dj controller | Digital DJ Tips

December 26th, 2012 Training

5 Reasons To Read Your DJ Gear Manual

by Phil Morse

Reading the manual is the smartest thing you can do when you get a complicated piece of new DJ gear…

So you’ve got a new DJ controller (and software), and naturally you can’t wait to start spinning tunes on it. Maybe you’ve bought a copy of How To Digital DJ Fast and are itching to start learning. The temptation is to read the quickstart (if that), get the software loaded, plug it in and start DJing away.

But there are loads of reasons why that’s not always a great idea. I know it’s boring, and it feels like work – but reading the manual is important, especially when it comes to complicated DJ gear and software. Here’s why:

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November 12th, 2012 News & Opinion

Virtual DJ 7.3 Released

by Phil Morse

Virtual DJ 7.3 is available now and adds a new more flexible search, better EQ and improved sound quality among other features.

Virtual DJ 7.3 has been released. This time the update majors on improving sound quality: Virtual DJ 7.3 boasts an improved sound engine, an automatic limiter, and an optional parametric EQ among its headline features.

While Virtual DJ’s users wait patiently for Virtual DJ 8 to go public, Virtual DJ’s 7.x upgrades seem to be coming thick and fast, with today’s Virtual DJ 7.3 being the third such update in just a couple of months.

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October 30th, 2012 Reviews

Review & Video: DJ Player v5 For iPad, iPhone & iPod Touch

by DJ Hombre

DJ Player now delivers iOS Midi mapping to any USB class compliant controller,

iOS DJ software is often dismissed as being limited when compared to established DJ software – such as Serato, Traktor and Virtual DJ – that runs on Windows and OS X platforms.

Putting iOS disk space to one side, two areas of common concern are the limitation of one stereo output, and limited support for USB Midi controllers. But this is all about to change with the arrival in the App Store of DJ Player v5.0.

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October 24th, 2012 Reviews

Review & Video: Hercules DJ Console RMX2 Controller

by Phil Morse

The Hercules DJ Console RMX2 improves on the popular DJ Console RMX in a few vital areas, while adding some clear nods to current DJ controller trends like pads you can bash…

Hercules was one of the first companies in the digital DJing arena (the first DJ controller review I ever wrote was of one of its products, nearly 10 years ago).

But the Hercules DJ Console RMX was the model that really put the company on the map. Like the Vestax VCI-100, it was a controller that helped digital DJing get established. And now we have the DJ Console RMX2 (US$296 / £253), its direct replacement.

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October 22nd, 2012 News & Opinion

Stanton Adds Hot Cues & Other Improvements To SCS.4DJ

by Phil Morse

The Stanton SCS.4DJ gets a further boost with another round of improvements to its built-in DJ software.

Owners of the bold, laptop-free Stanton SCS.4DJ controller will be pleased to hear that the company has announced a firmware upgrade that fixes some issues with the unit and delivers a number of long-requested features.

BPM improvements, hot cues, loop memory and better scratch logic are just some of the fixes and tweaks that the new v3 of the operating system that powers the SCS.4DJ – called SC-IX – contains.

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October 15th, 2012 Reviews

Review & Video: Magma Control Stand

by Phil Morse

Designed for larger-sized DJ controllers plus a laptop of any size, the Magma Control Stand is a good solution for semi-permanent installation.

DJ laptop stands are pretty much the same, aren’t they? A platform for your laptop or controller, and maybe a little shelf for an audio interface, if you’ve bought a posh one. The differences are really down to quality. Right?

Well, not always. One stand that bucks the trend is the Magma Control Stand. This clever stand is designed from the ground up to hold both a DJ controller (and a big one, at that) and a laptop, while playing nicely with any existing gear either in your home studio or at the club. We put one through its paces…

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October 3rd, 2012 News & Opinion

Pioneer DDJ-SX Launched: First Controller For New Serato DJ Software

by Phil Morse

The Pioneer DDJ-SX is a heavyweight contender, with a full standalone mixer, four channels of Serato control and just about every performance feature ever invented crammed into its brushed aluminium control plate.

