12/05/2021

Battle Of: Standalone DJ Controllers for 2021-2022

What is a Standalone DJ controller?

There is an incredible amount of DJ controllers in the market. Some of them work with specific DJ software, others have an integrated audio interface and can mix external DJ gear with the software and there is a category for the ultimate DJ controllers, those that don’t require a laptop to work. Today we are reviewing them from the most expensive to the most affordable one, including some discontinued controllers, so you can choose which fits your preferences the best.

Pioneer XDJ-XZ

The flagship standalone DJ controller from Pioneer is an incredible piece of equipment. A professional DJ controller oriented to clubs and festivals not only because of its specs but also because of the price. It features a 7-inch display touch screen in the top centre of the controller with all the information you need, a complete mixer section with 4 channels that have 3 bands EQ, full-size jog wheels with display, 14 beat FX, 6 colour FX and 2 Mic inputs with full EQ and Feedback reducer. It also works in midi mode with Serato DJ Pro and Rekordbox, unlocking its full potential.

The only downside of this top-of-the-line DJ controller is that, in standalone mode, you can only control decks 1 and 2, leaving decks 3 and 4 only usable with a line or phono inputs or using a laptop with Serato or Rekordbox DJ software.

Specs

Deck control channels in standalone mode: 2
Deck control channels with DJ software: 4
Standalone mixer channels: 4
Inputs: 2 RCA (Line/Phono) 2 RCA Stereo (Line) 2 Mic In (XLR & 1/4 Inch) 1 AUX (RCA)
Outputs: 2 Master (RCA/XLR) 1 Booth (TRS) 1 Send (TRS) 1 Headphone Monitor (1/4 Inch & 1/8 Inch)
Weight: 28,7 lbs. (13 kg)
Size (Width/Height/Depth): 878mm – 118mm – 491mm (34.57″ – 4.66″ – 19.35″)
Price (May 2021): £ 1,899.00 // € 2.199,00 // $ 2,299.00

Denon Prime 4

This flagship standalone DJ controller was a revolution when it came out in 2019 and it is still one of the best, if not the best standalone DJ controller in the market competing face-to-face with the Pioneer XDJ-XZ. The features that it offers are: A large 10.1 inch touch screen, full standalone controls in the 4 channels (meaning that it is capable of playing 4 tracks with 2 decks as each deck has two layers), 3 band EQ, big jog wheels with display, 14 FXs, 2 Mic inputs with EQ and echo, WiFi and even a bay for a hard drive or a SSD. It also works as a midi controller with Serato DJ Pro and Virtual DJ.

A very complete DJ controller specially designed for mobile DJ’s and clubs with not many downsides. It is true that some of the features are a bit hidden in the menu and the learning curve is a little bit bigger than some of the competing products, but it offers unique features that are worth the investment.

Specs

Deck control channels in standalone mode: 4
Deck control channels with DJ software: 4
Standalone mixer channels: 4
Inputs: 4 RCA (Line/Phono) 2 Mic (1/4 Inch/XLR) Stage Link Input
Outputs: 2 Master (1 x RCA 1 x XLR) 1 Booth (XLR) 1 Zone (XLR) 1 Headphone Monitor (1/4 Inch & 1/8 Inch)
Weight: 13.22 lbs. (9.6 kg)
Size (Width/Height/Depth): 728mm – 103mm – 497mm (28.68″ – 4.07″ – 19.56″)
Price (May 2021): £1,299 // € 1.799,00 // $ 1,899.00

Pioneer DJ XDJ-RX3

The XDJ-RX3 boasts flexibility and practicality while packing in a host of features that come straight from the club-standard CDJ-3000 multiplayer and DJM-900NXS2 mixer. With the brand-new 10.1-inch touch screen, you can instinctively browse playlists, mix tracks, and apply effects, and the unit’s refined design brings a pro look to your setup.

Pioneer DJ’s XDJ-RX3 is a direct improvement for the popular XDJ-RX2 standalone DJ system, and so it is not surprising that it looks and feels similar to its predecessor upon unboxing. The biggest differences you notice immediately are the fantastic 10.1″ touchscreen and the physical library controls.

