New controllers, lower prices, more choice...
Hercules practically had the game to itself at the bottom end of the digital DJing market until recently, but with these four models from big names like Numark, Vestax and American Audio, the bottom-end of the market just got congested.
Don’t expect professional build quality or top-end components here, but coming from named manufacturers, also don’t expect rubbish – these controllers carry many of the features of their grown-up brothers, but at a fraction of the price. Read on…
Numark Mixtrack
The Numark Mixtrack is a cheap, good-looking controller.
The compact, good-looking little Numark Mixtrack (US$149 / £128
A bit toy-like, it is nonetheless better laid out than the bottom-end Hercules controllers, and is undeniably good value for money. No built-in sound card though, so you’ll have to factor in buying a budget DJ card too. (Full Numark Mixtrack review here.)
Good if: You’re looking for value for money
Bad if: You can’t find, or don’t already have, a cheap-but-good-enough sound card
See it at: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk
Vestax Spin
The Vestax Spin is a neat little solution.
Inheriting the unique touch-sensitive jogwheels from the VCI-100 and 300, the attractive and portable Vestax Spin (US$249 / £205
With its built-in sound card and microphone input, and the simplicity of having full access to your iTunes playlists and folders to do your DJing from, plus some pretty good DJ effects, it’s a truly neat way of getting into digital DJing without any of the usual fuss. (Full Vestax Spin review here.)
Good if: You want to DJ easily in your living room at parties
Bad if: You want to do complex DJ moves (the software is limited)
See it at: Amazon.co.uk
American Audio VMS4
The American Audio VMS4 has dozens of controls and configurations.
Laden with buttons, inputs and outputs including a booth/master split, 4 channels that are switchable between analogue and digital, 2 microphone inputs, loads of MIDI-assignable controls, and enough extras to keep you mapping functions for weeks, the American Audio VMS4 (US$499 / £327 / €377) is a feature-laden controller and the most expensive among our 4.
It looks good too, with a reasonable build quality, and comes with the competent Virtual DJ 6 LE software and a built-in sound card. There’s a good review of it over on the excellent DJ TechTools blog.
Good if: You’re a geek looking for value.
Bad if: You want to just plug ‘n’ play.
See it at: Amazon.com, Thomann (UK & rest of Europe)
Vestax Typhoon
The Vestax Typhoon is a great little Traktor LE controller.
Like the Spin, the Vestax Typhoon (US$279 / £199
Like the American Audio VMS4, it uses Traktor LE, a perfectly usable stripped-down version of the popular DJ package in use by many professional digital DJs. (Full Vestax Typhoon review here.)
Good if: You want a bargain all-in-one Traktor LE solution
Bad if: You have a Windows AMD machine – it won’t work on it.
See it at: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk
Conclusion
If you want to do it professionally, get a professional controller. That said, if you want to dabble, these are a fantastic range of options. I can’t see any of them lasting you 5 years, like I hope my current controller, the Vestax VCI-300 will, but as a first digital controller, they’re all worth considering.
If you want to do it professionally, get a professional controller. That said, if you want to dabble, these are a fantastic range of options.
If you want to just “blend” music at parties and aren’t 100% serious about beatmixing etc (and don’t think you ever will be), the Vestax Spin looks great fun, and is the easiest of all of these to use too. The Numark Mixtrack would be great if it had a built in sound card, but even at it’s cheap price point is crippled without one to my eyes.
Of the two Traktor controllers, if you think you’ll be plugging in to all sorts of soundsystems and using decks and CDs too, go for the American Audio, but if not, the Typhoon is a great portable choice that you probably won’t outgrow for a couple of years at least.
What do you think? Are there any new controllers you’ve seen that you think should have been included? Have you just bought a controller you think is as good as any of the above? Let us know below.
Now go to:
DJ Midi Controllers: The Ultimate Buyer’s Guide 2011
New Denon DN-MC6000 DJ Mixer & Midi Controller Announced
Review: Numark Mixtrack DJ Controller
Choosing a Digital DJing Controller
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Tags: American Audio VMS4, DJ controller reviews, dj controllers, djay, Numark Mixtrack, Traktor LE, Vestax Spin, Vestax Typhoon, Virtual DJ 6 LE
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Thanks for mentioning the American Audio VMS4, I wasn’t aware of it, but it looks like it would fit my needs perfectly.
