Best DJ Controllers 2019
12 min readIf you are looking for the best DJ controllers in 2019, we have you covered. This guide will go over the climate of the DJ controller industry before going over our top picks and alternatives to suit you.
Controllers vs CDJs in 2019
What is the difference between Controllers and CDJs?
It would seem that while this debate raged furiously in previous years, things are starting to mellow out a lot more now. There have been some key developments in the industry recently that have thrown a spanner in the works. One of the biggest being the huge rise in Denon DJ which has dealt a blow to Pioneer’s dominance as the main CDJ brand.
There is now a solid third category, which has been around for some time, but 2019 will definitely be the “year of the standalone”. Expect this third type to hybridise controllers and CDJs and eventually become the norm.
Controllers
Controllers are getting more advanced. Expect even the cheapest controllers to typically offer features that were premium 5-10 years ago. All controllers worth buying have built-in sound cards now, something which never used to be the case until the past few years.
While there is a broad range of software, most work with Serato and Traktor, with Rekordbox still growing as a market contender. Controllers are still cheaper than CDJs and allow much more advanced mixing potential – generally with better effects and performance pads/controls.
Most beginners will choose controllers simply due to price. A basic controller will do almost everything a CDJ can do at a fraction of the price. Whereas a controller in the $1000 and higher range will far exceed a most club CDJ setups in performance capability.
You won’t see as much hate for using controllers anymore, especially as many of them are hardcore pro gear, but you may find that trying to set everything up in a club could cause annoyance.
This means that controller DJs should still be ready to perform on CDJs more than their home setup.
CDJs/Players
It is worth noting that a lot of “CDJs” don’t use disc drives anymore, instead loading their music from USBs and SD cards, or over Ethernet. This is why they are often now called media players. I shall continue to refer to them as CDJs as despite this technicality they are of the same family.
CDJs used to be black and white. You go to the club and there was a Pioneer setup. Most clubs wouldn’t have the very latest models, but they weren’t too far behind the industry either.
You used to prepare your tracks in Rekordbox and just rock up to the club. Now this is slightly different. While most clubs will hold onto Pioneer, some are moving to Denon’s Prime series which offers more advanced features at a much lower price. This market is the most exciting at the moment.
CDJs are still seen as the “pro” setup. This is partly because a venue can have them and DJs only need USB sticks, they require much less setup than a controller and you can switch DJs quickly.
The latest Prime series from Denon is the first time “controller” features have been seen on a CDJ.
Standalone
Standalone units have long been a thing, with controller-style decks fitted with CD/USB drives and a mixer built into the middle.
It would seem a bit late for me to say 2019 may be “the year of the standalone” gear but the big change now is that screens and built-in computers are advanced enough to really offer something special.
Previously, a laptop with Serato or Traktor could always offer more advanced features, but now the brains in the latest standalone controllers are built to match the power of an external computer.
Standalone units are also growing in popularity in the production world with Akai launching Force, a standalone unit that works much like Ableton Push and a laptop running Ableton combine. This is a big thing for DJs to as it means more live elements can be incorporated into sets.
Expect the latest standalone units to be able to do pretty much everything that a DJ software could do, minus the laptop.
Standalones also may mark the eventual downfall of CDJs. They not only offer the same features (and normally more) they tend to be cheaper and just as convenient. Instead of having a permanent CDJ setup in a club, you could have a standalone controller instead.
This option would provide the ability for DJs to rock up with USBs like they did with CDJs, but also allow them to control software too. Even if DJs wanted to use it with a laptop, the controller is already there so they only need to bring their computer.
It will also make changeovers easy. Dual soundcards have been around for a while now meaning that if they are added to new standalone units, a laptop could provide music to one channel while the next DJ takes over from USBs. This means there would be no silence as the music gets changed over.
CDJs no more?
What are the latest DJ developments?
It would be wise to follow the trends across the whole DJ gear scene, many of which end up being featured on controllers eventually (if not initially). The scene has been quite dynamic recently with releases from companies such as Native Instruments, who launch new gear infrequently, and Denon, who have really been knocking dents into Pioneer’s throne as the “industry standard”.
Screens are in vogue.
The beauty of tech becoming more accessible is that it gets adopted into all industries. Screens went from being a very exclusive feature of the top end controllers to being available in the mid-range.
Screens are great because they prevent the dreaded “laptop stare” that no audience wants to see. They also allow you to have lots of useful information of the controller as you mix.
Some controllers are have screens at the top, some have one on each deck, and some have them in the platters. What is worth considering, should you want a screen, is what you want displayed.
Different controllers offer different levels of detail, and while some allow you to hide your laptop away completely, others are really just additional visual feedback.
Standalone systems threaten laptops.
Standalone systems have been around for a long time now, most of which are able to double up as a software controller when needed. The NAMM 2019 announcement by Denon gave the world its first 4-channel standalone DJ system.
