Traktor S4 - got questions? we might just have answers..

Karlos,

That's very nearly the issue that I'm looking at too. I actually have the Berhinger that you're probably talking about (a UB502, I think) and while I'm very wary of their gear as well, it's actually done a fairly good job for me (I basically use it when I do more PA based stuff as opposed to music-heavy playback). That said, I'd probably run the mics into the Berhinger then that into the S4 and in turn into the mains (which is why I asked the previous question). Not sure I'd trust the Berhinger as the next-to-last piece in the signal chain...

 

Yeah similar situation. My issue is that i have a gig that is now 3 nights but the club mixer will covered by my controller. I need a mixer that is hard waring and sounds great which is why the Mackie is an option. Its actually 3 times the price of the Behringer:
http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/product/8545-behringer-xenyx-802.html

The Behringer is cheap but perfectly sized.
My plan is to go S4 into Mixer, Mics into Mixer, 1 Output from Mixer into Club PA, 1 output to Booth. I think for this purpose it needs to be quality. Taking my Korg Zero 4 isnt an option due to space and not being portable.

Im planning all this in my head months ahead of actually getting the Kontroller.

 

Yeah I have a Rane Mp2016 right now with my Denon DN-HC4500 using it with 4 decks with TSP on my mobile gigs. I was hoping that NI would be aware of people trying to deter from using the S4 as a stand alone solution. I was thinking of just building a rack with my Rane mp2106, my Rane EQ and my 2 Mics in a separate case and just put the S4 into one of the channel inputs using rca. That seems to be the perfect solution for people who still want to use other sources of music and still be versatile.

Just wish that NI would have made rack ears for the S4 controller so you can drop it into your own mixer case and have other thing available to throw in the there.

 

Yep and I think that it's very questionable whether or not the Berhinger is up to that task. Although I haven't done a rigorous audio quality test, I can tell you that one thing that it doesn't handle well is clipping. Not that you should be running the mixer in the clipping zone anyways, but it's like a very harsh digital clipping. That indicates to me that there isn't a lot of headroom in the audio circuitry unlike say, my Mackie D.4 or any other well built piece of audio gear...

 

After doing some research, I purchased the Mackie 802-VLZ3 last week in anticipation that I will need (with the S4) an external mixer to control booth/master/mic/bass/treble. I like the sound quality and what it has to offer in a relatively small package.

 

Compact and quality sub mixer try searching for the soundcraft compact series! Look cool too

 

+1 for Soundcraft, Some Yamaha are also great. I stay far far away of new Mackie stuff.

 

Interesting. Anymore insight..?

Really why..?
I know that Mackie are know for there build and sound quality so im a bit suspicous of such a statement mate. Have you had a bad Mackie..?


Up to now the 3 on the list are:
Yamaha MG102
Soundcraft Notepad 124
Mackie 802-VLZ3

All similar footprint features and price with the Mackie topping out as most expensive and also catching my eye.

Slightly off topic all this but as there is no new info on KS4 we may as well talk about the things that are going to affect us down the line and it seems that a few of us are on the same page with wanting to run a small mixer with the Kontrol S4.

Karlos

 

I'll give you a little bit of my perspective on this one. I'm a big fan of Mackie series amps BUT only the OLD ones. I have like 10 of them and they're tanks. But, a few years ago, they came out with a new version of the 1400 and it's an absolute $hitpile. I literally bought a new one, used it for ONE job and took it back and bought a used old one off of eBay.

While I've had pretty decent luck with the two D.4 mixers I own as far as the audio is concerned, the lighted knobs CONSTANTLY go out. That's more of a cosmetic issue, but it still doesn't speak well of the quality. Likewise on my D.2 (which is maybe 2 years old) the headphone channel is basically shot (awful buzzing).

Plus (and here's the biggest red flag) Mackie warranty support is all but non-existant at this point. Emails never get answered, all warranty repairs are going through third-parties, parts are very hard to get, etc. So, take that for what it's worth...

 

As the saying goes: Spanner - Works.

