What should I buy DDJ-SX2 or Kontrol S8

[sharkster41]

Hi Guys

I'm really torn about which controller to get next. I'm torn between the S8 and the DDJ-SX2. The S8 seems the obvious choice as I mainly use traktor. However I also use the CDJ's in HID mode at one of my nights and really love to be able to have the Jogs and CDJ feel.

I currently own a Twitch, which to be fair has been a great piece of kit and actually think it works flawlessly with traktor. However I do miss the jogs. It has been a loyal servant over the last three years and for it's size is an awesome piece of kit.

The pro's of the DDJ-SX2 for me would be the jogs and the ability to have it as a standalone mixer. The cons would be no screen. This is really what is tempting me on the S8 is that juicy screen and the integration of the remix decks.

I've read about the SX2 mapping for traktor being really laggy when changing settings, someone mentioned 30 seconds or so between changes. Is this true? Has anyone had any experience of this?

To add to that Pioneer have just brought out the XDJ-1000 which looks kinda cool but I'm not actually sold on the touch screen. Only con of that one is having to buy two units.

Taking price out of the equation can anyone help add weight to favour one over the other. I'm also experienced with using both Serato live and Itch but not so much serato DJ, I mainly use traktor now but think both programs are great. I also have the Audio 10 and SL1 so have used DVS too.

Thoughts please.

[espender]

I have owned a twitch in the past but like you say I missed the jogs so went to a Numark N4, then an S4 and finally a DDJ-SX. Personally I have never had a controller that was as fun as the twitch because you just synced up your tracks and go mental chopping and slicing them and as I mix house it was perfect.

I would say for me that jog wheels are a comfort thing, I can tweak and scrub tracks with more accuracy with the great big jogs on the SX. I have DJ'ed on CDJ's and the SX is very similar in feel, just with slightly smaller jogs, but very similar layout. I can't speak for lag issues of the SX2 but I'm sure Pioneer will correct that asap.

Another pro of the SX which applies to the SX2 is the standalone mixer functionality, the ability to play vinyl or have a back up iPod if my PC crashes is great! But the S8 can be a standalone mixer as well so you can go for either.

If you think that you can live without jogs I would be tempted to go for the S8. It's NI built so you can guarantee perfect mapping, functionality and no lag at all. Then if you still miss jogs maybe just add some turntables/CDJ's either side and have the best of all worlds? It would still be cheaper than 2 XDJ-1000's and a mixer. I'm all for Pioneer gear, it's amazingly well built but comparing the XDJ's to the S8 based on functionality the S8 wins hands down and has much more modular opportunities.

[Panotaker]

It all comes down to whether you prefer Traktor over Serato DJ. If you like to beatmix, it would probably be easier to beatmix on the SX2 over the S8, but you can still probably beatmix on the S8, it's just different. If you use sync, it probably doesn't make much difference. Personally, I got burned out on buying stuff every couple of years, and just went back to using turntables and Traktor with an A10 and an X1mk2. That pretty much does everything I want to do that controllers or CDJs can do, and it's cheap to upgrade. I haven't had a chance to play on the S8 yet, but I did get a chance to spin on a SX2 this weekend, and if I was in the market for a new controller, it would be that one, mainly because I like jog wheels, but i really don't need another controller.

[sharkster41]

Keep the feedback coming guys. Every opinion is valued.

I don't use sync all the time as I like to make manual adjustments to add energy into the mix and enhance the groove. I quickly adjusted to the twitch touch strip and also tweaked the sensitivity settings in traktor so it was tighter. With that in mind I know I would get on with the touch strip on the S8. That said though I do like hid mode and I understand this isn't supported yet with S8 so I'm wondering how Ean's mapping works and if the screens are still there. That seems the only downside of midi on the s8 and the fact the screens will be blank. Does anyone have any info on the midi mapping?

I like being able to still use CDJs alongside too so both have that plus point.

Just not sure. Lol.

[mostapha]

I'm torn between the S8 and the DDJ-SX2.

To me, this implies you don't really know what you want and probably should spend a thousand dollars on a controller until you figure that out. So, I'll give you my thoughts but not actually give a recommendation.

The S8 seems the obvious choice as I mainly use traktor. However I also use the CDJ's in HID mode at one of my nights and really love to be able to have the Jogs and CDJ feel.

The S8 doesn't mean you can't use the CDJs as HID controllers. You'd just have redundant controls for some things. And the S8 is pretty damn big to fit in a booth if you also want to use their CDJs.

The pro's of the DDJ-SX2 for me would be the jogs and the ability to have it as a standalone mixer. The cons would be no screen. This is really what is tempting me on the S8 is that juicy screen and the integration of the remix decks.

The S8 is also a standalone digital mixer.

Also....remember that you can't use the SX2 as a sound card with Traktor unless you use another controller to mix internally (which the SX2's mixer can't do).

You have to have another sound card to feed the SX2 audio. And there is, technically, a quality loss associated with converting to analog just for a cable run and then having the SX2 immediatley convert back to digital to do the mixing. With the S8, Traktor can feed a digital signal to the mixer directly.

The difference being audible would take an awesome sound system in an awesome room with awesome ears...but it's there. Then again, people tend not to use the digital IO on CDJs and DJMs, so it seems like no one actually cares.

