Numark MIXTRACK PRO DJ Software Controller with Audio I/O  

As a beginner I think there are just the right amount of features without being overwhelming.

I'v read about the perception of the plastic affecting the overall quality but I don't see it as being a problem...unless you were to drop it of course but even if it was metal I would be more afraid of the internal components being damaged.

Based on my research of the Mixtrack Pro itself and the acclaim it has received from differing levels of DJs I found it to be a great value for the fantastic price on Musician's Friend.   It was the best price I found anywhere.

My only complaint would be the lack of a tutorial or more explicit instructions of the Mixtrack Pro itself as well as the software I received (Serato Intro).   Overall I am very happy with my purchase.

PROs:

Excellent control surface that integrates really well with the VDJ LE software.

Built in sound card.Convenient (*but see cons below*)

Lots of controls, if you upgrade to pro software you can alter mapping to suit your needs.

A really fun tool for mixing, will not make you Qbert, but fun and effective!

Won't get more control unless you spend about 3-4x as much $ (high end Hercules, Numark NS6 or better).

CONs: There is NOTHING pro about the sound card...NO ASIO DRIVERS ARE PROVIDED! That means poor latency, which equals a noticeable delay when you scratch! For a beginner it would probably be acceptable, but it felt wrong to me.

Build quality is plastic, I would definitely get the coverage!

Good

Here is the best advise I can give:

Buy the little brother to this, the Mixtrack (no sound card). Then with the money saved, buy a REAL pro sound card (Numark DJ I/O, NI audio DJ 2, Audio Komplete 6, Traktor audio, Focusrite, Presonus, etc). You will have a FAR superior latency and experience with your setup!

If you plan on doing small to medium gigs or use this unit as a backup, don't even waste your time buying this. I don't know why they call it Mixtrack PRO. There is nothing PRO about it!

The features on this unit is not that bad.

The left tempo/pitch fader jumps up and down on the software without even touching it. At times the unit does not sync with the software (Traktor, Virtual DJ). Output 2 and headphones/cueing section are not working. Scratch function not accurate at ALL!

Not worth the price. Rather worth a third of the price.

One notable problem was the LAG or LATENCY in the program's response.     It gave the program a feel as if you were mixing two motorized turntables.     Since I did not learn to scratch on vinyl, it cramped my style.     My unit arrived with Virtual DJ LE (VDLE) Release 6.         When I upgraded to VDLE 7, the latency problem was gone, but I was no longer able to record samples in the program.     I will check with tech support on this at a later time.    

Another problem with with release 7, is that my songs seem to sound broken up when I do a lot of     jogging and effects mixing.     I think release 7 needs a little more CPU power than the previous version.     To be fair, my laptop is a Toshiba Satellite with 1.6GHZ processor and 1GB of RAM.     I plan to upgrade the PC soon.     I believe this will probably correct the distorted sounds I'm getting at times.     I didn't like the fact that you can't manually map the controller unless you paid extra for the software upgrade - must be for the Big Wigs.     The problems I've mentioned seem small compared to the hours of FUN I have having with this unit.

The dual jog wheel function was a little tricky to get used to, but it was a welcome feature.     I found the loop function tricky getting the timing right.     For some reason the loop would not punch in and out on the correct beat.     I find it easier to use while mixing though.     I love the volume cue/program gain and mix control.     This eliminates having to wear a headphone half cocked on your head.    

One concern though - THE SOFTWARE VOLUME LOADS A MAX when it first initializes.     It is a good practice to move all the volume controls to minimum before you put on your headphones.     Your ears will thank you for that later.     The browsing functions are great and fast.     If you need to edit song information while mixing, you can do it on a fly with the right-mouse click.    

One feature that is not mentioned is that when you play files from your browser or other programs, the audio comes out through the Mixtrack Pro.     So, there's no need to patch an audio output from your laptop at all.     I wish they would have mapped the sampler functions to the unit's buttons in the Virtual DJ LE setup.     The mapping feature is only available on the full version of the software program.     I think the price is too steep to pay Virtual DJ for that privilege.

I was skeptical about others reporting that the unit is plastic.     Well, it feels heavy enough to be called a professional unit and the knobs and buttons seem of good (plastic) quality.     If you want heavy metal, I guess you have to pay for it.     I have a mixing style and don't do a lot of high velocity scratching.     If you do, you may want a mixer with a metal crossfade bar.     I would not suggest dropping unit, but if you don't sit on it, the plastic should hold up just fine.     If you decide to put the unit back in the box for protection, make sure that you line up the speed faders (on the right and left of the unit) - if you don't, you could damage them as you put the unit in the box.

I find this unit priced about right for the value.     I have much more control over my mixes than I did with my ION Discover DJ controller.     I love the large jog wheels and the many different ways you can control the tempo of your mixes.     You can even change the KEY of a song to match what's currently on deck.     With plenty of volume and mix control, I see great value in this product.     The sound quality is much better than my previous setup since I'm not using my laptop audio chip for sound output.

Great for beginner DJ's it has everything to get you started with DJ-ing! and is great I've had it for almost a year and I still love it!

Built in sound card

Easy to use

Great features

It is all plastic but very durable!

Great for beginners!