In short, it’s difficult to crown any one bit of kit the absolute ‘best’ controller, but what we can do is present you with a round-up of our favourites among the options currently available. Then there’s size, looks, build quality, price. Some controllers included here also work as a standalone mixer, without the need to connect to a computer, which could be another consideration. It’s also worth considering whether you’ll need any audio inputs built in - i.e, the capability to connect turntables, CDJs or an instrument to your setup - and if you might want to expand with timecoded vinyl or CDs in the future.
Best usb dj controller for mac software#
In fact, the majority of DJ controllers will be designed with one or two specific bits of software in mind, and many come with a certain application included in the price – so your choice of controller is likely to be very much influenced by your DJ app preference, or vice versa.
Best usb dj controller for mac full#
If you favour Serato DJ, it’s important to note that the software is only compatible with certain controllers, built in collaboration with Serato – a full list of which can be found over at their site. The first, and possibly biggest consideration is your choice of software. There are several things to consider when shopping for a DJ controller.
The best DJ software applications you can buy today.Read the full Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol S8 review If live remixing with Stems and getting creative with samples, loops and effects is your main focus, then this could be the controller for you. Jog wheels aside, though, this is a very slick, well equipped Traktor controller. The absence of pitch faders rules out any serious beat-matching though. With the track playing, these become Pitchbend controls, which – to be fair – are surprisingly well implemented and can be used for basic, 'nudge'-style beat-matching. With a track stopped, these can be used to 'scratch' the current track, while holding down Shift puts them into Seek mode, allowing the user to jump to any part of the track. Removing one of the most obvious controls from a DJ controller is a bold move, but NI claims that the new touchstrips can be used in place of jog wheels and there's some truth in this. NI’s top-of-the-range Traktor controller shifts away from the conventional ‘two platters and a mixer’ layout of most DJ gear, in favour of a design focused around Traktor’s Stems and Remix Deck capabilities. As a result, the SX3 can act as a hub/mixer for four digital decks, four external players or any combination of the above. Each channel of its central mixer can be switched between digital inputs from Serato DJ or analogue RCA, and the control decks can be flipped to control up to four Serato decks simultaneously. The jog wheels are small, but responsive and sturdy, with a feel not dissimilar to those on Pioneer’s CDJ line. Again, the controller is small enough to transport pretty easily, but with its sturdy chassis and aluminium top it’s also rugged feeling, and you’d expect it to tolerate regular club use without issue. The DDJ-SX3 looks very similar to its predecessors. Version 3 arrived earlier this year, further refining the already winning formula. Pioneer DJ’s DDJ-SX line debuted back in 2012, and has arguably retained the crown of being the highest-quality, and most powerful Serato DJ controller available for under a grand. It’s ‘haptic’ jogwheels - which provide tactile feedback on things like beat grids and cue positions - are genuinely innovative, and make this one of the most impressive controllers in the sub-£/$1,000 bracket. It’s also worth giving a nod to the recent third generation version of Native Instruments’ Traktor Kontrol S4 controller too though. All tracks prepared in rekordbox are ready to be loaded onto a USB and taken out to a club too – meaning this is probably the closest compatibility you’ll find between home controller setup and DJ booth. Its meaty, pressure-sensitive jogwheels have the heft of mixing on one of the brand’s industry-standard CDJs, and the mixer section is effectively a trimmed-down DJM-900.
In fact, the 1000 is the closest thing we’ve found to condensing a club CDJ setup down into controller form. While Pioneer DJ’s rekordbox DJ mixing application remains, arguably, slightly in the shadow of the ‘bigger guns’ Serato and Traktor, used with Pioneer’s new flagship DJ controller, the DDJ-1000 it’s the perfect pairing.
The best beginner DJ controllers for budding mix masters.
0 kommentar(er)
