The answer is, ” Yes, you can “.
DJ’ing techniques have not changed since the invention of compact disc. You press the play button, adjust the speed and pitch, align the beats on both decks and mix into the next song. Turntables and spinning vinyl is a different story, though. Well, our subject today is if you can switch between digital DJ controllers and perform without any problems.
Regardless of the size and functionality of any DJ controller, the layout and design rarely changes. You get decks on both sides and the mixer section in the middle. It’s either a two or four channel device. CD player setups are the same. Individual decks and a mixer form the same DJ’ing station that you usually see at clubs. The only difference of digital is the addition of your laptop or tablet. Latest models even eliminate the need of a computer by being all-in-one devices like Pioneer XDJ-RX that operate from flash drives.
DJ’ing On A Different Controller
I assume that you are concerned with the possibility of not being able to adopt to a new DJ controller if you decide to change your current one, or think that you can’t DJ for one time, let’s say at somebody else’s party as a guest DJ. Imagine, you don’t DJ that night but they ask you to spin for a short time. A DJ controller you never used before. A lot of buttons and knobs you have no idea of. Well, here is my word on that, relax and don’t worry 🙂
You really don’t have to be familiar with everything on that particular DJ control device. All you need is to locate the player sections and the mixer. Play – pause buttons, pitch slider and the channel faders that connect to sound. These are close to identical on every single digital DJ controller except one brand, Traktor 🙂 Kontrol S5 and Kontrol S8 models do not carry jog wheels which can be frustrating to get used to. They get touch strips instead.
Buying A New DJ Controller
Same thing when you buy a new and different DJ controller. The basics never change. I bet it’d take you 10 minutes to get your hands on it like it was yours for a long time. The pitch slider may be longer but still located at the same spot, there might be performance pads under the play section, no problem, more and more FX knobs and controls for other pro-level features and functions. Still, they all are just additions to the good old player decks and the mixer.
Take a look at our 2017 best DJ controllers post and check out various models to see if there are dramatic differences between them.
Your question should actually be about the software, ” Can I easily get used to a new DJ software when switching after a long time ? “. I will cover that topic in a later article.