The Pioneer DDJ 400 packs a lot of punch in its compact size with well-rounded features and a couple of crucial extras, making it the best choice at its price range for beginner, amateur, or even professional DJs. Overall, it’s the best entry-level controller on the market right now, although it’s not as suited to mainstage play as a DDJ-1000 would be because it only has RCA outputs, but it’s a great first foray into the hobby and will last long.
Overview - It packs a lot of punch in its compact size with well-rounded features and a couple of crucial extras, making it the best choice at its price range for beginner, amateur, or even professional DJs. Overall, it's the best entry-level controller on the market right now, although it's not as suited to mainstage play as a DDJ-1000 would be because it only has RCA outputs, but it's a great first foray into the hobby and will last long.
Hardware - Hardware-wise, it has all the outputs you need to get started either in a bedroom or at a venue. Also, using an RCA and not a balanced output still works and will integrate pretty easily into any stage setup. However, the real selling point is in the layout of the controller.
Upgrade - Coming from a DDJ 200, the DDJ 400 is a great upgrade for the soundcard, extra knobs, and the Rekordbox software, making it a complete package.
Build - Value for Money - The 249 pounds of investment into the DDJ 400 with free software is a good value for money, although the buttons, sliders, etc., are not built as robustly as inexpensive units. The knobs are a bit basic and cramped, and it only has two channels with no additional source inputs, but it does what it does well. Therefore, it's a great value that assures none of your time spent building your Rekordbox library will be wasted when you go for something further up the Pioneer line. This typical mixer layout should always be standard for any DJ controller.
djtboy
04/07/2021
Build - Value for MoneyQualityKnobsRekordbox - Library
Beginner-friendliness - It remains a beginner DJ's unit suitable for a bedroom DJ if you play at house parties and is ideal for new DJs that don't want a controller to dominate their home DJ studio.
Brand Reputation - It's one of the best DJ controllers for beginners that offer everything you need to get started right out of the box with full-featured software, and you can't go wrong with a brand like Pioneer as it also offers a natural upgrade progression path. Even for experienced DJs, it's nice to have a compact option that mimics more professional gear.
Inclusions - Layout - It already comes with the full Rekordbox DJ software, so you don't have to buy any upgrades as it works well out of the box with a nice cool layout similar to a professional-style DJ Gear or the Nexus-style setup.
User-friendliness - It has contemporary digital DJ control and performance features found on more expensive gear, plus it's just the right size for cramped DJ booths and house parties. There isn't much innovation on board, though, as it's more of an evolution of the way Pioneer DJ is making beginner-focused gear instead of a revolution in the way of digital DJing.
Recommendation - The DDJ-400, with its new Beat FX and Loop control layout, will help lessen the friction when upgrading to CDJs. It also got some basic mixing tutorials and a link to an archive of other Pioneer DJ tutorials for another kit in the Pioneer DJ product line. The DDJ 400 gives incredible mixing options and creative tools to bring DJing levels up a few notches.
Pros - The pros include the great FX features, looping functions, and sample options, compact size perfect for small spaces like on stage or at home, and inclusion of all the basics that DJs need to perform, including a crossfader, jog wheels, volume sliders, and performance pads, the inclusion of a Rekordbox DJ Software license, has a professional club-feel layout similar to more advanced DJ controllers, easy tutorial mode to learn the ropes quickly, and long pitch fader great for perfecting beatmatching.
Build - Aside from the knobs feeling plastic and short tempo sliders, there are not many bad things about the 400 considering its solid build, great jog wheels, and pads. It's probably the best entry-level controller on the market.
Build - Material - It's entirely made of plastic, but it is a rugged piece of gear that will hold up well against wear and tear. Also, new Pioneer equipment is now made similar to their club/festival-style equipment, especially with the outer jogs having the same circular indentations as the CDJs.
Buttons - he buttons of the 400 include an on/off effect button, level and depth knob to make the effect more or less that can be set at channels 1 and 2, master output, FX select button that allows you to scroll through the different effects available in the Rekordbox, beat button for changing the level of the effects or how often the effect knocks, cue button, master level volume control knob, gain knob for the microphone, 3 band EQs, pitch fader, loop section, trim pots, filters, volume faders and a crossfader in the mixer section, along with the requisite browse and track load buttons. Also, there are two decks, and each has a 5-inch jog wheel, 8 small performance pads with pad mode buttons, 'Hot Cue,' 'Beat Loop,' 'Beat Jump' and 'Sampler,' and also 'Keyboard' 'PAD FX1', 'PAD FX2' and 'Key Shift .'Plus, everything is in the same location for each deck.
Compact & Portable - It's nice and compact and easy to come with you. For its size, it's lightweight and small enough to be transported in a big backpack or a small duffel bag. But a protective case is recommended if you regularly use it outside.
