Unresponsive/Glitching Traktor Kontrol S2 Buttons?

[melonmint]

Hi there, all!

I have a Traktor Kontrol S2 MK1 running on Traktor Pro 2.7.1 on a Windows 7 laptop. My controller has been working perfectly up until about a year ago, and it's no longer under warranty, so I can't have NI fix it. Out of nowhere, several of the buttons, hot cues, play, even the load A and B buttons, have become less and less responsive. Hotcues won't respond unless they're hit very hard, sometimes the same applies to the play buttons. I typically hold a hotcue and then use another finger on the same hand to hit play, and doing that is nearly impossible. The hotcues themselves, if they choose to work on a single hit/hold, will stop responding after a few seconds or repeat themselves, causing the hotcue to repeat in some glitchy way. I've tested this controller on other laptops running Traktor (of various versions, from 2.5 to 2.7), I've tested it in MIDI mode, I've tried to use traktor's settings to adjust the buttons, but none of these things seem to work -- so it's without a doubt a hardware issue. Since I am no longer under warranty, I have taken the S2 apart, a few times, to test different factors as to why they wouldn't be working. There doesn't seem to be any issue with the button connections. Everything else seems to be working fine, knobs, faders, jogwheels, everything is fantastic -- except the most important buttons. The only thing that seems to be loose is the USB connection. It's stable, and as I checked with other S2 users I know, it's apparently common to have the usb jiggle slightly rather than stay snug and static, and their controllers are working fantastic.

I imagine this can't be an uncommon thing, but a general google search yields very few results, and none of them have been very helpful.

Please let me know if there are any other details needed in order to figure out what might be wrong or how to fix it, any and all help is appreciated and gratefully accepted!

[Yul]

The S2, S4 do have that quite common issue. You won't find solutions around the net, either you open the unit, fix the contacts yourself if you can/find the problem (the easiest is a physical issue, so you can add a small layer of 'something' so the contact is made to the electronic board when the button is pushed) or you send it to repair. It is how it is. The build quality is ok but not great.
Get in touch with NI, eventually ask them about repair and see what they tell you.

[melonmint]

The S2, S4 do have that quite common issue. You won't find solutions around the net, either you open the unit, fix the contacts yourself if you can/find the problem (the easiest is a physical issue, so you can add a small layer of 'something' so the contact is made to the electronic board when the button is pushed) or you send it to repair. It is how it is. The build quality is ok but not great.
Get in touch with NI, eventually ask them about repair and see what they tell you.

I did get in contact with NI at one point, to which they quoted me a price for repairs because of the warranty being void. I'd like to avoid that, or just get another Controller that isn't a Kontrol.

While this is the S2/S4/S8 Discussion board, I was wondering if you had any suggestions for a controller with a better, sturdier build quality where this wouldn't occur as often?

And in regards to the DIY repairs you suggested, could you elaborate on a small layer of 'something' and where it would go? Given that this controller is essentially broken as is, and my growing interest in electronics and repair, I'd really like to try out what you mean!

Thank you so much for the response!

[Yul]

How much did they quote you, I really would like to know?

Can't answer your question as it's a matter of workflow, preferences and budget. Personally speaking I would go back modular those days (even with maybe Kontrol products) and get back a djm900.

That thread may help you, some forum user posted photos of his s4 opened:
http://forum.djtechtools.com/showthread.php?t=65523
What I'm going to say is out of the blue and I'm not electrician but either the issue with the button comes from:
the board/the button switch itself and that's an electronical repair, or it's a physcial contact issue between the button switch and the soft plastic button of your s2. Check if there is any wear on the switch that you could fix with a two part epoxy component or if that's a false contact usually a solid small piece of cardboard between the switch and the button could do the trick.
Once again that's really out of the blue I understand I'm not of much help here.

[sinewave3]

Sounds like your buttons wore out! That's too bad... Happened to me on a different controller. I took it apart and had the 3 buttons on each deck replaced at a local electronics/stereo repair shop. Cost was about $25 USD and took 1-2 days. I put all my screws back in, fader and knob caps back on, and it worked great! Guy said he put in better buttons that would last way longer.

Please let us know how it turns out for you.