NAMM disappointment (and 100th post)
Well I was waiting with bated breath for the announcement of an all in one controller with spinning platters and Traktor compatibility at NAMM but it seems its not going to happen. So I guess my next best option to get rid of my hefty turntables is to go for something along the lines of the Denon DN-S3700 which I understand to have full compatibility with Traktor while in hybrid mode? Are there any other options out there that you guys would recommend?
I mean, it’s either that, or just get turntables and use Traktor like a true DVS. If spinning platters are a must, and Traktor is a must… You’ll probably get the best use out of TT’s. I’m not sure what your space requirements are, but it’s something to think on.
I currently use Technics 1200s with TSP but I move my gear around a lot and the weight on the 1200s + mixer + coffin is a real pain. Another problem I have with them is that in a lot of the places I gig at there are huge floor vibrations and not very good isolation in the booth so my control circles are always all over the place. I was hoping for a NS7 like controller to come out of NAMM this time around for Traktor.
Yeah I was honestly expecting one as well. It seems like Traktor/NI is dropping the ball when it comes to moving platter support. If Serato can figure it out, and has for a good long bit now, I don’t understand what’s so hard in the translation with Traktor. But I’m pretty sure it’s not a simple thing to code, and it will come… with time.
I’m pretty sure the Denon units are going to be your next best bet. Honestly though? Those things are pretty beastly in their own right. Not the same as a TT… but pretty large. I was playing with one earlier at GC, and while neat, it’s really something that I think is really worth the additional cost would be for you.
Are you sworn to moving platters? Because it might be time to take a non-moving platter approach. Or wait. That’s what I would do at least.
If I had switched over from the TTs 8 months ago I could have done without moving platters however now people have been accustomed and enjoy/expect me to drop a track and scratch to it at least once in the night in both my dubstep and hip hop sets. In my dubstep sets specifically I always drop a kinda dubstep/deep house kinda tune in the middle of my set and get a nice scratching groove to it and people love it. I just don’t think I could really pull anything like that off without moving platters. I have tried out the NS7 and I love it however I HATE Itch.
I was hoping for something from Stanton, maybe a SCS 1 update with USB. I’d also like to see some updates to the SCS 3 like a tiny audio interface.
A new SCS 1 would be great as I hear they aren’t very reliable and are somewhat of a beta product.
I was hoping we’d see something along those lines too. The end all controller should have dual motorized platters AND two traditional jog wheels, all fully assignable. It should also have 16 arcade buttons, dual xy pads, 4 fx banks with 4 effect on buttons on the mixer, x-fader assign and reverse, 4 full lenth pitch sliders, and vu meters obviously.
NAMM looked like a lot of cheap China garbage for the moat part. That Numark iPad stand with platters looked cheaper than a DJ Hero controller.
Ditch the coffin. Flight cases are a lot easier to transport. Also, FREEFLOAT Turntable Shock Absorber Stabilizer Cushion (PAIR), Orange
Those things are awesome. You can pound on the table and not skip a well set-up needle…just…good luck scratching on them. You can baby scratch to cue and Uzis are okay, but anything that requires more movement is going to be a problem.
Tennis balls cut in half also work.
I didn’t see anything at NAMM that was made for traktor that had moving platters. The 3700 are a great choice. I have used them with HID on SSL and it worked awesome.
The denon 3700’s are nice i got them myself but i’m not a scratch dj so i love my s4 for now.
But you forgot the other option the stanton midi controller.
I was thinking more about the scs 1d or something like it, maybe even stripped down to save space
I don’t know why with assignable controllers most people would really need 2 motorized turntable controllers, if you want to do manual beat juggling and such just use a DVS, those already exist. Almost all scratching and turntable tricks are done on a single deck at a time and being able to use the space where the other turntable would be for other stuff like a midi fighter-style trigger box or something would be pretty cool.
There’s people here who see the current crop of controllers and go “why are there wheels at all?” and a group who demand dual big motorized platters. It seems to me that a modular system could support more people and not involve a giant coffin of gear.
namm was a let down was hoping for some game changes but pretty much everyone was doing the same thing and no live 9 
Not much on the DJ front, but HELL YES to the Dave Smith & Roger Linn “Tempest!!!” Long awaited, finally a top notch, pure analogue, current drum machine, with all the bells and whistles of the modern age. FUCKING GENIUS!
For $2000? That sounds a bit expensive to me, but then again it could just be me.
Seems an expected price from the Smith camp. There’s already been a lot of comments about how Maschine only costs a fraction of the price over at the Ableton forums. However for people wanting an up to date pure analogue drum machine with USB, and built to last a career in beat making, the price seems fair.
Not only can it be used as a controller, and you can add you own samples, but the Analogue quality will kick anything else in the dirt.
The only way to get compelling performance in Traktor with spinning platters as it stands at the moment is to use DVS