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Document authored by: Native Instruments GmbH
Software version: 2.7 (11/2014)
Disclaimer
Special thanks to the Beta Test Team, who were invaluable not just in tracking down bugs, but
in making this a better product.
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Japan
TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 provides a direct tactile interface to TRAKTOR PRO's features and allows you to achieve more with the controller hardware so you have to do less on your computer
screen.
Whether you intend to perform and remix live with TRAKTOR, use S8 as a stand-alone mixer
with turntables or CD decks or a combination of both; S8 has you covered!
S8 enables performance in various live situations, combining the power of computer-based
DJing with the immediacy and flow you need to focus on your audience.
1.1Where to Start
TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 installation provides you with many information sources. These are intended to be read in the following sequence to ensure easy access for users of all skill levels:
Where to Start
• TRAKTOR 2 Getting Started
• TRAKTOR 2 Manual
• TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 Manual (this document)
Your First Stop: Getting Started
This document guides you through configuration of TRAKTOR to work with a hardware controller by means of the Setup Wizard, as well as importing music into your Track Collection. Afterwards, it introduces you to TRAKTOR's basic concepts and workflows and helps you set up
your system correctly.
TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 - Manual - 12
Welcome to the World of TRAKTOR KONTROL S8!
TRAKTOR PRO Manual
The Manual helps you learn all of the workflows which make TRAKTOR a unique DJing solution. In addition to learning to use TRAKTOR's core features, this document gives advice on
working in various configurations; from using TRAKTOR in the most basic setup on its own to
integrating turntables, external DJ mixers and audio interfaces, as well as the SCRATCH extension.
Access the TRAKTOR manual via TRAKTOR PRO's Help menu. The 'Open Manual...' entry
will open the Documentation sub-folder inside TRAKTOR's application folder.
TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 Manual
The S8 Manual picks up where controlling TRAKTOR features from the S8 are concerned. A
detailed tutorial section guides you through accessing the basics like loading tracks, mixing,
setting cue points, looping and using Remix Decks from S8.
Next, a comprehensive Hardware Reference details each and every component you will encounter on the TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 controller. The later chapters of this manual provide
additional information on solving common issues, and the device's full technical specification.
Where to Start
Controller Editor Manual
Besides using S8 with the dedicated TRAKTOR software, you can also use it as a powerful and
highly versatile MIDI controller with any other MIDI-capable application or device. This is
made possible by the Controller Editor software, an application which allows you to assign
MIDI controller messages to S8's pads, knobs, faders and encoders. The is usually automatically installed during TRAKTOR's installation. For more information on this, please refer to the
Controller Editor Manual available as a PDF file in the Documentation subfolder of the Controller Editor installation folder on your hard disk.
Other Online Resources
If you are experiencing problems related to your Native Instruments product that the supplied
documentation does not cover, there are several ways of getting help:
• Knowledge Base
• User Forum
• Technical Support
TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 - Manual - 13
Welcome to the World of TRAKTOR KONTROL S8!
Manual Conventions
• Registration Support
You will find more information on these in chapters ↑8.1, Troubleshooting and ↑8.2, Getting
Help.
1.2Manual Conventions
This section introduces you to the signage and text highlighting used in this manual. This manual uses particular formatting to point out special facts and to warn you of potential issues.
The icons introducing these notes let you see what kind of information is to be expected:
Whenever this exclamation mark icon appears, you should read the corresponding note
carefully and follow the instructions and hints given there if applicable.
This light bulb icon indicates that a note contains useful extra information. This information may often help you solve a task more efficiently, but does not necessarily apply to the
setup or operating system you are using; however, it's always worth a look.
Furthermore, the following formatting is used:
• Text appearing in (drop-down) menus (such as Open…, Save as… etc.) and paths to locations on your hard drive or other storage devices is printed in italics.
• Text appearing elsewhere (labels of buttons, controls, text next to checkboxes etc.) is
printed in blue. Whenever you see this formatting applied, you will find the same text appearing somewhere on the screen.
• Text appearing on displays of the S8 controller is printed in light grey. Whenever you see
this formatting applied, you will find the same text on a controller display.
• Text appearing on labels of the hardware controller is printed in orange. Whenever you see
this formatting applied, you will find the same text on the controller.
• Important names and concepts are printed in bold.
• References to keys on your computer’s keyboard you’ll find put in square brackets (e.g.,
“Press [Shift] + [Enter]”).
Single instructions are indicated by this play button type arrow.
►
TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 - Manual - 14
Welcome to the World of TRAKTOR KONTROL S8!
Manual Conventions
Results of actions are indicated by this smaller arrow.
