Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I recently purchased this controller, and a case in October. As a longtime DJ (30+ years), it takes a lot for me to transition from one platform to another. I had been going completely digital (on a Mac) for about a decade now, and haven't looked back. I was previously going laptop-only, using an old DJ application (DJ-1800), which was a great transition from dual Denon CD players to the Mac. Using USB mixer, it was a rock solid performer. Until I upgraded to my MacBook Pro. DJ-1800 could no longer keep up with the new hardware. I tried using every other software I could find (Traktor, Serato, Deckadance, and decided on Algoriddim's djay Pro. I say this all first, because I believe if you are going to go digital, the software should be the primary consideration, then finding a controller that works with it, as well as your budget. Picking your DJ application is a preference, and best decided what's best in another forum, rather than here. As a professional since 1985, I have learned one thing: there is a delicate balance in how much you should spend on gear. Especially being a mobile DJ. Things break. I've gone through dozens of microphones, scads of headphones, and thrown away more equipment than I care to even imagine. I just don't put much stock in electronics, and don't see the need to waste $$ on things that are going to take a beating every weekend. That said, I had a target budget of >$300. Which, I understand limits a lot of great controllers. So, I began the process of looking for a suitable controller for my needs. Actually, I had been eyeballing several of them over a couple of years. The Hercules RMX2 was at the top of my list, but the low quality/high latency I experienced while testing it out never seemed enough to justify $300 for a new one. Numark has some popular ones, but none of them seemed solidly built in the price range I was looking for. I had owned Pioneer equipment in the past, and was familiar with their reputation for quality stuff. I had certainly played around with their controllers, and loved them, but wasn't willing to pull the trigger for $600-2000. These controllers, in my opinion, should never leave the bedroom, or the club. They are AWESOME, but I just couldn't see lugging something that hefty and expensive back and forth. I guess I was a little late to the party, because when the original DDJ-SB was released, I didn't even know about it. I remember seeing them released in colors (the silver one is really cool looking). And I had read that Algoriddim had officially supported the SB, so I was about to purchase it. I played with it at Guitar Center a few times, and decided, despite the lack of gain controls and LED meters, that it would be suitable for my needs. Or so I thought. When the DDJ-SB2 was announced, I knew I had to wait. It has the above-mentioned features that the original SB was lacking. I figured I should go ahead and get it, along with a case from Amazon, pictured here. I have used it live 3 times now, and I have grown to absolutely love this controller. It has made setup lots easier, a heck of a lot lighter than my previous set up, and with the case, it feels absolutely solid and stable. The first time I hooked it up to my powered speakers, I was blown away at the quality of the sound card. I will say the only thing I was hesitant about the controller was the Master Out connections. They are RCA, unbalanced. I suspect it was a cost-saving move on Pioneer's part. I have always used balanced XLR outputs for my setups. But I purchased short RCA-to-XLR cables with metal connectors, and I haven't experienced significant signal loss. For weeks on end, I have practiced, played, tweaked and rode hard on this controller. I'm not a scratchmaster, but the latency is almost zero, and in the right hands could be a deadly weapon for aspiring Battle DJs. The jog wheels are plenty large, considering the mid-size style of the layout. The only drawback is they don't light up, like their bigger, more expensive Pioneer brothers, but I haven't found it to be a real problem yet. The headphone output is pretty standard. In fact, it gives you the option of 1/4 or 1/8 inch jack. You can't use both at the same time. The mic input, I was skeptical about. Because my old mixer, again, used balanced XLR outputs. And I had 3 of them. This controller has a side, single 1/4 inch input with a very small gain knob on the side. No meters. No EQ. No effects. It does sound great, though, and is very loud, if you need it to be. I guess you could bypass it, and go straight into a powered mixer, if that's your preference. As I write this, I'm trying to think of anything negative about it. There are a couple of things that I would change, but overall its a wonderful little controller. Unless they upgrade the inputs/outputs, add backlit jog wheels, or anything groundbreaking, I see no reason to upgrade for a long time. I never take it out of the case, so I don't have to worry about dropping it. The biggest drawback I ran into, has actually been fixed. Algoriddim, while supporting the SB, hadn't mapped the SB2 officially when I purchased it. I unknowingly assumed that it would work the same way. Wrong! It was originally designed for Serato DJ (intro is included) but I am far from a Serato fan. I was afraid I'd have to return the controller, or convert to Serato. More than a few people were having the same problem in the forums online. And to Algoriddim's credit, within a couple of weeks, they had it natively working, without any tweaks whatsoever. It runs perfectly! I would definitely buy this thing again without hesitation. It has made my job a lot easier. And a lot more fun!