

Right now, unless space is your main concern, We'd say shelling out that extra money is definitely worth it. Unlike with the S8, however, you don't have the option to experiment with vinyl, CDJs, grooveboxes or traditional beat- matching, should you wish.Īt the time of writing, since the S8's price has come down and the S5 is freshly released, there's barely £100 between their UK street prices. For me, the problem is that this effectively means committing to a certain type of mixing, focusing largely on Traktor's (admittedly excellent) Stems, Remix Deck and beat-sync'd performance capabilities. Whether this is an issue will ultimately come down to personal preference. The S8 includes five input channels that can be used to hook up any combination of CDJs, turntables, timecoded control, mics or instruments, drastically enhancing its flexibility as the centrepiece of a DJ set-up.īy contrast, the S5 features just a single stereo mic/ RCA in.

To us, however, the more significant omission on the S5 is the decreased number of audio inputs. While the same functionality can still be achieved in other, slightly less direct ways, it does mean that the level of control you get over Traktor feels less all-encompassing than using the S8 or D2. Most notably, the S5 is missing each deck's four columns of mini faders and rotaries, which were used on the S8 primarily for mixing and filtering individual Stem parts. A number of features have been removed, however, to maintain the compact form factor. Want to place a preorder for a Kontrol S5? Do it in the DJTT store here.Broadly speaking, much of what impressed us about the S8 remains on the S5, including the solid build quality, brilliantly implemented screens and the fluid 'touch-and-see' workflow. We look forward to getting one in the office and testing it extensively for you! Overall we welcome the new Traktor Kontrol S5 and feel like this is finally a reasonable replacement for the S4 at an affordable price. Hold the pad to select which Stem and then move the encoder to adjust volume.

Apparently you use the pads to both mute the parts and select each part for further modification with the Browse or Loop encoders.
#Traktor kontrol s5 amazon how to#
It’s somewhat unclear how to control Stem Decks on the S5, but NI indicates it is possible. This could introduce some value-jumping problems if you use effects and remix decks/stems at the same time frequently – we’re guessing this will require soft-takeover (values don’t change until you move the knob to the current position in the software) STEM DECK CONTROL ON THE KONTROL S5 The Kontrol S5 loses those, and instead uses the FX knobs (which are normal potentiometers) for similar functions. One minor loss are the 4 touch-sensitive encoders below the screen, which did triple duty for Remix Decks parameters, as well as being flexible controls depending on what was on-screen. On the S8, deck switching, browsing and loops are scattered around the controller in a haphazard way – but on the S5 they are logically grouped and laid out. The S5 condenses and simplifies the browse/loop/deck controls significantly, which is a welcome improvement. Some people that sprung for the more expensive flagship model might be a little miffed unless they really love those extra 8 faders and encoders. The best features from the Kontrol S8 and Kontrol S4 have been combined into one single interface, begging the question: Why did we even need the S8? The new controller from Native Instruments doesn’t break new ground on the surface, but does introduce a few small interface improvements. Power supply is likely required to power the onboard screens.Roughly the same weight and size as the Kontrol S4.The Kontrol S5 will be available in stores October 1 – preorder in the DJTT store here now.TRAKTOR KONTROL S5 – THE NEW STANDARD CONTROLLER? The S5 provides similar controls to the S8 but without individual faders for Stems. While the wheel has been a treasured, useful DJ tool since the beginning, they take up a lot of valuable real estate. The new Kontrol S5 is yet another indication of Native Instruments’ continued shift away from a jog-wheel centric work flow and towards screens instead. Get all the details on the new Kontrol S5 inside. More compact and affordable than the S8, it will give DJs the screens they want at a more realistic price. This all-in-one DJ interface eliminates the jogs wheels from the Kontrol S4’s layout and adds in with the future looking screens of the S8. Native Instruments has announced the newest controller in their all-in-one DJ lineup: the Traktor Kontrol S5.