Update: We’ve now published a full Pioneer DDJ-SX review. A new DJ controller – the Pioneer DDJ-SX – will be the first to come bundled with Serato DJ, Serato’s latest software. Today’s announcement of both controller and software gives a launch date of November 1. Scroll on for video, pricing, photo gallery and more.

With velocity-sensitive performance pads, a four-channel standalone hardware mixer and a slip mode borrowed from Pioneer’s CDJs, the controller is a high-end model, in Vestax VCI-400 territory, with visual elements and build quality also reminiscent of the Numark NS6.

81 Comments »

October 3rd, 2012 News & Opinion

Bye Bye ITCH, Hello Serato DJ

by Phil Morse

Prepare for takeoff – Serato DJ is splashed across the company’s website, and is scheduled for November 1.

Serato today announced Serato DJ, the successor to its Serato ITCH controller software and the long-awaited upgrade path for Serato DJ Intro users. Headline features include Midi mapping, and all-new effects powered by iZotope.

The first DJ controller to be bundled with Serato DJ in the box will be called the Pioneer DDJ-SX, launched to coincide with the software on November 1. Meanwhile, the software will be made available to users of current Serato ITCH controllers in a rolling programme throughout winter.

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October 2nd, 2012 Training

Learning To DJ: Questions Beginners Always Ask

by Terry 42

Satoshi Tomiie rocks it, digital style. If you want to learn the skills that can put you in front of a crowd playing the music you love, today we answer some of your questions.

I’m one of the moderators of the busy Digital DJ Tips Forum. Because of this, I get a unique perspective on the thoughts, questions, fears and concerns of hundreds of people who are starting out learning to DJ, every single day.

Today I’d like to answer some of the questions that come up again and again among beginners on the forum. How can I learn to DJ? what gear should I buy? What about scratching? What’s the minimum I need to start? Where can I get help choosing DJ gear? Should I be learning to DJ on “pro” DJ gear? Here is our take on these and other common queries among new DJs:

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September 23rd, 2012 Training

Over To You: Can I Add A Controller To Traktor Just For Effects?

by Phil Morse

Adding an Allen & Heath K2 to your set-up would give you extra controls. Pic: Traktor Bible

Digital DJ Tips reader Perry writes: “I use Traktor Pro 2 to DJ with, alongside my Kontrol S2 controller and laptop, and while DJing I find it hard to easily vary the effects I can use. If I’m honest, the S2 just doesn’t give me enough options for controlling effects within Traktor.

“So I am writing to you today to asking if there are any external controller units that integrate with Traktor and allow for you to have more control over what you are doing?”

31 Comments »

July 9th, 2012 Reviews

Review & Video: Stanton DJC.4 Virtual DJ Controller

by Phil Morse

The Stanton DJC.4: A capable, well-built controller especially suited to Virtual DJ users.

If you’re looking for a well-built DJ controller to use with Virtual DJ software, that isn’t overly large, yet manages to pack in pretty much all the features a digital DJ would want for either home or public use, you’ll be interested in today’s review item, the new Stanton DJC.4.

It feels right, it looks good, and with balanced and unbalanced outputs, aux and mic inputs, and inputs for two phono or line sources, it also looks almost too good to be true for the price. Which in a way, does turn out to be the case. Time to take a closer look…

35 Comments »

July 2nd, 2012 Reviews

Review & Video: Numark 4Trak Traktor Controller & Mixer

by Phil Morse

The Numark 4Trak is a substantial Traktor controller, that comes with its own custom version of the software and a distinctive FX and filter strip that attaches to the back of the unit.

The Numark 4Trak is a big, chunky, semi-portable four-channel Traktor controller and standalone mixer, with a distinctive detachable filter and effects strip along the back edge, that’s tilted towards the user.