I do however have a hard time justifying the money it costs, considering I already have a Behringer BCD3000. The 4 deck controls look cool though, and it’s much cheaper than the XONE:DX…
[ link ]Looks like you just did a good job of justifying it! I’ve not had a chance to get my hands on one yet, but it’s all down to the build quality I’d say – on the face of it it looks quite good, but Ean Golden reckons the jogwheels are a bit iffy. If it’s built well I’d say it’s pretty good value for what you get.
[ link ]hey mate,is there a difference between the vms4 and the vms4T as in,if i buy the vms4 and have all uptodate traktor software already would there be any need for the vms4T? im totally new to all this so any help would be appreciated!!!!! thanks!!!
[ link ]Don’t know as have never got to see the VMS4T – hoping for a review model soon.
[ link ]Don’t forget the Reloop Digital Jockey 2 “Master Edition”: It has a lot of nifty features and reasonable build quality.
[ link ]Found this vid of the Spin with the djay software in a club: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je94NuZrroM
[ link ]Looks pretty legit.
Thanks for the round-up.
I would say that the VMS4 might be a bit out of the league of this “budget” round-up of controllers, essentially because it’s a $500 controller, which places it at the same league of the VCI-100 that in no way can be considered “budget”.
Definitely your final decision will have a lot to do weather you already have an ASIO capable soundcard (either internal or external), and the “cost factor” around this should be placed at $99, which represents the cost of a good external DJ-oriented sound card like the NI Audio 2DJ ($99 value).
In my case (I already own an ESI Maya44 sound card) the Numark Mixtrack made the more sense for these reasons: I don’t need a sound card, the Mixtrack has great jog-wheels and lots of controls, and the controls are “naturally placed”. Vestax’s options look appealing, but those slider-based-EQs made things unnaturallly different than a real mixer or other knobs-based controllers (like my x-session pro).
My Mixtrack has not yet arrived (ordered a couple of days ago), I’ll let you all know by then.
[ link ]I’m really interested to get your thoughts on the Mixtrack when you get it – it’s a good-looking little unit from a respected manufacturer.
I agree about the slider EQs on the Vestax units. Wonder if you’d get used to them? They’d actually maybe be good for quick kills – better than rotary possibly.
Anyway, please get back in touch with your thoughts on the Mixtrack when you’ve had a play.
[ link ]Numark Mixtrack DJ
im like a total beginner and don’t know anything about DJ yet but always listen to electronica/house genre.
is numark going to do for me ??
[ link ]Yes it looks like a good beginner’s piece of kit, but you’ll need to factor in buying a DJ soundcard too as this controller doesn’t have one built-in, unlike the others in this overview – Numark has a suitable model here: http://www.numark.com/djio
Also and double check the computer you wish to use with has a good enough spec – go and look at http://www.numark.com/mixtrack to check the minimum requirements.
And don’t forget a pair of headphones!
[ link ]thx ummm is there like a mixer from above that i can buy that has soundcard because it seems like it gets expensive with the card..so im looking to spend around 200-250 at max for to begin with so help !! thx man
[ link ]Yup, go for the Vestax Typhoon or the Vestax Spin, depending on which bundled software you like the look of best (if it were me I’d go for the Typhoon as I’d prefer Traktor LE over djay software). I feel this is a great value controller and if I were in your position I’d definitely go for it! You may even have some change which I’d spend on as good a pair of DJ headphones as I could find.
[ link ]it says it doesn’t work on windows…but can i use any apple laptop…i hav to get laptop too so….
[ link ]The Typhoon works on Windows. There’s also the advantage that if you decide you don’t like Traktor LE, you can map it to Virtual DJ (the software I’d recommend to beginners) pretty easily – there’s lots of help for that over on the virtual DJ forum.
