I just wanted to share my thoughts about acquiring NI by in Music.
My main dream is that, Denon would adopt NI design language for hardware. For me, Denon devices are just ugly (I know it is subjective) while NI recent releases are so modern looking devices.
My next dream is out of the box Traktor support (even if I need to buy traktor I would) - before I started using Engine Os and Serato, I had Traktor kontrol and Denon something controller for Traktor and that was the best. Serato is cool and nice but for me really not tingling my ding dongs.
Likely. I own a XONE96 so I’m Traktor certified already. On the next device (standalone player first Denon please, maybe 4 layers instead of two LOL 4 ) I’d rather see access to the USB soundcard as sound source to devices, like on Akai MPCs or mobile.
This sort of “throw us traktor users a lifebelt” post seem common across a few different sorts of forums, albeit not in any majority way.
Sort of “please drop your own corporate identity in favour of a brand I’ve bought into a few years ago”
Much like there being a few people hoping that, by dripping one drop of grey into a 5 litre tub of brilliant white paint will turn the whole 5 litres as grey as the drop.
Only time will tell what happens with the traktor/NI brand, software and products.
I suspect that all existing NI products will cease production, existing NI stock will be sold at a discount to clear shelves and, at the very most, some of the exist M-Audio and Akai midi encoder units -might- be rebadged as NI.
Mind you, if the same encoder box was available branded as Akai or NI, I’d rather have the prestige of having an Akai xyz123 in my setup
As a long term Traktor user (since 2008)… I can tell, as software was great, controllers were not that good. Only good design was Kontrol F1. Had all needed features on hand (but still at least 8 buttons too less). Kontrol S2, S3 and S4 were looking like toys. Too small buttons, too slopy fx control, No proper functions on hand and too much shift functions. Performance device needs to have everything on hand. No menu diving, no scrolling or shift clicking or button combos. It must be on hand. Secondary functions can be below. That’s ok.
That said, shape was also not my set of wheels. Only controllers I owned from NI was Maschine mk2, Maschine jam, Maschine plus, F1 and X1 and X1mk2.
Since I bought SC5000’s in 2017, I sold all my NI gear. Playing on Denon is more fun, all is on hand and these devices look pro. Metal housing, metal jog wheels, big display. No smartwatch displays or just numeric like F1. Even new X1mk3 is not appealing to me. I rather buy Xone K3 or even order a custom Yaeltex.
The D2 units have popped up in conversation recently, so I’ve been watching videos. Yesterday I watched one demonstrating use of the step sequencer with remix decks.
That was IMO a great concept, but let down by relying so heavily on having the D2 or S8.
It’d be cool to have Traktor recognise a Maschine MK3 or Plus and display the sequencer and remix decks on the screens, using all the pads, buttons and knobs for control…
…or imagine inMusic adding a little MPC magic to Engine, enhancing the so-called sampler into an actual onboard MPC, that could be controlled by an Akai MPD unit (or even an MPC or Maschine hardware). I’d even pay for that!
If Engine OS adopts tools like Traktor uses to manage its music library, ahhh, then we’ll be on another level!!
But all this no longer sounds like hope to me! Not if inMusic doesn’t adopt a different approach to how it handles its worldwide after-sales service!
Here in Brazil, another DJ video gained traction on social media, showing two Denon Prime devices with no solution after malfunctioning, just one more of many who had terrible experiences when their equipment malfunctioned!!
In Brazil, a continental country, you can’t find a single electronics technician who wants to take on a Denon, Numark, or Rane device to “try” to fix it! Nobody wants to, and they openly say on social media that they take them on to fix and that inMusic doesn’t provide any assistance! This further damages the brand, which is already heavily criticized for not having parts and service centers in the country!!
So yes, you can buy other companies, bring in countless technological innovations… but if you don’t have marketing and after-sales service… DJs will only have eyes for a single brand…