Specs

Deck control channels in standalone mode: 2
Deck control channels with DJ sowftware: 2
Inputs: 2 RCA (Line) 2 RCA (Phono) 2 MIC (XLR & 1/4 inch TRS Jack) 3.5mm stereo mini jack x 1 (unbalanced input) 1 RCA (Aux)
Outputs: 1 MASTER (XLR) 1 MASTER (RCA) 1 BOOTH (1/4 inch TRS Jack) 1 PHONES (1/4 inch stereo phone Jack) 1 PHONES (3.5-mm stereo mini jack)
Weight: 20.5 lb (9.2 kg)
Size (Width/Height/Depth): 728.22 mm –469.39 mm– 118,36 mm (28.67”– 18.48” – 4.66”)
Price (May 2021): $1999 // £1699 // €1999

Pioneer XDJ-RX2

After the success of the XDJ-RX, in 2017 Pioneer launched an improved model, the XDJ-RX2, which is their top of the line 2 channel standalone DJ controller.

This controller features the same screen as the Pioneer XDJ-XZ but it doesn’t have the on jog wheel displays, keeping RGB pads (as the previous ones) for Hot Cues, Beat Jump, Slip Loop and Beat Loop, an incredible mixer similar to the NXS2 with 4 colour FX and 8 Beat FX, 2 Mic inputs with controls and 2 USB ports for playing and recording sets.

Specs

Deck control channels in standalone mode: 2
Deck control channels with DJ software: 2
Standalone mixer channels: 2
Inputs: 2 RCA (Line) 2 RCA Stereo (Phono) 1 RCA (AUX) 2 Mic In (XLR & 1/4 Inch)
Outputs: 2 Master (RCA/XLR) 1 Booth (TRS) 1 Headphone Monitor (1/4 Inch & 1/8 Inch)
Weight: 20 lbs. (9.07 kg)
Size (Width/Height/Depth): 728mm – 108mm – 367mm (28.66″ – 4.26″ – 17.46″)
Price (May 2021): £1,351 // € 1.575,00 // $ 1,699.00

Denon Prime 2

Similar to the Denon Prime 4 but with 2 channels, the Denon Prime 2 offers a flagship mixer in a smaller format. The features that differ between the two are that the Prime 2 doesn’t support Serato yet. The pads are a bit smaller but it has a stop knob for controlling the fade out when stopping the track (the prime 4 has this function in the menu). This screen is 7 inches and it only has a Filter FX instead of the 4 that offers the Prime 4, it has less control over the FX parameters and doesn’t offer the possibility to mix with external turntables.

Specs

Deck control channels in standalone mode: 2
Deck control channels with DJ software: 2
Standalone mixer channels: 0
Inputs: 2 RCA (Line) 2 Mic In (XLR & 1/4 Inch) Stage Link Input
Outputs: 2 Master (RCA/XLR) 1 Booth (XLR) 1 Headphone Monitor (1/4 Inch & 1/8 Inch)
Weight: 15,87 lbs. (7,2 kg)
Size (Width/Height/Depth): 645mm – 120mm – 410mm (25″ – 4″ – 16″)
Price (May 2021): £915 // € 1.290,00 // $ 1,401.00

Pioneer XDJ-RR

The cheapest standalone DJ controller from Pioneer is still a really nice piece of gear for those who are beginners or for those who want to play at small parties without a laptop.

It features a 7 inch display that is not a touchscreen, NXS2 style mixer with 3 FX and 4 colour FX, 1 Mic Input with controls over the EQ, a line RCA input and 2 Outputs for the master (XLR/RCA). Also works as a DJ controller with a laptop but only with Rekordbox software.

It lacks some features like the booth output or the phono inputs and the build quality feels more entry-level than its big brothers, so it is perfect for beginners who want to learn how to use the Pioneer mixers layout without spending the money that the XDJ-XZ or the XDJ-RX2 cost.

Specs

Deck control channels in standalone mode: 2
Deck control channels with DJ software: 2
Standalone mixer channels: 0
Inputs: 1 RCA (Line) 1 Mic In (XLR & 1/4 Inch)
Outputs: 2 Master (RCA/XLR) 1 Headphone Monitor (1/4 Inch & 1/8 Inch)
Weight: 11,5 lbs. (5,2 kg)
Size (Width/Height/Depth): 625mm – 74,2mm – 388,5mm (24,6″ – 2,9″ – 15,3″)
Price (May 2021): £915 // € 1.066,60 // $ 999.00

Denon Prime Go

The Denon Prime Go is the answer from Denon to those who want to mix in any place without the worries of needing a power supply, as it has a built in battery that lasts up to 4 hours.

It is a compact size DJ controller, full of features like a 7 inch multi-touch display, WiFi, sweep FX’s, assignable FX’s, 3 band EQ in horizontal format, 2 Mic inputs with level control, booth output (1/4″), USB/SD card ports and 4 performance pads in each deck.

The downsides are more of a compromise than a lack, as its size doesn’t allow to include too many other features that the Prime 2 or the Prime 4 have.

