Allen&Heath Xone:K2 - A closer look
In this review:
A bit of History
For a long time the Allen & Heath controller Xone:1D was, at least here in Europe, a kind of controller standard for a lot of DJs using Traktor. This came as no surprise: the build quality was solid, the 1D offered a lot of controls, and the controller layout was the same as the one Allen & Heath used for the controller section of their groundbreaking Xone:3D (and for the Xone:4D that later replaced Xone:3D). Using a consistent layout made it easy to switch those devices.
Furthermore, the height and depth of the Xone:1D was the same as for all of the A&H club mixers (the ones with and without a soundcard), leading to a very aesthetically pleasing view of the whole setup.
Things changed once Native Instruments introduced the Kontrol X1, the first controller designed by the company behind Traktor.
The Kontrol X1 offered some advantages compared to the Xone:1D. It was smaller and lighter, which meant it was easier to transport. Furthermore, all buttons on the X1 were backlit LED buttons, providing more visual feedback about the current state of the Traktor software. And finally, the X1 was a plug-and-play controller: once you connected it to your computer, Traktor would detect it and load the standard mapping for the X1.
The Kontrol X1 took over the market and it is safe to say that it became the #1 Traktor controller in this price bracket.
BPM Show, Birmingham – October 1, 2011
This day changed the world of the DJ controller market. At the BPM Show in Birmingham Allen & Heath showed the Xone:K2 for the first time. The K2 was a big surprise for everybody we spoke to during the show. Everybody had expected to see the Xone:DB2 there, as early this year information about its existence was leaked on some websites.
Aside from the DB2, the K2 was the best kept secret. Only a short teaser video of the K2 was released just a few days before BPM show, but nobody could really make a out what kind of product would be eventually be announced.
When we saw the K2 we both wondered, was this designed to end the market dominance of the Kontrol X1?
A quick Compare of Kontrol X1 and Xone:K2
Anyway, let’s start anyway with a quick comparison chart of the Kontrol X1 and the Xone:K2.
| Feature | Kontrol X1 | Xone:K2 |
| Push Encoder, endless | 4 | 6 |
| Status LEDs for Push Encoders | – | 4 |
| Knobs | 8 | 12 |
| Fader | – | 4 |
| Normal Buttons | 28 | 28 |
| Layer/Switch Buttons | 2 | 2 |
| Audio Interface | – | 4 Channels, 16 Bit,
44.1 and 48 kHz |
Case, that can be used as a stand to
lift the controller to mixer level |
must be purchased
separatly | included |
| Connector for second controller | – | yes, via X:LINK |
Approx street price (for X1 including
the bag and a Traktor Audio 2
4 channel audio interface) | approx 300 Euro
approx 265 GBP | approx 240 Euro
approx 210
GBP |
Let’s have a closer look at some of the features of the K2.
Design and Build Quality
Anyone that has ever opened a Xone device knows, that the standard A&H design uses circuit boards that are mounted vertically in the case. The K2 is the first A&H device with flat boards, meaning they went back to the drawing board and redesigned everything from fresh.
To make the controller as light as possible they use a plastic housing. However, to make the controller as solid as possible, the top plate is made from metal.
Additionally the encoders and knobs are mounted with screw nuts to the top plate, which makes them very solid. This design puts much less stress onto the circuit board inside the K2. X1 users have said, that the knobs become a bit wobbly after they have used the controller for some time. We cannot see this happening with the K2. Of course nobody outside of Allen & Heath has been able to use the K2 for a long period of time, so this is just conjecture for the time being.
Encoders
on Kontrol X1,
no screw nuts Screw
nuts below the encoders of Xone:K2
Even the buttons are incredibly receptive and quite flush to the unit so there is no jelly wobble at all.
Mapping Layers
The Xone:K2 offers three different mapping layers that can be activated by using the Layer button at the bottom of the controller. Each mapping layer has its own colour for the buttons and the encoder status indicator (green, red, amber), which makes it easy to see, which layer is currently active.
