Right heres my situation. at the minute i have 2 x pioneer cdj1000 mk3 a djm 600 black with a full stand and a kam amp and speaker system (which i am selling for £1700 if anyone is interested) but i am having a second child so i dont have a spare room (MY MAN ROOM) anymore so i am looking to down size my equipment. Most the promos i get through now are e-mailed mp3’s so i am looking at midi controllers so i need peoples opinions. I am leaning towards the pioneer ddj-s1 which is £1099 it comes with serato itch, i like the look of the pioneer ddj-t1 which comes with traktor has 4 channels and is £300 cheaper at £799. there has to be a reason why the s1 is 300 pound more and it has only 2 channels compared to the t1’s 4 then theres the wild card of the traktor s4 controller which if you get it at the minute they are giving free upgrade in the software to traktor pro 2, which comes out soon but i have seen a few people on here not happy with the S4
which one should i buy
Please read and let me know your opinion because i am dying to buy one, i have never used traktor or serato before and if you know why the s1 is 300 quid more than the t1 feel free to let me know. :eek:
Choosing between Serato and Traktor is like choosing to drink Carling or Fosters!! Both have different qualities that appeal to different people. I would definitely try to get a feel for these programs before you shell out the cash. Depending which suits your style may help you decide which controller.
I personally think either of the Traktor controllers are a better option but that’s because I use Traktor. And I think each has it’s own + & -. There are alot of S4 owners on this forum so you are likely to be told to go for the S4 more so than the T1 but I’d want to personally go and try both before you decide.
well one of the things i am dying to know, is why is the Pioneer ddj-s1 £300 pound more than the S4 and T1 even though it dosnt seem to have anymore features than either, i am hoping someone has had an experiance on the new pioneer controllers + there is nowhere around my way where you can go and try them out
With Pioneer, you are always paying a fee for the brand, its that simple. No question Pioneer makes high-quality products, but I think its safe to say a large portion of that extra amount comes from the fact that the controller is manufactured by Pioneer.
Personally, the feel of a controller was paramount for me when I was making my decision. I spent quite a bit of time touching all of the knobs/faders/buttons and playing a few tracks on the VCI, NS7 and CDJ-1000s when I was transitioning from vinyl only to digital for the same reason you stated in the OP.
Unless you’re in a serious time crunch, I would recommend taking your time and playing with an S4 while you wait for the S1 to come out. Your intuition may make the decision much easier once you’ve had the tactile sensation of each to compare.
It’s smaller than the others
More features
Built by NI for Traktor software
Comes with everything (soundcard etc)
I suspect the s1 is dearer purely for marketing reasons… there’s a (completely wrong and pointless) vibe that serato is somehow more “pro” than traktor.
It isn’t, Itch is toilet compared to Traktor, let’s be honest
DVS Serato vs Traktor scratch is debatable (not imo but still) but we’re not talking about that here.
But the advice to go and try them is 100% the best advice.
IMO, depends on what you spin. EDM guys will pick Traktor and Hip Hop guys will pick Serato. Then comes the fact that if your space is limited, the pioneer options are noticeable bigger than the Traktor S4. Then you are having another kid (Congratulations!! ) and you will need all the spare money you can and here is where the S4 seems to be a more bang for your buck: Fully featured controller, cheaper, smaller and Traktor Pro 2 upgrade for free. Since you come from Pioneer equipment, a transition to S1 or T1 will be more “feel at home” but again if you are not familiar with the software the going either way will require a learning curve. All in all, try before you buy!
Okay, just to sum somethings up, to make it into epicness.
1. Initial thought
Think of what you want to do, do you want to go spin cue-juggle and chop stuff up like crazy, are are you more for the traditional way, like you did with your CDJs?
Chopping stuff up, Cue-juggles etc leads to the S4; more traditional way of spinning leads to the Pioneer Controllers.
2. Test Drive
Next to this decision, try out all controllers. Try to feel all pros and cons imaginable, also get a taste of both software packages, Traktor and Serato.
