Algoriddim's Djay software has found a new home and audience
on the iPad, with its app winning multiple awards and even showing up
during Apple's iPhone 5 keynote. We love it for its effective simplicity
and, when controllers like Numark iDJ Live and Vestax's Spin began to
support the app, it began to transform itself from a fun, quick mixing
tool to a bona fide bedroom DJ solution.
Numark agrees
and its epic iDJ Pro is the app's biggest accessory yet, mirroring a lot
of Numark's NS-series stylings, but with a pad-shaped hole in the
centre.
Pad company?
"Once you get your hands on it, the iDJ Pro is just as solid as any controller on the market"
At
first glance, the iDJ Pro seems like overkill. There's no USB port so
this is for iPad and iPad only and, bearing in mind its size and price,
it might feel like over-investing in a fad. But once you get your hands
on it, the iDJ Pro is just as solid as any controller on the market.
You
might expect some corners to be cut considering the more 'consumer'
market this might be aimed at, but it's not the case - the jogs feel as
good as any controller out there, the rotaries and faders are solid and
there are even XLR outputs round back.
Speaking of I/O, alongside
the XLR, there's a phono out, 3.5mm and 1/4- inch headphone outs plus an
aux and 1/4-inch mic input. In place of volume faders, there are two
large 270o knobs with illuminated LED indicators and there's also an
on-screen gain if you want some extra volume, though the app does have a
gain matcher function.
A three-band EQ, loop control, effects, cues and transport make up the rest of the hardware and all of it feels very solid.
Good design
"Once
your iPad is in the padded slot, there's no new app to download - Djay
magically transforms into the iDJ Pro-friendly GUI once it's connected"
Once
your iPad is in the padded slot, there's no new app to download - Djay
magically transforms into the iDJ Pro-friendly GUI once it's connected.
The connection is over the now-defunct 30-pin connector, which is a
pity, but thanks to the socket-on-a-lead connector employed you can use a
Lightning adaptor, albeit at the price of not being able to close the
neat lid. Time will tell if Numark will release a Lightning connector
version.
The app itself is well designed for the controller -
pretty much everything you can do on the controller can also be done via
touch, with a few finger-friendly additions like X/Y pad effects and a
sampler, which can load in custom sounds via iTunes.
The only
things you have to use the iPad for are changing the effect the knob
controls and zooming in and out of waveforms, though it feels more could
be done to take advantage of the iPad's hands-on ethos rather than
simply replicating functions.
The hardware does a good job of
accessing some less apparent features like quickly halving and doubling
loops and stutter rolls that work in slip mode. There are three
potential hot cues per track - simply pressing buttons 1, 2 or 3 will
create them, shift-pressing will delete them.
High quality
The
iDJ Pro does everything it should and it does it well. It feels solid,
it's well laid out and packs a lot of features while maintaining a
logical and intuitive interface.
Is this for the club? No. But as
an entry-level point to pro DJing practice or for the ultimate house
party solution, it's up there with the best.
It's niche, but
priced well and Numark's high-quality components mean you'll be
comfortable and confident with higher-end equipment when you move to the
booth.
- "SLIP" and "QUANTIZE"*4 functions for reliable performance without changing progress of original music