I've read about the SX2 mapping for traktor being really laggy when changing settings, someone mentioned 30 seconds or so between changes. Is this true? Has anyone had any experience of this?

Yeah. The traktor mapping for the SX makes the settings window take forever to open (seriously: it's ~30 seconds and feels longer). This happens whether it's connceted or not, no matter what you're trying to do, as long as the .tsi is loaded in Traktor.

FWIW, you can open the settings window while Traktor is playing. Controllers still work right, and it doesn't affect the audio. But, the screen freezes and just doesn't update while the settings window is opening or closing. I don't remember if it updates while the settings window is open, but it's not worth loading the .tsi again to find out.

This is honestly one of the big reasons I stopped using my SX as a traktor controller. The jogs just weren't worth the hassle. When I wanted to spin, occasionally Traktor would load using my laptop's output in internal mode instead of the sound card that I had connected to the SX. Fixing that took at least a minute, which would be a huge PITA if I was taking over from another DJ in a club, all of it just standing around waiting for the computer and not being able to do anything else.

To add to that Pioneer have just brought out the XDJ-1000 which looks kinda cool but I'm not actually sold on the touch screen. Only con of that one is having to buy two units.

Also, it still has fewere capabilities than either controller....and doesn't require a laptop, which is either good or bad depending solely on your opinion. If you like using CDJs, it's worth considering.

Taking price out of the equation can anyone help add weight to favour one over the other. I'm also experienced with using both Serato live and Itch but not so much serato DJ, I mainly use traktor now but think both programs are great. I also have the Audio 10 and SL1 so have used DVS too.

Well...that opens up options.

Keep in mind that the S8 will work with DVS. AFAIK, you just need the control vinyl. It'll also work with HID control if you want the platters and have access to CDJs.

Frankly, I think that's kind of a best-of-both-worlds setup, however you choose to do it. There were 2 reasons I didn't do exactly that (an S8 + my 1200s, eventually maybe switching them out for CDJs). One is that I wanted to try a rotary mixer instead of the mixer on the S8. The other is that I don't want to use 2 remix decks and 2 track decks, which seems to be about the only thing that the S8 is actually ideal for. I prefer 3 or 4 track decks and at most 1 remix deck, at least right now.

So...opinion on one or the other....I don't really have one. I wouldn't buy either at this point, and I'm about to photograph my SX to list it for sale because I just don't want it anymore.

It sounds like you want to use Traktor, like the screens, like remix decks, and miss jogs. The "obvious" answer ignoring price to that is the S8 with a pair of CDJs in HID mode or a pair of turntables with time code records. Unfortunately, the XDJ-1000 doesn't seem to do HID with Traktor. So...that becomes either a very expensive or a very physically large proposition.

The SX2 will do all of that either with your A10 and Traktor Scratch or with SDJ. But with Traktor, the control over the remix decks won't be nearly as good. I'm not even sure it's possible to map it to even come remotely close, and the SX2 is missing several controls that you need...so it might be futile to try. And it's .tsi really is a hacky solution....it works while you're spinning, but it's not super-pleasant to work with except while you're actually spinning. The SX2 just plain works better with Serato DJ, which doesn't have remix decks....and it's SP-6 is a damn joke in comparison.

So....I can't offer advice except to think seriously about what you really want, sort our your priorities, and then decide. The SX2 and S8 are enough different that I really think comparing them like this means you haven't done that yet. And that's the important part if you don't want to chance an expensive mistake.

My personal solution was to ignore both...and just use modular controllers. I think they're still just better unless you happen to really want one particular controller. I still have these kinds of issues that boil down to "do I want to spend a bunch of money just on platters"...but for me that's an issue because it makes sense to sell my 1200s, but I know that if I do it, I'll probably never own Technics again.

[sharkster41]

Thanks for detailed reply mostapha. I think you have put me off the sx2 due to the fact it won't have a sound card that traktor recognises. The workaround for that would be to use the audio 10 then use the sx2 as controller only. I'm only considering buying a controller as my twitch has had enough abuse and the low knob on the right deck seems to be messed up as it keeps resetting the bass to 0db unless I push it in. The reason why I'm torn is that the controller I buy now is what will last me for the next couple of years. Whatever I buy won't be an expensive mistake as I will use it regardless. I've loved using the twitch and when you use an X1 alongside it for the effects it's pretty sorted. I've also mapped slicer mode with the new traktor update. Makes me wonder if I should buy another twitch. Lol.

More feedback anyone?

[bc6]

Well coming from a Traktor modular setup to jog wheels I thought Id miss the world but I didnt. The Numark 4 Trak is a great controller but I kind of miss the all in one feel/look (no one has done that) that the S8 has. So my ball in in the S8 park, I plan on picking up an S8 as fast as I can.

[Scalage]

Why can't you use the SX2 soundcard with traktor? I use my SR with Traktor, Others use the SX with it and all of them are fine. Why is the SX2 any different?

[mostapha]

How? The SX only shows traktor 2 output pairs, and the mixer doesn't seem to work as a controller unless I just missed something.

[Scalage]

Oh, I see. You mean you can't use it as a standalone mixer in Traktor?