We here at DJWORX pride ourselves on getting you, the reader, the DJ, all of the answers on new gear and software. We try to guess at your questions and make sure we find the answers before you can ask them. Usually, though, that requires us to have the gear in our hands to test out. When we have a product like the Kontrol S8 that gets announced, every DJ has questions, and we can’t answer them until we get our hands on it and give it a serious run through. But that doesn’t alleviate the questions you all have now. So, we compiled a bunch from the comment threads and sent them over to NI directly. Here are the answers we got.
Will the S8 APIs be open to third parties? Will other manufacturers be able to use the screens and RGB LEDs?
There is currently no API available for the S8. Currently, MIDI Mode is the only way for third-party control from S8—this does not include control of the screens, but third parties can control the RGB LEDs in the same way as on the Traktor Kontrol F1, S4 MK2, and S2 MK2.
Will there be available MIDI Controller functionality while in stand-alone mode?
This is not possible because it is the NIHardwareService that performs all MIDI translations. The S8 hardware (and all of the TRAKTOR controllers) do not speak MIDI natively. Instead, they speak something we call “NHL” which is similar to HID. The purpose of the NIHardwareService running on the computer is to take the NHL data from the controller and either pass it on to the NI software (thus giving high-resolution control in the software) or re-interpret the NHL data and output MIDI to virtual MIDI ports in the operating system. So, when you enable MIDI Mode on the TRAKTOR controllers, you’re actually flipping a switch in the NIHardwareService that causes it to start converting NHL to MIDI. There is no in-built feature like this in the controllers’ firmware.
Are the filters on the mixer available when in stand-alone mode? If so, are they the same filters as the Z2 or have they been improved?
Yes, they are available in standalone mode, and they are the same filter model as Z2.
How are the mic inputs routed to the mixer? I can see the Mic 1 and 2 buttons under the Master Knob, but I can’t see how they hit different channels. If I activate a mic do I get to control it with EQ, or do I need to route it through a virtual Traktor deck?
This is a two-part answer as the MIC buttons have two functions.
- When you press and release a MIC button, it toggles the associated Mic Input (on the rear panel) on and off. The Mic will end up overriding the input on one of the mixer channels, meaning the mic will be controllable with the mixer channel including the Gain, EQ, Filter, Channel Volume, and Crossfader controls.
- When you press and HOLD the MIC button, you can then change the channel assignment for the Mic. When you power-on the unit, MIC 1 is set to Channel C and MIC 2 is set to Channel D by default. If you hold MIC 1, you can then press the TRAKTOR Button to assign it to that channel—the valid assignments will be dim green. The TRAKTOR button that is off indicates that the other Mic is already assigned to that channel.
This system works in both standalone and in TRAKTOR modes. In standalone mode, the Mic will override the analog input of the channel (the Phono/Line input on the back panel). When in TRAKTOR mode, the Mic will cause the associated Deck to automatically switch to Live Input Deck, meaning that the Mic will go through TRAKTOR’s mixer including Gain, EQ, Filter, FX, Channel Volume, Crossfader, and also the Mix Recorder.
Turning the Mic off will cause the Deck to flip back to its previous flavor.
So those are the questions we have gotten thus far, and gotten answers on. If you have more (serious) questions please don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments, and once we have a few I’ll send them over. We’ll keep this article updated with whatever information NI will provide.
Just FYI, we here at Audio Innovate just found out from the folks at NI that the S8 will be Innofader compatible! So if you would like to hook up a turntable and get your scratch on, go for it!
I’d rather see description in the lines of ” better or comparable quality faders to innofader”. Why buy quality gear and then change faders with so expensive innofaders. Or maybe it’s not quality gear? I personally don’t get sold on phrases like ” innofader compatible” but rather “quality optical, magnetic fader etc.”
I can appreciate why you feel that way. No one is happy when they break a fader. But Innofader compatibility is not code for “we slacked off on fader quality.” We have worked really, really hard to make sure that the Innofader is compatible with almost every mixer and controller on the market – Rane Sixty Four, Sixty One, Sixty Two, TTM56, Ecler, etc. These are mixers that are known for their exceptional fader quality, and we admire and respect what they do.
Also, fans of the Innofader love how it feels, and compatibility is good news to them. Some people just prefer the Innofader over other faders. If you don’t, that’s cool – there are tons of options out there for you.
i would like to see a new audio innovate mixer with 3 innofaders PNP build in, something like that DJ Tech mixer but with effects send/return, as small as the Pioneer DJM 400 but with an analog processor.
I’d buy that in an instance
We don’t currently have any plans for mixers in the near future, but that does sound like an awesome idea. :)
More lika DJM 909 mk2 “Digital”
sorry for offtopic, but since when are innofaders compatible with the rane sixty four? The “mixer compability list” on your Website doesn´t say so.
Hmm. I may have misspoke. Let me check with Elliot.
The Innofader Pro is Rane 64 compatible. Just updated the compatibility list. Now getting back on topic..
Agreed, especially since this thing is very expensive as it is, the z2 came with innofaders…
Turntablists have been dealing with this for years though, back in the day if you wanted to mix you could buy two turntables and any old mixer, if you wanted to scratch you needed a rane, vestax or similar with a vca fader, using a budget mixer you’d find the fader would last a few weeks at best.
The gear they could stand up to the abuse always cost more.
Maybe you should touch&try the faders of the S8 before you judge, that you need to swap them out. The whole thing looks quite nice so I expect the faders wont be ‘S2/S4 quality’
Why would NI improve the faders in their first controller without jog wheels?
I don’t know why there’s offense being taken. I haven’t touched the S8 but I would be amazed if the faders came close to an innofader.
Because they are expecting people to connect turntables to it and use timecode vinyl to scratch.
The standard faders are actually the same on S2, S4, and S8. The difference is the replaceability.
S2 faders are all soldered to the PC board.
S4 channel faders are soldered to the PC board and the crossfader is user replaceable.
S8 channel faders and crossfader are ALL user replaceable.
So this is a significant improvement.
I noticed that the fader section of the mixer may be removable. Is there plans for a rotary option down the line for us “old heads” who prefer that to sliders?
Oh man that would be awesome
I’d love to see (and buy!) that as well!
I would loooove this.
So nice! Mono inputs to be manipulated as well in the software, I would definitely try it with a bass guitar.
How does the master tempo encoder work? Can you manually beatmatch with it? Can you change the tempo of deck B without affecting the tempo of deck A (master)?
Midi was like Gábor expected (and I was hoping they include midi data in the firmware). Totally shame… Next!
Are the pots plastic or metal?
What NI should have done was to “hardwire” the T2P software into the controller, and ONLY use a computer for editing, software upgrade playlists and upgradeáble EFX, not use the computer as an engine. And eqipped it with SD ans USB ports, then it would be a nobrainer. now its a no go!
Big dealbreaker!
“Hardwired software any day of the week!”
Could I add a rmx 1000 or 500 too this
Only after the master out. No Fx per channel.