Traktor enables you to do more advanced technical stuff, Serato is for stability and mimics traditional DJing most. (This is, if you ask me)
3. Final Verdict
Take a few days to see what sticks most in your mind. Once shaped, go to the shop and buy the controller with accompanying software!
cheers for all the advice, i do love the layout and the sturdy build quality of pioneer + the S4 is smaller for space saving but a pro the pioneers have is the laptop slot to slot underneath + the money i make of the cdj’s is all going back on dj’in equipment, i was going to get a new laptop just for music to go with the controller. i would love to go and try these controllers out but i am from a place called ashington about 14 miles from newcastle and there are no dj shops in the region. If anyones from newcastle area do you know of a dj shop because i have never seen any, i normally get my gear of the net which is why i never get to try before i buy + i’ll be using it for house, funky house dance (dont do hip-hop), Has anyone had a go on any of the pioneers yet + if the s4 come with the upgrade to traktor pro 2, does that means it will work if i take my laptop to the clubs
I went to the shop today to “touch” the Pioneer ddj-t1 and the NI S4, and my SUBJETIVE opinion is that the NI S4 is designed for Traktor and aimed for more advanced Traktor users than the Pioneer.
The Pioneer is way bigger!! (i mean less portable), has less controls, probably best finished/more eye candy (ondepending on taste).
The two of them are beyond my price scope, but if money werent an issue i would choose S4 for Traktor advanced mixing and Pioneer for Serato more classical mixing
(note: ive said SUBJETIVE because im not an advanced user of Traktor)
Just my 0,2€ hehe
i went from the same set up as u, 1st i got 2 X1’s, then i bought a vestax vci100 to with em, now ive decided i wanted/needed the S4 and im so glad i got it cos its the bollox mate lol… absolutely the best bit of kit ive bought couldnt be happier with it, and its set for traktor unlike the pioneer controller, thats why i went for the S4 cos i wanted something that just worked straight forward with traktor and the S4 does…
If I were buying an all-in-one controller, I’d get the S4…no question. The xone:dx used to be a contender, but…meh.
I don’t like either of the Pioneer controllers. On the DDJ-S1, you’re paying a lot of money (apparently, about 300 quid) for Serato’s license. Itch is fine software. I’ve played with it–with other controllers–briefly, and I didn’t have any complaints. But, meh. IMHO, Traktor is a bit better. And comparing it to the S4 means that all of the “plug and play” benefits of the Itch stuff go out the window.
I honestly think the DDJ-T1 is a joke. Fairly big price tag, completely inappropriate controls for TPro 2, platters basically taken off the CDJ-400 instead of one of their real players……meh. It’s made for hobbyists at most, which is fine. But it’s too expensive for that. Hobbyists don’t buy pioneer, and they should know that.
Out of those 3, the S4 is IMHO the only legitimate option. I still don’t like it that much, because I think it’s lacking on knobs and I hate the short faders, but it’s not a bad piece for what you want.
I don’t feel comfortable saying that about the Pioneer units…and I used to hate native instruments. So, yeah….
Wow, thanks for all the responses, its looking like the s4 seems to be everyone’s front runner + you cant grumble they are giving you a free upgrade to traktor pro 2 (i hope traktor 2 has been tested well) i still dont think anyone has spun on the pioneers whos dropped an opinion, i have 1700 to spend so any idea’s what would compliment it, i was thinking of a new laptop specifically for music (but i already have a 5* sony viao)
I must add i am gutted to get shot of my 1000’s
also thanks for the shop in town, ill go take a look
) and you will need all the spare money you can and here is where the S4 seems to be a more bang for your buck: Fully featured controller, cheaper, smaller and Traktor Pro 2 upgrade for free. Since you come from Pioneer equipment, a transition to S1 or T1 will be more “feel at home” but again if you are not familiar with the software the going either way will require a learning curve. All in all, try before you buy!
+ if the s4 come with the upgrade to traktor pro 2, does that means it will work if i take my laptop to the clubs