I’m having trouble deciding on my first controller!
Hi guys, this is my first post on these forums, I’ve been doing a lot of research within the past few days trying to decide on a controller. My budget is pretty low because this is my first controller. (max 550 CAD$) I’ve come a crossroad on a few different controllers. I don’t know much about controllers but this is what I’m looking for. I’m mainly looking for something with 4 decks, full eq/gain/mixer sections, and a couple of good fx panels, along with hot cues of course. All the controllers I’ve narrowed down to are used, and in very good condition I will add the prices if that helps give a better idea of things. I’ve narrowed my search down to the Traktor Kontrol S4 MK1 for 450$ (MkII is out of my price range). Numark NS6 with custom bag for 550$. Pioneer DDJ-T1 for 500$. And finally the cheapest, the Behringer CMD Studio 4a, which would be around 250$ new. Any suggestions or feedback would be greatly appreciated ASAP! Thanks so much!
Modular with an external mixer is my suggestion, I’m not a fan of Traktor’s internal mixing. It just doesn’t sound very nice to me, not sure why.
You can pick up a used DJM500/Denon DN-X1500 or something similar for 200-300 bucks easy. Then for modular controllers, you should consider what kind of style you’ll be taking. If you don’t mind using sync and will be mixing basic 4 beat songs like house/trance, a Zomo MC-1000 is a fantastic choice. Very simple and good FX control. If you want a platter, Reloop Contour and Behringer’s option are very nice as well. You can also consider the Traktor X1 (MK1 for 80-100 ish, MK2 for 100-130 ish) which is a very capable controller as well.
Pretty much everything I’ve suggested has easy access to the 3 FX knobs and hot cues. And since it’s modular, you can easily move to tables or CDJs or adjust your controller setup as needed.
Im pretty partial to Traktor equipmemt almost to the point of being a fanboy, but I love the new Pioneer Arero (I know out pf your priice range) but it’s so cool. But I wouldnt complain if someone tossed me an S4 my way either, just do your homework look at youtube videos of gear that youre interested in and ask lots of questions. Let us know what you decide on