Ok.. I give up.. I am totally lost.
I am buying a controller in the very near future and I have basically broken it down to the Kontrol S4 or the DN-MC6000… but I can’t choose between the two.
This is my situation - I DJ a couple of times a month in a small nightclub where the customers favour a wide range of music - from trance to r’n’b to Top 40. The booth is quite large and there is plenty of room. The only equipment is an old (almost jurassic) mixer and, of course, the sound system.
My laptop is an ASUS Core i5 with Windows 7 (32 bit but can swith to 64). I have used and actually like both Traktor and VDJ. It’s probably also important to point out that I am from Australia… but happy to buy on-line.
So, which one do I pick?
My concern is that the S4 is supposedly having issues with Windows PC’s. By the time I take into account a road case (I like to protect my gear), freight etc there is not that big a difference in price; even taking into account the need for an upgrade on software if I go with the Denon.
I did look at the Pioneer and was thinking of waiting for the NS6. The Pioneer feels a little plasticy and seems aimed at a beginner. I would rather spend the money and have something long-term so I can practice. I went away from the NS6 because I don’t scratch and I think that Numark are aiming at DJ’s that scratch.
I would really appreciate some guidance and, while I won’t hold anyone accountable, I am hoping the experienced people on here can help me decide.
If this helps I have an asus dual core (getting outdated) 2.2ghz 4 gb ram Win7 64 laptop that runs s4pro and t2 pro just fine. The only thing I got was some disruption in the form of pops and quick drop outs only from my wi-fi. So I simply keep it off while using traktor. I’ve heard from other Asus owners that have zero issues including other I5 owners (I think they all had the IJ model). Asus laptops are usually pretty lean and mean pc’s and they’ve always made good motherboards.
the dn-mc6000 is you thing if you need an analogue mixer with soundcard and midi controls.
otherwise go for the s4, because it is native with the t2 functions and you can also use external sources through t2.
you could use timecode as well with ts2 and s4.
I just bought a S4 here in Aus with no problems running a HP 64bit i5 4gb ram laptop.
Why don’t you just buy one locally? might cost an extra $100, but peace of mind if something goes wrong and you can just bring it back to the store instead of sending it half way around the world.
S4
You guys suckered me into one and will be making my purchase at the end of the month through ZZounds.com with their 4 month plan >.>
But I get TP2 + Controller + soundcard in 1 package… cant beat that.
I have the MC-6000 and it oh so rocks. No knock on the S4 but Denon made the MC6000 like a tank! All metal construction. You can also use VDJ, Traktor, and Scratch Live (well known, very well documented hack) with it. I actually use SSL and Traktor Pro with my MC6000 and it is too much fun! In addition I never thought I would actually us the booth outs of the mixer and sure enough I worked a club gig where I ran a premixed CD through to another room. Definitely factor in the standalone mixer capabilities.
Now don’t get me wrong the S4 is also an excellent choice but if you ever venture outside of the Traktor realm you’ll be much better equipped using the MC6000.
Thanks for everyone’s input.. I do appreciate it.
@ Jsh 14… I basically live in the middle of nowhere and there is no store within 1000 kms that stock either of these (or any decent gear actually) so I don’t really have that luxury. And, their freight works out nearly as dear as getting it from the net (e.g. DJTT store)…
Thanks again and any other thoughts will be gratefully appreciated.
Coops
First impression - wow, how tiny it is, compared to my S4
It’s a very nice unit - looks and feels very well! The feature set is simply amazing. Well done Denon!
I still love (and prefer) my S4, but the MC6000 is definitely the better hardware unit. S4 is just a better Traktor controller, which is why I love it.
It’s not really something you can decide if you haven’t tried both controllers. Both feel very nicely and I took the Denon only because it seemed a little more sturdy and I fell in love with the jog wheels. If you are just using Traktor, the S4 might be better for you.
Only thing that needs mentioning imo is that the MC6000 is smaller. If you have very large hands or are looking for a lot of space between the knobs and buttons, go for S4.
At the end of the day it’s a matter of personal taste. The MC6000 is great but so is the S4. Here in Germany they are about 100 Euros apart in pricing which is also an important part. Dunno about US though.
I have the exact same laptop and I run TSP2 with 4 decks no prob. Just make sure Wi-Fi is off, running Windows classic mode, and download/install the Windows 7 USB Hotfix.
