First controller ideas

Hey everyone, I'm new here to the community s, but I've lurked around for a bit..anyways, I finally decided it would be best for me to buy my first controller, but I'm having a hard time choosing due to my budget..

I've been leaning towards buying the VCI-400, but the problem is, its gonna be in North America in the spring, and I would rather have a controller sooner than later.. (and I don't have enough saved up to buy it from Europe..)

My other option is the S4 - but what exactly will I be missing out on?
Is it possible to remap buttons on the S4 and have your own layout like the VCI-400? Is it possible to use the S4 with Ableton?

What I expect out of my first controller:

• I don't plan on doing a lot of controllerism with many cue points, so maybe the VCI's 12 buttons per track might be a bit extreme for me.. (but who knows..maybe this might change in the future?)
• My mixing style usually consists of Progressive House/Trance/Electro
• I would like 4 tracks - as it would most likely mash up 3 tracks a lot - again I would see my self using this with loops, fx, and maybe a few cue points - but not 8-12 cue points.
• I want something to last for a long time - (things like scratch/drop resistance aren't a problem for me), but is the S4 comparable to the fader/knob quality of the VCI-400 - or is it possible to switch the S4's faders anyway? I would have no problem with switching out faders myself - as long as it doesn't require anything more complex than soldering. Would level faders ever 'wear' out?
• I'm student, I'm poor - so I don't want to buy anything extra later on..
• I will be using this mostly at home, maybe some house parties, and in the future I might start my own show/gig at my campus radio station/pub. - That said, I need something reliable that won't fail - hardware wise..

Which sounds better for me, the S4 or the VCI-400?