Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol S2 MK1

The Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol S2 MK1 is a 2 deck all-in-one controller with an integrated audio interface. It has a pair of balanced 1/4” TRS outputs and a pair of unbalanced RCA outputs which both output the main mix, a 1/4” TRS headphone jack, and a 1/4” TRS microphone input. The microphone input is not digitized and routed internally to the outputs. The Kontrol S2 MK1 can run with only USB bus power and an optional power supply can be connected to make the LEDs brighter and the headphone output louder.

The Kontrol S2 MK1 can be distinguished from the Mk2 by the jog wheels. The S2 MK1 has pressure sensitive jog wheels made of black plastic, while the S2 MK2 has touch sensitive jog wheels made of shiny aluminium; The Kontrol S2 MK3 does not have effects knobs at the top.

New in version 2.3.4.

Compatibility

The Kontrol S2 MK1 is a USB audio and HID class compliant device. It is fully compatible with Linux, Windows, and macOS. No proprietary driver is required on Linux or macOS. For Windows, download and install the latest driver from Native Instruments’ website.

Audio routing

Output	Channels
Master	Channel 1 - 2
Headphones	Channel 3 - 4

The microphone is routed internally and is not accessible to Mixxx.

Mapping

Decks

Jog Wheels

Press the top of the jog wheel and turn it to scratch. Move the jog wheel from the edge without pressing the top to nudge the track. Hold SHIFT and spin the jog wheel to seek quickly. The threshold for the press of the jog wheels can be adjusted with the JogWheelTouchThreshold variable in the Traktor-Kontrol-S2-MK1-hid-script.js file in the controller mapping folder. This is necessary if it always or never scratches.

Loop Section

The encoders work differently in Mixxx than in Traktor:

Left encoder

Turning jumps forward/backwards by the beatjump size. If a loop is enabled, turning moves the loop by the beatjump size. Push and turn to adjust the beatjump size. Turning with SHIFT adjusts the musical key. Pushing with SHIFT resets the key to the track’s default.

Right encoder

Turning halves/doubles the loop size. Turning with SHIFT beatjumps by 1 beat forward/backward, or if a loop is enabled, moves the loop 1 beat forward/backward. Pushing (de)activates a loop. Pushing with SHIFT reactivates a disabled loop, or if a loop is enabled, jumps to the loop in point and stops the deck.

LOOP IN/LOOP OUT buttons

Manually set the loop in and out points. Press and hold while moving the jog wheel to adjust the loop in or out point.

Top Pad Row

The top pad row has 3 different modes.

Hotcue mode

This is the default mode when Mixxx starts. The pads control hotcues 1-4. Active hotcues light up blue. Press an unlit button to set a new hotcue. Press a lit pad to seek to the hotcue. Press a lit pad with SHIFT to delete the hotcue.

Intro & Outro cue mode

This mode is activated by pressing the RESET button above the tempo fader. Pads 1 & 2 are used for the intro start & end cues and light up green. Pads 3 & 4 are used for the outro start & end cues and light up blue.

Sampler mode

This mode is activated by the button under the Sampler knob in the center of the mixer. Press an unlit pad to load the selected track in the library to the sampler. Loaded and stopped sampler pads are lit dimm green. Press a dimm green pad to play a sampler. A playing sampler is lit green. Press a lit pad with SHIFT to stop a sampler, or if it is already stopped, unload the sample. Looping sampler pads are lit cyan.

Transport Controls

The transport controls work mostly as labelled on the controller:

SYNC button

Press to sync tempo. Press and hold to enable sync lock. Press again to disable sync lock. Press with SHIFT to enable sync lock without needing to hold.

CUE button

Behavior depends on the cue mode set in the Mixxx preferences. Press with SHIFT to seek the beginning of the track and stop.

PLAY button

Play or pause the deck. Press with SHIFT to toggle key lock.

TEMPO fader

Adjusts the tempo.

RESET button

This button toggles the top pad row to the intro/outro cues. Press the button when it is lit to return the top pad row to hotcue mode.

Mixer

Deck Columns

GAIN encoder

Controls the Quick Effect superknob for the deck. With SHIFT, controls gain. Press to reset the Quick Effect superknob. Press with SHIFT to reset gain.

FX 1/FX 2 buttons

Assign the deck to effect units 1 and 2.

HI/MID/LOW knobs

Adjust the high, middle, and low frequencies.

CUE button

Toggle whether the deck is routed to the prefader headphone output. With SHIFT, toggle quantize for the deck.

Fader

Control the deck volume.

Center Column

MAIN LEVEL knob

Adjust the volume of the main output. This acts on the controller’s audio interface output in hardware, so it is not mapped to the main mix gain knob in Mixxx (otherwise the gain would be applied twice).

SAMPLES knob

Adjusts the gain of samplers 1-8.

SAMPLES ON A/SAMPLES ON B buttons

Toggles the top pad row of the corresponding deck to control samplers. Press when lit to return the pads to controlling hotcues.

BROWSE encoder

Scroll through the music library. Push to maximize the library browser on screen. Turn with SHIFT to scroll 5 rows at a time.

LOAD A/LOAD B buttons

Load the track selected in the library to the corresponding deck. Press with SHIFT to clone the other deck.

LEVEL meters

The meters show the levels for each deck.

Crossfader

Crossfade between the decks.

Effects

The Kontrol S2 MK1 uses the standard Mixxx effects mapping.

Front panel

The cue volume knob adjusts the volume of the controller’s audio interface in hardware, so it is not mapped to Mixxx (otherwise the gain would be applied twice). The cue mix knob is mapped to Mixxx. The Mic Engage button toggles talkover for Microphone Input 1 in hardware.