You are beginning to take part in DJ on a budget and you would like to look for one of the best budget DJ controller for beginners, which is available in 2023. For beginners and those who have some paucity in their budget, they can still find easily a great DJ controller.
You might know that a budget could be an important element in a DJ choice of musical appliance. If you are a professional DJ, you will have everything you know about DJ controllers.
However, many kinds of DJ controllers are expensive because of better productivity, but nowadays, many more affordable options for the beginners are becoming popular.
In addition, the non-traditional DJ controllers and MIDI controllers are used for controlling DJ rigs and DJ computer software.
In this article, Carroll / Fletcher we will help you consider some of the best budget DJ controller in 2023, so that you might have a good choice for yourself.
Best Budget DJ Controller Comparison 2023
| Hercules Inpulse 300 DJ Controller | Roland DJ-202 | Pioneer DJ DDJ400 |
|---|---|---|
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best for Money |
best for Impressive Features |
best for Beginners |
** You will find our detailed reviews of the Best Budget DJ Controller below, also, click these following links to view the current prices and customer comments on Amazon.
Top Best Budget DJ Controller Reviews 2023
Denon DJ MC4000
Denon DJ is the large seller and continues to be a popular option for DJs.
The MC4000 is a wonderful starter DJ controller, which has a 2-deck DJ controller. It is easily compatible with Serato DJ software. This DJ controller is very perfect for beginners because it is an all in one controller that has all you need to operate samples, make editions, and also perform live with their included sample pads.
Besides that, the MC4000 features a duplicate of Serato DJ Lite to use with your computer, so you can easily upgrade to the full version with a good price. The MC4000 product provides touch activated jog wheels that helps you cue tracks and scratch more precisely.Furthermore, trigger pads are provided for productivity purposes and they can give a light display feedback.
Next, pitch faders are also another characteristic for manipulating audio, and you also get balanced outputs for local speakers if you want to have only a DJ session with studio monitors instead of connecting to the whole sound system.
The layout of the MC4000 DJ controller is extremely wide and has a process of working optimized for the best performance. Each channel has its own EQ and FX controls and even balanced micro inputs with a 2 band EQ.
The MC4000 is very durable because it is made from steel. It also looks beautiful. You can take this anywhere and do not worry about it being damaged or scratched up. Therefore it is a convenient thing for a tour.
Another thing that If you could add MIDI controllers or DJ controllers like Traktor 2, it is for you to connect with the MC4000 to make your setup bigger.
The Denon DJ MC4000 is exactly a suitable choice for beginners and it has a cheap price for a DJ controller. We highly recommend it for you because of its working process and optimized layout. It could be a little bit hard for you to learn how to use the MC4000,but we believe it is easy to manipulate tracks.
Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol S2 Mk3
Native Instruments probably has been one of the most innovative brands about some of the best DJ controllers for beginners. Traktor Kontrol S2 is their second channel Traktor model. It is just only a plug and play, because it is all in one controller that starts familiarizing with DJ easily at a good price.
You can imagine that The Traktor Kontrol S2 has all things you need for an amazing DJ, and together with Traktor Pro software connected your computer. That is the result of a 2 deck controller, it is suitable for crafting big sets and helps you be creative thanks to its looping and beat syncing tools which is friendly with beginners on a low budget.
In addition, The Traktor Kontrol S2 also provides club grade effects such as reverb, EQ, delay, filters,….All of them featured in the Mixer FX controls. Then, there are a lot of jog wheels if you prefer to be more hands on, and you could easily use them to make beat matching tracks as well.Therefore, nudging tracks forward or back, scratching, and scrolling is formed easily with these jog wheels.
Moreover, the Traktor Kontrol S2 attractive interface is very streamlined and allows for seamless blending of tracks and best matching with DJ, so you can focus more on building a wonderful set ,sculpting your sound, or even performing with a connected MIDI controller.It is also help you more outstanding.
It also has hot cues which are also made available for jumping to different parts of tracks, but you can also use them to perform as the way you would with a pad based MIDI controller or load different instrument samples into them so that you could make your mix better.
With many remarkable features, it was without a doubt,The Traktor Kontrol S2 is a great choice for a beginner in a friendly budget DJ controller. If you have a plan to upgrade DJ in the future, you should definitely learn to practice on a Native Instruments DJ controller.
Roland DJ-202
We recommend The Roland DJ-202 as a great low budget controller that is well among the cheapest DJ controllers. The DJ-202 is small but it has many amazing features that are useful for DJ to perform and produce music in the studio. Moreover, the DJ-202 could be compatible with Serato DJ and accompany a Lite version of the software so that it helps you start making music.
Furthermore, the DJ-202 is extremely visual and modern. It has the interesting features that you might find on a high level controller. We believe that the DJ-202 is great for remixing, and even producing beats. The DJ-202 is appointed with large platters which have incredibly low latency, dedicated pad, transport controls, an onboard sequencer to control Serato DJ sampler, and a micro input for performance.
The DJ 202 has hot cue, loop, sequencer, and sampler models, which are available to the dedicated performance pads. With the micro input, you can use effects such as gating, a high pass filter, reverb, and an echo. You also can integrate drum kits from Roland legendary drum machines. It also provides advanced Analog Circuit Behavior (ACB) technology which makes it more powerful and realistic.Besides, it also has a bass drum, snare, closed or open hats, toms, rim shots, and claps.
Moreover, this low budget DJ controller has MIDI outputs for synchronising external MIDI consistency devices with Serato DJ tracks. In addition, the overall structure of this controller makes it very sturdy and light, so that it could handle easy transport. The DJ 202 is a good price controller and it has a large number of connections to monitors or other devices.
We actually recommend to you the Roland DJ202 is a wonderful DJ controller for DJ players when performing and producing music. If you are a music producer and want to own a DJ, the DJ 202 is the best budget DJ controller which will bring you a flowing transition into DJ. Sometimes, the drivers are quite difficult to set up but once you succeed in that, everything is smooth sailing on the DJ-202.
- Pros
- Cons
Things we liked
- Solid construction and has handles for transport.
- Having micro inputs for performance.
- Many choose drum kits for on the fly creation.
Things we did not like
- Drivers can be hard to set up on the computer.
- Maybe lightweight.
- Pros
- Cons
Things we liked
- Solid construction and has handles for transport.
- Having micro inputs for performance.
- Many choose drum kits for on the fly creation.
Things we did not like
- Drivers can be hard to set up on the computer.
- Maybe lightweight.
Hercules DJ Control Jogvision
The Hercules DJ Control Jogvision with lots of nice features for beginner DJs is another important contender on this list we would like to introduce to you. The DJ Control Jogvision is an ideal 2 channel USB controller for your performances the boost of excitement that they need. It has a lite duplicate of Serato DJ which you can upgrade after that if you want, but it is compatible with other software such as native instruments Traktor Pro and Ableton Live.
Furthermore, It features big jog wheels which are easy to action thanks to instantly touch detection so that you can scratch with precision and are completely free of latency. The jog wheels have integrated displays that allow you to see the current playback speed of a track and your current position in that track to help you focus on mixing.
Another really wonderful feature of the DJ Control Jogvision is the air control feature. The air control is provided to control the integrated low pass filter without any contact. That means your movements create the sound effects from the filter including filter push, cutting, and roll. The DJ Control Jogvision utilizes a sensor to find the movement of your hand, so you do not even need to touch the DJ Control Jogvision to regulate the filter. This is never seen before on any DJ controllers.
The Jogvision also provides 4 drum pads that help you control different mixing modes, and a microphone input for performance. Besides,it also has a 3 band EQ, a crossfader for seamless combining of one track into another, and a volume fader per deck.
The Jogvision is extremely durable with an effective design to decrease the potential for carpal tunnel and other physical problems that could arise after a long DJ session. It is quite durable and shock-resistant so it is wonderful for traveling.
The Hercules DJ Control Jogvision is an amazing choice for those interested in higher tech features. If you would like one of the best budget DJ controllers which is loaded with sensors and haptic feedback. This is exactly the DJ controller for you and we strongly suggest you check out this.
- Pros
- Cons
Things we liked
- It is durable, and easy for travel.
- Having air control for filter manipulation.
- Could detect instant touch on jog wheels
Things we did not like
- It might be a bit small to those used to more traditional DJrigs.
- It is plastic construction, not metal.
Pioneer DJ DDJ-WeGO4
The Pioneer DJ brand offers a many different kinds of DJ controllers. However, the DDJ WeGO4 is easily the most compact equipment and the only specifically made for traveling and DJing while you are travelling. It is a 2 deck controller which is compatible with WeDJ and Pioneer rekordbox DJ software.
The DDJ WeGO4 is different from other controllers because it could be used with an iPhone or other iOS device.The Pioneer brand provides the iOS app for directly mixing tracks from the iTunes library and controlling various things on the hardware controller. You just plug it into your device with a lightning cable then you are ready.
It is also simultaneous with computers, so you will not be confined to use handheld iOS devices. The Pioneer rekordbox DJ software has been provided to you free of charge, so you have wonderful software to get you started making interesting sound sets.
The DDJ WeGO4 has a great number of features that have been inherited from more professional controllers to bring more creation to your DJing sets.There is a sample, Hot Cues, and Pad FX on the DDJ WeGO4. These could be used to add your track mixes, jump between various sections of a song, cue up loops and samples as well as breathe new life into songs you have heard thousand times.The composition of the DDJ-WeGO4 is very understandable and simple but let you easily and comfortably upgrade to higher professional DJ setups such as CDJ multiplayers and DJM mixers when you need something with more controls.
You can easily listen to the mix through your computer speakers or play through a wireless speaker for flexibility. At the same time you can combine an independent headphone mix from the master output. The DDJ-WeGO4 is also extremely light but solid structure against outdoor adventures.
The Pioneer DJ DDJ WeGO4 is the perfect option for DJ. It is one of the best budget DJ controllers for outdoor activities or parties where it is spaceless. I highly recommend this one for you if you prefer entertaining, traveling.This is a good partner and replacement for a bigger DJ controller.
- Pros
- Cons
Things we liked
- It is compact but solid.
- It is compatible with rekordbox DJ and the WeDJ app
- It has professional features
Things we did not like
- It could be confusing to set up.
- There is no Android connectivity.
Pioneer DJ DDJ400
Pioneer DJ has been a very famous and well known audio company. They also produce DJ controllers. The DDJ 400 was made specifically with a low budget for the beginners. The DDJ 400 controller is a 2 channel DJ controller and has a license for rekordbox, which is DJ software of Pioneer DJ.The DDJ-400 is extremely easy and funy to learn. It is integrated with features which will help you develop your skills promptly, so that you feel more comfortable when using more advanced DJ controllers in the next time.
The DDJ 400 is set up similar to Pioneer DJ NXS2 controller.This is a more advanced model that they offer for DJp. Some of the features of the DDJ 400 will also find on more advanced DJ controllers are dedicated cue buttons.It beats FX for spicing up your mixes, CDJ style looping.
The DDJ 400 also has a special guide feature that helps you learn the controller detail. The tutorial feature works side by side with the included rekordbox DJ software in order to help you learn both the hardware and software.
To increase flexibility, you can have a choice to hear the mix through your computer speakers or even studio monitors. At the same time, you can cue up the master output in headphones. The DDJ 400 is very suitable for taking on the road because it is very durable as well. Therefore, you don’t mind about getting scuffed up during transit.
The Pioneer DJ DDJ 400 is an incredible DJ controller. If you want a fairly low-priced DJ controller and you know you would like to upgrade in the future, we strongly suggest you use this controller to learn on. The Pioneer DJ DDJ 400 has less of a curve for you to learn compared to other beginner controllers, so it is not quite difficult for you to familiarize with DJ thanks to this controller. Therefore if you have no clue about DJ, let get this one and you should be good to start.
Numark Mixtrack Platinum
At the moment, Numark is the leading producer of innovative DJ equipment and technology within the world. The Mixtrack Platinum controller is the new update to DJ controller products of Numark which is superb for somebody from beginners to professionals. We believe that the Mixtrack Platinum has numerous great features along with the lite version of Serato DJ.
On the other hand, the Mixtrack Platinum also encompasses a two channel controller with four channel mixing capability, so it’s considered to be the most effective DJ controller for a much bigger setup just in case you wish to use it with other devices. There is a big LCD screen, which is set in each jog wheel for monitoring things like BPM, track play time, pitch adjustment,….to create a seamless transition between songs.
Furthermore, you’ll be able to even switch between four different decks and control the active one.It brings you boundless layering possibility and creates your own mix tapes ability. That’s the explanation why it’s useful and you may not need to constantly monitor your laptop. Besides, it allows you to specialize in actual mixing instead of choosing the subsequent songs without being distracted.
It features sixteen productivity pads for loops, hot cues, and launching samples. Therefore, you’ll be able to use the multiple touch functions which are provided for exploring through tracks or stripping FX quickly. Filter knobs usually are provided for every channel to make more sound. Another thing is pitch sliders which are featured for the most effective pitch adjustments. The Numark Mixtrack Platinum is additionally supplied with intelligent touch controls that afford precise control over your tracks.
The Numark Mixtrack Platinum has plenty of incredible features that make it fun and simple to make high-energy mixes that sound great. it’s extremely sturdy, thanks to being fabricated from metal, so you don’t bother about it breaking while on the road.
I would suggest this fantastic DJ controller for any DJ, from beginner to professional thanks to its extensive audio manipulation controls. It has quite a low price, so you will not get trouble in your wallet.
Numark Party Mix
The Numark Party Mix is a fantastic DJ controller if you’re outstanding within the party at any club, or performance venue. The Party Mix is provided a 2 deck controller with plugging and playing capability, which consists of Serato DJ software.The Party Mix helps you combine, blend, and build the proper feelings with its intuitive and handy controls. you’ll be able to do all varieties of professional things with the Party Mix, for instance, previewing the combination in your headphones before blending it into speakers to verify the good sounds. you’ll also manually or automatically synchronise the beat and blend songs along with your playlist.
There are four cue points which are available with pads and allow you to apply effects to your audio. The pad mode helps you create auto loops of various lengths, and you’ll be able to add effects instantly also as used samples or drums when loaded into the pads. Moreover, the EQ with treble, bass, channel gain, and master gain all facilitate your to sculpt your make sense out of the box.
In addition, another feature of the Party Mix is extremely cool which offers a light-weight show function. It also provides three onboard LED light arrays synchronised to your mix and flash from the rear of the Party Mix to shine your set while you play DJ. they might be turned on or turned off easily. Furthermore, the Party Mix has all the connections you would like to send your mix to speakers and headphones at the same time with integrated audio. The Party Mix is meant just like other controllers of Numark.It is considered professional with prime quality materials to make sure that it’ll not easily drop, scuffs in during travel.
We believe that the Numark Party Mix is a perfect for beginner DJs. If you virtually would really like to make different vibes and really placed on a show while DJing. The Party Mix is totally affordable. We highly recommend it for beginners because it’s an awfully interesting controller.
- Pros
- Cons
Things we liked
- It features an optional light show.
- It has Pad Mode for extensive looping.
- It could Automatic beat syncing.
Things we did not like
- It might be loading performance pad files.
- Pitch sliders won’t be as precise as a deck.
- It is not ideal for those with epilepsy or other similar issues thanks to the sunshine show feature.
Reloop Terminal Mix 8
There is another controller that operates perfectly with the Serato DJ is the Reloop Terminal Mix 8 DJ Controller. You might know that it is popular because it is a four deck controller with solid club size construction and quality. The effective design of the Reloop Terminal Mix 8 DJ Controller allows new players to easily make themselves familiarized with all its onboard controls and features.
Besides that, you can easily activate samples, slicer, hot cues, and loops with its sixteen velocity sensitive RGB performance pads. The slick and loop modes allow you to make rapid rearrangement on the fly.
In addition, the extensive effect section of Terminal Mix 8 has three rotary knobs with endless encoder and four buttons so that it has complete control over the Serato DJ’s iZotope powered effects.
Furthermore, Terminal Mix 8 provides an easy plug and play controller which could be easily connected to your computer to start mixing MP3 immediately.It’s more than that, it could also be connected to any PA or home setup with its integrated audio interface.
- Pros
- Cons
Things we liked
- It is durable construction and quality.
- It works as an excellent controller.
- It is fully compatible with Serato DJ
Things we did not like
- There is no dedicated master out.
- It is hard to be used as a standalone mixer
Reloop Neon
This one is more representative if you’d prefer to escape from more traditional DJ controllers and only specialize in having pads, or other more untraditional controllers. The Pad controllers are exciting for performance and their MIDI compatibility makes them a worthy gear. Especially if you favor or have an interest in a very smaller setup which is on a budget.
The Reloop Neon is an incredible pad controller which is seamless working with Serato DJ and was made especially for using it. It has features with 8 low latency as well as the touch sensitive pads with aftertouch the light up to give you feedback information on things such as status and mode information.
The Reloop Neon has eight power modes for every pad in order that you’ll be able to make a choice from a sampler, pad FX, slicer, looped slicer, likewise as cue, flip, hot loop, and manual loop functions. Besides,the slicer, cue, and loop functions allow you to operate four decks.
Furthermore, there are five various trigger variants for the sample slot, which has a unit of ammunition, toggle, holding, repetition mode, and sync. Many of these functions and features could remind you about Ableton Live, and if you’re conversant in Session mode. The functions and controls of Neon will feel nearly like it and there’s no problem to search out your way round the hardware.
Many other features of the Neon include endless push encoders for a few things like volume control, track navigation, and editing loops. It’s a quite small controller but it seems to be fine built thanks to its more portable making.
The Reloop Neon could be a compact DJ controller. it’s great for you to sublimate your performances. If you’d wish to move far from traditional dead one DJ controllers and alter to more digital, the Reloop Neon brings you adequate tools to try and do this.
We would also recommend the Neon if you favor another controller to feature your beginner equipment and don’t want to possess another dead one set or a MIDI keyboard for performance. The beginners are going to be excited when using this DJ controller.
- Pros
- Cons
Things we liked
- It has pad based controller makes performance much easier than with traditional DJ controllers.
- There are 8 power modes for different tasks.
- It triggers variants for spicing things up.
Things we did not like
- It probably needs connecting to WiFi to play audio from sources like Spotify.
- The design could use a few much pads for more flexibility.
Hercules Inpulse 300 DJ Controller
This Inpulse 300 DJ Controller from Hercules is the best budget DJ controller on our list. It helps you learn the way to combine without investing an excessive amount of.
The DJ Control Inpulse 300 along with its DJUCED software also has light guide features on the controller, which is less complicated for you to find out the correct movements. together with the Intelligent Music Assistant allows you to settle on the simplest songs to play. Additionally, the energy feature to administer the party mood, and therefore the DJ academy with its onboard video tutorials. It’s very useful because it also might be compatible with Virtual DJ.
Learning DJ and mixing become easier with Hercules DJ Control Inpulse 300. Although you study by yourself via video tutorials or practise for your gig, this friendly budget controller could be the one you’re searching for.
The DJ Control Inpulse 300 encompasses a comprehensive DJUCED software that helps you learn easily the fundamentals of DJ with its interactive assistance and video tutorials.
Moreover, a number of the essential functions which you’ll learn well from this DJ controller are the tempo, beat light guides and therefore the assistant function. About the assistant function, it’ll allow you to organize the simplest music production and mixes in order that it suggests the new update tracks available. Besides, It also has 16 pads, modes, and effects with the identical outline as those in premium DJ controllers.
- Pros
- Cons
Things we liked
- It comes with expansion features
- It is low budget controller
- Its quality is wonderful
- It has touch sensitive jog wheels
- It is perfect for beat matching
Things we did not like
- Audio cables is excluded
- There is no a digital display on jog wheels
Choosing The Best Budget DJ Controller
All the budget DJ controllers above are fantastic music equipment and ideal for beginner DJs. you may be ready to perform at important events sort of a professional with these controllers.
Making sure that you just could choose a DJ controller and software which you’re comfortable with. you ought to know the most effective budget DJ controller is just about preference.
Although we all know that the budget is probably not an enormous issue for somebody, other dedicated DJs really make an endeavor to avoid wasting finance for controllers they have.As you recognize from our article, we believe that there are still plenty of controllers which are integrated with features you wish and offered at a reasonable payment.
Guidelines To Choose The Best Budget DJ Controller
Checking The Built-in Software
You should understand the software that comes with the DJ controller you would like to have. We actually emphasize on this one. If possible, you could scan some following reviews carefully and even have the trial version and a test of the software before buying the controller.
If you’re keen on the layout of the software, you may have a good performance with the budget DJ controller you want to own.
Don’t Take The Older Models
The older DJ controller versions possibly offer at a reduced price, and most of the people have an interest in something sale off which is compared to the first price. you must check whether the software continues to be supported and see perfect in shape capability of the jog wheels.
If all belongings you have checked is ideal, we predict it’s definitely worth the bargain, and you have just found an incredible deal, otherwise, you may fail.
Connectivity And Ports
The important thing you must do when choosing the DJ controller is checking the ports, the inputs and outputs ,and consider whether it supports USB connectivity otherwise you could connect external audio sources to that like CD players or turntables.
This is a significant factor because the controllers aren’t always independent mixers. On the opposite hand, you would like some interfacing if you really want to urge more creation along with your music mixes.
Features And Functions
If you’re beginners, probably you’ll be out of the blue by all the knobs, buttons and sliders onboard within the some complicated controllers. However, confine mind that the DJ controller that you simply are trying to find has got to work for your convenience and application.
Therefore, you must start learning the fundamental features like mixers, jog wheels, pitch faders, crossfaders, etc.
In addition, you must check if the dimensions are suitable for you, whether it’s a good feeling and everyone knows the parts are solid or not. Probably, you ought to have a check whether it’s enough space to accommodate more experimentation if you wish to travel to the subsequent level.
That is the rationale why it’s beneficial to use budget DJ controllers and not those which are expensive.
Conclusion: Best Budget DJ Controller – Top Pick For The Best
And now, you might know how judicious and perspicacious it is to look for the best budget DJ controller. We think that it is the time to choose the best budget controllers. Although our selection might not be the one that you pay attention to on this list, it is no problem.
After all, we are in the same business as buying friendly budget DJ controllers.
Best For Money
Best For Impressive Features
Best For Beginners
One again, we should know that all the premium DJ controllers or budget controllers are just the same if players have the skill on DJing. Therefore, you don’t focus yourself on buying the coolest music equipment on the market instead, leading your energy on mastering this craft.
After all, a wonderful DJ controller is actually interesting with its function and low budget.
This article will help you having reliable reviews of some of the best budget DJ controllers which is available in 2023 for the beginners, and hopefully you feel it useful. Let me know what is your feedback about the best budget controller by leaving a comment below.
Thank you for reading this far! I hope that the information provided in this article will be helpful to you.
- Don’t forget to share your thoughts about Best Budget DJ Controller at the comment box below!
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