Numark Mixdeck Quad vs Pioneer XDJ-R1

I am gonna be guessing you are talking about NUmark controllers, not NEWmark :D.

On-topic:

You can use both as a controller. The Mixdeck will “DO” iPad software for sure, but I am assuming -as it’s midi- will work with laptop/pc DJ software as well. It’s also a stand-alone 4-channel mixer I think.
The Pioneer is a midi-controller too and will support DJ software but no doubt iPad software too. I think it’s standalone mixer too, but it’s only two channel controller/mixer.

More to the point is the question “do you REALLY still need CD-players”. You are paying for stuff in your controller that you probably won’t use anymore. And that money can’t be used to improve other parts of the controller.

As for the remote control. I have had that with my last controllers, although it was through remote (iPad) control of my DJ software, not directly my controllers. And I have used that in live gig situations exactly … ZERO times.

IMHO, it’s just a gimmick. You don’t DJ away from your booth and when I take a bathroom break I have stuff on autoplay or a mini-mix playing.

Finally on the issue of RekordBox. It’s just track management software and not rocket science. If you follow the advice on the blog and here to use iTunes for your (DJ!) collection management, with the new RB you can just pick the playlists you want to take with you to a gig, export to stick and presto! you are done.

I do feel you would do yourself a favor if you read some of the recent posts on the subject of buying controllers (and the best way to go about making sure you get the controller you want). You might come to find that you really need something different from these two controllers.

Kewl.

I am a mobile DJ too and although I have gotten to the point that I can pretty much live without CDs (or totally for that matter), I did miss the option of using USB-sticks. Many occasions during weddings and such where people will have some kind of act prepared that comes with sounds/music. These days they will bring it almost exclusively on USB or iPhone/iPod/MP3 player. The latter is no biggie. My controller has enough inputs and I always have an aux cable dangling to hook up whatever they hand me over.

I do NOT want to stick “alien” USB sticks in my primary laptop, for all the obvious safety reasons.

So I now have two (non-pioneer) CDJ-like media players that CAN do CD in case of an emergency but will also handle USB sticks without the need for RekordBox. I have them “permanently” installed as decks 3&4. If my laptop cuts out, I can switch to my own USB-sticks in the players and continue that way til I have the laptop sorted out or replaced. In that way it’s a backup system. also it gives me the option of cueing up the CD/USB tracks while still having two decks playing from DJ Software, rather than having to switch back and forth.

I hear that. Well, choose is yours in the end, of course. Another option is getting one of these double decks (like Denon dn-2600, Numark has/had a few, or so. Can be had used for not too much money too), some of which will have USB inputs as well.