Connectivity - The controller's connection options are basic. It includes a headphone jack for headphone monitoring, direct to USB or standard RCA & 1/8 inch output for main speakers, a ¼ inch mic out, a master RCA out option and an unbalanced mic option, and a mini-jack for using normal headphones as opposed to DJ headphones as well as a mic input for those looking to use microphones. However, it lacks trim controls, a built-in sound card, and inputs for turntables or CD players.
DJ Tech Reviews - Tanner Hall
02/23/2022
ConnectivityHeadphone MonitoringRekordbox DJ Software
Design - It has a nice separation with its shiny style feel and more of a brushed look. The glossy top provides more traction when you've got your hands on the jog wheel platter, and there's a rubber rim for a grippier, pitch-bending experience when nudging a track forwards or backward. It also has a more aligned layout to its more expensive siblings, making transitioning to higher-end units easier. Overall, the Pioneer DDJ 400 will let you experience the company's iconic look and design, but just a bit more compact. The buttons are placed in the same area on both decks, and the separation factor on each side of the mixer is a different texture on the decks and mixers. Also, it has a matte finish, which prevents fingerprint smudges.
Dimensions - The 400 is 482 mm (18.98") wide, 58.5 mm (2.3") tall, 272.4 mm (10.72") deep, and 2.1 kg (4.63 lbs) in weight. It's larger than other entry-level DJ controllers but compact enough for a home studio setup. However, it's too light and moves during intense scratching and fader play.
Jog Wheels - The 5" jog wheels are a decent size and are responsive. Build-wise, it has a smooth finish on top with a rubber edge; it has a nice amount of heft and resistance and does not feel flimsy. Also, they are touch sensitive and respond spontaneously to your fingers. However, they're a bit too responsive at times that it reacts when slightly bumped on accident. Performance-wise, they're both velocity-sensitive and have buttons for scratching and ducking, which is an excellent feature for beginners.
Knobs - The knobs of the 400 include the browse knobs for going through all of the tracks, crates, and file explorers; load knob for loading the files, cue/master rotary knob to decide how much you want to hear of the music playing and what your audience hears, filter knob for a low pass to the left and high pass to the right, low mid and high EQ, and trim knobs with a tactile top for DJs to dial-in volume levels efficiently.
Speakers - It can be used without speakers plugged through the RCA outputs, and it's also possible to plug into a laptop through the USB cable and play tracks off the computer's internal speakers. However, it's best to use a set of powered speakers to ensure crystal-clear sound.
FX Controls - The FX controls on the 400 select deck 1, deck 2, or both deck FX together. An FX select button toggles down or up if you hold the shift. At the same time, you can visually see which FX you are selecting in the Rekordbox DJ software. It would still be nice to have an FX select knob to minimize the time taken from looking up at the software to select an FX. 2 beat buttons let you program the FX to sync with the song's BPM automatically, shorten, lengthen, or manually affect the beat. Also, the level/depth knob is used to tune an effect's application on top of the music, and an on/off switch is used to cut or add FX in a flash. The Beat FX is also available, which applies the FX in time with your tracks making effects sound more harmonious and natural for more professional-sounding mixes.
Loop Controls - The controls in the looping section aren't straightforward, and it takes some practice and getting used to it. Specifically, you need to tap the loop-in button once to engage the loop and tap it a second time to begin a four-beat auto loop, then press the exit button to escape out of the loop or to re-engage the previous loop. Then, you can press the cue/loop call buttons to make the loop double or half-time, as the cue/loop call buttons also let you cycle through preset loops in the software, which is useful for DJs. Loops can also be stored in the Rekordbox DJ for an instant callback. It's also important to note that the 'Loop In' button doubles as a '4 Beat Auto Loop' button, 'Cue / Loop' Call buttons double as 'Loop 1/2x' or 'Loop 2x' buttons, the 'Loop Out' button, and a 'Reloop' or 'Exit' button are for either exiting or engaging the loops section again.
Mixer Section - It has a built-in mixer section with all of the standard mixing features from the Pioneer DJ controller product range, including the 3-band EQ with the dedicated high, medium, and low pass filter for EQ tracks mixing and transitions, bright LED level meters to monitor amplitude levels, trim knobs to regulate the volume levels efficiently, and dedicated cue buttons. However, while modifying the 400's layout, the company seems to have squished the mixing section making it feel cramped. Additionally, the individual channel meters allow you to keep an eye on your levels and avoid hitting the red zone, while the 2 channel faders and crossfader sit at the bottom.
Performance Pads - There are 8 rubber pads located on each deck; though slightly smaller, they still feel great, and they are used to set hot cues, activate pad FX, enable Beat Loop or Beat Jump, as well as Key Shift and sampler that can store up to three sample slots for use in your remixes. . Wherein, heaps of creative choices will give you more room to explore and expand your DJ skills after you master the basics.
