Best DJ Gear for Every Budget!
Summary
TLDRThis video explores the best DJ controllers across various price ranges, catering to both beginners and professionals. Starting with affordable controllers under $150, the video highlights top picks like the Hercules DJ Impulse 200, Pioneer DDJ-200, and Numark Party Mix 2. It then covers mid-range controllers under $1,000, such as the DDJ-800 and Denon DJ Prime Go. Finally, the video reviews high-end controllers under $2,000, including the Rain One and Pioneer DDJ-1000. Each controller is evaluated based on features, build quality, and value for money, offering something for DJs at all levels.
Takeaways
- 😀 The best DJ controller depends heavily on your budget and needs, from beginner options to professional-grade gear.
- 🎛️ At $130, the Hercules DJ Impulse 200 is a great affordable option with essential features for mixing, but has only 4 performance pads.
- 🎧 The Pioneer DDJ-200, priced at $150, offers an entry into the Pioneer ecosystem with Rekordbox DJ software, but lacks a sound card and key buttons like trim knobs.
- 💡 The Numark Party Mix 2, at $135, offers wide compatibility with Serato DJ, Algoriddim DJ Pro, and Virtual DJ, and even includes built-in lights and a speaker.
- 📦 Controllers under $250, like the Pioneer DDJ-400, resemble professional club setups, making them a great learning tool for future upgrades.
- 🎚️ The Hercules DJ Impulse 500 ($299) includes innovative features like RGB pads and pop-out stands, offering great value despite coming with only Serato DJ Lite.
- 🔋 The Denon DJ Prime Go ($999) is a standout portable option with a 7-inch touchscreen, built-in battery, and no need for a laptop.
- 💾 Controllers under $1000 like the DDJ-800 provide professional features like LCD jog wheels, hardware effects, and a portable build.
- 🔌 High-end controllers, like the Pioneer DDJ-1000, offer full-size jog wheels, RGB pads, built-in effects, and a professional mixer section at around $2000.
- 📱 The Denon DJ Prime 4, a standalone controller with a large touchscreen, can mix internally without a laptop but is heavy to carry.
Q & A
What is the main factor in choosing the best DJ controller according to the video?
-The main factor in choosing the best DJ controller depends on the buyer's budget and bank account.
What are the top three controllers under $150 mentioned in the video?
-The top three controllers under $150 are: 1) Numark Party Mix 2 ($135), 2) Pioneer DDJ-200 ($150), and 3) Hercules DJ Impulse 200 ($130).
Why does the Pioneer DDJ-200 only receive a rating of 3 out of 5?
-The Pioneer DDJ-200 received a 3 out of 5 rating because it lacks a sound card and certain essential buttons and knobs like browse/load buttons and trim knobs, requiring reliance on a laptop or phone.
What additional feature does the Numark Party Mix 2 have that sets it apart from other controllers under $150?
-The Numark Party Mix 2 includes a built-in light show and attachable speaker, which adds to its DJ setup.
What are the limitations of the Hercules DJ Impulse 200?
-The Hercules DJ Impulse 200 is limited by having only four performance pads, which is fewer compared to higher-end models.
Which DJ controller in the video offers the best value for money under $300, and why?
-The Hercules DJ Impulse 500 offers the best value for money under $300 because it has a solid build, RGB performance pads, RCA and XLR outputs, and additional features like a pop-out stand, earning it a 5 out of 5 rating.
What is a key reason the Pioneer DDJ-400 is the top pick for controllers under $300?
-The Pioneer DDJ-400 is the top pick because it includes Rekordbox DJ, which allows users to access all features and functions for free, and its layout is similar to professional CDJ and DJM setups.
What are the top two controllers in the under $1,000 category, and why are they rated highly?
-The top two controllers are the Denon DJ Prime Go ($999) and the Pioneer DDJ-800 ($799). The Denon DJ Prime Go is rated highly for its portability, built-in battery, wireless streaming, and no need for a laptop. The Pioneer DDJ-800 is praised for being a more portable version of the DDJ-1000 with similar features.
What makes the Denon DJ Prime 4 unique in the under $2,000 category?
-The Denon DJ Prime 4 is unique for its large touchscreen display and its ability to act as a standalone controller without requiring a laptop.
Why is the Pioneer DDJ-1000 considered the top pick for professional DJ controllers?
