Introducing The Traktor Kontrol Z1

Hot off the heels of this month's Traktor Kontrol Z2 discount offer from Native Instruments, the Traktor Kontrol Z1 portable mixer and interface has just been announced. The Traktor Kontrol Z1 is a compact two-channel mixer that works seamlessly with both the Traktor DJ App for portable and "on-the-go" mixing with the iPad, iPad mini, iPhone, or iPod Touch and the Traktor Pro/LE DJ software for desktop/laptop control. Check out the full press release, introduction video, and my thoughts after the jump.
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Hot off the heels of this month's Traktor Kontrol Z2 discount offer from Native Instruments, the Traktor Kontrol Z1 portable mixer and interface has just been announced. The Traktor Kontrol Z1 is a compact two-channel mixer that works seamlessly with both the Traktor DJ App for portable and "on-the-go" mixing with the iPad, iPad mini, iPhone, or iPod Touch and the Traktor Pro/LE DJ software for desktop/laptop control.

The Traktor Kontrol Z1 is pretty small in size, but is big on features that digital DJ's need for software control. The Z1 has two linefaders and crossfader for mixing and fading the music, while there are three band Full-Kill EQ's and Filters right where they should be. Inside the Z1 is a 24-bit DJ soundcard which has a headphone output for monitoring/cueing on the front and an RCA output on the back to connect to speakers. The Traktor Kontrol Z1 comes bundled with Traktor LE software so DJ's can start playing right out of the box on any computer. The Traktor Z1 makes for a great companion for those seeking a mixing solution for additional controllers like the X1 and F1 as seen in the video above.

The Traktor Kontrol Z1 also has perfect integration with the Traktor DJ App which allows users to control key portions of the mixing responsibilities on the new hardware, while still maintaining control over effects and playback on the i-device touchscreen. The Z1 comes with a 30-pin connector to connect to older gen Mac devices, while the newer devices will require a separately purchased Apple Lightning to 30-pin adapter for connectivity. The Traktor Kontrol Z1 also plugs into an outlet so that the iOS device also gets charged while in use!

This is a cool and exciting new device from Native Instruments and I'm sure lots of DJ's are going to love the portable design and the fact that it can be used with both the Traktor DJ App and with the full Traktor computer software. We'll be sure to get one in the DJbooth.net Lab for a Full Out HD-Video and written review as we always do, so be sure to watch this space for updates and developments... The street price will be $199 in the US and they'll be released to the public on July 3rd.

Those of you waiting for the four-channel Z4 mixer will have to wait a little bit more... Check out the full press release and links below for more information.

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