→
Naming Conventions
Throughout the documentation, we will refer to the TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 hardware controller either as the controller or simply S8.
The TRAKTOR 2 software and TRAKTOR SCRATCH will be referred to as TRAKTOR.
Button Combinations and Shortcuts on Your Controller
Most instructions will use the “+” sign to indicate buttons (or buttons and pads) that must be
pressed simultaneously, starting with the button indicated first. E.g., an instruction such as:
“Press SHIFT + PLAY”
means:
1.Press and hold SHIFT.
2.While holding SHIFT, press PLAY and release it.
3.Release SHIFT.
FX Knobs and Buttons
Above each of the Displays, there's a row of FX knobs and FX buttons which aren't labeled.
Similarly, the knobs below the display are unlabeled, the buttons are all labeled ON. To differentiate them, we'll refer to them as FX knobs 1-4 and FX buttons 1-4 for the elements above the
display and Performance knobs 1-4 and Performance buttons 1-4 beneath the display.
TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 - Manual - 15
Welcome to the World of TRAKTOR KONTROL S8!
Manual Conventions
Numbering scheme for FX and Performance controls
Display Buttons
On each side of a display, there are two buttons marked by a square icon. To differentiate
them from each other, we'll refer to them as depicted here:
TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 - Manual - 16
Welcome to the World of TRAKTOR KONTROL S8!
Manual Conventions
Numbering scheme for Display Buttons
Pads
1.Each Deck comes with 4 multi color pads. Where necessary, we'll refer to them in this
order:
Numbering of the Pads in the PERFORMANCE section
TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 - Manual - 17
Using Your S8—Getting Started
2Using Your S8—Getting Started
This section will guide you through the most common tasks you will encounter during your
work with TRAKTOR KONTROL S8. Most of the tutorials included are workflow-oriented. They
start with the simplest tasks and progressively lead you to more complex operation, helping you
to become familiar with TRAKTOR KONTROL S8.
The tutorials presented here make use of the included demo tracks, which were automatically
copied to your hard disk during the TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 installation procedure. Therefore,
you can follow these tutorials even if you haven't imported your own music.
Although the S8 can be used as a stand-alone mixer, the tutorials here focus on using the device as the integrated controller for the TRAKTOR software on your computer. By the end of
this chapter you will be equipped with the fundamental knowledge to enjoy using your TRAKTOR KONTROL S8, and begin to uncover the creative opportunities it presents to your DJ sessions.
General Prerequisites
We assume here that your TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 system is already up and running. If that's
not the case, please follow the instructions in the separate Setup Guide and return to this
chapter when you are ready.
In case you already changed some settings in TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 before you start with
these tutorials, we strongly recommend you to reset your TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 system to
the factory settings by doing the following:
1.In the TRAKTOR software, click the Help menu in the menu bar at the top of your screen
(on Mac OS X) or at the top of the window (on Windows), and select Help > Start SetupWizard.
2.In the window that opens, click Next to skip the setup screens.
3.On the YOUR TRAKTOR SETUP screen, click Finish at the bottom right corner without selecting anything else.
⇨ Your TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 is now reset to the factory settings.
The tutorials presented here assume that TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 is in its default factory
state. If it’s not the case, we cannot guarantee that you will experience what is described here,
and as a result you might find it difficult to follow the instructions.
TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 - Manual - 18
Using Your S8—Getting Started
Overview of TRAKTOR KONTROL S8
2.1Overview of TRAKTOR KONTROL S8
This section briefly introduces S8’s main areas. The image below illustrates which areas of the
S8 control the respective areas in the TRAKTOR software.
Hardware Controller and Software side by side.
(1) Decks: S8 features two identically equipped Deck sections at the far left and right of the
unit. These give you hardware control over the software Decks in the TRAKTOR PRO software.
Active TRAKTOR Decks always work in one of the Deck modes, as either Track Deck, Remix
Deck or Live Input. The left hardware Deck section controls TRAKTOR's Decks A and C, the
right Deck section controls Decks B and D.
(2) FX Units: FX Units allow you to creatively process a track, ranging anywhere from just adding reverb for a build-up to completely messing up a beat with stutter effects. For that purpose, the TRAKTOR software offers a great selection of high-quality FX. These can easily be
configured from S8 and be controlled by the FX controls. The left FX Unit on the S8 will be
referred to as FX Unit 1 throughout this document, and the right FX Unit will be referred to as
FX Unit 2.
(3) Mixer: The 4-channel mixer is situated in the center of S8, and TRAKTOR's software interface. When connected to TRAKTOR, the knobs in S8's mixer section control the corresponding
knobs on the software mixer.
TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 - Manual - 19
Using Your S8—Getting Started
Enabling Decks
2.2Enabling Decks
By default, the Decks on your S8 are enabled after you start the TRAKTOR software for the
first time. If, however, the Decks are not enabled (in Direct Thru mode), proceed as follows to
enable the Decks.
The following images show disabled Decks:
Deck A in Direct Thru mode
TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 - Manual - 20
Deck C in Direct Thru mode
To enable the Decks:
Push the TRAKTOR buttons of each Deck.
►
Using Your S8—Getting Started
Enabling Decks
The TRAKTOR buttons light up in orange indicating the Deck is now in TRAKTOR mode.
→
The displays read No Track Loaded indicating the corresponding Decks are enabled.
TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 - Manual - 21
The following images show enabled Decks:
Deck A enabled as Track Deck
Using Your S8—Getting Started
Enabling Decks
Deck C enabled as Remix Deck
TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 - Manual - 22
Using Your S8—Getting Started
Browsing with Your S8
2.3Browsing with Your S8
The first tutorial will explain how to browse through TRAKTOR's music library and load tracks
into Decks. The following section explains both—browse using regular interactions and browse
using touch interactions.
It is not possible to open the Browser on S8's left and right Decks simultaneously.
BROWSE Encoder, BACK Button, and Display section
2.3.1Browse using Regular Interactions
To open the Browser:
TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 - Manual - 23
Using Your S8—Getting Started
Push the BROWSE encoder. The Browser will be displayed in the respective display.
►
To scroll through the music folders:
Rotate the BROWSE encoder. The selected entry will be highlighted in blue. The Browser
►
View shows your current location in the folder structure at the top of the display, e.g.
BROWSER>PLAYLIST>DEMO TRACKS.
Browsing with Your S8
To open folders and load tracks:
Press the BROWSE encoder to open a folder.
►
TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 - Manual - 24
Using Your S8—Getting Started
Browsing with Your S8
Press the BROWSE encoder to load a track.
►
To return to the previous folder:
Press the BACK button.
►
To exit the Browser:
Press the VIEW button. The display will return to Track view.
►
2.3.2Browse using Touch Interactions
In addition to regular interactions with S8, you can perform touch interactions. However, to
use touch interactions when browsing, the touch sensitivity for the BROWSE encoder has to be
enabled:
1.Open the TRAKTOR Preferences.
2.Select the tab TRAKTOR KONTROL S8.
3.Enable the Touch Control Auto Open Browser on Touch.
The touch sensitivity is now enabled on the BROWSE encoder.
→
With touch sensitivity enabled the following touch interactions can be performed:
To open the Browser:
Touch the BROWSE encoder. The Browser will be displayed in the respective display.
►
To exit the Browser:
Release the BROWSE encoder or stop interacting in the Browser. The display will return
►
to Track view.
TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 - Manual - 25
Using Your S8—Getting Started
Switching Deck Focus
2.4Switching Deck Focus
Although you can mix four TRAKTOR Decks with the S8, it is only possible to have the focus
on two of the Decks simultaneously. To access the respective other Decks, you have to switch
the Deck focus. In this example, toggle between Decks A and C by the following action:
Press the left DECK button to toggle between Deck A and Deck C.
►
TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 - Manual - 26
Using Your S8—Getting Started
Switching Deck Focus
• If Deck A is focused, the DECK button, the Mode Select Button and the LED ring around
the LOOP encoder will be lit in blue.
TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 - Manual - 27
Using Your S8—Getting Started
Switching Deck Focus
• If Deck C is focused, the DECK button, the Mode Select Button and the LED ring around
the LOOP encoder will be lit in white.
TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 - Manual - 28
Using Your S8—Getting Started
Switching Deck View and Zooming
2.5Switching Deck View and Zooming
By default, the display shows only the focused Deck. This is called Single View. Additionally,
you can switch to Spilt View to show both Decks together in the display - Decks A and C on the
left side, Decks B and D on the right side. The display focused on just one Deck has the following appearance:
Deck A in Single View
Press the View button located in the top-right corner of the display area to toggle Deck
►
View between Single View and Split View.
The display now shows both Decks in Split View.
→
The focused Deck always acquires the majority of space in the display.
TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 - Manual - 29
Split View with focus on Deck A.
Using Your S8—Getting Started
Switching Deck View and Zooming
Split View with focus on Deck C.
Changing Deck View does not change the Deck's focus.
Zooming
To get a more precise view of the waveform at the current Playhead position, you can zoom in
or out of the waveform.
TRAKTOR KONTROL S8 - Manual - 30
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