-The Pioneer DDJ-1000 is considered the top pick because it closely resembles a full CDJ and DJM setup, featuring full-size jog wheels, 8 RGB performance pads, hardware-based effects, and all essential inputs and outputs needed for professional DJs.
Outlines
🎧 Affordable DJ Controllers: Best Picks for Beginners
This paragraph discusses DJ controllers suitable for those on a budget, especially beginners. It highlights three affordable options under $150, starting with the Hercules DJ Impulse 200 ($130), which offers essential features but has limited performance pads. The second option, the DDJ-200 ($150), is packed with features but lacks a sound card and important control buttons. The top pick in this category is the Numark Party Mix 2 ($135), praised for its compatibility with multiple DJ software options, built-in light show, and attachable speaker. Despite only having four performance pads, it’s rated highly for its value.
💵 Mid-Range DJ Controllers: Great for Intermediate Users
This paragraph transitions into the mid-range DJ controllers, starting at $249 with the Pioneer DDJ XB3. While it offers solid features like 8 performance pads and 3-band EQ, its lack of advanced software (Serato DJ Lite instead of Pro) holds it back. The second recommendation, Hercules DJ Impulse 500 ($299), stands out for its sturdy build, innovative features, and compatibility with DJ software. It is highly rated for offering value for money despite lacking some advanced features. The top pick is the Pioneer DDJ 400, valued at $250 for its Rekordbox DJ compatibility and club-like layout, making it a perfect choice for those wanting a professional feel.
💰 High-End DJ Controllers: Premium Choices for Professionals
This paragraph explores high-end DJ controllers under $1000, designed for more advanced DJs. In third place is the Pioneer DDJ FLX6 ($599), which offers 4-channel mixing and full-size jog wheels, but lacks in output features. In second place is the Pioneer DDJ 800 ($799), praised for its portability, high functionality, and variety of inputs and outputs, making it comparable to higher-end models like the DDJ-1000. The top pick is the Denon DJ Prime Go ($999), which operates without a laptop and offers features like a 7-inch touchscreen and wireless streaming. Despite some limitations, it is considered the best for portability and ease of use.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡DJ Controller
💡Budget
💡Performance Pads
💡Rekordbox DJ
💡Serato DJ Lite
💡Sound Card
💡Four-Channel Mixer
💡Bluetooth Capability
💡Standalone Controller
💡Jog Wheels
Highlights
The best DJ controller depends heavily on your budget and bank account.
Controllers under $150: Hercules DJ Impulse 200, DDJ-200, and Numark Party Mix 2.
Hercules DJ Impulse 200 offers essentials like a 2-channel mixer, built-in sound card, and Serato DJ Lite, though limited by only 4 performance pads.
Pioneer DDJ-200 lacks a sound card and has limited physical buttons but offers great integration with Rekordbox DJ.
Numark Party Mix 2 includes built-in light show and attachable speaker, making it a versatile budget option.
DJ controllers under $250: Pioneer DDJ-SB3, which comes with 8 performance pads, 2-channel mixer, and Serato DJ Lite.
Hercules DJ Impulse 500 features a solid build, innovative RGB performance pads, and Serato DJ compatibility.
The Pioneer DDJ-400 is highly rated for its Rekordbox DJ integration and CDJ-style layout.
Moving into higher-end options, controllers under $1,000: Pioneer DDJ-FLX6 and DDJ-800.
Denon DJ Prime Go is a standout for being a standalone controller without the need for a laptop.
Controllers under $2,000: Rane One, Denon DJ Prime 4, and Pioneer DDJ-1000.
Rane One is geared towards DJs who prefer moving platters and more technical performance, such as scratching.
Denon DJ Prime 4 can act as a standalone controller and is compatible with Serato DJ Pro.
Pioneer DDJ-1000 offers a near-professional setup with its DJM-like mixer section and built-in jog wheel displays.
Final recommendation: The best DJ controller depends on your DJ style, budget, and the software you prefer.