Roughly the Traktor equivalent of Numark’s NS6 Serato controller, which is itself roughly the non-motorised platter equivalent of the Numark NS7, the 4Trak is finished to a professional standard, with high quality faders, knobs and jogwheels, and a similarly impressive specification to boot. Let’s take a closer look…

46 Comments »

December 16th, 2011 Reviews

DJ Midi Controllers: The Ultimate Buyer’s Guide 2012

by Phil Morse

The Novation Twitch was a hit this year, bucking the trend of big, four-deck controllers with a compact, controllerist-led two-deck design,

61 64 of the best DJ Midi controllers reviewed and rated

Most people get started in digital DJing with just a laptop. But after a while, it’s natural you’ll start to hanker after a proper DJ controller. It is now possible to duplicate every part of the traditional DJing experience (except jumping needles!), and much more, with the best DJ controllers – but because there’s more choice than ever, it can be difficult to know which to choose. That’s where this guide will help you. Nowhere online will you find a more complete DJ controller guide.

109 Comments »

September 29th, 2011 News & Opinion

Numark’s New N4 DJ Controller: An Entry-Level Four-Channel All-Rounder

by Phil Morse

Numark's N4: Basically, Mixtrack Pro with extra inputs and two more mixer channels. (Click to enlarge.)

Numark today announced a brand-new DJ controller, the N4, which appears to be basically a variation on its immensely popular Mixtrack controller, but with four channels and the ability to add external music sources like CD players and turntables.

The controller will come with a four-channel version of Virtual DJ, along with Serato’s new DJ Intro software – although it appears the latter will only be able to control two software channels.

31 Comments »

September 13th, 2011 Reviews

Review & Video: Pioneer DDJ-T1 4-Channel Traktor DJ Controller

by Phil Morse

It's an imposing controller and it's certainly got the 'wow' factor, but does it have enough to compete at the upper end of the controller market?

Pioneer came late to the digital DJing party, at least as far as controller DJing goes. But earlier this year it launched the DDJ-S1 and the DDJ-T1. We’ve already reviewed the DDJ-S1 here, but we’ve yet to take a close look at the DDJ-T1.

One of the main differences between the two controllers is that the DDJ-S1 is for Serato ITCH software, and the DDJ-T1 is for Traktor. When Traktor Pro 2 came out, Pioneer followed up with a Traktor 2 version of the software for the DDJ-T1, and we wanted to review the unit with this software in place, as this is what new buyers will be using it with out of the box.

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May 30th, 2011 Equipment

Review: The Pioneer DDJ-S1 DJ Controller: Is Big Beautiful?

by Phil Morse

The Pioneer DDJ-S1 (alongside the DDJ-T1) marks Pioneer's entry into the digital DJing age.

Pioneer, the biggest player in the DJ booth, has been lagging behind the rest of the pack with digital DJ controllers. While others are onto their second and third iterations, Pioneer waited until the beginning of 2011 to announce its first digital gear.

When it finally did so, the company launched not one, but two controllers – the DDJ-T1 for Traktor software, and the new Pioneer DDJ-S1 for Serato ITCH software. Today we present our Pioneer DDJ-S1 review.

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January 1st, 2011 Equipment

Hercules To Launch New DJ Controller Next Week at CES, Las Vegas

by Phil Morse

A teaser shot of the new Hercules DJ controller, to be launched at CES in Las Vegas

Looks like while most manufacturers are waiting till the NAMM show the week after, Hercules has jumped the gun with a brand new DJ controller to be launched at CES in Las Vegas next week (6-9 January).

There are absolutely no details at all apart from what we just told you, and the teaser photo that accompanies this article, but while you might expect them to launch a sound card-less version of the DJ Console 4-Mx, it doesn’t looks from the photo like that’s what it is.

4 Comments »

October 11th, 2010 Equipment

Reloop Digital Jockey 2 DJ Controller Review

by Phil Morse

Reloop Digital Jockey 2 Controller Edition review

The Reloop Digital Jockey 2 Controller Edition is fully featured, but does it match up to the best in its class?

Guest post by Paul Chambers

Are you a Traktor user looking for a compact, mid-priced controller to match it with? The Reloop Digital Jockey 2 is one of many such controllers from the likes of M-Audio, Numark, Hercules and Behringer – but how does it measure up?

30 Comments »