Do you own an S8 then let's hear about it.

[bc6]

Thanks for the feedback on the S8 I dont own one yet but I will. I was also thinking about a case for the S8 as well, let me know when you get a case for it.

[TonyRome]

Odyssey makes one but not sure if it's available yet. I have an Odyssey case for my controller and its solid.

The more I read about this the more I'm trying to convince myself I need it. The thought of having all of those controls away from the laptop is so intriguing.
I may try adding an X1 first to see if the workflow is something I'd like (beat matching without jogs). Some booths are tight, so having the X1 as an option for that occasion wouldn't be a waste... This beast is way too big for those venues.

Here's to waiting to see what Black Friday deals bring us

[mostapha]

If you're going to use an x1 or s8, it's worth swallowing your pride and gridding all of your tracks to use sync.

You CAN beatmatch on the X1, and I assume it's similar with the s8. It works really well for mixing into the last guy's last track. But I sure wouldn't want to do it every mix.

[ImNoDJ]

If you're going to use an x1 or s8, it's worth swallowing your pride and gridding all of your tracks to use sync.

You CAN beatmatch on the X1, and I assume it's similar with the s8. It works really well for mixing into the last guy's last track. But I sure wouldn't want to do it every mix.

Im more than happy beatmatching manually on an X1. Or even just tempo matching to the numbers if im lazy.

Compared to the many many hours of goddamn awful data entry it would take to beatgrid my library, i embrace the inconvenience openly.

I prefer less data entry prep, more live action where happy mistakes can happen.

But I agree, if you are going for an S8, youll get more out of it with gridded tracks.

[mostapha]

If the number's right, then it's just pitchbending.

To me, it's still do it every time or do it once. I just hate hunching over the computer to do it.

[TonyRome]

I have no problem using sync. Been at this game for 30 years, I don't need to prove the beat matching stuff
I spend a lot of time beat gridding my library
I'm more concerned about tracks that are not gridded properly (some do sneak in) and things like soul, funk, or disco where there is a live drummer. I don't want to Ableton those up because it loses some of the groove.
But, I'm sure you can nudge with the touch strips.

The only thing I'd miss with jogs would be scratching and such...which I do less and less these days.

[Tarekith]

I can't imagine wanting an S8 if you're not going to use Sync most of the time, it's more or less wait it was designed for really.

[TonyRome]

Completely agree. I have become more and more comfortable with it and use it a lot lately.
I just want to have a way to fix a mess if things go awry. It's the old instinct in me

[mostapha]

From another thread....

Great but still needs work, hopefully with in the next update.

http://www.native-instruments.com/fo...ct-but.229710/

I don't know, most of those sound like complaints from someone who's really not the target audience for the s8. All of those are addressed by the S4, so.....?

I'm very much with T on this one. That guy should not have bought the S8 unless he was going to use vinyl or CDJ control. I don't want to insult the guy that I don't even know, but it really seems like NI has fallen victim to the "newer is always better" marketing trap of the last twenty years or so.....

Just because something's newer doesn't mean it's better for you.

I like the S8. I think it's brilliant. After getting my hands on one (attached to a computer running 2.6.8 because they don't care about DJs) in Guitar Center, I'm kind of impressed with the feel of the thing.

I don't thin I'm the target audience just because I don't know what I'd do with 2 remix decks.

Why an open format DJ would look at the S8, see a blatant lack of controls he uses a lot, and decide to spend $1200 on it is completely beyond me.

[Davemex]

Got the S8 yesterday thanks to the black Friday sale. I have to say, I haven't had so much fun with a dj device in years. In the past I've had the VCI-100 and an Akai MPC20 with an Audio 4 DJ. Having everything in one place is so much more intuitive to my workflow. Especially nice is the fact that you don't have to stare at the screen all the time, though I do prefer the "spectrum" waveforms in Traktro vs. the blue-only waveforms on the S8. As other people have stated in this thread, beat-gridding your tracks is essential, but once you get past that your attention can be on the value-added pieces of mixing like loops, effects, and eq'ing the mix. Having started on Technics back in the day, I'm actually kind of glad I don't have to be bothered with keeping an eye on tempo between the tracks. I've got nothing to prove beat-matching wise!

The flux mode is probably my favorite "fun" feature of this controller. Being able to do beatmashing yourself without the effect is just a blast. I do wish you could control the mix of the flux mode beatmasher but when used right it's not a big deal (I kind of like to play around with it on the track I'm fading out of).

My other impression so far, is that this thing is HUGE. I actually kind of like the size since I don't feel like I'm going to accidentally press the wrong button. Because of that, it feels much more like a piece of professional equipment instead of a toy. It takes up most of my desk though, so I see a keyboard stand in my near future.

I'm using it with a Surface Pro 3 i7. So far I haven't had any stuttering as long as it's plugged in (it won't throttle the CPU when plugged in) even after a couple hours of mixing with heavy effect use. I do wish Traktor was more touchscreen friendly but the need is minimized with a controller like this.

Anyways, I'm super happy with it so far. If it gives me any issues, I'll update the post!

s8 Setup.jpg