Need some help finding my first controller :)

And you’re already going to be disappointed by the time we get to the first box. Also, I’m going to assume you’re using USD, as you don’t specify your currency.

If you do find a 4 channel controller, then for the most part with your budget, that’s going to be all you’re getting is the controller with no other features that you’re looking for. Some still do timecode or have a stand-alone mixer built in but a lot of them are getting long in the tooth or are past your budget unless you find a GREAT deal. It sounds like you’d want to plug into another mixer & do a hybrid set up.* For example, my NS6 is old, but has a 4 channel mixer built in. Unfortunately, I’d have to give up two channels to add stuff on & I’d have to unplug it and use timecode to control my software if I wanted to do 4 hardware surfaces. Not a bad compromise, but one I’d have to do. It probably wouldn’t ever leave the bedroom/home as carrying the NS6 around is a chore unto itself.

*Master out from controller to line in mixer (Probably 3 or 4 unless those are phono, in which case it’d 1 or 2), with the mixer being used for CDJs or TTs feeding to your monitors/speakers.

It should be pretty obvious that you’re not going be getting your dream set up right now. As 500 barely buys the your first step and you’ve still got more expensive gear to buy unless you already have all the other hardware already laying around not being used.

I do know that Behringer does a 7 channel mixer, but what few reviews I’ve seen state that you might get a year or two out of it before it goes to shit. But considering it’s only 300$, you’d just replace it when it does and recycle/toss the old one. Wasteful and not a very cost effective option but you could do it and it’d fully support everything.

As for streaming, you probably know more than I do. But as far as I understand, your laptop/computer is going to handle that, so it shouldn’t affect your controller in any way.

FYI Guys: The reason the SX is in the picture is to show that with a minimal increase in size (width) you can have 4 decks utilizing an MC6000 with 2x DN-S2000s. For the latter unfortunately eBay/Craigslist/whatever online marketplace will have to be your friend as Denon has discontinued these I think.

So, the picture was intended to show a true 4 deck setup with controllers only. And yes, VDJ support is present.

What i am going to suggest it is not exactly matching what you have in your mind but i think it can cover your budget and ables you to gradually upgrade your dj hardware from simple to a bit more advanced.
On the first step you can buy the native instrument z1 which is 199 usd. This is a two channel mixer with built in sound card. It comes with traktor LE software. So with this you can start improving your transition and blending technics with real knobs and crossfader.
In the next step you can add up an x1 which also costs 199 usd and now you can work with fx via your controller. Also play cue and other playing commands are available on it.
The above setup works fine for two decks. But you still can play 4 decks via the traktor software.

how about Numark Mixtrack Quad? it is a bit off budget (seems to be around 280 usd) and digital dj tips have a review on it :

Ok folks, here is the thing, let’s get our definitions right when it comes to channels and decks.

2-decks/2-channel – simple. Each set of controls is hooked to player A and player B in your DJ software. And only to those. There are 2 channel faders and 2 sets of EQ buttons, gain and filter knobs and such. The crossfader is hard-wired to switch between channel 1 and 2. Depending on the mixing part (stand-alone yes/no) you might be able to hook up extra gear (CDJs, TTs), but to control their sound you will have to switch inputs per channel.

4-decks/2-channel – slightly more complicated. Each set of controls can now be hooked to TWO players in your software. Typically the left deck controls decks A and C and the right one decks B and D in your software. You can switch (typically with a button on your controller) between the two decks to determine which track you are controlling. Still only 2 channel faders, EQs etx. This means that when you want to have 3 or 4 decks playing in the mix you have to play VERY close attention to your settings. Let’s say you cut the bass on deck A and then switch to deck C. Your controller EQ knob will be all the way to the left (cut) for the bass, BUT actually all bass will be present in track C. If you want to change something about the bass setting for track C you would typically move the knob back to where the position in the software is (in this case 12 o’clock) and when the knob is “linked” again, you can then use it as normal. Obviously, when you switch back to controlling deck A, your EQ knob will now be at the new position while in the software it’s still in kill position. Same holds true for the channel volume faders of course. This will invariably lead to mistakes.

4-decks/4-channels – actually simpler than the previous one. Each set of controls still controls two decks in software, BUT there are now 4 channel faders, 4 sets of EQ, etc. So you only have to switch decks, but you can control volume, EQ and such per actual deck. Much easier to do because the visual feedback from your controller mirrors the actual controls in the software. However, if you want to manipulate all 4 decks, you have to make VERY sure you have the right deck selected before hitting any of the controls.

In order to have TRUE 4-deck operation, you will always need to hook up extra gear (be it two external controllers like the SC2000s, CDJs, TTs or anything else) that will give you the necessary jogs, cue/play buttons and such. This can simply NOT be done with any all-in-one controllers as there is – to the best of my knowledge – no controller out there with 4 jog wheels. Even the jog-less S8 only has two sets of controls.

Then there is the difference between internal and external mixing. Internal means all mixing is done within the DJ software. You hook up all controllers through USB and the software just sends a master and a cue output signal to the controller sound card. Easy. External mixing means your mixing part of the controller behaves like a regular analogue mixer. The sound from each deck is sent to the mixer depending on your setting, but typically one deck per channel. You can then add non-USB gear and control them through the mixing section of your controller as well.

In order for your controller to be able to support external mixing, it typically needs to have stand-alone mixing capability.

So, no matter how much QUAD is in a product name or how many times it’s advertised as 4-deck, to get what the OP wants, you will either have to go fully modular (possible) or combine a 4-channel all-in-one controller with two additional control surfaces.

For the picture of the Denon setup, you would hook all three controllers up with USB, assign the decks on the all-in-one as decks A & B (or any order you like) and your outer ones as C & D. You can opt to set them A thru D left to right too if you like. All up to you. You set the sound output of the software to internal mixing.
This is a full USB setup with NO standalone mixing capability (although this MC6000 controller DOES have that, but you are not using that function in this setup). The DN-SC2000s don’t have a sound card for example, so they are truly only midi controllers.