The DJing world has witnessed a surge in entry-level controllers, with enthusiasts keen on riding the trend. Pioneer, a brand synonymous with industry standards, was somewhat missing from this entry-level narrative until recently. But that changed with the introduction of the DDJ-FLX4 to the consumer market in late 2022.
Aimed at novices but boasting specs that even intermediate DJs would admire, the DDJ-FLX4 stands tall, ready to be benchmarked against rivals like Hercules. Join us as we unpack what sets this Pioneer offering apart.
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What Is The DJ DDJ-FLX4?
The DDJ-FLX4 is another of Pioneer’s entry-level offers to the beginner DJ community, the second of these offerings following the DDJ-REV1 (but with many more features).
Staying authentic to Pioneer’s iconic design and aesthetic, the DDJ-FLX4 is sleek and stylish and offers all of the functions beginners to intermediate-level DJs need. It comes stock with two decks, an FX console, EQ, fader controls, Hot glue pads, and more to provide complete control over your mix and track selections.
Additionally, its ability to integrate seamlessly with the world’s most popular DJing software, Serato and Rekordbox, means that you are covered no matter how you store and organize your music. Better still, the DDJ-FLX4 can also work fluidly with PCs, Macs, iOS apps, and Andriod devices, which makes accessing your library of music more accessible than ever.
What I Love Most About The DJ DDJ-FLX
After playing around with the DDJ-FLX4 for a few weeks in my home studio, I found a lot to like in such a compact and budget-friendly device. These two most obvious qualities aside, here is what I loved the most about this DJ controller.
It’s Great For Beginners
The artistic side of DJing is all about feeling and intuition, and the most essential qualities of the craft have nothing to do with the technical side of things. And yet, most would-be DJs stop before they even get started because they struggle with fluid EQ work, beat matching, and BPM switches.
But the DDJ-FLX4 puts an end to all of that.
Powerful built-in software, like the DDJ-FLX4’s Smart Fader, gives you a helping hand when manipulating and adjusting all of the most crucial technical parameters of the mix. When beginner DJ doesn’t need to put all their focus into beatmatching, bass cuts, and tempo switches, they can devote their bandwidth to the creative side of track selection, bringing tracks in, and the energy of the room itself.
These are the things that are really what’s essential to a DJ and their music, and the DDJ-FLX4 sets you up for success with ease.
It Looks (And Acts) Professional
It’s a common problem in entry-level DJ setups, but budget controllers often don’t look that “Cool.” And I know that’s incredibly subjective and that it shouldn’t matter, but the last thing you want to do is attend a gig at a new bar, restaurant, or house party and play on a controller with more lights and sounds than a Candyland gameboard.
The DDJ-FLX4 features a mat-black exterior with warm, ranging lighting on all popular parameters for easier visibility in darker settings. These lights look fantastic, and the warm color selection perfectly matches the mat-black coloring.
It Comes With Serato
It’s becoming common practice for many consumer-level products to come in stock with some software (or at least software trials) to help get new users started. While many other entry-level controllers can give you access to Serato or other DJ libraries, it should be noted that the DDJ-FLX4 comes with Serato Lite, and Rekordbox means that you can start using this thing right out of the box.
Pair this with a popular DJ pool from a service like BPM Supreme, and you’ve got everything you need to start DJing your first gig.
What I Wasn’t Crazy About
I’ve been DJing for six years or so on Pioneer’s more premium, industry-standard gear. Having gotten used to that over the past half-decade gave me some apparent hesitations when using a more entry-level product over the past few weeks.
I say this mainly to prime the more entry-level and newer DJs to take some of these comments with a grain of salt, as I believe this controller is one of the better ones on the market for newer users.
The Build Quality Isn’t Ideal
The main gripe against this controller is its build quality (or at least its perceived build quality). The DDJ-FLX is made from a lightweight plastic that looks amazing but feels plasticky and brittle compared to Pioneer’s other entry-level controller – The DDJ-REV1.
Some of the key features also feel a bit smaller than is necessary in a way that feels unintentional. The jog wheels and tempo bars are much smaller than what I am used to using, even when demoing other entry-level controllers.
The size of these controls on the DDJ-FLX4 is minuscule and shouldn’t discourage many users from purchasing the controller. But they are enough to warrant me mentioning them in the review.
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Is The DDJ-FLX4 Worth It?
At the time of writing this review, the DDJ-FLX4 is at a price point of $299, which seems pretty standard for entry-level controllers of today, which means it should be a serious contender for those looking to snag such a controller. Furthermore, the DDJ-FLX4 is a great controller for anyone looking to learn the art of DJing and would be a great recommendation for the many different music production and DJ schools that are popping up around the world.
The fact that it’s made by Pioneer, the industry’s go-to brand of CDJs at all the major clubs across the world, so it will be easier to transition from practicing in your bedroom or at smaller gigs to the big leagues.
Specs On The DDJ-FLX
- Controller Style:DJ Controller with Audio Interface
- Number of Decks:2-deck
- Channels:2-channel
- Jog Wheels:2 x Jog Wheels
- Pads:16 x Performance Pads
- Faders:2 x Volume, 1 x Tempo
- Crossfader:Standard
- Mic Inputs:1 x 1/4″
- Outputs:1 x Dual RCA Stereo
- USB:2 x USB-C
- Audio Interface:24-bit/44.1kHz
- Software:Serato DJ Pitch ‘n Time, Serato DJ FX
- Compatibility:Serato DJ Pro, Rekordbox
- OS Requirements – Mac:macOS 10.14 or later
- OS Requirements – PC:Windows 10 or later
- Power Supply:USB Bus powered
- Height:2.33″
- Width:18.98″
- Depth:10.74″
- Weight:4.63 lbs.
Learn More About This DJ Controller While Supporting Our Small Team Of Writers Through Our Partnership With Sweetwater Here
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
