Help Please - Need to make a choice - upgrading

Hi - I've been mixing for about 22 years on my Technics 1210's and would now like to make a step up to digital mixing.

Today i was about to purchase a S4 however came across the Pioneer DDJ-T1 and am now a little confused about which to purchase.

I have looked at both screenshots of each unit and have played on a demo S4 and really like it, but the Pioneer looks better built and a bit simpler for me to get to use with. Looking at the video demos the S4 looks quite technical and I want to use something rather than getting hangup that it's too complicated.

I am steering towards the Pioneer - but would like to chuck in a few samples and i dont see any trigger buttons on the Pioneer to do this? - I can see a loop in / out function but no play buttons for the samples like the S4 has? can anyone explain this?

I want to make the purchase pretty soon - in the next day or so as i keep putting it off

Any help you can give would be really appreciated

Thanks

 

Like you I had only used decks before going digital, apart from a bit of timecode with a midi controller. I'm so glad I got the s4, at first I was really worried like you that there was too much to learn, but less than an hour after getting it up and running I could do more than i could dream of doing on turntables. A few weeks on and I feel I've got most of it sorted, and can't wait to get it out on the road.

 

The S4 is good if it works straight out of the box !

 

@Surfingbently ...The S4 looks the sh1t, but as stated it has a few technical difficulties straight out of the box that NI are so far ignoring blatently, issues with their so called super internal sound card that doesnt work well with any Windows OS causing cracks pops and audio dropouts...working around it so far entails either purchasing an external sound card, a mac or basically not getting the S4 at all and looking at other controllers.

other than that its has amazing features and over the DDJ-T1, it does triumph by having those sample decks.

The DDJ-T1 however is made by pioneer, they are acustomed to making extremely good hardware that they will fix if issues do arise. they only flaw i can see in this coming out is the lack of features over the S4 but will have to wait and see once it gets released.

The S4 would win hands down when they fix up the Windows issues..but like all the other disgruntled people you are best waiting and see

 

Don't forget about the new Denon DJ controller! That thing will DEFINITELY not have any problems with Windows or have any audio issues. Denon has been making the sweetest sounding audio products since I was a child.

 

pioneer...quality as standard but dont think this is their best effort(nice though)....traktor s4 should be the premium ni package but as everyone knows on here its only as good as the laptop or whatever you run it on....to almost guarantee smooth running it needs to run on a mac.....i'll probably get flamed for saying that but look how many mac users have probems, not many!......i bought the s4 but may of been swayed by the pioneer however if you like traktor then the s4 should always have the best ni software package rather than just using pro, time will tell

 

Keep in mind that until the DJM 800 came out, pioneer had quite shoddy products that were known for falling apart and running hot signals.

 

S4 every day of the week..... but the next update will make or break this argument...!

Mine works fine but there's 100's of people waiting with baited breathe for the nect update so they can play out with no audio issues... i hope it gets sorted coz the S4 is the dogs bollox... i kid you not..!