Recently purchased a Traktor S3 to work with Djay Pro AI
Got The controller into Midi mode - all good but not all the lights behind switches light but moving on.
I set up the system for an external mixer and routed accordingly with Deck A going to channels assigned. Can see sound coming through on the channel. Cue and Play buttons all work etc but nothing coming out of the main output on the S3 almost like its being blocked. Master Output is turned up.
Nothing coming out the headphones either and the cue buttons don’t appear to work. I notice this has been raised as a topic before but I can’t find any answers that address the issue as I am finding,
Please explain why? I want to use The S3 as a standard mixer with each channel in DJay pro going to a channel on the S3 mixer. Bringing up the fader on the S3 routes to the main out on the S3. So DJay is just managing the music.
I have tried internal and it routes but I can’t use the S3 as a mixer at the moment.
Hi @Househedz, please note that the S3 is not a standalone external mixer; it’s a MIDI controller. As such, it sends MIDI signals over USB to control djay’s internal mixer and associated onscreen controls. In my personal opinion, this is the superior way to control djay, as external mixers cannot update the onscreen mixer controls in djay. Please perform the following:
Download and install the latest S3 firmware from Native Instruments.
Make sure your S3 is also connected to power with the supplied adapter from NI. Do not simply run it off of USB bus power from your Mac.
Make sure your Mac is also connected to power using the genuine Apple adapter that was supplied with it.
Connect your Mac to the S3 using a high quality USB cable. Ideally the one that came with the S3 or one with dual ferrite magnets on either end.
Open djay, and navigate to the Settings>Audio Devices> and select Reset to Defaults at the bottom of the menu.
Confirm that this switches the Mixer Mode to Internal.
Check that the Main Output says something like “Traktor Kontrol S3 ch 1-2” and the Pre-Cueing says something like “Traktor Kontrol S3 ch 3-4”.
Hi again @Househedz, if the above doesn’t solve your issue, please then navigate to the djay Settings>MIDI Devices>MIDI DEVICES>Traktor Kontrol S3>MIDI CONFIGURATION>Traktor Kontrol S3 and confirm that you are using the (built-in) MIDI Mapping and not a custom edit. Thanks!
The solution you suggest send everything out to one channel on the S3. The S3 has 4 audio channels that route to its external audio bus. This suggests to me that it has audio (Digital to Anlogue Conversion) and Midi.
I want to be able to route independently to each channel on the audio bus in the S3 therefore using it as a mixer which does work in VirtualDJ or Traktor as an example. The way you are suggesting, I route everything to one channel except the channel I want to monitor which goes to a different channel.
Your suggestion, means that I am not using the mixer as it was orginally designed which is odd. Am I missing something here because this is not how I wanted to use it
I understand what you are saying. However, if you want to use this hardware with djay, the way I described above is the way to do it. This is how most DJ controllers work with most DJ software. Yes, there are some DJ controllers that work in external mixer mode, but this is less common and IMPO not as ideal for the reasons I described above. You still have full control over all 4 Decks/Channels using djay’s internal mixer and the hardware mixer controls on your S3. I hope that helps.
EDIT: Perhaps I’m missing something here. Are you saying that for example when you move the 4 channel faders on the hardware, djay is not responding to this action and representing it in the onscreen controls? Or as another example, the S3 EQ controls are not showing changes in djay’s onscreen EQ controls?
If this is the case, can you please try to capture a short video of the issue where the S3 hardware and your djay screen are visible at the same time. Then upload it to your Google Drive/Dropbox, enable sharing permissions, then share a link to the video here? Thanks!
The S3 has 4 channels on the “mixer”, but they only route MIDI. It’s not a real audio mixer. For example it only has one line input. A real mixer would have four inputs - one for each channel.
From the S3 product page on the NI site: Hardware specifications - 4 out/2 in. That’s four mono channels out from the computer. Two (left and right) for master and two (left and right) for headphones.
This is standard for low and mid range controllers. The VDJ setup is the same. Master and headphones.
I have Virtual DJ and it works the way I want it to work with independent channels out being routed to the master out. So if Traktor and VDJ work the way I was expecting, why does Djay not?
PS: I ahve Traktor as well but I want a simpl;e setup so that I can use Tidal when I need it which Traktor does not support. If I use my PX5, everything is fine on DJay Pro
I’m not sure what else to tell you @Househedz. This is how it works with djay. This is normal and expected behavior. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.
As suggested, perhaps if you could share a short video, I can help you determine if something else abnormal is going on.
The S3 audio config for Traktor and VirtualDJ are exactly the same. Master and headphones. I can post images and links if you want.
When the main output is set to master, the audio from the four decks is mixed IN THE SOFTWARE via each of the four (MIDI control) channels on the controller.
I have got Virtual DJ working the way I want it to work and have now worked out the Beat lock system where I need to use it. Also the mappings for the D2 controller and the XDJ1000 in VDJ work really well.
I’m sorry to say that after many months of using Djay when needed I will be moving away from it as it does not do what I need it to do
