The Next Beat by Tiesto SX1 DJ Controller with Audio Mixer, Auto Sync & Dual Headphone Output – Portable DJ Decks with Jog Wheels, USB-C, VirtualDJ LE Software & Online Lessons for Beginners to Pro-Am

Still learning but seems like a good bit so far

This is a pretty good DJ controller for someone who is curious and just getting started. You get a good sized controller with bigger wheels which helps get tracks aligned, and there are the essentials buttons and faders you need to get started with DJing. I do wish this controller worked with more softwares, I had trouble getting it to register with anything other than the software it came with. However it did work well there, and within an hour of playing around I was able to start playing with fading songs in and out and beat matching. This is just a controller, so you will also need a laptop or desktop in order to get music to play. I think there are more versatile controllers out there that are a little cheaper, but this one does look nice and is an all in one kit. The controller is also pretty lightweight, so once you learn it it is easy to take it to a house party if you really want to set the mood.

I snatched this controller thinking it would be a fun little toy. Something to poke at, make some noise, feel cool for an hour, then shove it under the desk. That didn’t happen. It’s been out basically nonstop, and I keep finding excuses to turn it on. First thing I noticed was it doesn’t feel cheap. I was half kinda expecting plasticky buttons / wobbly knobs, but I was fortunately wrong. Everything feels solid. The knobs turn smoothly, buttons actually click the way you want them to, and nothing feels like it’s going to snap off if you get a little too confident. Setup was easy enough. Plug it in, connect it, music starts happening. I’m not a professional DJ — I’ve messed with software and gear before, but I’m definitely not playing clubs — and I didn’t feel lost. The layout makes sense. After about 20 minutes I was already doing transitions that sounded… acceptable. Not amazing. But not embarrassing either. The beat matching is forgiving, which I appreciate. It lets you learn without punishing you every time your timing’s off by half a second. And when you do mess up, it’s very clear that it’s *you*, not the controller. The dual headphone output is actually more useful than I would have thought. I had a buddy over and instead of swapping cables back and forth it allowed us to both plug in. It’s portable so thats a good thing. Doesn’t feel fragile, but I’m also not drop-kicking it. It’s clearly meant to be used, not just sit there looking cool. Is it replacing a full DJ setup? No. And it’s not pretending to. But for learning, practicing, or just zoning out and mixing tracks until you forget what time it is, it’s way more capable than I expected. I grabbed it thinking it would be a novelty. Now it’s the thing I turn on “for a minute” and suddenly an hour’s gone. If you’ve ever thought about DJing — or already do and just want something easy to mess with — this thing’s dangerous in the best way.

I got this to dabble in DJ/mixing software. I am not a professional, and barely even a hobbyist. I play a lot of instruments and mess around with recording as a hobby, so this was mostly just an experiment. I found the tools easy to use and versatile enough for my needs. The controller itself looks good, not too flashy. I am using this with a Windows PC and had no issues with compatibility. I am still learning what I am doing here, so I can only comment on my limited experience so far, but it has been good. Overall I think this is a good value for anyone looking to dabble with this.

This control deck is very small. When I pulled it out of the box, I was surprised because it's only like 7" x 16”. The build quality is great, and you can tell. It's a solid deck right out of the box. It has everything you need, from blending and mixing to the turntables, which are pretty cool. The turntables are just a bit bigger than my palms, but I've never been a DJ and always wanted to learn, so this has been a fun process. It comes with speaker cables that allow you to easily connect it, and so far, the functionality has been very adaptable I've had it for about a week, and I've just been playing around with the buttons and trying to figure it all out. It comes with everything you need and includes a tutorial to make learning even easier. When using the turntables, they don't just spin; they actually feel like you're DJing records from back in the day, which makes it cool to blend in a song. That I really liked. Learning has been easier than I expected, thanks to the tutorials. I'm not an experienced DJ, but I know this could be used by one as a backup deck. This would easily slide into a backpack or a carrying bag, and it's lightweight. So far, it's been fun and a great experience learning how to use it and play it, and who knows, maybe I'll be the DJ at my next house party. I am giving it a five-star rating