Traktor Kontrol S4 - Using 4 FX Units

In the Traktor Pro S4 default configuration only two of the four available FX units are used. In this setting the eight deck/FX assignment buttons on the S4 controller can be used to assign FX unit 1 and FX unit 2 to each of the four decks.

Things change a bit when you enable all four FX units in the Preferences/Effects dialog box. Then, four of the assignment buttons are disabled. The other four can be used to enable/disable the pre-defined assignment between FX unit and deck. Each deck then has its own dedicated FX unit: deck A uses FX unit 1, deck B uses FX unit 2 and so on. The new assignment is shown in the following picture:

Traktor Pro S4, default mapping

In a way this restriction makes sense if S4 is the only controller you use. You have one dedicated FX unit for each deck. The effect parameters for FX unit 1 and FX unit 2 respectively can be controlled by the corresponding FX section on the controller if the focus switch button on the controller is set to deck A and deck B. If you switch the focus to deck C and deck D the FX sections on the controller allow you to change the effect parameters for FX unit 3 and 4.

It would have been even better if Traktor could remove those FX/deck assignments that can no longer be changed anymore in  the default mapping after you switch to 4 FX units mode. Let's assume you have assigned deck A to FX unit 2, then the assignment is still active after enabling 4 FX unit mode. The simplest way to remove the assignment is using the buttons in the Traktor GUI.

The manual states about using four FX units: With the four FX Units 1-4 activated, channels are differently routed to the FX Units. […]This routing cannot be changed, only activated/deactivated.

This information is wrong: The routing, here the assignment between decks and FX units can still be changed. The only thing that cannot be changed is the embedded mapping that restricts the deck/FX assignment in the way described above.

Getting all Deck/FX assignments back

If you use another controller next to the S4 it can still be useful to be able to assign FX unit 1 and FX unit 2 to all four decks. To achieve this I created a small user mapping for the S4. It overwrites the restrictive default assignment in 4 FX units mode and re-enables the four disabled assignment buttons. You can download the mapping here:
Pro S4: User Mapping to reset FX/Deck assignment in 4 FX mode

This mapping can best be used together with my S4 mapping for Traktor Kontrol X1. This mapping

  1. allows you to control the effect parameters for FX units 3 and 4
  2. gives you direct control of the volume and filter knob for each individual sample slot
  3. gives access to Hotcues 5-8 of deck A and deck B

You can download the mapping here:
Pro S4: TSI to control FX3/4 and Individual Sample Slots with Kontrol X1

Written by: Rainer G. Haselier, edited by Karl Yates
Last update: November 1, 2010

9 Comments

Twelve67
wrote on November 19, 2010 at 4:22 PM
Thank you for adding that TSI it's exactly what I was looking for very big help...it's ashame that I have to carry a 2nd controller thanks NI (sarcasm)
 
The Reverand
wrote on December 24, 2010 at 9:42 PM
You'll never find a controller that doesn't make you want another. That's the way it is.
 
Tripppl3
wrote on April 9, 2011 at 7:00 AM
is there a way to get this mapping for traktor pro 2? i was using this mapping for pro s4 and loved it and now i would love to use it for t2 but it doesnt seem to want to work.
 
Tripppl3
wrote on April 9, 2011 at 7:05 AM
nevermind. im a a drunk moron. figured it out. fail.
 
Carley
wrote on December 24, 2011 at 6:33 PM
Me and this aritlce, sitting in a tree, L-E-A-R-N-I-N-G!
 
Peter Jankowsky
wrote on January 16, 2012 at 6:05 AM
OK Interresant verhält sich das auch bei 2 X1 Controllern genauso bzw. kann ich das bei meinen 2 X1 Controllern auch so setzen/einstellen ?

Ok Interresting...is it the same by two X1 Controllers?
 
Peter Jankowsky
wrote on January 16, 2012 at 6:06 AM
OK Interresant verhält sich das auch bei 2 X1 Controllern genauso bzw. kann ich das bei meinen 2 X1 Controllern auch so setzen/einstellen ?

Ok Interresting...is it the same by two X1 Controllers?
 
xboxer
wrote on April 6, 2012 at 12:09 PM
i want use m-audio x-session pro for fx 3 and 4. when i loaded the tsi file the s4 doesnt react anymore? what i did wrong?
 
vishwaatmaaa
wrote on May 30, 2012 at 12:52 AM
is there a way to assign fx to deck D which is live input. I seem to lose the fx when the decks are playing on deck D. In the default setting am I only allowed to assign fx 3& 4 to deck D? or will my issue of assigning fx to a mic input be solved with this mapping. Thank you again for this website!
 

 

Leave a comment

  Name

  E-Mail (will not be published)

  Website