5 First Impressions Of The Traktor Kontrol S8

We’ve got our Traktor Kontrol S8 here on the workbench and will be writing our review next week, but in the meantime here are five things, big and small, we’ve noticed about it that may not be apparent to you from looking at the press photos. (And no we’ve not got past the “Vegas mode” flashing lights demo yet to actually use the thing. These are just first impressions…)

1. It’s big! – Bigger than the S4, this is a “workstation” rather than a “DJ controller”. It looks like it means business. Nobody’s going to call it a “toy”
2. There really aren’t any pitch controls! – It’s not only the jogs that are gone, there are no pitch faders and no pitch bend buttons either. Just a big master tempo. Looks like beatgridding is no longer optional…
3. It’s got threads in its feet – Each big rectangular rubber pad has a thread for a bolt in it. Will the company be making optional fat Technics-style feet available for this beast?
4. It’s got real gain controls! – Hallelujah, the silly rotary encoders from the Kontrol S4 are gone to be replaced by… the same type of gain controls everyone else uses
5. It’s Remix Decks or die… – Those Remix Deck controls really are centrestage here. If you buy this and don’t want to get involved with the Remix Decks, looks like you really will be missing the point

First thought…

I honestly think a lot of established DJs are going to scratch their heads at this unit. I think it’s the open-minded, serious hobbyists that’ll “get it” first. But as stated in yesterday’s post, DJing With Laptops: Why To Some People, It’s Just Not The Real Thing, digital DJing often gets a bad press, being seen sometimes to offer convenience over innovation. It’s great to see such a big company genuinely offering a new way forward. As we say, watch this space for our review and further thoughts…

Have you taken delivery of yours yet? What’s your first thoughts about it? Anything in particular you’d like us to look closely at in our review next week? Let us know in the comments…