Slightly disappointing news about Traktor Remix Decks

[lethal_pizzle]

In a utopian society that may be valid but in reality most large companies have shareholders to pay and that means making as much profit as possible.

This is very true. It comes down to cash monies at the end of the day, and we vote with our dinero.

NI probably won't be getting any money out of me in the future for hardware to use with their DJ line (I already have scratch and although I do have enough cash for gizmos, I have no room or inclination for yet more controllers), so it remains to be seen if they can get me to part with any more money for their software. Your move NI.

[Deejaesnafu]

In a utopian society that may be valid but in reality most large companies have shareholders to pay and that means making as much profit as possible. I mean a business has to ensure that the quality of their product is the best but that's only in order to sell more of what they make.
.

just FYI native instruments is not a publicly held company, so there is no share price.

[photojojo]

just FYI native instruments is not a publicly held company, so there is no share price.

And I think they're debt free. There was news along those lines last year, but I couldn't find it to reference.

[Feedback]

apc20-2-5MAPPING.jpg

First time poster, so go easy on me!

Registered because of this thread, though occasionally lurked it out. To me, this news really annoyed me, as I dont see any good reason as to why something so simple, would be unable to be mapped for. I shouldnt need to buy a $300 controller (or two if I want FULL functionality) to do what this does, when I have a perfectly good one already.

You probably dont even need the side buttons, as I'm an idiot and realise that is what the shift button is for.

I could understand losing features like LED's and such. But the rest is simple stuff as far as a controller setup goes.

[JamesN]

Wow and I was probably gonna end up buying an F1 anyway, but now I'm against this just out of principle

[scamo]

I believe this is probably a more stereotypical response to this issue.

The majority of Traktor users (i would guess) have no interest in mapping their controllers. Most just want to plug it in and have it work instantly. This probably explains why NI don't feel there is a problem with the size of the mapping window.

You know, I'd agree with you, except......

A good majority of Traktor users are constantly looking for better mappings for 3rd party hardware.

If you look at Traktor as a platform (like the iPhone, iPad) and the mappings that are becoming more and more available across the Internet as "the Apps" (DJTT even created its own database for mappings, because that IS the future of controllerism), then what NI is doing is stomping down on the creation of new mappings for different hardware for their platform and that is simply a really stupid move on NI's part. You don't make business decisions that go completely against your own set standards. This decision is purely an NI egocentric decision and it sucks. It sucks even for those who don't even care about mappings, because even their choices on what hardware to buy are being controlled by someone. Apple is actually doing that too, but the other way around. Apple controls their platforms. What people do with those platforms is up to them. NI is going a different and wrong route. They are controlling their platform AND they are trying to control what people do with that platform. "Use only NI hardware with it!" Wrong, wrong, wrong!

As mustafa said, I could just bend over and take it. However, to me, what is even more important now is the open question in my mind.

Where is this going to end?

Am I now working on an FX jogs mapping only for it to not work in the future, because NI felt too many third party hardware systems where taking advantage of the effects banks and pulled the commands for the effects units out of the Controller Manager? Sounds quite far fetched, right? But it is just a stupid a move as locking down the Mix Decks commands for other midi devices.

I hope mustafa is right and NI might release 2.6 with the Mix Deck mapping support, once they sell enough F1s. I could live with that and I'd probably buy F1s any way, if they announced this or I was told this. But now, I am wary to even work on my FX jogs mapping.

I also don't know what you meant mustafa about the sample decks not being mappable. The commands are in Traktor to map them. Not sure if they were there when the S4 was released to be honest, but they are there now. If that is what NI has in store for the F1 too, to release the mapping commands some time later, then, as I said above, that would be a compromise I could just "barely" live with. Why barely? This "lock down" is ridiculous and absolutely unnecessary, because NI has a fairly big development lead over other manufacturers on a Mix Deck compatible and very specialized controller. What should be selling the F1 is its tight integration with Traktor (like how the lighting works) and not because 3rd party hardware is left high and dry and can't support the Mix Decks. In other words, NI's strength with the F1 should be a perfect UX between Traktor and the F1. They don't need to lock off triggering samples in the Mix Decks over midi, which must be possible.

We'll see what NI Support's official answer is, to me, as their customer.

scamo

[Scaper7]

Yes, it's hard to imagine what prevents all 16 sample slots being MIDI triggered when every other function in Traktor can.

... well said Scamo.

[padi_04]

I believe this is probably a more stereotypical response to this issue.

The majority of Traktor users (i would guess) have no interest in mapping their controllers. Most just want to plug it in and have it work instantly.

Funny, I always looked at Serato that way and Traktor users being the tinkerers. Maybe I'm just stuck in 2008.

[mostapha]

Re: apple being closed. Meh. That's actually my opinion. I just don't care. All I want is not to run windows, and I don't care how much I have to pay or what hoops I have to jump through. the day I can replace Maschine, Pro Tools, and all my other software with EQUALS instead of lame immitations and run Linux, I'm gone.

Re: traktor trying to become the standard. Lol. Not going to happen. Physical devices belong in clubs, not controllers and computers. They're cool and completely valid, but there's no more chance of that happening than an iPad with iRig replacing the back line at a rock festival. People will use them, certainly, but they'll never be the standard.

The scs.4dj has a better chance. Not the next generation…the one that's out now that everyone forgot about.

A stage snake with some XLR inputs and a clear workspace, maybe, but it won't happen until dj nightclubs all hire sound guys or DJs get back to having a clue how audio works.

[mostapha]

@scamo, the sample decks were first in Traktor Pro S4, which came with the S4. I din't know whether it used the s4 as a dongle or simply wasn't available elsewhere (without stealing it). The sample decks were added in Traktor Pro 2, along with other new stuff) a while after that, during which time people were complaining like mad and threatening to boycott the company and a bunch of other shit that didn't happen.