Here’s a link to the Typhoon on the Vestax site:
http://www.vestax.com/v/products/detail.php?cate_id=115
[ link ]hey what do you think about the Hercules MK2, is do u think I can start with this it’s in my budget thx man
[ link ]The best budget controller I’m currently recommending is the Vestax Mixtrack + a budget soundcard, or the Vestax Typhoon. I think anyone would outgrow the Hercules very quickly. However, it does much the more expensive controllers do, so if it’s all you can afford and you just want to dabble, go for it!
[ link ]totally going for typhoon after lots of research + ur recommend !!!!!
what’s the beginner’s technic that i should practice including beat matching
[ link ]Getting so many requests for beginner’s tutorials on here that I am going to work on one. Hopefully be something to see by the time your Typhoon arrives! Good choice, by the way
[ link ]thx so much u ROCK… im just like trying the beat matching …..and listening to alot of electronic which is my favoritessssssss and getting used to beAT !!!!
[ link ]In my opinion the Numark Mixtrack seems like a better option. Coming in at $150, although it doesn’t have a sound card you can purchase the excellent Native Instrument’s Audio Dj 2 which only costs $100 leaving the total price at $250, which is $50 less which could be added to the money you would spend on getting ok headphones to upgrading to good headphones. Plus those big jog wheels look like fun.
[ link ]Hey thanks for the great reviews. Your info is the most up to date and for a beginner digital DJ your website is the best resource I’ve found so far!
I’m getting my hands on a controller in about a month or so and I’m choosing between the Spin and Mixtrack (but leaning towards the latter). The djay program doesn’t impress me so much and I’m happier starting off with Traktor LE I feel. Also, I’m a student, so I’m hoping to get as much bang for the buck (for as long as possible) until I outgrow what I have and want to move on to something else.
Also, please do tutorials if you can. That would be incredibly helpful!
[ link ]Nice reviews,I’ve been DJ’ing for several years but have got rid of my vinyl decks and looking to go digital,after lots of research I’m thinking the Vestax Typhoon is the way to go!
[ link ]hey again …i was short on budget so im looking for this
Behringer BCD3000 dj mixer
http://london.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-musical-instruments-pro-audio-recording-equip-Behringer-BCD3000-dj-mixer-W0QQAdIdZ225608006
only 100$ and i can buy right a way….what do u think?
it seems like i don’t need extra of anything to use this
thx for help
[ link ]Quick question. What would you recommend buying a NI 4 channel usb sound card or the typhoon. I currently use Virtual DJ. My main concern is the audio quality! Thanks.
[ link ]To Edgar: You’ll probably get better sound quality with the Mixtrack + NI soundcard than with the Typhoon, although if it were me I would trust the sound quality from the Typhoon to be good enough – I’ve not really heard a bad sound card in a DJ controller yet.
[ link ]nice reviews man,
ive got a macbook pro
the vestax spin? or the numark mixtrack?
i want to spend 300 bucks. wich one would u recommend?
greetz
[ link ]I use a Hercules rmx for live gigs best controller ever.These new toys are nice but look cheap and like they will feel that way also.The vms4 is a nice looking piece of kit.Eventually your gonna want something like the vms4 because as you get better your gonna want more control.Its best to spend the money now you will be happier later.I spin alot of house and stuff and ocassionaly do the bar room and you cant got wrong with a hercules it has some issues but it gets the job done.
[ link ]I wonder if anyone in this group has had any issues with the Hercules MK 4 …it works great sounds ok ..the issue I am having with it is the mic on /off talk button…I get hum so bad when I try and use it’s crazy when you try and talk it pops.The tech support give me a whole list of things to do ..after 5 laptop 1 desk top …new usb cables driver downloads changing sitting on my laptops unhooking this unhooking that and samething …I have to plug the outs of the mk4 into my mixing board to use the mic on the board.I was trying to save money should have just got the Typhoon.
[ link ]Not heard of that issue before… the only Hercules controllers that we’d recommend for pro use would be the RMX, the Steel and the 4-Mx.
[ link ]hi how are you finally i got bcd 3000 for 50 dollars but i didn’t get to check headphone plug and i think it is not working b/c as soon as i bought it his phone number is not picking up,..i know where he lives and stuff….but anywho ….what do i do if the headphone jack in bcd 3000 doesn’t work???