Having a controller with different mapping layers is not that original. We see this a lot. However, the innovative part of the layer design is what Allen & Heath calls
"latching layers". You can assign the different sections of the controller to any layer so when you switch a layer you can keep any section the same as the previous layer and the buttons will stay the same colour as the previous layer so you can see you are using mixed layers. Additionally, there is a Shift button which then takes it into another level.
The layer configuration can be done directly from the controller by using some of the controls in the lower part of the K2; no additionally software is needed. (The MIDI channel that the K2 shall use can be configured the same way.)
Connectivity
The Xone:K2 is connected via USB to the computer. If you wish to use a second K2, you simply connect it with a standard Ethernet cable to the X:LINK ports (standard RJ45 connectors) of the first controller. The X:LINK ports transports the MIDI data and it provides the power for the second device. Being able to use two controllers by using only one USB port of your computer is another feature that makes the K2 a unique controller.
By using X:LINK you will be able to create some really advanced setups. Let’s assume you want to DJ with two mates (=three DJs) and you want to MIDI sync all three Traktor systems. Your configuration would be as shown in the following figure:
The MIDI clock data would be sent and received in Traktor via the USB connection and the X:LINK connection will be used to transport the clock between the two controllers of laptop 1 and laptop 2. This is the complete route for the MIDI clock data:
- Laptop 1 is clock master only, sends clock to K2.1 via USB, Laptop1.K2.1 send clock to Laptop1.K2.2 via X:LINK
- Laptop 2 is clock slave and passing through, gets master clock from Laptop1.K2.2 via USB, passes MIDI clock to Laptop2.K2.1 via USB which passes it through to Laptop2.K2.2 via X:LINK
- Laptop 3 is clock slave only, gets master clock from Laptop2.K2.2 via USB
Maybe this scenario is not one that would be commonly used, but it is another example of the forward thinking architecture of X:LINK and the Xone:K2.
The current implementation of X:LINK allows the connection of two controllers. In internal tests the Allen&Heath guys have successfully linked four controllers together.
However, the X:LINK specfication will development further and in future it should be possible to have up to eight units working together. We assume (without being able to tell any details), that there will be more X:LINK connectable controllers coming.
Traktor Beginners and Advanced Users
This controller is great for beginners and for advanced users to. Maybe the advantage of Traktor Kontrol X1 is, that Traktor automatically loads the default mapping for the controller (what Traktor calls auto configuration). I don’t see this happen for the K2. But, the K2 will ship with some default mappings, and importing them can be with by a few clicks. This is not a complicated process and every beginner should be able handle them (there are some step-by-step tutorials here on the site).
All advanced users will be happy that the K2 provides more controls than the Kontrol X1 has to offer. This allows creating better and more advanced mappings. The strength of Traktor was and is, that it contains more than 200 mapping commands that allow you to customize your controller just the way you need it. Having more controls at your disposal simply allows for creating more powerful mappings.
We saw some demo Traktor overlays during BPM show (one duplicating the standard X1 mapping, and another one to control the sample decks).
As far as we know there will be no overlays in the box. The problem is, that it is almost impossible to create mappings that everyone will like. For the two mappings made by Allen & Heath (X1 clone and Sample Decks) you will be able to download the overlay artwork in Adobe Illustrator format, allowing you to make changes as required and then have your personal overlay printed. Styleflip (www.styleflip.com) already has the technical drawings for the Xone:K2 and you will be able to order your totally customized overlay there.
Let’s see what you can do with the K2 and how it fits into different setups. All setups outlined in the following sections use a maximum of two USB ports only.
Setup with one Xone:K2 and one Kontrol X1
Traktor users that already have a Kontrol X1, can extend their configuration by one Xone:K2 to get quite a good internal mixing mode setup. Here the sound card of the Xone:K2 would be used.
