Traktor Kontrol Z2 DJ-Mixer/Controller

Product Information

The currently selected assignment in the Assignment Table will be highlighted in yellow. If there is another Control in the list which has the same source assigned in the Mapped to column as the selected assignment, this will be highlighted as well in a darker yellow. This feature is useful for debugging large mapping lists. Device Mapping

Integrate multiple TRAKTOR KONTROL F1 and X1 controllers with plug-and-play simplicity thanks to the Z2’s USB hub, freeing up additional ports on your laptop. Instant plug-and-play setup, with full TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO 3 software** and timecode media included Ergonomically, the Z2 is a tremendous success. Native Instruments should be really proud of what they’ve achieved when it comes to integrating the Z2’s brawn with the Traktor brain, because it looks like the Z2 should do a lot less than it actually does. It’s not the first DVS ‘hub’ mixer, of course, not even close – but to my grubby hands it feels the most streamlined and logical, and when comparing it to other mixers it seems somehow more elegant.

Hardware mixer and software controller in one

While TRAKTOR PRO 3 is made for our TRAKTOR KONTROL series, it also syncs seamlessly with other DJ equipment and software through MIDI and Ableton Link. Expand your setup with any controller, using TRAKTOR’s modular design, or link directly to Ableton Live to create unique workflows that push your creativity to new heights. If you have no gear and you’re coming to Traktor and digital DJing afresh, it’s probably best to go for a DJ controller with everything in one box. This’ll be fine for home, parties, bars etc, and some people even use theirs in clubs (depending on the part of the world, club itself, prevailing DJ culture etc). Mix with the best of both analogue and digital worlds. TRAKTOR KONTROL Z2 excels as a standalone club mixer alongside turntables and CDJs, and also as the hub of an advanced controller-based setup. For the duplicated Modifier #1, change the Modifier Conditions to M1 = 0 (instead of 1) and Set to value to 1 (instead of 0).

Soft Takeover (Interaction Mode Direct): Enable this to avoid parameter jumps when the value of the TRAKTOR function and the position of the hardware control element do not match. For example, the filter is set to -50% in the TRAKTOR user interface, however the knob on your controller assigned to the Filter Amount is fully opened. When you now begin to move the knob on your device with Soft Takeover disabled, the filter in TRAKTOR will immediately jump to the position of the external control. If Soft Takeover is enabled, you will first need to move the knob on your controller until it matches the position of the filter control in TRAKTOR. Only then the knob on your controller will 'take over' and change the Filter Amount. The Kontrol sections beside each channel feature Macro FX knobs for instant, one-knob effects control designed for expressive build-ups, break-downs, and more.The new functionality Apply Headroom to Channel Meters allows you to visualize the chosen headroom in your Channel Meter: In this section you can manage the mappings for your devices and set their most basic properties, including the computer keyboard, MIDI and (Advanced) HID controllers. It consists of the follow menus and sub-menus: This position should remain fix throughout your DJ session. If clipping occurs at the main output as indicated in the MAIN level meter even if you may not notice it on the external analog mix, use the gain control of the corresponding software channel to reduce the level. Mixer Level Settings Cond1 and Cond2: Shows the values for the Modifier Conditions as set in the Mapping Details section (see below). Built-in powered USB hub* for 2 add-on DJ controllers such as TRAKTOR KONTROL F1 or TRAKTOR KONTROL X1

Note: While we never recommend to set your levels so that clipping occurs (MAIN level meter reaches the red area, see section 1), in external mixing mode it is possible to overdrive the signal without getting immediate distorsion. Using the Loop encoder and the Shift button, you can easily set loops – turning the encoder decides the loop length, pushing it down turns the loop on or off. The currently selected length is shown on the LED readout. Whether or not ultimately it is worth your while owning a Traktor Kontrol Z2 will depend on where you are in your DJing career / hobby, and what gear you already have. The Assignment Table lists all assignments for the mapping you've currently selected from the Device list. Here you can assign control elements of your MIDI controller (or keys of your computer keyboard) to specific functions of the TRAKTOR software. Each row in the Assignment Table represents a single assignment. Enter Learn mode and press another MIDI button on your controller to assign it (use a different button, not the one you have assigned to the Modifier #1).Setting up is more convoluted than it could be, but that’s always been my view of setting up Traktor. Native Instruments has a “Service Center” where you have to register yourself and your software, and it’s used to authenticate you as well as provide upgrades and so on, but it adds a layer of complication and I think it could be simpler than it is. For instance, there’s a dialogue at one point that says “Please launch Service Center now”, while the only button on the window says “Restart”. Which is it to be? Stuff like this causes anxiety for users who aren’t sure if they’re doing the right thing. In external mixing mode you can rely entirely on the hardware analog mixer to adjust level, gain and EQ. When you set TRAKTOR to external mixing mode, the crossfader and channel faders will become greyed out as now they will only be controlled analogically on the external mixer. In this case you’d be looking at a Rane mixer, of which the Sixty-One is the closest to this. Without even comparing features sets, bear in mind that the Rane Sixty-One costs pretty much double what this does. Type of Controller: The choices given for the Type of Controller are specific to the control target (or TRAKTOR function) of the currently selected assignment. For example, the Play/Pause function only allows Button controllers, other parameters (such as Filter Adjust or Volume Adjust) also allow to assign Fader / Knob controllers.

By replacing your mixer with a Traktor Kontrol Z2, you can continue to DJ exactly as before, but now the whole world of Traktor is only a USB cable into your laptop away. You can mix and match seamlessly from one to the other, and due to the fact that you’ve only changed your mixer, get into DJing with Traktor in a very natural way. Rotary Acceleration (Interaction Mode Relative): Makes the parameter changes respond more sensitive to fast movements of the hardware control element than slow ones. With a setting of 0%, moving the control element in a particular range will always implicate the same parameter change in TRAKTOR. Increasing the Rotary Acceleration the parameter changes in TRAKTOR will be different for slow and fast movements of the control element. Add...: This opens a drop-down menu with various options for adding new mappings to the Device list. In the lower section of the Mapping Details you can find the following important settings. These determine how the control element on your device interacts with the function in TRAKTOR it is assigned to. This position should remain fix throughout your DJ session. If clipping occurs at the main output (as perceived in the audio quality or as indicated in the MAIN level meter), use the Gain control of the corresponding channel to reduce the level. Mixer Level Settings

Of course, nobody is going to buy this to use it simply as a standalone mixer, and the first good thing to say here is that the integration between standalone mixer use and Traktor is absolutely seamless. Export: Allows to store the currently selected mapping as a file on your hard disk in a user-defined location. The mapping file has the extension '.tsi'.