Yeah you seem to echo what TeLLy has said about Mackie.
He had a shocking experience with Mackie support i seem to remember and also mentioned that LEDs quickly went out.
I must say the Mackie 802-VLZ3 'looks' very very sturdy but...

The Soundcraft looks like it could take a few hits as well which is important for me as my stuff is loaded and loaded a lot. Not a pretty mixer but i can live with it.

The Yamaha looks ok but i have zero experience with anything Yamaha that hasnt got 2 wheels and a noisy exhaust pipe.

My local dealer has all of them so i guess its time for a visit.

 

Mackie's version of NI's skate-park test on the Audio 8 DJ...

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVxOm3lh1rw"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVxOm3lh1rw[/ame]

Compares Alesis, Behringer, Yamaha, and the 802-VLZ3.

Oddly, my 802-VLZ3 mixer does not have the word "Mackie" printed anywhere on the mixer, not even in the bottom fine print. But it does have a small running-man logo. I thought I had purchased a knock off.

 

I have my own service center and also work for a Pro-Audio place where I do repair and/or mod, hence why I know "their inside"

I haven't got really bad Mackie in the past, but like others say here, their new serie is just cheaply made. Sound quality is no longer the original quality. Seems they go on the bad way. Same goes for their speakers and so forth.

They aren't bad product, but to me they're no longer those trusty n Rock Solid one (for their price). On the other hand, Behringer "seems" to go better with years. Weird huh? Still not my cup of tea though, original part are hard to have... on the other hand, you buy a new one and keep one for parts

I'd NEVER have any problem to get pats for Soundcraft and/or Yamaha in here. Their distributor are just great and hold lotsa stock, even for OLDER (say Vintage) models. Also I confirm that Mackie service is no longer what it have been years ago.

 

Well those 2 plonkers have demonstrated that Mackie make terribly unfunny product videos but, yeah the Mackie looks well built.

The Yamaha is out of the running now as its clearly to big for my purposes. The Alesis was never in the running, i cannot own such ugly gear and its too big.

I have seen the Mackie mixer without the Mackie branding as well so i guess it may have been a first product run that had further labelling done on the next production run (?).

Mackie is still in front. Just need to demo one with the Soundcraft.

Hmm, yeah confusing as i have never had confidence in Behringer.
There equivelant mixer is way cheaper. But as Gmint says i cant compromise on the mixer as its one half of the signal chain and i know that the NI side will uphold the quality.

Ok... recommend me a Mixer (similar size and features). I have little knowledge in this area.
Look to guys like you with actual experience of getting dirty with these things.

 

If my memory serves me well, Tapco was/is "cheap Mackie" serie.

 

Karlos, today I looked in the stock we have in here, and found 3 of those brand new in the box Soundcraft Notepad. We have no use for them in 'cause they're working on 220Vac. They come from the International branch of the company I'm working for.

We're asking 100 CAN$ each ('round 35 GPB). If you're interested, let me know by PM i'll forward you the guy to contact in the sale department in here. Maybe you can deal something.

Bellow a couple of picture of it.

And the link to Soundcraft Website
http://www.soundcraft.com/products/product.aspx?pid=1

 

Dual Traktor Kontrol S4 Setup

Ok this might be a weird question,

But me and my friend are both saving up for a Kontrol S4, and i was wondering if there was a way to sync both setups..

both using Macbooks... also do we need an audio interface or not?

Thank you for any info

 

this near future release for tsp is gonna drive me crazy just tell us a date this waiting is really making me think of sellin tsp and going to serato

 

What? You're excited for the release date for a product so you're going to switch to a different product. That's just stupid...s

 

am saying i really want this update already... serato has had this update for a while now and it wouldnt hurt native instruments to let us know at least a release date and speed up the release a little instead of only thinking about the s4

 

First, if there's one thing I know (and you should probably be aware of) is that NI will release their product when they're good and damn ready to do so. Unfortunately, there's nothing you nor I can do to speed that up (even if doing so were a good idea, which it probably isn't). Second, Serato may have recently had an update but that doesn't have anything to do with Traktor other than it's a competing product. Not to mention that t's not like the features that SSL offers are on par with Traktor in the first place--before or after an update.