The Namba Juju Magic DJ controller bag
Some of today’s DJ controllers aren’t exactly small, and getting them to and from your gigs safely can present a bit of a challenge. We’ve already looked at the Lil Namba Remix DJ backpack, which is great if you have one of the smaller controllers, but what if you have something that won’t fit in a backpack?
Your choice has traditionally been to use a hard wooden / metal flight case, but the trouble is that a flight case can weigh many times more than your controller itself, which in a way defeats the object. That’s where the Namba Juju “Magic” DJ controller bag comes in. Lightweight and with some clever features, it offer a novel solution for owners of DJ controllers of the medium or large variety.
First impressions
The bag is boxy, looking like a cross between a fabric suitcase and an oversized back pack. It is attractive (the review sample was grey and bright red), and the internal padding is substantial. There’s a large pocket on the front with a smaller zip pocket across the front of that. There’s also another zip pocket across the back, which would be a good place to store straps that you didn’t want to use.
Straps? Yup, it comes with a good choice of those. Apart from a handle (in the same place you’d expect to see a handle if it were a suitcase) there are two backpack style carrying straps, and also a shoulder strap, all of which are adjustable.
It's plenty big enough to swallow up the Numark NS6, the biggest DJ controller we currently have in the office.
On the “bottoms” (the parts that would touch the ground were you to put it down vertically – backpack style – or horizontally – suitcase style) are large sewn-on knobbly rubber-style pads to keep the fabric off wet pavements and the like.
Inside the bright red interior there’s one well-padded single compartment, with a thin net across half of the underside of the lid, and a pair of nylon straps similar to those you’d find in a suitcase, the latter being designed to keep the contents securely in place.
The bag comes with three padded rectangular cube-like attachments with velcro on two sides of them. These can be attached in one of two ways (width ways or lengthways) to velcro on the walls of the main compartment, effectively altering the size of the internal space quite substantially.
In use
The blocks are the real genius of this design. With them, you can carefully pack your controller in the safest position, no matter its exact size. I tried the bag with the Traktor Kontrol S4, the Vestax VCI-400 and the Numark NS6, and could get them all to fit snugly (see photos).
What’s more, even with controllers where you don’t need all the blocks (like the Numark NS6, which is very wide), the “extra” blocks are great to use for packaging to help ensure a snug fit. Using them, you could create “protected” internal space for headphones, cables etc, knowing that the chances of everything in there getting squashed are slim.
With the Traktor Kontrol S4: Notice how the velcro pads are used to keep the unit snug.
The front compartment is the perfect size for a 15″ or 17″ laptop, although my smaller laptop rattled around in there.
One thing that could be improved are the velcro straps internally. They are intended to run across the bag, but the way they are adjustable means you can’t get them tight enough on your gear. It wouldn’t matter with really large gear that filled the bag to its limits, but anything less than that in size and they are ineffective unless you attach them diagonally, which is what I did.
The nylon carry hand has vinyl-coated padding on it for comfort, which while not the most luxurious in the world does the job. The padded backpack straps are surprisingly comfortable, as is the shoulder strap. They’d be no issues carrying reasonably heavy gear a distance with this on your back.
Conclusion
This bag was plainly designed to do a job. There is a shortage of good bags for carrying oversized gear, and the issue with such bags is that if you don’t have one that fits your particular combination of gear perfectly, your gear is going to rattle around inside there, not getting the protection it needs.
The laptop pocket is great for bigger models, although out 13" rattled around in there a bit.
As you can see from the pictures, I managed to get a good fit for the controllers I mentioned in the intro, although I think it’s best suited to something like the NS6. Some of the other controllers, while they fit fine, would also fit in smaller bags and thus be easier to transport.
Of course, the best bag for any piece of gear is going to be one that fits it perfectly, but saving that, something like this is an excellent all-rounder. What’s more, with a bit of ingenuity it could serve you just as well as your DJ set-up changes over the years, plus if you have an extra piece of gear (audio interface, sampler etc) to fit in as well as your controller, it’d be more possible to do so in here than in a custom bag.
So it’s attractive, well made, and fills a niche in the market for a bag to carry oversized kit. If that’s what you’re looking for, the Namba JuJu has got you – and your gear – covered.
• Want to see more pictures? See our Namba Juju “Magic” DJ bag photos on Facebook.
Summary
We like:
- Fills a definite gap in the market for a larger-gear all-rounder
- As attractive as a big boxy bag can be
- The supplied velcro padding is a clever addition
We don’t like:
- Internal nylon straps hard to get tight enough
Star ratings:
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Product details:
Size: 26.5 x 17.5 x 5″ (673 x 444 x 127mm)
Price: US$149
Buy from: Namba website
What do you think?