These systems are increasingly welcome as they are cheaper than buying a controller, laptop, and software separately. They are also easy to set up in a club – where the DJs are only required to bring their USB sticks.
One of the challenges we now face as DJs is that there are multiple brands which offer standalone systems, each with their own software.
It is now not as simple as setting up tracks in Rekordbox for the guaranteed presence of Pioneer CDJs, because Engine (by Denon DJ) is now a major contender on the market.
This means that DJs must now be aware of the different options they might face in the club.
Motorised platters may soon emerge as standard.
With the recently upgraded hardware from Native Instruments (the Traktor Kontrol S4 MkIII), we have seen motorised platters on controllers. The patented “Haptic Drive” is used on the Kontrol S4 and is a jogwheel which is powered – like traditional vinyl.
The Numark NS7 range (several years dated now) had motorised platters with “real” vinyl on them, but this is a much more cutting-edge implementation.
It also has enhanced feel to it, such as “clicks” where there are cue points so the DJ can feel their set. This is a really significant development, and will likely be rolled out by other manufacturers in the coming years.
It would be especially great to see this feature on the largest controllers, which is a niche that Native Instruments have not exploited.
What is the Best Beginner DJ Controller?
Coming in at the low end, this range is for people on a tight budget looking for a controller for parties and small events. They are great to learn on but do remember that the feature-set will not be as extensive as inmore expensive setups. The second thing to remember is that the connections available on low-end gear are generally limited so make sure you have a selection of adapters if you need to use different wires for a setup.
Audio Ordeal's Rating
Verdic
Coming in at a low prce, this controller offers all of the basic features plus a couple of bonuses that wouldn’t have been present in previous years. On top of EQs, you also get a dedicated filter for each channel. The deciding feature for this tier is the long pitch faders. These are normally a pro feature and mean learning beatmatching is easy. I recommend avoiding any controllers with small-distance pitch faders because you will struggle to beatmatch.
Other notable mentions
What is the Best Lower-Intermediate DJ Controller?
This stage is where you can comfortable start performing and feel safe that you have the right inputs and outputs. You are paying a bit extra compared to the previous tier, but money is still a factor that you want at the forefront of your decision. Intermediate is a tricky tier in 2019 because it includes both 2 and 4-channel mixers. At the lower price point, however, it is worth mentioning that you’ll likely get a high-quality 2-channel controller, or a lower quality 4-channel one, for similar price.
Audio Ordeal's Rating
Verdict
A compact but fully-featured controller. Denon have really pulled through in the past few years and their controllers have a spectacular quality. The MC4000 has a proffessional loop and FX section (which in my opinion beats the top-end CDJ setups). It has one of the best I/O offerings for its prce point, allowing you to use two microphones and a selection of connections to hook the gear up to. It also has dedicated master and booth outputs meaning you can play this in a club or other venue with a better setup. The sacrifices you do make are that the pads at the bottom are combined with the track playback buttons so you don’t have true 8-pad per deck performance control, but this is made up for with sampler pads in the middle, an option not really seen elsewhere at this level.
Oh, and I forgot to mention, it is a fraction of the price as its competition.
Other notable mentions
What is the Best Upper-Intermediate DJ Controller?
I added another level to the intermediate stage because this group is generally around the £1000/$1000 mark, but still not the top level. Here you will see 4-channels as default and advanced I/O, but these won’t be the most expensive options. Most DJs who have their own gear for performing will want to be in this level unless they are making serious cash and can afford the bonus extra features.
Audio Ordeal's Rating
Verdict
Arguably the best value per feature controller on the market today. This has more or less everything you need for anything a set will throw at you. One of the highlights is dual soundcards meaning two laptops can be plugged in simultaneously – the music doesn’t have to stop when DJs change over.
It has advanced I/O options and allows you to plug in CDJs, turntables, mics, etc for a fully flexible setup. It also works as a standalone mixer so if your laptop dies, you can still rely on any CDJs present as a backup.
This is actually my personal controller and it has worked for me in numerous events and performances without issue.
Other notable mentions
What is the Best Advanced DJ Controller?
This is a really tricky tier to decide on for the reason that there are super expensive options that have everything, but their price-per-feature value is not that great (looking at Pioneer DJ). I am going to assume therefore that if you are at this stage, money isn’t a problem and that you are looking for the best gear on the market.
Audio Ordeal's Rating
Verdict
This has everything you could really want. It is basically a CDJ setup with all the features of a controller. One big thing to note is that this is still a controller. It is not a standalone DJ device and so it does require a computer to run with.
This is especially valuable to DJs who also want to mix video with their sets as the screens are high quality and the 4-channel layout allows it.
What are the Best DJ Brands?
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What is the Best DJ Software?
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If you are looking for a great in depth analysis of the different features of each software, try checking out DJ Play It and their great guide on DJ software!
