I needed to post because I am frustrated…I have DJ’ed for 15 years and was one of the first to use Traktor on a PC and then beta-tested and used it on the Mac [so I was around before there was even a mac version, believe it or not].
I have been a digital DJ for a long, long time…
Anyway, I took a few years off and just hopped back on board a few months ago. I had an S4 and some turntables and needed to update my software, no problem. I was able to get the download for the newest version of Traktor BUT not for Traktor Scratch. And mind you, I own/have serial #'s in my service manager account all the way back to the first Final Scratch. I sold my A8 a while ago, so all I have is the s4 which I was using for DVS.
Ok, so no download – I placed an order for the $99 software which is delivered via box with the control records (didn’t even need those as I just purchased a new set of red ones). It said it was backordered…so I paid and waited a few weeks. No news, apparently they said it would take several weeks because they were out of stock. Now why is it out of stock? I am thinking something new is around the corner…right now you can’t purchase any software for DVS with S4.
Here’s the other thing, I figured maybe I would buy a Z2 – I don’t really need one, I have the S4, but I really want a DVS system and right now, even though I have several scratch serial #'s, I can’t get a version of the newest scratch. Get this, even on Amazon, the Z2 says it is going to be several weeks to be in stock, and the other big stores don’t have them either.
This combined with the price drop on the S4 for the month of April has me speculating that we are on the cusp of some new software and hardware? Has anyone else had any experiences like myself in the past few weeks? It is just so weird…I had to vent.
I wouldn’t worry about a S4 MK3. The MK2’s were just released 6 months ago so it’d be way too soon for an update. The Z2 just went on sale in February so if there was going to be a update for that it would’ve been announced already.
The next big update from Traktor is most likely going to be TP3 or some sort of upgrade to the remix decks/maschine integration. Also some sort of link between TDJ and TP/TSP will not be far off.
We’ve had version 2 now since 2010, and to be fair the current version (2.6.8) is a far cry from the original version 2, with all the remix decks, key detection, loop recorder, macro effects, etc, but they still don’t deem it worthy of “Version 3”.
Given NIs past upgrade time frames, they usually do a major upgrade between 3-5 years. With the recent boost Serato DJ received with the whole Pioneer controller range, you can guarantee that NI will release something hard hitting before the end of the year.
Name what? I’m just extrapolating from NIs previous update pattern and most requested features. On the remix deck, a lot of the complaints stem from there not being any basic clip editing tools within Traktor, meaning you have to constantly go to a DAW to get a really good remix set going. This would also be solved by a much requested feature; Maschine and Traktor integration.
Personally, short of Traktor releasing some sort of revolutionary instrument isolator, I can’t think of a single thing NI could put in that would actually blow my mind, because it already does everything I want it to and more.
I mean at this point we’re always clueless, and fair enough we can use past moves to guess future moves, but how could we have predicted something like the remix decks? This is the kind of crazy that NI makes the dollar with, and I’d love to see more.
Integrated hardware/software would be a massive step. That’s akin to going toe-to-toe with the CDJs, which I just don’t think NI have the weight to punch with right now.
NI are well positioned in the controller market with the S2 and S4. The choice between different controllers is mostly down to personal preferences, and I don’t know how much sense it would make to cater to every possible need out there…
Another thing would be a true multi-platform controller, one that supports Traktor, Serator DJ, including timecode capability for both platforms as well as Rekordbox. Which is just not going to happen, maybe if a 4th party manufacturer was to build it, but I guess the license fees were to put it somewhere in the five figures price range…
Right now, Pioneer is at least one step ahead of NI with their CDJ/Rekordbox approach. First of all it’s just so much easier to use. Simply carrying some USB sticks instead of a controller and/or a soundcard, some cables, a laptop and having to plug/unplug your gear to the house system is like a modern cell phone compared to one of those 20+ kg first generation “mobile” phones.
Plus, even though there’s a couple of “big name DJs” who use Traktor, CDJs are the unrivaled standard in clubs. It’s like wherever you go, there’s going to be CDJs. If you want to bring a controller you better hope there’s room somewhere in the booth, and the in-house sound guy doesn’t mind you plugging your stuff into the sound system.
So if NI wants a chance at becoming some kind of club standard, they need to come up with some kind of stand-alone, no-computer-needed solution.
An all-in-one controller that doesn’t need a laptop would be a good start, even though I think the final step would need to be a stand-alone player with a built in soundcard, just like a CDJ without the actual CD drive and Traktor instead of Rekordbox. Maybe even with built in EFX.
The new Akai MPC with embedded windows is a. RE example I wouldn’t have thought would come about. Looks like windows wants to push the boundaries, I can’t see Apple/Mac doing this.
Windows is trying to regain footing in a market that it ignored for too long and lost to Apple. Great idea though,and NI may well make use of it but it’s still early days on that front.
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