NI Kontrol Z2 – unboxing and first impressions

NI's Kontrol Z2 is almost in the shops. And we lucky media types have got our collective hands in them just ahead of you. Behold some unboxing shots. I know - tragic.

Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol Z2 Mixer (9)

Unboxing photo shoots are a modern phenomenon that have blessed/plagued the tech websites for a few years now. Loathed and hated in equal measure, they aim to show people who don’t have one what they look like, beyond the ultra glossy studio shots and CGI renders. So it’s only fair that those who love them get a slice of that action, while those that hate them don’t have to look.

So the latest star of our unboxing endeavours is the new (but seems old now) Native Instruments Kontrol Z2 mixer/controller. It’s a stunning lump of technology out of the box – heavier than you might expect and a marked step up in quality from their controllers.  The weight has me so intrigued that I’m sorely tempted to open this puppy up to see if it’s artificially heavy. I doubt it is but it’s worth a look inside anyway, if only to check the space for full-sized Innofaders.

Hooking it up to Traktor Pro 2.6 yielded the expect results – everything works as it should, the post-fader effects operate perfectly, and I now know what flux mode does exactly – and it’s a lot of fun. More than that I cannot say as I haven’t played with the Kontrol Z2 long enough to form solid opinions. I’ll be reporting back in a couple of weeks when I’m very intimate with the finer points of the Z2. But I think I’m going to have some fun with this.

Here’s some pictures, shot, cleaned up and uploaded in 90 minutes. So don’t expect excellence, but good enough.

Mark Settle
Mark Settle

The old Editor of DJWORX - you can now find Mark at WORXLAB

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26 Comments

  1. Good pics. I’m very jealous – I’ve paid/pre-ordered and am now checking my email constantly for news like some twitchy junkie waiting for his dealer.

    Regardless of all the pros, cons and speculation, I too feel that this mixer is going to be a lot fun…

  2. Looking forward to hear what you have to say in your review. This mixer looks really promising and makes me want to convert over to Traktor. Still can’t believe they have this at less than half the price of a Rane 62. I don’t believe i’ll be the only convert!

  3. Can’t wait for the review, just waiting for them to release a decksaver or a udg cover for it. It was your photos that won me over to be honest the original press shots were a bit too touched up.

  4. wts-up mark! i was specting this to be battle mixer i didnt even know that mini innofaders also exist.. i wish you to public your opinion about how they do the job those mini innofaders over scratch performance.. thanks

  5. I am a Traktor convert, Nater. I dig Serato, but Traktor has offered a ton of additional features that make the difference. Vestax seriously slept on this issue. They should have created a mixer with Traktor embedded. Now it’s too late!
    Loved the Z2, thought still have to get used to having so many buttons on both sides of the crossfader.

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