Home 2023 Forums Digital DJ Gear First dj Controller. What to Buy?

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  • #32036
    Terry_42
    Keymaster

    Let’s start with:
    Did you make up your mind about Traktor vs Serato or want to try both?
    How much money do you want to spend?

    #32054
    Thomas Howard
    Participant

    Ideally I would like the controller to work best with Traktor, but also be able to work well with serato. I am looking to spend no more than 250 pounds ( which is the price of the mc2000 where I live) but if spending extra money would benefit greatly, I would be happy to spend extra.

    #32112
    Ess Jay
    Member

    Iv been following the S2 on eBay for a bit, and you can pick a 2nd hand one up for between 250-300. That way, if it isn’t for you, you can sell it on for virtually no loss in the near future. Lots also come with a legal version of traktor pro 2. I started on mixtrack pro, which comes with both traktor and serato, and is £150 new. A cracking machine which allowed me to try out all softwares and make an informed decision, and also play a few gigs on it and make connections in dj world.

    #32119
    Thomas Howard
    Participant

    Did the mixtrack pro work well with Traktor? I know it won’t be as seamless as the s2 but I would like it to work nearly as well. Also, did the mixtrack pro work with Traktors sample decks and loop recorder?

    #32181
    Ess Jay
    Member

    Worked well with traktor, I remapped the EQ kill buttons, to trigger samples (3 for each deck), also created a shift function so they could trigger cue points too. Never actually used the loop recorder. I had a load of fun mapping different buttons and knobs to different functions, but obviously not as good as the S2, but less than half the price, and will allow you to try all the software and make an informed decision.

    Also because its such a popular controller, there are loads of pre-made mappings on the internet for the Mixtrack pro, but the default one for traktor is basic but tight

    #32224
    Terry_42
    Keymaster

    Well the S2 is obviously aimed only at Traktor users and has the tightest integration, but it also is all plastic (although decent plastic) and has the worst jogwheels (subjective opinion).

    The mixtrack is an easy and overall good unit. It has no bells and whistles, but it is quite OK to start out with. You will want to upgrade at some time from the mixtrack, but reselling the mixtrack is usually not difficult as they sell like hotcakes.

    The Denon is feature wise not a huge step up from the mixtrack (it has some kinks that are really cool though), it has good jogs for their size and most of all is built like a tank. The unit feels like it can withstand a tactical nuke, but again you will want to upgrade at some time unless you go down the road of minimal mobile setup DJ, where the Denon shines.

    The N4 is again a plastic unit, but has LOTS of features going on there. It is more geared towards Serato but the Traktor mapping is quite good. It is the only 4 channel controller on your list and has lots of knobs etc. so you do not need to use the shift key all the time. All in all a good unit. If you want basically the same unit, but with an all metal construction you would have to go for the Reloop Terminal Mix series.

    #32234
    rfb
    Member

    What for me is unacceptable about the S2 is that it has no dedicated filter pots. For a controller in that segment IMO it’s a must. The gain knobs are pretty useless for filtering due to their indented nature. Since the MC3000 dropped to 399,- (Euros) I would pick that over the S2 any day. Reloop Jockey and Terminal Mix series are good alternatives for sure!

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