Has s8 really standalone mixer???

Short story traktor crashed, and the a clicking noise came, now usually on a mixer you can turn the sound off by take the channel fader down or change source. but that didn't help. the noise was still coming, I had to turn off s8 and back on for it to work....
so has s8 really a standalone mixer??? or is it a virtual mixer of sort??? that's a big let down anyway if you have to restart mixer and makes it pointless calling it a standalone mixer..
anyway the day before it crashed when I turned traktor off....
ni really need to get off their ..... and put fixes in the software/driver.....

 

It's a standalone mixer if you're using it with an external source (like a CDJ plugged into the RCA input for example).

If you're using it with Traktor, it's just a controller. Traktor controls the sound card and the fader only send info to Traktor.

If Traktor crashes it seems logical that the faders wouldn't have any effect, no?

 

I did change source from traktor and on a normal standalone mixer it would change sound source. S8 didn't do that. Which makes it quite pointless to use for traktor crash backup!! That's the most important part of having a standalone mixer there so that you can quickly change to a cd. But that couldn't be done without a restart of s8!!
Not sure if they should advertise it as one when the single most important part of having a standalone mixer for most of us a quick change over when it crashes dosent apply here. Which means I still need to have another mixer!!! Feels like I been had by ni false advertising. . It's a important detail...

 

Traktor has crashed. It won't receive any button press you make at that point. Nothing will change until you restart it.

i think you're being a bit overly dramatic calling this false advertising...

 

Dramatic? Mate traktor crashing and finding out the so called standalone mixer won't do what all other standalone mixers do.... this is a mixer that unfortunately can crash with traktor..
try some of the other mixers with sound card like denon pioneer ...... They won't have that problem... It should at least have a real through audio signal that could be used for that at least that would have saved it a bit...

 

You come across as very angry in your posts. I feel bad that you seem to be having such an awful time with your S8.

I could explain why they do have an audio thru, why it doesn't work the way you think it should and why Denon or Pioneer mixers are not the same thing but I don't think that would change your mind, or help.

Maybe you can still return your S8 and find something that works better for you?

 

If they would take it back I would have gladly returned it.
and yes a little angry cause I found at first ni customer support was pretty crap, they baisicly said check forum for optimising your laptop for the crashes... and good luck...
and I was reassured it had a STANDALONE mixer for the crashes, but finding out that's pretty useless at that too!!! ni seems to have been more busy to add whistles and bells than reliability at this point. whats the funniest bug is by using multicore cpu you get worse sound so you have to tick it off.... that bug been there for years and they still haven't bothered fixing it...
anyway you would have been angry if you spend 1k on a stand alone mixer that wont do a basic thing like changing source at a critical time like that....

 

Well... I did... since I own the exact same S8 you do.

My experience is different though: I'm loving it. The S8 the most fun I've had with any setup in a long long time (and believe me I've had loads of different setups in my days).

I guess it's all a matter of perspective then...

 

It is a nice machine if it worked.
The reason why other mixers with sound card don't have the same problem is because they separate the mixer and sound card section and give you a truly standalone mixer I guess. Here I think they are integrated to save up cost which probably is why the mixer crashes too. Which comes to my first point. Can we really call that a standalone mixer? Anyway I think I would have thought more about buying it if i knew that.
The standalone mixer was a great safety measures plus point in my book. One of the reasons I bought it.

 

Works perfect for me and many others here. I'm sorry you seem to be having so many issues.

You're incorrect in your assumption about the mixer and sound card section. It's not that they are integrated, it's that the switching between sound card and 'thru' is a mechanical switch on the DJM900 and it's a controller button that needs the software on the S8. The mechanical switch is actually a cheaper solution so your cost reasoning is incorrect too.

Again, it seems like what you need is a refund. I doubt you will get it via the forums though.

 

A mechanical switch cheaper than software that will cost only once to make?? A software cost is just writing it once not adding hardware cost to every unit made!
As for refund I can't get it now. And I have every right to be unhappy about it just like everyone else who has problems with it if you look at the forums.
A standalone mixer that crashes is pretty poor!

