Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol S2 review

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In the world of DJ'ing there are few certainties, be it the music you play, where you play it, or what you play it on. One thing's for sure, and that is that technology is changing the craft of mixing as we know it. Controllers in particular are responsible for bringing the craft closer to the masses: they're bedroom-friendly, full of gadgetry and they bring the time honored two-decks-and-a-mixer set up into the 21st century.

Native Instruments already has offerings in this area in the form of the Kontrol X1 and Kontrol S4, both of which have been hugely popular. How, then, will its latest addition to the family - the Kontrol S2 - hold up against its established elder siblings, along with an increasingly crowded pool of competing models? Is this an evolutionary refinement of its bigger brother - the S4 - or a stripped-down, slightly more economical ($669) controller for those looking to dip a toe into the whole DJ thing? Let's get under the hood and find out.

Gallery: Native Instruments Traktor S2 vs. Traktor S4