Native Instruments Traktor Z1 MK2 review: A massive upgrade – but does it go far enough?£214, native-instruments.com
In my review of Native’s Traktor X1 MK3 controller, I note that the company has steered away from developing larger hardware units in favour of more compact ones. Its latest is an updated Z1 controller – the MK2 – that complements the X1 and also the F1, with each having its own specific focus in terms of performing with the brand’s Traktor DJ software. The Z1 is the one to get for mixing – though there is a little more to it than that.

READ MORE: Is Native Instruments’ Traktor X1 MK3 the new go-to controller for the vast majority of DJs?

Where the X1 has playback controls in abundance along with some mixing capabilities, the Z1 is much more of a classic club-style mixer with proper volume faders and a crossfader. It shares the X1’s underside colour lighting system which here too can be customised in Traktor’s preferences and used to give you visual feedback. The Z1 powers over USB and also works as an up-to-96 kHz audio interface so it’s an incredibly portable way to plug your Traktor setup into any sound system.
The Z1 uses a USB-B to USB-A cable to connect to a computer. Again, I’d flag this as an issue. Not including a USB-C cable in the box will mean virtually all Mac users need to use an adapter. While the unit’s price is reasonable it feels like there could have been an extra cable thrown in. The rear panel features stereo RCA outputs (a standard connection in DJ world) as well as a 3.5 mm main output, plus a 3.5 mm headphone out on the front edge. Space will have been the limiting factor here, with the larger 6.3 mm headphone format likely omitted for that reason.
Image: Press
The unit is class compliant meaning you don’t need any special drivers and Traktor recognises it right away so you’re getting audio out to your speakers, desk, PA and headphones in no time. A microphone input could have been something to include though again, likely space and power requirements were a factor as there’s no option to power the Z1 from a separate power supply.
There’s a lot that’s new since the original Z1. The list starts with the ability to control volume and effects on all four of Traktor’s decks by using a key press to flip between decks AB and CD. Unlike the X1 this is seamless and doesn’t require any rebooting. The Z1’s default mode is to control EQ and filter for the selected deck, with hi, mid and lo knobs followed by a filter control knob on the left and right sides of the control surface. Visual feedback is via the small yet detailed OLED displays that offer an impressive range of information for their size, animating dynamically according to your actions.
The controller’s second mode is Stem control mode, activated using the Stem button at the top of either side. When switched on and with a Stem track loaded into a deck the knobs change function to control the level of each of the four stems in that track. It’s fun playing around with Stems generally and here the ability to live mix them essentially expands your mixing setup to up to 16 Stems across the four decks. In the more likely event that you’re just using one or two Stem decks along with regular stereo decks it’s still a really creative way to bring drums, vocals and more in and out on the fly with just a few hardware movements, elevating any performance.
Image: Press
Another big new feature is mixer effects control, available using the four FX buttons and the FX On/Off buttons and variable knobs. Simply press buttons 1-4 to activate an effect in a deck and use the knob to change its mix value. In Traktor’s preferences, change the effects assigned to slots to the ones you use most often. Control of effects isn’t as comprehensive as on the X1 which lets you dig into individual parameters. Here it’s really just effects levels, but it’s still a welcome addition to be able to access this from the hardware. The Z1 can be switched into MIDI mode but like the X1, is limited to standard MIDI learn-based assignment in the software you connect it to. Still, it’s handy to have the option. You can switch between MIDI and Traktor mode by using Shift + the Mode button.
The faders feel slick and dynamic as you’d hope from a company with this kind of DJ pedigree and have just the right mixture of fluidity and resistance. There’s a ‘soft pickup’ feature too where you’ll be told when you’ve selected a value that doesn’t match a fader’s current position and need to move the fader to pick up the value, avoiding nasty surprises. All the monitoring controls you need are located up the centre, with deck gain, headphone pre-fader listen buttons, headphone volume and mix and master gains easily accessible.
The Z1 MK2 is a fine mixer but in truth, it really makes the most sense when paired with an X1 since you’re not going to want to move back to your computer keys to browse, load and loop tracks, things that the Z1 can’t do. It can play decks and by customising controls in software it can perform other actions like sync and cue but these are relatively limited, and often triggered via Shift+press. The Filter select button can be set to act as a global shift button but there is no dedicated button just for this as there is on the X1. You can customise the shift layer controls in the Z1 Mk2 preferences pane, though.
Image: Press
While you don’t absolutely need to add an X1, most DJs will want that control over browsing, loading, looping and the other things that make the Traktor platform so powerful. If you get both your costs are approaching £500. This is significantly more than the larger, £309 S2 which has features including twin jog wheels, though not all the in-depth effects control of the X1.
The prime reason to go with the Z1 – or indeed a combo with the X1 – is the incredible portability. While the S2 is marketed as portable it’s not close to these lightweight units for sheer use-anywhere convenience. Consider also that with the Z1 you’re getting a capable audio interface that you’d need to add otherwise and it doesn’t seem quite as steep. There are also a bunch of third-party DJ controllers that are compatible with Traktor so you’re not limited to pairing the Z1 with a Native Instruments unit, if that’s something that appeals.
The Z1 MK2 seems – for now at least – to complete the Traktor controller family. With an emphasis firmly on live mixing, it makes a decent fist of providing hands-on effect controls for dynamic performances. As a concept, it’s slick and hyper-portable. You’ll likely want to pair it with an X1 though, the combination giving you a superb performance setup you can throw in a backpack and play anywhere.

Key features

Audio interface/controller for DJs
USB power and audio
4-deck control
Effects control
Live mixing of Stems
Extensive monitoring options
Underside lighting
Configure buttons in software
Comes with Traktor Pro 4
Hands-on control of filters and EQ
Crossfader and VU meters

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