Due to the four faders on the K2 it is well suited to mix internally. You could map the 12 knobs to a 3 band equalizer for four decks, use the faders to set the decks volume, and use the encoders and buttons for loop control, for transport control or to trigger samples in the sample decks.
In this setup you could use the Kontrol X1 to control two FX units and the hotcues of two decks, for example.
One Xone:K2 as an alternative for Traktor Kontrol S2
If you need a really portable DJ solution and if you do not need any form of jogwheel, the Xone:K2 can be an alternative for Traktor Kontrol S2. Thanks to the integrated four channel audio interface a laptop and one K2 would be all you need, maybe for a bar gig or if you only need two track decks and the sample decks. Connect the two RCA outputs to the sound system of the venue and connect your headphones to the headphones socket at the front of the K2.
With some clever mapping it is possible to use only two of the three available mapping layers and have even more control of the Traktor software than you would have with an S2. If you do not like layered mappings, add a second K2 to get even more control for a 2.1 setup (two track decks, and the sample decks).
Two Xone:K2 an alternative for Traktor Kontrol S4
If you do not use timecode and if your workflow does not need the jogwheel, then two Xone:K2 can replace the S4 and allow control of either a full four track deck setup or a configuration with two track decks and two sample decks. You would only use one of the controllers’ audio interfaces in internal mixing mode in Traktor.
Xone:K2 as an Add-on controller for Traktor
Kontrol S2/S4 or similar controllers
If you already own either a Traktor Kontrol S2 or Traktor Kontrol S4, if you feel limited by the default mapping, and if want to add another controller to your setup to get better control over the sample decks for example, the Xone:K2 is a perfect companion.
The big advantage here (especially for Mac users who need to live with the two USB port limitation on the MacBook Air and the 13 and 15 inch MacBook Pro) is, that you can add a second Xone:K2 and still have a setup where no USB hub is needed.
Xone:K2 as an controller in a external mixer mode setup
If you are using any external mixer (without an X:LINK port, see next section), you will need an external audio interface. On a Mac you can use audio device aggregation to combine the soundcards of both controllers to get four stereo channels. In the case that you wish to add a DJ mixer to your setup, you can (on the Mac) aggregate the audio interfaces of both controllers, giving you 8 mono channels in total: sufficient to use Traktor in external mixer mode with a four channel mixer. For this configuration each Xone:K2 needs to be connected to your laptop, as X:LINK does not transport the audio from one device to another.
If you wish to use another audio interface, maybe the Traktor Audio 10 (as it allows you to use timecode), two USB ports are still enough: one to connect the Traktor Audio 10, and the second one to connect two Xone:K2.
Xone:K2 as an controller with the Xone:DB2 or Xone:DB4
When the Xone:DB4 was announced last year a lot DJs were wondering, why the DB4 had an Ethernet port labelled X:LINK. It took one year until the answer was finally known with the announcement of the Xone:K2. If you are using either the DB2 or DB4 you can connect two Xone:K2 via X:LINK to the mixer; neither of the controllers need a USB connection. They get their power via X:LINK and Traktor will see the MIDI part of the DB2/DB4 and the two Xone:K2 as one device. Setup different MIDI channels for the three MIDI device so that there is no conflict.
If you wish to use the DB4 or DB2 with timecode, there is still one of two USB ports free and you can connect your Traktor Audio 10 to the second port, to get timecode support (for as long as Xone:DB4 or Xone:DB2 do not receive Traktor Scratch certification by Native Instruments).
The Xone:K2 should be in the stores starting January 2012. We anticipate exciting times ahead in the DJ controller market in 2012. How well will the Xone:K2 fare in this market? We believe very well. This begs the question, will Native Instruments have an answer to the Xone:K2?
You may also like: The Latching Layers System of the Xone:K2
Authors: Karl Yates, Rainer G: Haselier
Published and updated: October 12, 2011