Z1 - am I the only one missing PLAY buttons?

Euh
I need a small midi controller to use at traveling occasions, together with my macbook and Traktor pro 2.
is this Z1 a solution? I miss a PLAY button... Or am I too old fashioned not to want to use the mouse to klik PLAY?

Thanks for helping me finding out if I'm wrong
Gert

 

Well, it's meant to be using in conjunction with something with a play button, or the iPad, but yeah, it has no transport functions.

 

Just use touch osc (ios) with a cable or mini wifi hub. Put any controls you need on that, it's fully programable and only 5 bucks ( if you already have an iOS device)

Or pair it with the x1. Super compact setup right there.

 

X1 FTW!

The soft buttons on the iPad would be fine to use but I can see it being a bit fiddly on the iPhone. I regularly miss my in point on the train because I've slightly missed the button. Very easy to do.

But yeah, Laptop + X1 + Z1 FTW!

 

I think it's totally ok that NI didn't include a play button as the z series are mixers and no transport controllers

 

Damn

I had bought a Pioneer Wego to be able to travel light by plain, to have party set (Traktor Pro + macbook + Wego)
I hoped the Z1 would be an alternative but no. Adding a X1 to the Z1 would be less efficient then the Wego.
Damn

 

Yes! My set-up has grown substantially but for awhile I was doing live shows using only an X1. It was super fun too! I actually miss it.
I would show up w/ a laptop and an x1. So great.
I used filters to mix instead of volume or x fader. It was so perfect, really.

 

I've got good news and bad new on this..

GOOD news - it does include play/stop buttons! (kind of). If you hold down MODE and the CUE button for the corresponding channel then it will play or pause that deck.

BAD news - it's a bit buggy. Doesn't seem to work at all on the iPad (which is a real shame as that's where I'd most want it). On Traktor Pro it does work, but it still lights up the cue button, which I find a bit confusing.

 

Hi Gert,
I know this is an old thread, but I feel the same way as you. It could never understand at all, why the play buttons are missing. It is a total design oversight. There is also no alternative or update model after 6 years, incl. drivers that crash during installation. The Z1 is great for little space and being on the road.

"z series are mixers and no transport controllers"

It totally evades NI that not everyone is mixing music for djing. We do dance parties for Swing dancing. We just need to fade one song to the next, but want to control the timing, so I need a play button. The Z1 has a cross fader, so it makes no sense at all not to have a play button. Mixing mouse or touch (which is anyway not really supported) with fiddling the Z1 is utterly nonsense. Traktors perceived level normalization is one of the greatest features for Djing.

Since I

personally ​

don't need the FX controls, I mapped the FX On buttons to the play back of the resp. tracks. This makes the Z1 finally workable to me. I can now start the deck and cross fade. when I'm in Cruise mode I can bring one fade down while the other one goes up.

I didn't have time to investigate, but I hope there is a way with a mapping to start the deck when moving the fader without loosing the fader function.

Cheers Marcus

 

MODE + Cue A/B is the play funtion. If you delete the effects control you can map the play function to this buttun.

 

MY best combo! X1 + DJM750 + Z1 and 2 custom old CDJs converted to midi controllers.