Best DJ Gear for Every Budget!

Summary

This 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

00:00

🎧 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.

05:02

💵 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.

10:03

💰 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.

Keywords

💡DJ Controller

A DJ controller is a device used by DJs to mix music. It provides a physical interface for software that allows DJs to control volume, tempo, and other aspects of their mix. In the video, various DJ controllers are compared, focusing on their features and suitability for different experience levels and budgets.

💡Budget

Budget refers to the amount of money someone is willing to spend. In this context, the speaker emphasizes how a DJ's budget plays a significant role in selecting the right DJ controller, highlighting options from affordable models under $150 to more expensive models under $2,000.

💡Performance Pads

Performance pads are small, touch-sensitive pads on a DJ controller used to trigger different functions such as samples, loops, and cue points. The video critiques several controllers for having only four pads, emphasizing that more performance pads (such as eight) are preferable for advanced mixing.

💡Rekordbox DJ

Rekordbox DJ is professional DJ software developed by Pioneer, used for organizing and performing music. It's mentioned as a key feature in several controllers, such as the Pioneer DDJ-200, making those units appealing for DJs who want to use the same software as top professionals.

💡Serato DJ Lite

Serato DJ Lite is a beginner-friendly version of Serato's professional DJ software. In the video, it's noted that several affordable controllers like the Hercules DJ Impulse 200 come bundled with Serato DJ Lite, making it accessible for new DJs, but also limiting the features compared to Serato DJ Pro.

💡Sound Card

A sound card is a hardware component that allows a device to output sound. In the video, the lack of a built-in sound card in the Pioneer DDJ-200 is highlighted as a drawback because it means the controller can't produce sound on its own and needs to be connected to a laptop or phone.

💡Four-Channel Mixer

A four-channel mixer allows DJs to mix up to four audio sources simultaneously. This feature is praised in higher-end controllers like the Denon DJ Prime 4, making it ideal for more complex DJ performances. In contrast, the video notes the lack of four-channel support as a limitation in some lower-end models.

💡Bluetooth Capability

Bluetooth capability allows wireless connectivity between devices. In the video, the Pioneer DDJ-200 is noted for its Bluetooth capability, which allows DJs to control their mix using a mobile app, enhancing its portability and flexibility, especially for beginner DJs.

💡Standalone Controller

A standalone controller is a DJ controller that does not require a laptop to function. The Denon DJ Prime Go and Prime 4 are praised in the video for their standalone capability, which makes them highly portable and convenient for DJs who want to mix without being tethered to a computer.

💡Jog Wheels

Jog wheels are large, touch-sensitive platters on DJ controllers used for scratching and controlling track speed. Full-size jog wheels, as seen on higher-end models like the Pioneer DDJ-1000, are favored in the video for providing a more professional feel and greater control over the mix.

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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