5 of the Best Portable DJ Controllers
Incredible portable DJ controllers from AlphaTheta, Denon DJ, Numark and more!
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Unplug and take it on the go with these five best portable DJ controllers.
Best Portable DJ Controllers
Some of the most rewarding gigs I’ve played throughout my DJ career have been in places other than typical clubs. There was Burning Man in the Nevada desert, a campsite on the Central California coast, and a random rooftop party in Los Angeles that got busted by a police helicopter. It’s these kinds of places that most benefit from a DJ controller that doesn’t require mains power, one that you can use as-is or with a USB power bank for on-the-spot party starting.
With that in mind, I’ve chosen five of the best portable DJ controllers on the market today. Some of these are standalone with built-in lithium-ion batteries, and others work with a laptop or phone/tablet and USB power.
Many of the products featured in this story are available at Thomann*.
Best Portable DJ Controllers: AlphaTheta OMNIS-DUO
The name AlphaTheta is pretty much synonymous with DJing. Formerly known as Pioneer DJ, the first product to get released under the new moniker was OMNIS-DUO, a portable, standalone two-deck DJ controller. At only 4.6kg/10.1 lbs, it won’t weigh you down, and thanks to the lithium-ion battery, you can play for five hours on a charge, plenty of time to take the crowd on a musical journey.
Speaking of music, OMNIS-DUO has all sorts of options to access tunes. It’s got slots for your SD card and USB stick, as well as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for streaming (including Beatport, Tidal, and Apple Music). Of course, you can also plug in a laptop if you need, with support for rekordbox Performance and Serato DJ Lite.
Need some speakers too? Check out AlphaTheta’s Wave Eight, which offers eight hours of ion battery playback through eight-inch speakers.
Best Portable DJ Controllers: Denon DJ Prime Go+
Giving AlphaTheta’s controller a run for its money is Prime Go+ from upstart company Denon DJ. The two-deck standalone DJ controller isn’t the biggest system on the planet, but that makes it all the more handy, with everything that the mobile jock needs in a compact package.
As with the OMNIS-DUO, it has all mod DJ cons, including Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, plus support for most major streamers, including Apple Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, Beatport, Beatsource, Tidal, SoundCloud Go+, and even Dropbox. It also offers an SD card slot plus USB.
It’s no slouch in the controls department either, with two touch-capacitive jog wheels, dual-layer performance pads, high-resolution pitch sliders, a three-band EQ, and assignable FX. It also sports a seven-inch, multi-gesture touch screen and even a Day Mode for outdoor parties.
And, as you’d expect from Denon DJ, it’s extremely affordable, making it one of the best portable DJ controllers on the market today.
Best Portable DJ Controllers: Numark Mixstream Pro Go
Both the OMNIS-DUO and Prime Go+ are on the pricey side. Not everyone has that kind of dosh to pay with. If that sounds like you, consider Numark’s Mixstream Pro Go. It offers many of the same functions as the AlphaTheta and Denon DJ units, but for less money.
For starters, it’s a proper two-deck standalone DJ controller, meaning you can leave the laptop at home. It’s also got an internal lithium-ion battery, capable of powering the unit sans electrical plug. The party keeps rolling with Wi-Fi and support for streaming services like Apple Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, Tidal, Beatport, Beatsource, SoundCloud Go+, and Dropbox. And, although you may want to use the Engine DJ-powered operating system when standalone, you can also plug it into your laptop for use with Serato DJ and Virtual DJ.
Mixstream Pro Go has even got built-in speakers, making it a solid choice for best portable DJ controller.
Best Portable DJ Controllers: AlphaTheta DDJ-FLX2
There are many ways to skin a cat, as they say. There are also many ways to rock a party. One way is with a battery-powered standalone DJ controller. Another is with bus power. If you already have a laptop – or even an iPhone or iPad – you’re able to take advantage of AlphaTheta’s DDJ-FLX2, an entry-level controller with tons of professional features but without the professional price.
First off, the two-deck DDJ-FLX2 works with rekordbox, djay, and Serato DJ Lite and is compatible with streaming sites like Beatport Streaming, Beatsource Streaming, SoundCloud Go+/DJ, and Tidl, and even Apple Music if you’re using djay. It also offers Smart CFX and Smart Fader features for professional-sounding transitions and effect techniques. No speakers? No problem: you can even pipe your mixes through your laptop or device speakers.
The best part is the price. At only $179 MSRP, it makes it easy to try out DJing without having to sell a kidney.
Best Portable DJ Controllers: Reloop Buddy
For the last entry in our list of the best portable DJ controllers, there’s the Reloop Buddy. What makes this one special – aside from its bus power and extreme portability – is the deep integration with djay Pro. Compatible with all platforms (including iOS, iPadOS, Android, Mac, and PC), it lets you go to town with djay, a highly capable application and, thanks to its device compatibility, also a very portable one.
This two-deck controller offers two jog wheels capable of scratching, eight RGB color-coded performance pads for each deck, direct Neural Mix control for stem separation, plus seven additional performance modes including touch FX, sampler, slicer, bounce loop, and looper.
If you’re already a djay DJ, Reloop’s Buddy makes a solid – and very portable – option. Indeed, it is one of the best portable DJ controllers out there.
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One response to “5 of the Best Portable DJ Controllers”
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