[ link ]I have been learning the ropes with a Numark M1USB mixer, now it’s time to move on. I like the look of the American Audio VMS4, however the linked review’s comment about the output is a worry. A VCI300 is a bit more than I want to pay, what do you think of the VCI100?
I use a Macbook Pro with Traktor Pro.
[ link ]VCI-100 is a fantastic controller, about to be superseded by the VCI-100 MkII. Personally I think the latter is marvellous – four decks, built in high quality sound card etc. Why not wait for that?
[ link ]Thanks Phil,I think that’s ‘the one’!
Cheers
[ link ]Can’t believe the VCI100 MkII is plastic!!!
I’m now swinging back to a Mixtrack, I know there is a pro of this coming too, but the sound card is not a major biggy as I’m going to get a NI Kontrol 1 for some bedroom logic stuff anyway. Not ideal lugging this to gigs too but I’m guessing this would do the job.
What do you think?
[ link ]The VCI-100 MkII is better built than the Mixtrack. Yes it’s plastic but so what? It’s well made and lighter than the original VCI… I prefer it.
[ link ]Thanks for the reassurance, I saw a review on youtube of the VCI-100MkII and some of the comments about the plastic put me off a bit. I agree it does look awesome though!
I’ll post what I do.
Great site to help with these tough decisions!
[ link ]Hi Phil!
I can’t decide between Vestax Typhoon and Numark Mixtrack Pro…which one would you recomend?
thanks for those reviews.keep up the good work!
[ link ]In your bad if for the Vestax Typhoon, it says that it doesn’t work with AMD CPUs. Well, both serato and vestax have a deal with intel, so you’ll find the intel logo all over both of their sites, and they get a percentage of intel’s profit. They try to get more people to switch over to intel by saying their hardware doesn’t work with AMD CPUs, but it does work.
[ link ]To Fido: The Typhoon is smaller and more expensive than the Mixtrack Pro. It also comes with Traktor LE whereas the Mixtrack Pro comes with Virtual DJ LE. It depends what software you prefer (you can download trials of both to have a look), how important size is to you and what deal you can get. They’re both good controllers.
[ link ]Hi Phil,
I know Vestax says it wont support AMD processors. I’m interested in the Vestax 100-MK2, but I have an AMD dual core processor. Will the Vestax really not work with my laptop? Is there a way around it? If not, is there a few controllers (w/sound cards built in) that you would recommend for AMD processors?
Also, is the Vestax 100-MK2 a good choice to hook up to club system? What recommendations do you have for controllers that can hook up to club systems?
Thanks!
[ link ]Numark Mixtrack Pro is a good entry-level controller with built-in soundcard. Vestax VCI100 Mk 2 would be a great controller to hook up to a club sound system. I’m not sure if there’s a way around the AMD problem though. Look at our Mid controllers buyers guide for more info.
[ link ]Is the Numark IDJ3 the only controller that works well with iTunes on an Intel based PC?
[ link ]delroy: Don’t understand what you’re asking. There is no interaction between iTunes and any DJ controllers.
[ link ]phil would you recommend the bcd3000 and do you know if it has a sound card built in unlike the numark mixtrack…
[ link ]Hi Martin, the BCD 3000 is outdated now especially in the jogwheel department, and I would recommend the Mixtrack Pro if you want a modern controller with a built in sound card for 100% digital DJing.
[ link ]The BCD 3000 has a built in soundcard like the Mixtrack Pro- the BCD3000 also has 2 inputs, the Mixtrack Pro has no inputs for connecting external turntable/cd player etc. mixtrack pro has better jog wheels, bcd has inputs- if you input a turntable then who cares how great the jog wheels are? you can do all the complex scratches on a real turntable connected via input on the bcd 3000
[ link ]Don’t really see your point here.
[ link ]Hi, good stuff that was the 2 controllers I was looking at. Just need to make sure I can update my laptop from intel celeron to pentium 4 as thats the minimum requirements I think?
Thanks!
[ link ]I’ve been looking around for a while for a controller and I’m stuck between the Mixtrack Pro and a few others. One of them is the Gemini Ctrl Six…Anyone have any thoughts about this controller? It seems pretty nice, but maybe cheaply made or something, I can’t tell…
[ link ]On paper it looks good.. try and get it from somewhere where you can return it if it’s not quite what you’re looking for.