Specs

Deck control channels in standalone mode: 2
Deck control channels with DJ software: 2
Standalone mixer channels: 0
Inputs: 1 RCA (Line) 2 Mic In (XLR & 1/4 Inch) Stage Link Input
Outputs: 2 Master (RCA/XLR) 1 Booth (1/4″) 1 Headphone Monitor (1/4 Inch & 1/8 Inch)
Weight: 8,1 lbs. (3,68 kg)
Size (Width/Height/Depth): 411mm – 53mm – 275mm (16,2″ – 2,1″ – 10,8″)
Price (May 2021): £711 // € 990,00 // $ 999.00

Numark Mixstream Pro

Like the much more expensive Denon DJ Prime units, the Numark Mixstream Pro has built-in WiFi, enabling DJs to access millions of tracks on streaming services like TIDAL, SoundCloud, Beatport LINK and Beatsource LINK, right out of the box. This removes the need for new DJs to build an offline music library in order to DJ. That also means that with the Mixstream Pro, new DJs no longer need to use a laptop to either prepare music or to DJ from.

Specs

Deck control channels in standalone mode: 2
Deck control channels with DJ software: 2
Inputs: 1 1/4” (6.35 mm) microphone input.
Outputs: 2 XLR outputs (main left/right, balanced), 1 RCA output pair (main left/right, unbalanced), 1 1/4” (6.35 mm) stereo output (headphones), 3.5 mm stereo output (headphones).
Weight: 8.11 lbs. (3.68 kg)
Size (Width/Height/Depth): 566 x 284 x 74 mm (22.3” x 11.2” x 2.9”)
Price (Oct 2021): £499 // €599 // $599

Gemini SDJ-4000

Gemini offers more affordable standalone DJ controllers, the SDJ-4000 being their top of the line alternative.

It features 4 channels with 3 band EQ but only 2 are completely standalone, meaning that in those 2 channels you can play tracks from your USB drive. The mixer is standalone too as it has 4 line inputs (2 of them can be phono) and built in FX, the jog wheels are illuminated but not really big, it has 16 performance pads, a 7 inch color display, 2 USB ports, an ethernet connection to add 2 more proprietary controllers and works as a 4 channel DJ controller with Virtual DJ.

Overall, a good alternative for the price but not as popular as their competitors. We will keep an eye on their future models.

Specs

Deck control channels in standalone mode: 2
Deck control channels with DJ software: 4
Standalone mixer channels: 4
Inputs: 2 RCA (Line) 2 RCA (Line/Phono) 2 Mic In ( 1 x XLR / 1 x 1/4 Inch)
Outputs: 2 Master (RCA/XLR) 1 Booth (RCA) 1 Headphone Monitor (1/4 Inch & 1/8 Inch)
Weight: 13,23 lbs. (6 kg)
Size (Width/Height/Depth): 796mm – 230mm – 554mm (31,34″ – 9,05″ – 21,8″)
Price (May 2021): £856 // € 999,00 // $ 999.95

Denon MCX8000

The Denon DJ MCX8000 was the first standalone DJ controller from Pioneer prior to the Prime series.

The main purpose of this DJ controller is as a 4 channel control surface for Serato DJ Pro, but it is also capable of playing as a 2 deck standalone controller via USB ports. It has 2 screens at the top of each deck that show all the information you need, 16 performance pads, 3 band EQ, 3 FX, a Filter per channel and 2 Mic inputs with controls. It supports Serato DVS for playing with turntables.

The cons of this controller are: the decks are mirrored, meaning that the crossfader and some buttons are next to the mixer section instead of being in the identical position on each deck and due to the new release of the Prime series, it is discontinued in many shops.

Specs

Deck control channels in standalone mode: 2
Deck control channels with DJ software: 4
Standalone mixer channels: 4
Inputs: 2 RCA (Line) 2 RCA (Line/Phono) 2 Mic In ( 1 x XLR / 1 x 1/4 Inch)
Outputs: 2 Master (RCA/XLR) 1 Booth (XLR) 1 Headphone Monitor (1/4 Inch & 1/8 Inch)
Weight: 23,61 lbs. (10.71 kg)
Size (Width/Height/Depth): 865,63mm – 131,06mm – 536,45mm (28,68″ – 5,16″ – 21,12″)
Price (May 2021): £648 // € 911,00 // $ 1499.00

Other standalone DJ controllers

There are more standalone DJ controllers in the market right now but for 2021 they have features that are a little bit outdated. If you want to check them out we leave the list here: