AlphaTheta DDJ-FLX2 Evaluation: A Nice Entry-Stage DJ Controller

That’s to not say there are not any points. The jog wheels are unimpressive at greatest. They’re useful for locating your house in a track, however I can’t think about making an attempt to scratch or do any actual DJ tips with them. Limiting its usefulness in a reside setting is the truth that there’s no mic enter, and the one two audio outputs (cue and primary) are 3.5-mm TRS jacks. It’ll do the job if you happen to’re simply seeking to observe at house or DJ a small home get together, however if you happen to confirmed as much as a membership with this, you’d undoubtedly get some appears to be like.

Wonderful Integrations

Likelihood is, no matter your most well-liked DJ app or whether or not you’re utilizing an iPad or a laptop computer and even an Android cellphone, the DDJ-FLX2 ought to work along with your setup. I examined it with a MacBook Professional, a six-year-old Dell XPS, a base-model iPad from 2021, and a Google Pixel 7. I had few points when connecting over USB-C (aside from the port on my Pixel being extraordinarily flaky).

Getting linked to the iPad over Bluetooth might have been a bit extra seamless, and I by no means managed to get it to work in any respect with my cellphone. That being stated, due to the latency Bluetooth introduces, it’s not likely best for DJing anyway.

AlphaTheta says that the DDJ-FLX2 is appropriate with Rekordbox, Algoriddim Djay, and Serato DJ Lite, although I solely examined it with the primary two. Since AlphaTheta additionally makes Rekordbox, it’s unsurprising that integration there may be the tightest. It really works precisely as you’d anticipate proper out of the field, and the labels on the {hardware} mirror the terminology you’d discover in app. Should you haven’t dedicated to a selected DJing platform but, Rekordbox is value exploring since there’s a surprisingly feature-rich free model. Plus it helps streaming from SoundCloud, Beatport, Beatsource and Tidal, in case you’re nonetheless constructing out your library at this stage of your DJing profession.

I largely used it with Djay nevertheless, since that’s the software program I used to be skilled on once I joined the ranks of Maker Park Radio all these years in the past. Plus, it has Apple Music integration, which makes it simpler for me so as to add issues to my rotation on brief discover and with minimal fuss. The FLX2 labored out of the field with out challenge with Algoriddim’s Djay Professional software program, although the labeling and naming conventions don’t at all times line up which may result in some confusion.

Usable in Actual Life

{Photograph}: Terrence O’Brien

Along with practising at house, I DJed a few episodes of my radio present with the FLX2 and even experimented with doing brief seamless blocks of dance music on air. The Sensible Fader operate made it easy for a noob like myself to transition between tracks with assistance from filter and echo results, whereas smoothing over small discrepancies in tempo. And once I needed a bit of extra time to ensure I had every part lined up or needed to do a mini mashup into the following observe, the loop pads labored like a allure. I wouldn’t say I’m able to DJ an enormous venue, however I really feel a bit of extra assured indulging in dance mixes on my present now.