[ link ]Hi, could you tell me what you would prefer between the Reloop Digital Jockey 2 Master Edition and the VMS4? have you got your hands on these two? plus i read in the comments above, that you need an ASIO capable soundcard to use the reloop and the VMS4..but they have built in soundcards, so my PC soundcard wouldnt really be needed..could you explain it shortly? thnx!!
[ link ]They’re different, neither is better – compare the features is my advice. However, you’re right in thinking you don’t need a sound card for either, as they both have built-in sound cards.
[ link ]Hello Phill,
I am in the process of buying a new controller. I had the numark mixtrack before with vdj, and I was getting tired of borrowing a soundcard from others so I am in the process of choosing between the Vextex Typhoon that comes with Tracktor LE or the Numark Mixtrack Pro that comes with VDJ.
Any suggestions on which one to pick?
[ link ]Simple – if you want to stick with VDJ, go for the Pro, if you’d like to switch to Traktor, the Typhoon is a good basic controller, although consider the Mixage too.
[ link ]hey what’s up?
John here again:)
thx for advice on the bcd 3000. i have it, but i am kinda sick of it.
i will practice more with it but i am looking for buying new one soon.
here are two that used.
Gemini CDJ – 210 + mixer for 400 bucks canadian.
http://london.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-electronics-Gemini-DJ-System-Gemini-CDJ-210-x-2-Gemini-PS-626x-Mixer-W0QQAdIdZ300025880
OR
Numark Mixdeck Black version for 500 bucks.
http://london.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-electronics-Numark-MixDeck-black-Mix-Deck-W0QQAdIdZ301621583
PLEASE HELP
Thanks
[ link ]You’d be best off posting this stuff over on the forum as old posts don’t really get read that often… http://www.digitaldjtips.com/forum
[ link ]Hello that such
What do you recommend in terms of quality between Numarck Vestax MIXTRACK Spin or Pro?
The Spin selling me here in Mexico are Veracruz being accurate in pesos $ 350 $ 4200 dollars is about my face made me a little what you think?
And even pro mictrack not available, they will try to conseguirmela but there vere and compare prices, what interests me besides the price is quality.
What do you recommend considering the quality of the two?
Does the spin that is so compatible with virtual dj?
Thanks for your attention.
——————————————————————-
Hola que tal
¿cuál me recomiendan en cuanto a calidad entre la Vestax Spin o la Numarck Mixtrack Pro?
La Spin me la estan vendiendo aqui en Mexico Veracruz siendo exacto, en $4200 pesos $350 dolares aproximadamente a mi se me hizo un poco cara ¿que opinan?
Y la mictrack pro aun no la encuentro disponible , van a tratar de conseguirmela pero ahi vere y comparare precios, lo que me interesa además del precio es su calidad.
¿cuál me recomiendad ustedes considerando la calidad de las dos?
¿la spin que tan compatible es con virtual dj?
gracias por su atención.
[ link ]They’re both good – Spin is more expensive for what it is compared to the Mixtrack Pro, so if you can find the Mixtrack it will probably be better value. Neither are “pro”, but both will last well.
[ link ]Gracias Phil
Me surge otra duda en cuanto a calidad
¿Cuál me recomiendas basandonos en calidad?
Muchas gracias por tu atención.
[ link ]Thanks Phil
I raised another question in terms of quality
What would you recommend based on quality?
Thank you very much for your attention.
[ link ]Neither are pro units and the Mixtrack is the plastickier of the two, but they are both well enough built.
[ link ]hey phil since you are here can you answer my question…noone was answering me there:(
[ link ]I’m starting out DJing and I’m fighting myself to get the Numark Mixtrack or the Gemini CTRL-one, I really like what Ive been seeing in the Gemini and Traktor LE, but Numark seems to be the favorite among most. Which way should I go, why or why not? Oh yeah I like the auto-beat-matching with Gemini as well, since I’m new to spinning, I think that would be a huge help for me starting out. Thanks for all positive input. Torn between the two…
[ link ]Both have auto beat matching. Both are good, but the Numark is more popular.
[ link ]