 

I'm taking about the part itself, I said nothing about the software. The 900 and the S8 both have switched to select the source. The one used in the DJM is a mechanical switch that actually switches the signal flow itself (check the diagram). The S8 has a button with a light that is sending a midi signal. The button on the S8 is more expensive that the switch on the 900. That's all I'm pointing out.

Of course you've got every right to be unhappy, but we can still correct you if you say something incorrect, no?

 

Do you work for ni?? Just seems here I came with an issue and you just that's not a problem that the mixer itself crashes on s8.
AnywayI corrected you in the cost question. You said software is more costly than mechanical switch over which is wrong as you write software only once . mechanical switch like the once in pioneers you would have to add it to every unit made. As it's not just plastic knob but audio switchover on every input.. With the switches.... Come on man people aren't as dumb as you think. Anyway by your account the s8 mixer that crashes is better than reliable pioneer mixer.. I think your view are a little diluted and this discussion is going nowhere between us two. I don't want a another poor lad like me thinking they can use that mixer as backup solution since I trusted ni using the words standalone mixer and what it supposed to mean in case of traktor crash. At least on s4 there was a audio through.

 

You're not understanding/reading my replies. It's ok.

I don't work for NI. I am a very happy S8 owner/user.

I'm sorry you seem to be having all these problems.

 

no worries, anyway a mixer that crashes together with the traktor cant be called standalone mixer in my book. main reason we have a standalone mixer is to have a backup plan in case of a crash..... traktor advertisment of this is misleading as we all would have though the mixer was truly separated from the soundcard so it would work if traktor crashed.

 

Damien: do you really believe your own words? Do you know what a standalone mixer is?

 

Maybe you should ask your self what really a standalone mixer means.
In this case it seems ni been cutting corners to keep their s8 build cost down which has resulted a mixer that will crash and mics inpuy that are really low volume. Maybe if you look to why it's like that you find out why it really isn't one and why it is misleading for us djs who need a standalone mixer to be able to change source in case of traktor crash.
Anyway not everyone has the brains to see this or maybe some just like to play with words just like ni has.
bottom line is ni has finally manged to make a standalone mixer that crashes! !
Well done ni that something we had been missing out on the mixers....

 

Might be a very dumb question, but have you tried to press the Button under the gain know with the traktor symbol on it? These buttons don´t send midi and i thought they must be hard wired to change the input source. Or did you just pull down the fader?

edit:
i just tried a few things, like pulling out the usb cable. The traktor button stayed lit (as the s8 was still trying to use the digital Deck). I just had to push the button and it switched to through mode and played the vinyl seamingless. There is a midi "stop" signal, that can be send from the software to avoid weird behavior when loosing the connection to a midi device, but certainly not from the controller, as it can not predict when i pull out the cable. Therefore i am sure, that the traktor knob did not send any midi message to traktor. I am pretty sure that it should work that way when your traktor crashes, too. I can not think of a reason why it should not...

 

yes I did that.
it dosent send midi signal but the audio switch here is done by software. and if software crashes the whole mixer becomes useless!
Anyway today it went for 4 hours with no problem but than traktor crashed and the mixer too again!!!
the problem I think is the soundcard might be too integrated and obviously everything is software based mixer....
the support just so far just email me to do the same things I have already told them I have done(laptop optimisation)
anyway that has turned the standalone mixer useless un case of traktor crash!

 

a feature???
this what every standalone mixer out there do! except s8 mixer!!!
this one of the most important reason you have a standalone mixer!!
this is not a feature but what you would expect of a standalone mixer and if ni have been cutting corners to make cheaper build which has resulted this than its a poor mixer. and that's really not count a standalone mixer in my book who has some expectation of a mixer for pro use. even the cheapest mixers around will be able to do that!
I find it weird people having such a low bar of what to expect from 1k gear...