Pitch Faders - It has extended pitch faders that allow more precise adjustments to the tempo and makes it easier for new DJs to learn beatmatching by ear. Specifically, it allows tweaking of pitch down to millimeter increments. It also has a crossfader curve adjust feature, which you can set with the latest version of Rekordbox.
Tutorial - There's a dedicated tutorial mode that covers the basics of connecting the gear and the features of the controller. It also guides you through some basic DJ skills to give you a foundation. Although it's not a comprehensive tutorial on DJing, it's still a great way to learn the fundamentals of DJing, especially for beginners, as the tutorials are intuitive and easy to understand.
Performance - Crossfader - The crossfader is found at the bottom. Build-wise, it's small, a bit scratchy, and plastic, and it doesn't feel as robust as a magvel crossfader. Performance-wise, it could do complicated scratches, crab scratches, and all other scratches with a low cut-in distance, lag, and latency.
Perfomance - Responsiveness - The controller is responsive, has a good feel, got a nice heft, and is similar to what you'd expect from other DDJ controllers.
Performance - Sound Quality - The sound quality is not as good, filters don't sound the same, mixing 2 tracks also doesn't sound good, and pitching the tempo of a track makes it sound like it has trouble playing the track at that speed.
Performance - Speakers & Headphones - Speakers will not work for parties unless it's like 5 people, but it is okay for home practice even without speakers. Also, if you want to save money and are not sure if you'll continue the hobby for a long, consider buying used.
Set-Up - For setup, you need to log in to your computer first, download the Rekordbox DJ software, plug it in, and it's ready to go as long as you have the latest version of Rekordbox DJ software.
Rekordbox - Rekordbox is one of the major players out there. Its advantages include that most club setups are built around Pioneer CDJs, which are built around Rekordbox. About everything that Pioneer builds controller-wise is with Rekordbox in mind, so if you decide to upgrade to the Pioneer line, you're likely to be able to find an RB-compatible. On the other hand, the disadvantages include most scratch-heavy/hip-hop style DJs prefer Serato's interface as it seems more geared towards quick and simplistic adjustments on the fly, while the recent Pioneer are typically designed for one or the other, and while the current club standard is, in fact, the CDJ setup, a lot of people have many different reasons they don't prefer them including sound quality. Overall, Rekordbox DJ is solid and dependable, with constant updates from Pioneer that show they are in it for the long haul and are listening to the community. The library management and track analysis are good, the layout and suite of FX make sense, the Streaming Service integration works well, and it's just as stable as the other popular tentpole DJ software.
Software - Cost - I like that with Pioneer, you get a full pro license of the software so you can record your mixes. That saves you anywhere from 69 - 100 dollars, depending on whatever special Serato is running.
CDJ-1000s vs DDJ-400 - Changing from club set-up to DDJ-400 is completely nonsense, it would be more reasonable if it is from a club set-up to a CDJ-1000.
DDJ-400 vs Wego 2 - Back then, the Wego 2 had great sound quality, along with the jog wheel quality. Hopefully, Pioneer will make the next Wego based on the 400 and eliminate the lights and layout.
Hercules Inpulse 500 - The build and jogwheels is better than in the DDJ-400. It has more versatile output options with a better mic slot and an aux input. It only falls behind in the software value.
Numark Mixtrack Pro FX - Lots of quality updates to the Mixtrack Pro FX have moved this controller higher up the list of potential options. A capable and affordable option for new DJs. One of the most affordable entry-level controllers. Long pitch faders for easier beatmatching by ear. FX paddles are fun but more restrictive compared to traditional FX controls.
HOME DJ STUDIO - Patryk Biernacki
03/23/2022
Numark Mixtrack Pro FXAlternativeUpdatesCapabilityAffordable
Numark Mixtracl Platinum FX - Good jogwheels, screens present useful information, gives 4 deck capability. Falls behind in software value as it runs on Serato.
Numark Mixtream Pro - Standalone unit, speakers are pretty decent, and the Engine DJ is also a good standalone OS. However, it is quite expensive but if you're starting out from scratch without speakers, a computer, or DJ Software then it is definitely a good option.
Pioneer DDJ REV1 - Offers a Serato software, highly focused on scratch DJs, offers up to 4 channel mixing with deck swap, and large jogwheels for scratching.
Pioneer DDJ 200 - The Pioneer DDJ 200 retails for $179|£139|€159, has 2 channels, a pad FX, weighs 1.6kg, is a basic DJ controller that's ideal for home use, is very cheap and compact, has brilliant features like loop control and cue points, supports a variety of streaming services including SoundCloud, TIDAL, Spotify, and Deezer, mix directly from a computer or mobile apps like WeDJ for iPhone, djay, and edjing. It's a 400s predecessor, which is still a great option for those looking to use it at house parties but doesn't necessarily want to master their craft because it's a basic DJ controller with no crazy effects or expansive mixing features on it. It does conveniently support consumer-based playback methods such as playing tracks from streaming services and phone apps.
