Native Instruments' Traktor Kontrol DJ decks have clung to old-school jog wheels for ages, in part to help you transition from vinyl and turntables to digital mixers. However, you're probably not a stranger to modern technology these days -- and appropriately, NI has a new controller to match.
Its Kontrol S8 replaces those wheels with displays and touch-sensitive input that lets you control many aspects of the included Scratch Pro 2 software directly on the mixer, rather than having to switch to your laptop. Aside from embracing the digital era, this also lets you focus more on your performance (and, presumably, the crowd). Just be prepared to play some extra gigs to pay this off. The S8 will go on sale October 30th for $1,299, or about as much as the computer you'll need to host the companion software.
