to parallel park. The Traktor Kontrol S8 from Native Instruments is, let’s face it, the Cadillac Escalade of DJ gear.