New Controller Dilemma

That is one we can’t answer for you. Traktor and Serato, while both “a win” are totally different programs. They cater to different kind of DJs. I am a mobile DJ and worked with Traktor for almost two years before leaving it behind as it in no way supported my workflow. My controller then (MC6000 mk1) didn’t support Serato (tables are turned now, almost everything supports Serato), so I moved to Mixvibes Cross. This is closest to Serato by way of features, workflow and such.

Native Instruments (Traktor) is more and more withdrawing into their own world, with the only things officially supported anymore their own controllers, a bit like Serato did til a few years ago with a very select number of controllers and sound cards. And there is currently no telling what will happen to third-party hardware compatibility when version 3.x drops, which can’t be too long as the current version is getting a bit long in the teeth.

Essentially if you are going Traktor, I’d select the S2. The MC6000 mk2 IS a good choice, but better suited for a mobile DJ (very compact, extra features like separate mic channels and semi-matrix input switching) than for a club-style DJ.

You could consider buying a used starter controller, just to cover you for the first half year to a year and then decide what is the best final controller for you. Options here are the S2 (for Traktor), Pioneer DDJ-SB, Denon MC2000, Reloop Beatmix 2, Numark Mixtrack Pro 2 (or 3 but they are relatively new, so not too much chance of finding a second hand one).

They may not have some of the extra features, like performance pads and standalone mixing, but you won’t be needing that in the beginning and frankly, having buttons and knobs on your controller that you don’t use is only gonna distract you or worse, tempt you to start experimenting with them, while you should be focussing on getting the hang of the basix.

I am guessing you can buy any of those controller for between 150-200 euro. And a year down the road you can probably sell them again for at least half. So 75-100 euro buys you an option to get started, learn the basix, find what your workflow will be like and what you expect/want in a controller. You can even try various software to see which you like.

If you buy second-hand, be sure to get whatever LE/Intro version came with the controller and make sure the old owner unregisters it. While LE software does have limitations that you want to get rid of once you know which software works best for you, it’s plenty ok for practicing and finding out what the software has to offer.

I would like to throw my support behind Chuck’s suggestion of getting a used beginning controller first. When I started, I followed a similar route (though mine wasn’t used, but was still very low cost) – I was still playing out on a weekly basis, including a few decent sized shows (150 or so people), so it was enough to be able to properly perform, but I avoided jumping into things before I really understood what MY needs were (and, as it turns out, what I thought my needs were in the beginning didn’t match up to my actual needs at ALL).

As for the Numark CDJ clones, I really don’t think you’re going to be able to prepare yourself as well for eventually working on a controller with those.

Seems like a used Mixtrack Pro 2 would be a great choice for you – it’s a Serato controller that comes with Intro (which has some limitations, but not game-stoppers on day one). This would mean that, at least for right now, you’d be in a position to try Serato, and you could probably pick up a used copy of Traktor for about 35-40 euro (you see it float through the For Sale forum over at DJ Tech Tools for that price on a pretty regular basis) so that you could be well informed as to what you might want for your software before you go spending a lot of money on your primary controller. In the long run, it won’t be the best choice for a Traktor controller (Native Instrument tending toward preferring to support their own hardware increasing to maximum over time), but it is more than sufficient to learn both Traktor and Serato right now to help you make an informed choice.

Awesome, grats!