Controller Clinic #22: Can I Use A Numark M101USB Mixer With My Kontrol X1?

Digital DJ Tips reader Brad writes: “I’ve been in the market for a new set up to replace my current budget kit (Mixtrack). I stumbled upon this Numark M101USB two-channel mixer for cheap! Can I use this mixer in combination with the Traktor Kontrol X1 (as I have no use for jogs) for a better yet cheaper alternative to my Mixtrack? Does USB mean that it can map to Traktor? And will I need a sound card?”

Digital DJ Tips says:

Yes, you can use it with the Kontrol X1, although it only takes a single channel of music from the computer, not two, limiting you in what you can do. The Kontrol X1 will still connect via USB to your laptop and control Traktor, but you’ll connect another USB between the mixer and the laptop, and the mixer will then take the master output from Traktor through one channel, allowing you to mix something else in via the other channel. And no, you can’t “map” it to Traktor – all it’s doing is taking the audio from Traktor. There’s no Midi at all. (By the way, one good point is that you can record into your compute using it, so it’d be good for ripping old vinyl should you wish to, as well, and you’ll be able to record your sets directly to computer.)

If you want to properly mix a pair of digital sources through your mixer, which would be highly preferable in this situation, this won’t do it – look at the DJ-Tech X10 for a “best-kept secret” mixer that will let you achieve that. A mixer like this would be better than the Numark for that reason.

Do you use a combination of a USB mixer plus DJ software, in external mode? Please share your experiences with this type of set-up in the comments.