Upgrade recommendations for the S2???

DJ Life & Community General Discussion
1

Upgrade recommendations for the S2???

Hey guys, ok yes I know there a a bunch of threads similar to mine, but mine is different I swear! :wink:

Anyway I would really appreciate your feedback and suggestions on this topic. Soā€¦ Iā€™ve had the S2, for about a year now, and I must be honest, itā€™s one of the best controllers Iā€™ve ever owned. With itā€™s tight integration to Traktor and great features, thereā€™s no wonder itā€™s so popular with everyone. Well as much as I love it, lately Iā€™ve come to not like it so much anymore.. Firstly I think that Iā€™ve grown more as a DJ since buying it and I feel slightly limited with it, and also yes as with having R.G.A.S. Iā€™ve also become quite bored of it.. There are a few things that I miss having on the S2, like dedicated filters, proper LED feedback, more ā€œproā€ outputs, better build quality, etcā€¦ So after thinking a lot about this, I think I need to move on from the S2, and upgrade to something which will hopefully tick all my boxes.

What I would like to ask is what controller do you think would be a good choice from the S2 that packs more features, has the things that I mentioned, and also works great with Traktor? Iā€™ve been looking at a few options online, and the more I research the more confused I get hahahaā€¦ :laughing:

So far these are what Im looking at maybe looking into.. (In no specific order)

  1. The VCI 400 EGE
  2. The Livid CNTRL:R
  3. Electrix Tweaker
  4. Z2 + X1 Combo

I know that there are other possible options out there, but these stood out to me for their features, size and reputations. I need a controller thatā€™s also portable as I travel, and fly a lot, so these options fall into that category, and as you might have seen Iā€™m not so worried about having jogs or not, itā€™s about having a controller thats feature packed, and works with Traktor virtually out the box.

So after reading all of this what would you suggest? Did I miss any possible other controllers? Any suggestions that I should take a look at? Thanks for reading guys. Cheers. :slight_smile:

Dustin V

2

Go for the Z2 - itā€™s a real mixer.

3

So 2 decks is all you want? Z2 is kinda heavy for travel, no? Especially compared to the S2.

4

Yeah it looks like a solid mixer and with the X1, it would be a great combo IMO.

Well mostly 2 decks although sometimes I do play around with the sample decks. Yes it is heavy, but what I carry now is just as heavy. At the moment I travel with all my gear on me. I carry everything with the UDG Creator trolley. Inside Iā€™ve got my MBP 15", S2 + decksaver, X1 + bag, A6, bag with all my cables, headphones, control vinyl & CDā€™s, flashlight, powered USB hub, and Crane stand. All in all it comes to around 12-13 kgā€™s. So far Iā€™ve been lucky with getting through without being checked for carry on weight. I do know that when I get my new controller I will probably need to get a bigger bag.. :wink:

5

As an S2 owner myself! I would go for the Z2 and maybe a pair of turntables with timecode vinyl and an X1 for ultimate control!

6

Xone DXā€™s are cheap now. Unless you really use the jogsā€¦

7

Z2ā€¦move away from all in controllers. Its a Fad.

But thenā€¦you travelingā€¦

I am thinking of getting rid of my Xone:22 and Audio 4ā€¦to get the Z2.

But then I will need to get an Audio 2, just for my APC80.

ARGā€¦ choicesā€¦choices.

8

Well then, if a mixer isnā€™t too much to carry, I recommend the DENON 1600. Faders feel so good you touch em in passing, just to cop a feel. Map it any way you want it, and itā€™s a real mixer. The Z2 is a controller in a mixer case.

9

Exactly why I love my Z2 :wink: To the OP, after going through countless controllers just like you, I have realized that the feel of a real mixer is just unmatched. Only thing in my eyes that can top the Z2 would be a Z4. Good luck choosing dude!

10

VCI-400, or 380 if you want a smaller controller. The 380 has the advantage of being ITCH (soon to be serato DJ) certified, although I know youā€™re not really bothered about that, but itā€™s also got velocity and pressure sensitive pads which could be mapped to samples for finger drumming fun.

Legendary vestax VCI build quality for standing up to your travel abuse.

11

Livid CNTRL:R, great build and nice Traktor mappings :wink:

12

Y no s4 option?

13

He already had an S4 but IIRC he didnā€™t like it and it was too big at the time.

I havenā€™t been stalking Dustin, we met IRL lol.

14

Ahhā€¦ my badā€¦ didnā€™t read through, just figured iā€™d post since i didnt see the option..

S2+KF1/KX1 combo has my vote thenā€¦ although S2+Maschine w/ a good mapping would stomp that IMOā€¦

15

Iā€™ve been flying all over the place with my Z2.

I have got to disagree - itā€™s a real mixer.

Maschine wonā€™t control the remix decks fully like an F1 can. I have no love for the X1 if there are Maschine controllers around - and at my place, there always are!

16

OP never mentioned a f1ā€¦ (again i didnt read all the posts) and a Maschine can control remix decksā€¦ its gonna take some time to map and some additional software but it can be done.

17

He mentioned playing with sample decks - as in the top 4 rows of a remix deck that can be mapped to any controller. Fingers crossed for maschine control of remix decks soon anyway.

18

+10000001.4 (the .4 guy is really short)

19

If you want to stick with Traktor, and you really like it, an S4 would be ideal. Otherwise a VCI-400 is a great idea. You donā€™t necessarily have to go with the EGE VCI-400.

20

Thanks bro, the Z2 definitely looks like a good option, and Iā€™m sure I would love it! :slight_smile:

I did look at the VCI 380, but after having the Twitch, I was not to fond of the Itch software, hence me selling and getting the S2. The VCI 400 on the hand looks temptingā€¦

Is it really that good? I was watching a few videos on it, and reading up on some reviews, and seems like it could fit the bill, but it seems more suitable for Ableton than for Traktor. I know that it was part designed by Richie Hawtin, but I never see the guy using it? Surely if he had some input in the design, and it was really that good, he would have it in his set up?

Exactly bru. :wink: I loved the S4, but for my traveling lifestyle it was just to big for me. Thatsā€™s where the S2 fitted in perfectly. Giving me almost the same features as the big brother but in a smaller package. I would really love a controller thatā€™s not as big as the S4, also has tight integration with Traktor, better LED feedback on the controller, more inā€™s and outā€™s, filters, and solid build qualityā€¦

DOES SUCH A CONTROLLER EXIST? :open_mouth:

Yes the S4 is a great controller, but as mentioned before its just to big for me. The S4 is not the most traveller friendly controller on the market, and having the S2 was perfect for travel. The VCI 400 does look good cos it fits in between the S2 and the S4 in size which is perfect.

Ah what to do? After all your guys feedback, it looks like maybe the Z2 with my X1 would be a good choice or the VCI 400. I was just thinking though, imagine me pulling up in the club for my gig with the Z2 and X1, and then plugging into their mixer to play? Lolā€¦