Upgrading from S4 -> Turntables
Upgrading from S4 -> Turntables Posted on: 27.11.2012 by Precious Pequignot Hi guys,So I've bought my S4 for a lil over a year now and its been an awesome ride, no regrets at all. Now i'm looking to expand my set up with a pair of TT's with my S4 as a mixer. Got a couple of questions though, hope you guys can help me out! 1. Should i buy the traktor scratch upgrade kit or the A6/A10? I know the S4 has its own soundcard and all. But i'm dubious about how long the S4 can last. Simply cause this is my 3rd exchanged Traktor S4 due to other problems with the last 2, and my warranty has expired. If i get the tsp 2 upgrade kit first and my s4 dies, my only option is to get traktor certified mixer or to buy the A6/10 which is double cost, and i'll have 2 TSP2's. If i buy the A6/A10 first, i wont need to worry bout this problem. But the A6 costs like 3 times more than the upgrade kit. 2. Turntables! I've been reading and researching turntables for a longggg time. Prolly getting a pair of Super OEMs, (Stanton Str8 st150s?) just cause a pair of brand new technics where I live can get me 2 pairs of super oems. Do you guys have any opinions on this? And do u guys have any recommendations? And i know technics has a good aftermarket of spare parts and all. Can the same be said for super oems? I'm afraid of any problems in the future after warranty, afterall, turntables arent the cheapest. 3. S-curve or Straight tonearms? After reading, I believe that its mainly aesthetics and personally preference, except that straight tonearms are better for scratching. Stanton ST150 vs Stanton STR8 ST150 Thanks for the help guys! Correct me if i'm wrong anywhere. Much appreciated. | |
| Precious Pequignot 29.11.2012 |
Originally Posted by rip_king
ahh.. the 1210 m5g's are sexy as hell. if only the new 1s didnt cost and arm and a leg (and a head) |
| Shan Bauerly 30.11.2012 |
Originally Posted by DjLiquitATL
It is $119 and now shipping with MK2 timecode. http://www.native-instruments.com/#/...a10/?page=4781 >> Are you playing out? I have an S4 with the kit - if I were just at home, there's no way in the world to justify the extra $1000 on sound cards and mixers and X1. Everything you need is right there on the S4. Might consider getting an F1. Oh, and you can not use a mic with the S4 if you are in timecode mode, however. http://www.djranking s.com/2011/06/3...eal-dvs-mixer/ Have you played on a DVS before? If you are certain you are into it, get a pair of used Techs. You don't have to spend a grip on new decks, there are plenty on the market used. Techs last forever, parts are abundant and cheap. I prefer the pitch reset button option, so M3D or better would be my suggestion. Super OEM are nice too, but that's a lot of money. S tone arms are just fine. PS. Get an extra needle. |
| Precious Pequignot 27.11.2012 | Hi guys, So I've bought my S4 for a lil over a year now and its been an awesome ride, no regrets at all. Now i'm looking to expand my set up with a pair of TT's with my S4 as a mixer. Got a couple of questions though, hope you guys can help me out! 1. Should i buy the traktor scratch upgrade kit or the A6/A10? I know the S4 has its own soundcard and all. But i'm dubious about how long the S4 can last. Simply cause this is my 3rd exchanged Traktor S4 due to other problems with the last 2, and my warranty has expired. If i get the tsp 2 upgrade kit first and my s4 dies, my only option is to get traktor certified mixer or to buy the A6/10 which is double cost, and i'll have 2 TSP2's. If i buy the A6/A10 first, i wont need to worry bout this problem. But the A6 costs like 3 times more than the upgrade kit. 2. Turntables! I've been reading and researching turntables for a longggg time. Prolly getting a pair of Super OEMs, (Stanton Str8 st150s?) just cause a pair of brand new technics where I live can get me 2 pairs of super oems. Do you guys have any opinions on this? And do u guys have any recommendations? And i know technics has a good aftermarket of spare parts and all. Can the same be said for super oems? I'm afraid of any problems in the future after warranty, afterall, turntables arent the cheapest. 3. S-curve or Straight tonearms? After reading, I believe that its mainly aesthetics and personally preference, except that straight tonearms are better for scratching. Stanton ST150 vs Stanton STR8 ST150 Thanks for the help guys! Correct me if i'm wrong anywhere. Much appreciated. |
| Maricruz Felter 29.11.2012 | I'm not sure to be honest as I've never connected my Techs to an S4 (my roommate does own one though). Everything is plugged in through my mixer. I'm not sure how the S4 handles the tables, I'm assuming the S4 would handle 2 decks of transport, and then the turntables the other two? So you'd have the jogwheels on the S4 controlling A and B and the tables controlling C and D and use the S4 for the mixer portion? No clue how it works with the S4. You definitely don't need to buy new Technics though. When people say they are the best and built like tanks they mean it. I bought 2 used Technics 1210 mk2's and they are in great working order. I was lucky enough to get 2 units that don't have a scratch on them. The X1 is the absolute best controller to use alongside a DVS setup though. I'd maybe even get one even though you have the S4 so that you don't have to switch back and forth between decks on the controller and get confused. |