Do you have a larger controller or particularly heavy/bulky DJ gear? What solution do you prefer for getting it to/from gigs? Let us know your thoughts on this Namba bag and gig transportation solutions in general in the comments.
Now go to:
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Tags: DJ backpacks, dj bags, flight cases, namba
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Seems like a pretty solid option and alternative to a 30 lb flight case for a 15 lb controller…
I’d be interested in seeing some pictures of the various other controllers you mentioned installed the case (NS6/VCI).
Also seems very similar to an Odyssey product already on the market, ((BRLDIGITAL2XL))
http://www.agiprodj.com/odyssey-brldigital2xl.html
[ link ]Similar, but not the same… that bag doesn’t seem to have the blocks for padding and has a different pocket on the front. Here’s the other pictures we took.
[ link ]Phil,
If you take a look at any of the reviews of the Odyssey bag on YouTube it does come with the foam blocks )not pictured) to be able to fit a DDJ-T1-NS6 etc.
I agree the pockets are the main different between the two (and the straps)
[ link ]How would this go with the Mixtrack Pro?
[ link ]It would be too big – the Mixtrack Pro is between the sizes of the two Namba bags we’ve reviewed so far.
[ link ]too big for the controller? i’m currently looking for a bag that will fit a mixtrack and an akai mpd32…
[ link ]d’oh just saw the other comments
[ link ]Would it be a suitable option for a Mixdeck? I hate to carry a heavy flight case!
[ link ]I think it would, best to check dimensions but I think it would be perfect.
[ link ]Just love th magma Dig Control bag XL Now even XXL
Look here
http://www.thomann.de/se/magma_digi_controlbag_xl.htm
I have Traktor s4 and a 15.6″” inch MSI.
[ link ]and a
Magma Laptop Stand
http://www.djservice.se/
Hi, this is my first comment here
[ link ]I want to buy a DDJ-T1, so this product is very interesting, do you think it would fit on this bag?
I didn’t have one here to test but I would strongly suggest that it would.
[ link ]How do you like this bag for the Mixtrack Pro? Seems a lot bigger. Could the blocks make up for that much of a size difference?
[ link ]No, I’d say it’s too big for the Mixtrack Pro.
[ link ]What do you propose for the Mix Track pro?
[ link ]We’ve not seen a bag here yet that’s right for the Mixtrack Pro…
[ link ]Hi Phil, you can order an 18″ laptop case/bag for the mixtrack pro. I got mine through walmart. It’s as if they made it for the mixtrack pro. If you go to youtube you can see an example of just the case by searching for mixtrack pro case – cheap solution. I promise you, it’s a great case for the mixtrack pro. Mine is actually a case logic 18″ laptop case/ walmart.com I hope this helps. Regards, DJ Malarky out.
[ link ]Good tip! Thanks.
[ link ]So how does this bag compare with the other S4 bags on the market? What are the dimensions as compared to other bags?
[ link ]We haven’t reviewed other S4 bags yet Steve, but I would say it is bigger (look at the photo), as anything custom-made for the S4 is not going to be this big.
[ link ]You should check out the Fusion workstation bag. Perfect bag for my S4, my midi fighter and my 15,6 laptop. Not to speak of cables headphones laptop stand. And still room to spare..
[ link ]Hi there.
After some time searching the net i went for the Fusion Workstation bag.. Really piece of handcraft. Big and very nice.
In it i have my S4, my midifighter and my laptop size 15,6.
And of course my laptop stand, headphones and cables.
And still some space left over..
[ link ]Check it out.. Very good buy. Recommended..
I’m a NS6 user and been looking for a case like this. Thanks Phil! Hope it’s available here in Japan
[ link ]I’m a NS6 user and been looking for a case like this. Thanks Phil! Hope it’s available here in Japan.
[ link ]Please check with Namba Gear’s Japanese distributor.
[ link ]MI7 Japan
2-22-21 Akasaka Minatoku * Azu Nanbu-saka Building #201
Tokyo 107-0052 * Japan
Phone: +81 3 3568-8826
Fax: +81 3 3568-8825
Email: samurai@mi7.co.jp
Web: http://www.mi7.co.jp
Phil, thank you guys at Digital DJ Tips for the very positive review of the Juju Magic Bag. Your critique was excellent and I just wanted you to know that we will be moving the straps toward the center of the bag as well as improving the strap catches in response to your comments. Our goal is constant improvement, we know that the small things really do matter, and we value input such as this review which can help make our bags the best on the planet!
[ link ]It is definitely an interesting option for bigger gear. I am happy with the Odyssey BRLDIGITALXL bag which has room enough for all my digital gear. This bag looks slimmer.
[ link ]