Transcripts
the number one question i get in all my
videos is what's the best digi
controller and the answer to that
question heavily depends on your budget
and your bank account so in this video
i'm gonna go through my favorite
controllers starting from the most
affordable which are usually best for
beginners and cheap stakes like me to
the semi expensive which are mostly
targeted for professionals and uber rich
hobbyists anyway let's get started with
the best controllers under 150 dollars
coming at number three at a price of 130
dollars the hercules dj impulse 200.
more recently hercules has been
releasing some great dj controllers and
the dj impulse 200 surely is one of them
for the price listed you have all the
essentials needed to smoothly mix like a
2 channel mixture with gain control
knobs built-in sound card performance
pads as well as dji software and serato
dj lite my only grip with it however is
that it's limited to only 4 performance
pads but again for what you get it's not
bad at all so overall i give this
controller 4 out of 5. now moving on to
number two listed at 150 dollars is the
ddj-200 pioneer dj has certainly packed
a lot into this tiny digi controller
with eight performance pads per deck
three band eq large tempo faders
bluetooth capability for their mobile
app and more and compatibility with
rekordbox dj the ddj ddj-200 is a
perfect controller if you're looking to
get into the pioneer dj ecosystem since
it provides you with a full version of
rekordbox dj which is the same software
used with a professional line of
controllers and that for me is its best
feature because with rekordbox dj this
controller can essentially do anything a
professional dj unit can but this unit
is not the best in this category for two
big reasons number one it doesn't have a
sound card which means that this
controller can output sound on its own
so you need to use your laptop or phone
to do so number two it lacks very
important buttons and knobs like the
browse and load buttons trim knobs pad
mode selectors etc so that means you
have to rely on triggering those
functions on your laptop or phone so
because of all that i give this
controller a rating of three out of five
so moving on to number one coming at 135
dollars we have the numark potting mix
2. having compatibility with serato dj
lite algorithm dj pro and virtual dj
this controller provides you the widest
opportunity to choose a dj software that
most suits your fancy just like the
hercules tj impulse 200 it has
everything you need to perform a great
mix however numark has gone an extra
step by adding a built-in light show an
attachable speaker to complete your dj
setup now i'm not a fan of having only
four performance pads here again but
still it gets the job done so i'm going
to give this controller 4 out of 5. and
with that said let's move on to the
under 30 dollar price range category
now keep in mind that these controllers
are great beginner dj units but can also
work quite well for intermediate and
advanced djs looking for something more
compact and portable so what third place
with the price tag of 249 dollars is a
pioneer ddj xb3 serato dj controller is
a complete controller with a 2 channel
mixer containing gain 3-band eq and
filter knobs it also comes with 8
performance pads for deck and some cool
pad modes that can help excite your dj
performance like beach slicer mode but
my gripe with this controller is that it
only comes in throughout the dj light
rather than serato dj pro and the fact
that it has a pad scratch function which
i think is a pretty gimmicky feature so
overall i give this controller three out
of five
next at second place listed at 299
dollars is a hercules tg impulse 500
hercules went all out on this controller
including a solid and rigid build
innovative features rgb performance pads
rc and pl outputs a pop-out stand and
compatibility with dji software and
serato dj this controller for me is the
complete package and can definitely last
until you become a top 100 dj but my
slight gripe with this unit which can be
overlooked if you can play extra is
again the fact that it comes in
throughout the dj light instead of pro
but it does come with dji software
enabling you to use all of its features
freely so overall i give this controller
a whopping five out of five it simply is
the best in this category if you're
looking for value for money and if you
like surrounded dj or dj software this
is a controller to get moving on to
number one we have the pioneer gtj400
this unit comes with everything you
would expect from a controller at this
price range so it has all the essentials
and none of the gimmicks the only thing
that it lacks compared to the impulse
500 is a pl output which is a small
gripe for what you get at 250 dollars
there are two important reasons why this
controller for me is my top pick
number one the ddj 400 comes with
rekordbox dj which basically allows you
to use all of its features and functions
for free
number two the unix layout resembles
what you would normally find in a club
like a cdj and djm setup so when you do
play with an expensive kit like that
you'll be at least familiarized with its
layout so overall i give this controller
5 out of 5.
now before we move on let me mention a
few controllers that are pretty good but
didn't quite make it to the cut and they
are the read body and numeric platinum
effects sitting at 4th and fifth place
let's now move on to our third tier of
controllers the under one thousand
dollars category
now in third place we have the ddg flx 6
sitting at 5.99 so for that price tag
the flx6 is one of the cheapest
controllers to provide you 4 channel
mixing on top of that you also get full
size jog wheels to track position
displays compatibility the rekordbox tg
and serato dj pro as well as innovative
new features such as merge effects and
jog cutter mode but at this price range
this controller sort of lacks in the
output department because this unit only
has rc outputs otherwise the flx6 is a
great well-rounded controller for
beginner to intermediate level djs
looking to try and sample the best of
both worlds with dj sulfurs and because
of all that i give this unit a rating of
3 out of 5.
