Is Traktor Kontrol S4 Mk3 any good? Yes – if you’re already invested in the Traktor ecosystem and can find one at a good price, it’s still a very capable 4-channel DJ controller. Native Instruments no longer sells it directly, but the hardware is still supported by Traktor Pro. Let me show you how it holds up against more recent DJ controllers. Let’s begin!
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A 4-channel Traktor controller with motorized Haptic Drive jog wheels, dual high-resolution displays, RGB performance pads, professional I/O, DVS support, and a standalone mixer mode for external sources.
- Motorized 5.5-inch Haptic Drive jog wheels with adjustable torque and tactile cue/loop feedback.
- Two high-resolution color displays show waveforms, tempo, looping, Stems, and Remix Deck information.
- Strong Traktor FX workflow with deck FX units plus per-channel Mixer FX.
- 16 RGB performance pads cover Hot Cues, samples, Stems, and Remix Deck functions.
- Professional XLR/RCA master outputs, TRS booth output, dual mic inputs, and external line/phono inputs.
- Built-in 24-bit / 96-kHz audio interface with DVS support.
- Standalone mixer mode lets you mix external sources without a computer.
- No official Serato DJ Pro or Rekordbox support.
- The 5.5-inch jog wheels are smaller than the full-size platters on some competing controllers.
- Best integration is tied closely to the Traktor ecosystem; third-party software support is more limited.
| Mixer | 4 channels; standalone mixer mode for external sources |
| Jog Wheels | 2 x 5.5-inch motorized Haptic Drive jog wheels with adjustable torque and start/stop behavior |
| Displays | 2 high-resolution color displays with waveform, tempo, loop, Stem, and Remix Deck feedback |
| Performance Pads | 16 RGB pads total for Hot Cues, samples, Stems, and Remix Deck functions |
| FX | Deck FX units plus per-channel Mixer FX |
| Software | Traktor Pro 4 included; Traktor Pro 3 or later required for full S4 MK3 operation |
| DVS | Supported with the built-in audio interface |
| Audio Interface | 24-bit / 96-kHz |
| External Inputs | 4 stereo input channels including line and phono-capable inputs |
| Microphone Inputs | 2 |
| Master Outputs | Balanced XLR stereo pair x1 + RCA stereo pair x1 |
| Booth Output | 1/4-inch TRS stereo pair x1 |
| Headphone Outputs | 1/4-inch stereo x1 + 3.5 mm stereo mini jack x1 |
| Standalone Playback | No – computer required for Traktor deck playback; standalone mode is mixer-only |
| Dimensions | 542 x 339 x 60.5 mm / 21.34 x 13.35 x 2.38 in |
| Weight | 4.29 kg / 9.46 lb |
The Feature Set – How Does It Hold Up?
My main reason for writing this article is pretty simple. Recently, while at a local club I saw a DJ rocking out on a brand new Traktor Kontrol S4 Mk3 (and doing a pretty good job too), and it really threw me back to the times I first laid hands on this sleek device. But it also made me wonder: how relevant is this device these days, a few years after its release back in 2018? Here is the conclusion I’ve come to in the end.
Performance Pads
The performance pads are not missing any modern features and give you the ability to control hot cues, loops, remix decks, stem controls, samples, and they also have RGB backlight allowing you to color code all of the pad functions.
Overall, the pads feel pleasant to use and there is enough space in between them so that you’re not risking any accidental presses. Nothing more to say here really.
Audio FX Controls
When it comes to audio FX, Traktor Pro 4 is among the best of the best. The Traktor S4 Mk3 gives you access to two FX units, one on top of each deck with 4 FX control knobs and buttons – an FX control scheme much similar to the one you can find on Pioneer DJ controllers with layouts designated for Serato DJ.
Personally, I find this type of FX controls much more fun to use than the single Beat FX strip present on most newer devices from Pioneer DJ.
Another great way you can control FX on this device is through the Mixer FX knobs. Traktor Pro 4 gives you eight Mixer FX alongside three filter options here. It’s a perfect way to have some more creative freedom when mixing, and being totally honest, pretty much a must in modern DJ controllers.
Motorized Jog Wheels
The 5.5-inch jog wheels on the Traktor Kontrol S4 Mk3 are fully motorized and they do feature interesting haptic feedback functionality which lets you feel where exactly your hot cues and cue points are placed when moving the platter. Yes, it can be turned off if you want to do that.