Pioneer DDJ-SB3 - The Pioneer DDJ SB3 has large, low latency jog wheels for an incredible scratch response, is bundled with Serato Scratch Lite DJ software, has a padded scratch with eight samples from DJ Jazzy Jeff's prolific scratch recordings, and has an FX Fade pattern to smooth-out transitions. It's another beginner DJ controller by Pioneer that differs from the 400 based on its larger jog wheels, and it's bundled with Serato Scratch Lite and the 8 FX Fade feature that smooths out the transitions between songs. Though the DDJ 400 still has a better value. Overall, if you want to use Serato, go for it, but if you're looking for the best value, then DDJ-400 is the better choice.
Roland DJ 202 - The Roland DJ 202 retails for $299|£249|€320, has 2 channels but can connect up to 4 decks, a pad FX, weighs 2.1kg, has music production features such as built-in drum kits (with 8 different sounds), sampler, and sequencer, comes with Serato DJ Lite, and is competitively priced with the DDJ-400 but offers slightly more. For the more creative and production-minded DJ, the Roland DJ 202 is a good alternative with uncommon features for other entry-level controllers. However, it feels a little flimsy and hollow compared to other controllers. If the DDJ-400 doesn't have enough production value that you need, the Roland DJ 202 steps the mixing possibilities up a notch; it also has a mic input with gate, hi-pass, reverb, and echo FX to add extra flavor to vocalists.
Traktor Kontrol S2 Mk3 - Hardware-wise it's the best of the bunch with a great layout and FX set though it does feel a bit average on the connectivity front. It also includes the full version of Traktor, which is a huge value. It's especially good if you want to get into production, as integration with their production software and gear is second to none. However, glaring issues have existed since the inception of the software, like the lack of flexible beat gridding, making it less than ideal for analyzing and properly beat-gridding non Dance/EDM music. Go for it if you want to get your foot in the door for production or if you primarily DJ Dance/Electronic Music. Otherwise, it's hard to recommend until we know a little more about Traktor's direction DJ as a platform is heading.
Wasabi26
01/11/2022
Traktor Kontrol S2 Mk3AlternativeSoftware - TraktorProduction
Availability - It's extremely accessible for many pockets and for any beginner DJ wanting to start djing. Also, it has a good price point and was released in June of 2018, so it has been around for a couple of years.
Price - In the UK, it currently retails at 249 pounds while the usual price is $249|£259|€320 for a full-out DJ software with many features packed into it.
Value - For an entry-level controller, it's built well. However, don't expect premium materials at this price point, and it's not recommendable for someone to spend $1000 on something they're not 100% they will enjoy. On the other hand, a price tag of 400 is more reasonable for a hobby that'll fade after a few months. Overall, the 400 is more of an intermediate controller with full versions of Rekordbox 5 and 6. It is a mini version of the much more expensive gear, perfect for beginners.
Beginner - It teaches beginners how to navigate the software and the basics of djing, making it a very helpful piece of equipment to transition from. It has everything you need for the beginning, and it's an amazing device you can spend hours on, which will significantly improve your DJing level. Also, if you want to go big, aim for the DDJ1000. Overall, the DDJ-400 is one of the new and improved entry-level controllers from Pioneer DJ. It aims at beginner DJs looking to learn their basic DJing craft, and it's a USB-powered 2-deck controller that gives beginner DJs some fun features for mixing, is portable, and is fun to operate. Unlike most entry-level models, it comes with a decent set of FX, looping functions, and even sampling options.
Club Standard - Pioneer prides itself on having the "Club Standard" layout, as most of the units you see out in performance venues, clubs, and bars will most likely have a pair of Pioneer CDJs and a mixer that share a layout that's about 95% the same as on the DDJ 400 and other Pioneer controllers meaning learning on a DDJ 400 will familiarize you to a CDJ setup, which is a huge benefit in the case your end game is to gig around.
Entry-Level - The DDJ 400 has impressive mixing capabilities that tout a minimal club layout, and it's a perfect entry-level DJ controller that'll help you craft and improve your DJing skills, considering it has everything you need to get started straight away, right out of the box with full-featured DJ software.
Flaws - The headphone jack is a bit flimsy; otherwise, it's a solid piece of kit. However, it would be nice if they added the WeGO iOS connection/charging functionality and an option to use a wall wart plug. Considering the WeGO has a great jog wheel feel, along with the good sound quality of the weGO 3 and 4, but at that price, it's not a dealbreaker.
Pioneer DDJ 400 - The Pioneer DDJ 400 promises to offer aspiring DJs all the tools to learn how to DJ and serves as one of the most natural progression paths to more professional gear.
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