now moving on to second place we have
the ddg 800 at a price tag of 799
dollars personally i feel that this is
buying your dk's most underrated dj
controller because in reality it is
essentially a cheaper ddj-1000 with two
channels and everything you'll ever need
for djing included with the unit are lcd
displays in the jog wheels
hardware-based effects a variety of
inputs and outputs rgb lights record box
dj and many more there honestly really
isn't much to hate about this controller
and if i had a choice to bring either a
ddj 1000 or 100 to a gig i'm choosing
the 800 every time since it's more
portable does the job and has all the
outputs i could ever need so because of
all these factors i give this controller
5 out of 5. moving on to number one in
the 1 000 category we have the denon dj
prime go at 999
this all-in-one controller for me is the
best dj unit among all the other
controllers in this video because this
controller doesn't need the laptop to
function is portable has all the outputs
and inputs needed and this simply works
perfectly well then on dj truly set the
bar high with this one because in
addition to what i just said this unit
features a full seven inch touchscreen
display battery power wireless streaming
and so much more but of course this unit
isn't perfect i do have a couple of
gripes and they are the tiny size jog
wheels for performance pads per deck and
inability to work with any dj software
so far
all in all though this controller is the
best bang for buck you can get if you
just want a dj without a laptop and need
something portable so with that said i'm
giving this controller 5 out of 5. now
moving on to our last category we have
the controllers under 2 000
keep in mind though that these
controllers basically have everything
you'll ever need for djing they're
pretty much perfect in my eyes and they
all do the job of beginner and advanced
level of dj impeccably well what
separates them and what will determine
your choice is the sulfur they use so
please consider that first and foremost
before you set a kidney to afford any of
these units so starting at third place
we have the rain one as mentioned in my
recent review of the rain one this is my
favorite serato digi controller period
with two 7 inch motorized platters this
makes turntables like me absolutely love
this controller but this unit is not my
top pick for three reasons
number one it's a niche controller aim
for djs who like to use moving platters
and are into the more technical side of
djing like scratching number two unlike
its contemporaries in this price range
this unit uses internal effects and
personally for me they're not really my
type i would much rather have harder
base effects number three this unit
doesn't have a 4 channel mixer which is
pretty much a must-have when you're
considering a controller at this price
range so because of all of those factors
i'm giving this controller a rating of 4
out of 5.
now moving on to second place we have
the denon dj prime 4 at 1899
the prime 4 stands out not only for its
large touchscreen display but also from
the fact that it can act as a standalone
controller meaning that a laptop is not
required to use it so you can do two and
four deck mixing internally with just
two decks which is pretty crazy if you
think about it and at this price range
you can expect to be quite happy with
its build quality ins and outs and just
share ability to get the job done
exceptionally well but it doesn't stop
there though in addition to being a
standalone controller the prime 4 can
also work with serato dj pro so this
unit pretty much has all dj's covered my
only gripe with this unit though is that
it's quite big and heavy so if you're a
scrawny mobile dj like me you may find
this unit a bit tough to carry
but all in all if you can afford this
unit this controller will satisfy all
your dj needs and more so the prime 4
gets a 5 out of 5 from me last but not
least for the final controller of the
video and in first place we have the
pioneer ddj 1000 and 1000 srt apart from
the xdj xz this is the closest you can
get to a full cdj and djm set in terms
of familiarity so the ddj-1000 line
offers a mixer section that is
essentially a djm-100 nexus while still
offering two full-size decks with
professional standard jaw wheels 8 rgb
performance pads per deck built-in jog
wheel displays hardware-based effects
all the inputs and outputs you could
ever need and a magnet cross fader and a
solid aluminum semi portable build for
me there really isn't anything wrong
with this controller at all because it
covers everything a professional dj
would ever need from a pioneer dj setup
except of course the ability to work
without a laptop so at this price range
the pioneer gtj 1009 is hard to beat and
because of that i give this unit a 5 out
of 5.
and that's it and if you're still
watching this video let me know which
controller is your favorite down below
and also into the star emoji in your
comments so i know you are and with that
said thank you so much for watching
everyone and i will see you all in the
next one
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