You’re able to fully customize the feel of the jog wheel in terms of its tightness, and the reverse mode is reflected by the platter moving in the opposite direction. The start/stop time and torque are also adjustable. No trouble with scratching on this device!
Overall, for a controller of this size, the feel and overall design of the jog wheels is pretty much on par with the larger and seemingly more popular top-notch Pioneer DJ controllers.
Each of the jog wheels has a guide light indicator on its edge, which rotates alongside the platter, and changes colors depending on whether one of the virtual decks 3/4 have been chosen.
This might also interest you: Hercules DJControl Inpulse T7 Review – New Affordable Motorized Platters?
Built-in Displays
Track title, BPM, track key information, full waveform view with loop and cue point indicators. This is what each of the two deck displays is able to show you during your live mix.
The displays are also used for controlling remix decks, track stems and tweaking some of the controller’s settings.
While these displays certainly aren’t big, all the info is visible without any troubles and the image is crystal clear with good viewing angles.
Connectivity – Inputs & Outputs
In front of the device there is a microphone input in the form of a standard Jack/XLR combo plug, and a double headphone output for both small and large jack connector headphones.
On the front part of the S4 Mk3 there are a few switches that allow you to assign different channels to different sides of the controller affected by the crossfader. A nice feature to have on hand.
What about the main inputs and outputs you can find on the back of the device you ask? Well, not one type of connector is missing from the device which offers you a full set of club standard XLR, RCA master outputs, Jack booth outputs and RCA line inputs for each of the mixer channels. Nothing to criticize really.
Standalone Mixer Capabilities (!)
When the Traktor S4 Mk3 was first announced, it didn’t yet have standalone mixer capabilities. This has since changed, and the standalone mixer mode is available for you to use.
You can plug external audio devices into the S4 Mk3 and use its mixer section to mix the incoming audio, even when the controller is not connected to a computer.
In this configuration, the filter knobs will still function, albeit only as a simple hi-pass/low-pass filter.
DJ Software Support – Just Traktor?
The dedicated DJ software for the Traktor S4 Mk3 is now Traktor Pro 4 (check out my Serato DJ Pro vs. Traktor comparison if you want to know more about it).
The S4 Mk3 can also be used with VirtualDJ through its custom mapping, although support is limited compared with Traktor, particularly when it comes to the controller’s proprietary displays and Haptic Drive features.
Important note for all the people coming from the Pioneer DJ software ecosystem: the Traktor S4 Mk3 supports neither Serato DJ nor Rekordbox.
The Mixxx software also has its own dated S4 Mk3 mapping project going on as you can see here, which unfortunately also comes with a small set of drawbacks and missing functions.
What about MIDI remapping? Well, it gets a little bit weird here.
MIDI Support on The S4 Mk3?
While both the S2 and S3 had native MIDI standard support and were able to be mapped to any other, non-Traktor DJ software without much trouble, the Traktor Kontrol S4 Mk3, does not support MIDI at all.
What this means for you is that you cannot simply use the S4 Mk3 as a standard MIDI controller with other DJ software.
Software support communities such as Virtual DJ and Mixxx have reverse-engineered quite a bit of the HID interface communications with the S4 which in turn, as you’ve already learned, let them introduce support for the device in their DJ software.
While all this is not exactly a disadvantage for the device itself, as it functions perfectly with Traktor Pro 4, you have to keep in mind that the S4 Mk3 is not able to speak the MIDI language, so in other terms, it cannot be remapped with any DJ software other than Traktor (and to some extent, Virtual DJ and Mixxx).
While native MIDI support is certainly something I would love to see on a future replacement for the S4 Mk3 (like it was present on previous Traktor devices), it’s also important to mention that the synergy of the device with the official Traktor software has not once left me wanting to switch to anything else. Just my two cents on that matter.
What’s Still Very Much Relevant
Feature-wise, the Traktor S4 Mk3 has aged surprisingly well. You still get a complete set of professional inputs and outputs, turntable and DVS support, motorized Haptic Drive jog wheels and two built-in displays. Traktor Pro 4 has also added built-in stem separation, flexible beatgrids, Pattern Player and Ozone Maximizer.
The main difference today is simply availability. Native Instruments no longer sells the S4 Mk3 directly, so remaining retailer stock and the second-hand market are now the main places to find one. Just remember not to confuse the Mk3 with the previous Mk1 and Mk2 models when buying used.
