DDJ-T1 vs S4 vs NS6
DDJ-T1 vs S4 vs NS6 Posted on: 14.06.2011 by Temeka Beaufort discuss | |
| Tatum Ansaldo 15.06.2011 |
Originally Posted by Illinoize
|
| Temeka Beaufort 14.06.2011 | discuss |
| Tatum Ansaldo 15.06.2011 | Don't forget to post us a review |
| Vita Kleine 15.06.2011 | Good point. IF I did go with the DDJ T1 I'd only be interested in adding a midi-fighter to compensate for the puny cue point buttons... but that chance is long gone. Pretty much set on the NS6 unless last ditch marketing efforts convince me otherwise... |
| Tatum Ansaldo 15.06.2011 |
Originally Posted by Illinoize
|
| Vita Kleine 15.06.2011 | Thanks still ill. It was only after a week or two of reading reviews and watching youtube reviews that I was able to put together such a write up. Hope it helped. I would definitely agree with you on the S4 offering more total control. Software and controller wise, maybe excluding some features here and there. Itch might prove to be too rigid for those who desire completely flexible software. I still might get the S4 instead of the NS6... don't know yet... Thoughts anyone...? Btw blackfox, might be best to wait a few weeks to see what issues arise, more in depth reviews, as I plan on doing. Also, it is inevitable that some folks will return their NS6s if they aren't happy with them, which would allow us to take advantage of 'open box' prices |
| Temeka Beaufort 15.06.2011 | I don't know yet. maybe S4, but can't find NS6 around here to see if it fit into my budget. |
| Su Kowalsky 15.06.2011 | llinoize that was a nice write up. being in want of a future traktor scratch pro dvs myself, i have the choice of a ni soundcard and midimixer or all in one (s4). i believe i'd go for the s4 due more total control. but being budget i might have to make do with a cheap midi mixer and a second hand audio 4/6 card. maybe it'd be worth having a go at making a midi mixer if my current project works.. anyway, sorry - that was me on a tangent. but my preference out of the ddj-t1, ns6 and s4 is fairly obvious. |
| Vita Kleine 14.06.2011 | Which one were you considering blackfox? What's your style? |
| Vita Kleine 14.06.2011 | Funny you should start this thread because I've been going back and forth between the three trying to determine which one best suits my style. I'm upgrading from a Mixtrack Pro, so I'm definitely taking my time on such a huge purchase... Stopped in at a Guitar Center last weekend and they happened to have all three on the floor for me to get my hands on. Unfortunately, the extent of my hands on testing was only 'kicking tires', as none of them were hooked up to computers. I'm definitely gonna have to dig deeper into the upcoming Itch developments as well as anything in the works for Traktor. DDJ-T1 - I'd have to agree with many and say that Pioneer crossed over too late and threw together a sub-par piece of kit. I was not impressed. For those who care a lot about the jogs, they were cheap and flimsy, not smooth and they made quite a bit of racket when spun. EQ knobs were awful; short, stubby and required unusual amounts of torque to twist. I'd imagine that would make for some difficult fine tuning. Cue buttons were too small, definitely too small to pull off anything fancy. It is also the biggest of the 3 which makes it difficult for traveling. And most of all, correct me if I'm wrong but I believe I remember reading on here that the DDJ T1/Traktor combo does not support any other controllers in addition, say, adding a midi-fighter? Plus side, faders were smooth. I also dig the two in one filter knob, makes the most sense and it is nice to have my most frequently utilized effect readily available. Although one selling point was that the configuration was supposed to ease my transition over to CDJs, I'm not at all convinced of that. The Pioneer appeal was just not enough. I'm gonna have to pass on this. The S4 is the smallest, which would make it easiest to lug around. The knobs all felt solid, and the jogs are smaller than those found on the other two, but still ten times more smooth than the DDJ T1. For me, the biggest things for the S4 are the effects and the option to seamlessly integrate vinyl into your rig, the latter being more important as I'd definitely like to master vinyl at some point with out having to buy/learn an entirely new controller/program. Well, maybe not master it but at the very least bring it in. I dig the whole cue/looping section, but don't believe that rapid cue point smashing in decent time could be pulled off, the buttons are really firm and require a bit of force to click. I'd have to test this out with the software to see if that holds up. Right now it is a close second to the NS6. I'm just loving everything about the NS6 right now, EXCEPT the lack of seamless vinyl integration. Granted it's been shown that it can be pulled off with little difficulty, but I don't feel like purchasing an entirely new program, DVS interface, etc, to add on a turntable for some baby scratches. I can only hope changes are en route for Itch so that this can be done with the NS6 in the same way that it is done with the S4. Now that I got that out of the way, I'll elaborate on the good stuff because it appears to me that the NS6 combines the best of the previous two controllers. The size is between the previous two but it is the heaviest due to the metal construction, which for me rocks. Looks way more professional. The jogs are the best of the three. No competing with the 3600 ticks of resolution. INCREDIBLY smooth and solid and sturdy, feel like they can be spun for ages and won't let up. The EQ knobs have the rubbery S4 feel to them and are just as smooth, except the mixing section is not as cramped as the S4, definite plus. Meters, definite plus. Strip search which indicates track position, great. The smorgasbord of inputs/outputs is sure to accommodate any setup. Curve adjustment for the cross fader is nice, as I planned on pulling off some simple scratches with it. Cue buttons are all solid plastic, and would definitely be good for some mashing. They are smaller than those on my Mixtrack, but feel the same. Nice and springy. Features such as fader start, split cue and booth output are also a HUGE plus for me. Right now I'm leaning most towards the NS6. Although it is tempting to just go with the S4 so that I can destroy tracks with the plethora of effects, I know that isn't really mixing Itch appears to be behind, but offers a simple layout. I'd like to keep it simple anyhow. I wanna make sure I master the basics of mixing before I try and use the hell out of effects. Not to mention I hear that the sync on Itch sucks, which would leave me with no choice but to learn beat matching, definitely a good thing for me Overall, the features, build quality and lay out of the NS6 are too good to pass up. But if you are all about effects and customization and definitely want to add a turntable or two, the S4 wins. As for the DDJ T1, I believe it belongs in controller purgatory :eek: Software is an entirely different discussion, sort of. But like I mentioned, Itch is simple, limited. Traktor is a powerhouse, a beast to be tamed! Thanks to MrPopinjay, for ferociously defending beatmatching, and helping me see the light I hope the NS6 doesn't let me down in that area... |
| Temeka Beaufort 14.06.2011 | no opinions? |
<< Back to Reviews of DJ equipment Reply