To Audio 4 or Audio 8, that's the question.

DJ Life & Community General Discussion
1

To Audio 4 or Audio 8, that’s the question.

Hey guys,

After ordering an S4 and realizing that I won’t be able to take it into every club because of the size, I was already thinking of buying a separate sound card for when S4 gets the timecode update.

Since the prices have dropped 50% 'til january I figured now would be the time. Since I’ll already have a copy of S4, I won’t need Traktor pro, I’ll just need the soundcard. I’m having a hard time choosing between the A4 or the A8, since the A4 is nearly half the price of an A8. For a basic timecode set-up all I’ll need is an A4, but it would also be nice to be able to grow to maybe a 3 or 4 deck set-up.

What would you guys do? Save €125 or just get the A8?

2

I’d hold fire first, to find out if the S4 software will work with an audio4/audio8?

3

It’d be pretty stupid if it didn’t imo. I’m pretty sure this is an addition to existing code, not a complete rewrite of Traktor. Afaik traktor works with almost every sound card there is, it even works with my pos 1st gen Hercules DJ Console sound card, even though it’s not a Mac compatible DJ Console.

4

As said in the other thread the price of TSP - and hence the audio 8- has come down already in some stores.

Is this a sign that the audio 4/8 won’t be compatible with the software? I know the new software was supposed to be made directly for the S4 and that some of the upgrades MAY be put in to TSP. I thought the software was only available with the S4 anyway?

Maybe I’m putting two and two together and getting five???

5

The controller was made for the software, not the other way around.

6

According to one of the mods @ NI forums it will be compatible.

Now back on topic, A4 or A8?

7

I agree it would be stupid not to be able to use an audio4/8 without the S4 if using timecode.

However NI don’t seem to have worked out all the details regarding timecode as per post 13 from NI here:

http://www.native-instruments.com/forum/showthread.php?t=120768

So we don’t know if it’ll be a paid update for the timecode either.

8

Nobody has any input on A4 vs A8? Or should I just repost this topic after the S4 hype has passed? :stuck_out_tongue:

9

Ha!

Another thing to consider if you are using a soundcard with timecode and an external mixer is that if you want to record using Traktor you’ll need an audio8 because the audio4 doesn’t have enough inputs.

10

With the new prices out for the Audio4 + 8’s I think it would be better to get the A8. Having the extra outputs would always be a benefit to you in the future.

11

Get TSP with the A8, then you get timecode and software that along with the soundcard will let you pull up to just about every club on the planet and play music.

12

So, now that it is clear that the A4 and A8 are compatible with the S4, and good man Rainer has shown how to unlock external mixing, does anybody else have good input about this?

13

Well, I have four good stereo inputs on my A8.

hides

Seriously though, if you have the extra €€, go for the A8. More inputs if you want to record in external mixer mode (that’s assuming you don’t use four timecoded decks!)