Marco Solo

Wait, unless you’re talking about the Mixtrack 2. That’s a different unit. It has no soundcard. The “pro” part means there’s a soundcard in the device.

I didn’t buy the Numark just for the scratching either, but it’s nice to have. I bought it instead of the Pioneer because the pads had a better functionality (on the SB you actually have 4 per deck, the bottom is just for show as they house the transport controls) and there were actual fx knobs on the Numark. I was also going to use them with Traktor, so the possible layout was more important than the actual one. I had no idea how dearly I would miss having filter knobs, but that was all corrected when I upgraded.

The MC2000 is compatible with Serato: http://serato.com/dj/hardware/mixers.interfaces.controllers
The beatmix misses some things that may become an annoyance. For instance, I don’t see any keylock buttons (what’s up with that?). There are also no buttons under the fx knobs. You can still use them to turn on effects, but you can’t immediately switch on an effect to a certain level. Limiting the loops to just 1, 2, 4 and 8 seems kind of strange thing too.
I’ve been djing now for about a year and I really don’t miss having hardware controls for four decks. I have the option of switching my controls from deck A to C and from B to D, but I don’t use that function that much either.

In your case the MC2000 looks like a good choice. Not that flashy, but hey, that’s where the music comes in right?

Ah, ok. Still, the DVS enabling would mean he wouldn’t even need an SV. 🙂

I’m pretty sure the DDJ lineup is complete for this generation. Pioneer themselves stated it was complete with the introduction of the SZ. But the next Serato update supposedly will enable DVS for controllers, so keep a look out for that.

A VU meter helps you to determine the sound level. That could be to even the volume on tracks so the transition is smoother or to help you find out if your volume is too loud. If it’s too loud you’ll be hitting a limiter, which distorts the sound, not something you want to happen.

The controllers you list are fine for a beginner with the exception of the Terminal Mix 4. That one is too far off from the others in terms of price I’d say.
Have a look at the Reloop Beatmix 4 instead. You said you wanted the full Serato DJ, this controller temporarily includes the full software. But be wary, the offer may not last much longer. I’ve also seen deals on the SB with a full Serato upgrade, that would be worth a look as well.

My first controller was the Mixtrack Pro 2. Note that only the bottom row of drumpads are switchable, the top row is for the effects. The volume of the soundcard is a little on the low side as well. Not sure how it compares to the others though. Nevertheless, I’ve had a lot of fun with it and still have it as a backup or for parties where there might be people I don’t trust that much (ie all birtday parties). It’s also a great controller for scratching considering any price. Steve Canueto has named it one of his favorite controllers to scratch on.

I have no experience with the Denon, but one of the moderators on this forum has a Denon fetish and he’ll be able to tell you all you need to know.

My thoughts? You’re acting as if the name is the most important part of your act. It isn’t. Lots of hotshot dj’s have really silly names. Hardwell, DJ Jean, Dimitri Vegas, Watermat. The list goes on. Yet they are popular. Not because of their name, but what they can do with a crowd. Pick one, stick with it for a while, maybe change it later and just focus on the music.

One part of your name an another from the other person. Me and a friend of mine were called MarLex.

Look at Mixed in Key. DJ Techtools did a good test on several key detection programs and they found Mixed in Key to be the most accurate at 95%. On top of that, it also gives an energy level to give you another way to arrange your tracks. It does cost $58 though. There are also some free programs in there that do a decent job. You’d have to find out for yourself wether or not it’s worth it to purchase one of them or stay with free software. I went for Mixed in Key and have used it for quite a while.
It is very hard to detect the exact key of a track by ear, it will probably take a few years to get it perfect if you even get that far.