Choosing First DJ Controller

I’d also like to know what the best software/hardware combo is for Windows 7.

Yes, read up on some of the (recent) posts on the topic of picking a starter controller. The search function is your friend.

@Daniel: if you are not sure you need a 4-channel controller, you most likely won’t need one (yet).

@Naya: Just my personal opinion, but the WeGo has just too much of a toy feel to it for my taste. Not in the least because it has a totally different lay-out than most other controllers, meaning that if you are ready to upgrade, you will not find a controller with buttons in the same place, because most controllers follow more or less the same “traditional” lay-out, and -imho- for a reason.
Your windows 7 should not be a dictating factor in choosing what software or hardware to use.

I have both Windows 7 (on my backup machine) and MacBook (OSX). I have Mixvibes Cross and Serato (and an old non-updated Traktor Pro somewhere). I have a DDJ-SX, but will shortly have a Denon MC6000 mk2 as well. For use with my iPad I have Numark iDJ Pro.

Mixvibes Cross is my primary platform that I have been using for a few years and it’s close enough to Serato in workflow that I don’t see the need to move (again). I used to use Traktor but that was not supportive of my workflow.

Looks can be deceiving. Build quality is better on the Denon, the Denon “built-like-a-tank” reputation is well deserved. It’s way more compact (19″ form factor), has two separate mic channels with ducking, reverb and EQ (a must have for mobile DJs), it’s one of the few controllers that has split cue functionality (pretty good if you mix in-can/in-ear). And generally it’s the go-to controller for many mobile DJ. The input matrix is second to none and allows you to assign inputs to multiple channels. And unlike the SX, if you use a booth speaker, the mic channels are NOT routed there (unless you press a button), so no feedback issues.

The 2-channel version of the MC6000 was the MC3000. No longer in production, but the MC4000 is on the horizon.

The 2-channel version of the SX would be the SR. Be aware that, unlike the SX, it’s not a standalone mixer, does not have DVS option and a few other things that make it less of the smaller brother and more of the smaller cousin.

Hope that helps some.

Imho not, because the integration of jogwheels for example of non-NI controllers with Traktor is sub-par. Also there is no guarantee that the next upgrade of Traktor will actually support 3rd party controllers at all (like Serato years ago).

@Nate: While I agree that you can MAP loads of stuff to Traktor, it’s a given that Traktor has stopped supporting (most) 3rd-party controllers. There is virtually no support from NI with problems with Traktor and non-NI controllers.

Something you said stood out and I am not sure it’s correct. You claim you can map both MIDI (true) and HID (I don’t believe you can map HID) devices. I hope one of our other readers or Terry can shine a light on that one. Imho mapping HID is not possible as HID integration is something that is – sort of – built in. I may be wrong here though.

Jog Wheel integration that is up to a standard you should expect is only possible with NI controllers.

And last, but certainly not least, with the road NI has taken leading to non-support of 3-rd party gear and promoting NI-gear/software integration, the Stems release and the fact that the current major version of Traktor is now a good few years old, the following seems to be about to happen:
1) Traktor will roll out a new major version sometimes in the near future
2) With that new version, my expectation is that support for non-NI gear (including mapping!) is gonna be dropped entirely. Incorporating something like mapping costs design efforts and isn’t really commercially interesting if you want people to buy your gear, not map someone else’s. The current mapping scheme dates back to when Traktor was still trying to support most controllers on the market in order to get their software out there. This clearly is no longer the case. In effect Serato (then closed now open) and Traktor (then open now closed) have really switched places.
3) It’s definitely not a sure thing that a new Traktor version will still a) support your non-NI controller at all and b) if it does, will recognize/utilize any mapping customization you have done.

Those are the main reasons why we advise people to be extremely cautious when going for a Traktor/non-NI controller combo (assuming your are willing to accept the lesser jog wheel integration to begin with), as there is no guarantee and more than a little chance that with a new version of Traktor it won’t work (properly) anymore.

And thus our comment that if you decide Traktor is the software for you, which is a pretty outspoken choice as Traktor is definitely different from the other 2-3 big ones, then it’s your best option to stick with NI gear.