| Precious Pequignot 29.11.2012 |
Originally Posted by rip_king
ahh.. the 1210 m5g's are sexy as hell. if only the new 1s didnt cost and arm and a leg (and a head) |
| Maricruz Felter 29.11.2012 | pretty much. You can push the vinyl forward with your fingers, or hold the platter edge a little bit to slow it down. You can also give a slight "nipple twist" to the spindle to spin it up or slow it down. There are many ways to skin a cat on vinyl and its all up to you how to get the beats in line. Some people ride the pitch fader too. If you're not turning off the phase meter within Traktor, that will give you a nice visual cue to see if you need to push it forward or pull it back. I also have 2 buttons MIDI mapped for phase sync for deck a and b. Phase sync works by pressing the button once and it pulls the slave deck in phase to the master deck. It's nice to have this mapped out as an emergency in case your beats start to drift slightly while you're in the mix you can get them back in line with the click of a button. |
| Precious Pequignot 29.11.2012 | Hey guys, thanks so much for the input. I wont be selling my s4 anytime soon, cause i do play out and portability is an issue. Also, the used market for turntables where i live is... non-existant unlike in the USA. I kid you not. For the upgrade kit, I've emailed NI, and they said stock is arriving in a couple of days. I will definately get a another standalone mixer in the future, but for now because i'm sticking with the S4, it makes sense to upgrade and connect TT's to it first and upgrade stepwise i guess? Thats why im worried about getting the TSP2 upgrade kit or A6 straight away. Personally i've nvr touched turntables, and local shops dun have em for testing/display. Nor do i have any frens with any TTs. Looking to buy em for the DVS "vinyl" feel and to slowly learn scratching and mixing. I got a question though, in CDJs or the S4, u push/pull the side of jog wheels to beatmatch the phase of songs. How is this done on TTs? I've nvr seen any1 touch the platter at the side for TTs. Instead you push/pull the vinyl itself? |
| Shan Bauerly 30.11.2012 |
Originally Posted by DjLiquitATL
It is $119 and now shipping with MK2 timecode. http://www.native-instruments.com/#/...a10/?page=4781 >> Are you playing out? I have an S4 with the kit - if I were just at home, there's no way in the world to justify the extra $1000 on sound cards and mixers and X1. Everything you need is right there on the S4. Might consider getting an F1. Oh, and you can not use a mic with the S4 if you are in timecode mode, however. http://www.djranking s.com/2011/06/3...eal-dvs-mixer/ Have you played on a DVS before? If you are certain you are into it, get a pair of used Techs. You don't have to spend a grip on new decks, there are plenty on the market used. Techs last forever, parts are abundant and cheap. I prefer the pitch reset button option, so M3D or better would be my suggestion. Super OEM are nice too, but that's a lot of money. S tone arms are just fine. PS. Get an extra needle. |
| Maricruz Felter 28.11.2012 | you should sell the S4 and buy a mixer and the A6... or get a certified mixer. I use the Denon X1600 certified mixer myself and can attest that it is a beast. Happy to answer any questions you might have on it... But yeah, get a mixer, you'll be SO happy you did, the faders and the pots on the S4 are garbage if you ask me, there's no substitute for the pro feel of a mixer. |
| Federico Vilas 28.11.2012 | Find a set of PDX 2000's, they are CHEAPER, You can get a set for around 300-400... skip-resistant, etc... if you don't like ttables you won't be out a lot of money s4 scratch upgrade is no longer avail BUT NI has audio 6 kit for $299.99... find a used vestax 05pro, the GC here in chatt has one for only $150 |
| Harley Zitka 27.11.2012 | Kontrol Z2 + Turntables of your choice. Best of both worlds! |
| Monroe Vandeslunt 27.11.2012 | 1. I find having an A6 very convenient. Almost everywhere I go there is a mixer so all I have to do is route the sound and I have a timecode setup. You won't regret getting an A6 that is for sure. However you'll probably want an external mixer so I would factor that cost in as well. 2. What I like about technics is their toughness. They last a very long time if looked after properly and the aftermarket support is huge. Consider in 5 years time if it will be easy to get replacement parts for your turntable. |
| Edwina Fagel 27.11.2012 | 1. A6/A10 + mixer + X1 for sure. I recently moved from S2 to 1200s and analogue mixer and the feeling is just great. Can't compare it to playing with S4. 2. Get what you can, I'm sure Stanton high-end turntables are as good as 1200s. 3. Straight if only scratching and DVS, if you would love to play some real vinyl maybe in the future then I would choose S-curve. |
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