PIONEER DDJ-SR or TRAKTOR S2

I'm undecided if buying the new PIONEER DDJ-SR or the new TRAKTOR S2
According to you, what's better ? And Why?

 

SR for Serato, S2 for Traktor.

 

The SR is a SeratoDJ controller out of the box, although I'm fairly sure a mapping is available (as one is for the larger DDJ SX).

The S2 is an out of the box Traktor controller and will just work.

I would probably lean towards the SR provided you can confirm that everything works as intended win Traktor, given the larger jog wheels and slightly better build quality.

 

If you're wanting a mobile controller, note that the SR is quite big. It's several cm wider than the S4.

Build quality will be better on the SR, but due to NI's limitations the jogs may not have such a good response in Traktor compared to Serato. Some of the special pad modes just won't work at all in Traktor e.g. the Slicer.

 

As a Serato and Traktor user I originally considered some of the other controllers and remapping them.
The more I looked into things the more realistic things became about what's important to me.

Build quality is important but I don't care how well something is built if it doesn't allow me to perform they way I like.
By the same token if something has great performance but poor reliability I an still in a bad place.

The key is finding the balance.
Don't overlook things like the difference between mirrored layout vs duplicate layout or where the jog wheels are actually positioned.

These things make a serious difference when working fast or in poor lighting.
Both units are standard 2 deck units but do you have any desire for 4 deck use or heavy Remix Deck work?

I originally purchased a S2 and added the X1 for 4 deck control but eventually went to the S4.
In some ways I miss the X1 but when it's all said and done the S4 is a good fit.

Then there's also the fact that Pioneer is now 3 new controllers deep with the "S" versions (SX, SR and SP1) without a single "T" version being released.
Not sure a Traktor user should support that.

 

There hasn't been a single Traktor controller released from any manufacturer other than NI for quite a while now.

 

Traktor le

I have always used the software Traktor (Traktor LE exactly) according to you, taking the SR, would I be badly with Serato?

 

Pioneer did the S1 then the T1 but this time around they have done the SX, SR, SB and even the SP1 without releasing a "T" version so it pretty much shows what their direction is.

I see no reason to support a product line like that if you are a Traktor user.

 

The big thing is that Serato and Traktor are different so people go with what they prefer.
You could always try out Serato DJ since it comes with the controller and compare that to what you know about Traktor.
Not really sure what the limitations of Traktor LE are compared to Pro 2 but it should be active enough to compare.

 

No other company has released a Traktor controller recently either. There's no reason to single Pioneer out.

Users should buy the best hardware for their intended use, rather than being forced to "support" a company's business model.

 

Do you not count the Faderfox DJ44? No jogs, but it is clearly designed, or optimised as they say, for Traktor (and Ableton). Only came out in November I believe..

 

Pioneer has a big window since the release of the SX and have continued to add more Serato products but not a "T" version of anything thus they are singles out.
Why?
Because it clearly shows they aren't trying to support Traktor, which is sad.

So by your second statement Traktor users shouldn't use the Pioneer controllers since their intended use is for Serato.

Having to shoehorn a device to use it with your desired software because they want to cater to another vendors makes no sense.

In all honesty, Pioneer tries to play the pro game but they still tend to hurt their overall equation.
No reason why the SX wasn't design to boot with a true mode for Serato and one for Traktor.

Some of use work on both sets and it would be nice to have a controller that performs equally on both.

 

Given that there are no other controllers released specifically for Traktor, it's fairly clear that NI are not allowing licensed 3rd party controllers at the moment.

By your reasoning, every manufacturer out there is "not trying to support Traktor". And by "intended use" I was referring to the user, not the hardware.

Why not ask Numark why there is no "true Traktor mode" for the NS7 II? Also, Denon's newly released MC6000 Mk2 now supports Serato instead of Traktor.

As for controllers that perform equally well on both Serato and Traktor, the only ones that exist currently are the high end Pioneer CDJs (900+).

 

No Serato has become more active with their pursuit of vendors.
The previous heavy handed control of Rane had seems to have shifted so Serato has been trying to get as many vendors as possible to see a future in Serato DJ.
The changes being made became even more obvious when they added DVS support to Serato DJ.

They saw a lot of market going to Traktor and are trying to do stabilize their position.

It just always seems easier for people to believe that one company is refusing to do something than see that another company is making things more lucrative.

 

Like you're been doing towards Pioneer?

Unlike Serato, NI actually makes their own controllers so it makes sense for them to block the competition so they can make much more money by selling a complete product, rather than receiving a small license fee per sale.

Out of all the popular manufacturers - Denon, Numark, Vestax, Reloop, Pioneer, etc - I would expect at least one of them to release a Traktor controller if they were given the chance.

 

Very True......this is exactly why no one has released controller for NI.

 

Wasn't the last traktor controller released not made by ni, the reloop remix 3? you don't hear a lot about it but at release it seemed ok.

 

The Remix 3 is just the Jockey 3 with updated mapping/firmware/LEDs, and the J3 came out in early 2011.

 

Can't the same basically be said about the s4 mk2 and s2 mk2? Trust me I want a new traktor controller bad. I am not confident in the reliability of the mk2 model controllers. I previously owned the s2 mk1 and loved it. But with the issues I am seeing on here with those newer s4s and s2s and the main improvement on those was suppose to be the ability to work with ipads you can't even use with ios 7 I just do not see any improvements from ni at all. I would honestly suggest an s2 mk1 with possibly adding a f1 for better reliability if you want to use traktor. The pioneer ddj sr is only is usb powered which to me would be a no go imo.

 

What's wrong with a USB powered controller?