There's a Macro FX section for each channel, with a dry/wet knob and a knob whose functions change depending on the effect. Browsing the Traktor library is simple, with a knob at the top of the mixer for moving up and down through a playlist and buttons on either side for loading to those decks. The mixer's layout takes advantage of features both old and new. My old version of Traktor Scratch Pro was not uninstalled or replaced. Install was easy, and it was a relief to find that my library carried over to the new version, cue points and all. The Kontrol Z2 ships with a serial number for Traktor 2.6, which integrates seamlessly with the mixer. Anyone experiencing this issue can contact NI support to have it exchanged.) The crossfader also features a reverse switch. (This is a known issue with some of the built-in innoFADER crossfaders. Battle DJs might find this response unsatisfactory. The crossfader, when set to its steepest curve possible (as you'd set it for sharp cutting) has to travel a small distance before you can hear the other channel, rather than instantly. The faders do not have the most desirable curve to them, and I detected some latency. The channel faders have a nice feel to them, as does the crossfader, but they have other issues. Below the filter are A and B buttons for engaging effects in Traktor. Strangely, I detected a bit of latency to this filter: it takes a split-second for the filter to kick in after turning the knob, creating an unwelcome timing artifact. The three-band EQ has total kill capabilities, and each channel has a combination low-pass/high-pass filter that works on both Traktor and phono/line sources. Pressing shift plus the Traktor button enters Live Deck mode, which puts Traktor effects on any analog source in real time. Importantly, this button allows you to switch between Traktor and standalone mixing mode. In addition to the main USB connection, the mixer has two additional (and very welcome) USB ports and can function as a hub.Įach channel begins with a phono/line switch and a button to specify an analog source or a Traktor deck. The front of the mixer sports both a 1/4-inch and 1/8-inch headphone jack. For output, there are XLR and RCA outputs for the master and balanced 1/4-inch outputs for the booth. In an A/B comparison to a very high-quality analog mixer, the Z2 preamps sounded bright and punchy, if not better than the competition. Though the Z2 will probably be used most often with Traktor, the phono preamps deserve some praise. While it's unfortunate that you can't have both this auxiliary input and the mic input engaged simultaneously, there's a convenient tone knob for shaping their sound. Connectivity on the back is pretty basic: each of the two channels has RCA phono and line inputs, and the unit has an extra pair of RCA inputs and a 1/4-inch mic input. The knobs have a nice rubber grip on them. It has the same look as the other Traktor family devices-sleek black with colorful backlit buttons built into a heavy-duty metal chassis. While NI has built some quality hardware controllers that could supplement (the X1 and F1) or replace (the S2 and S4) a standard DJ mixer, their latest creation, the Kontrol Z2, is more: it's simultaneously a conventional stand-alone mixer, an audio interface and a Traktor control surface.įresh out of the box, the Z2 has a very sturdy feel. With its effects, multiple decks and the Native Instruments' history of making software instruments, Traktor is arguably the preferred DJ software in electronic music.
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