Best DJ Controller for Beginners with Scratching & Trigger Pads Below 500

Are you a newbie looking for a Dj controller to sharpen your DJ mixing skills? Are you confused among so many DJ controllers available in the market? Don’t worry; you have landed at the right place. We have compiled this list of best DJ controller for beginners that go from $100 to all the way up to the advanced $1000 DJ controller.

Also Read: Top Studio Monitors under $500

But before going on to the list, you must know few basics of DJ controllers that will help you to narrow down your research. First of all set a budget. How much you want to spend? The second thing is the choice of the Software. If you like Serato DJ, then look for DJ controllers that are compatible with this.

Also Read: Best Digital to Analog Audio Converter DAC Digital SPDIF – 24 Bit

The third thing that you must look for is what type of controls do you need. Some DJ controllers just have a deck, mixer, external functions, MIDI, drum pads, or some all in one. If you are a beginner, your priority should be to start with a basic or entry level DJ controllers. It will not only save money but also helps you to learn the basic controls of the DJ controller quickly.

Best DJ Controller for Beginners

Now you have got a basic idea about the DJ controllers, let’s jump on to the list of the top DJ controllers for the newbies.

1. Numark Mixtrack 3 All-in-one Controller

Starting with the basic ones, the first best DJ controller that we have got for you is Numark Mixtrack 3. It is an All-in-one driver for the absolute beginners. It offers a whole lot of features and performance that will give you a feel of professional DJ.

It has 100 mm pitch sliders for the finest tone adjustments. 16 multi-function backlit performance pads and add loops, launch samples, and control hot cues to give you more control over the beats of the song. The build quality is not rugged yet durable enough for home usage. Virtual DJ LE software is included with this for a professional sound mixing at home. Also, it is compatible with virtually any popular DJ software.

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2. Epsilon Quad-Mix MIDI/USB DJ Controller

Epsilon Quad-Mix is a powerful 4-Deck DJ controller. It is bundled with the popular Virtual DJ Limited Edition software for PC / MAC by Atomix Productions. You can connect this Dj controller to any computer via USB and rest is just plug and play.

It features two large 34 mm touch sensitive jog wheels for scratch effect. It has a built-in sound card with sampling frequency up to 44.1kHz at 16-bit audio resolution. It is compatible with all MIDI capable DJ software, gives you the freedom to choose your favorite DJ software. It weighs around 6.6 pounds and comes with 1-year warranty.

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3. Pioneer DJ DDJ-SB2 Portable 2-channel controller

Pioneer, the name is enough to tell more about the quality of the product. Pioneer has been the leader in the audio industry from past several years. Pioneer DDJ-SB2 is the entry level portable DJ controller for the beginners. From build quality to the sound output we haven’t got any disappointment.

It has tactile performance pads for immediate access to Play, Cue, Sync, and Shift. Two low latency large jog wheels to give you high scratch response and accuracy just like professional DJs. The trim knob and level meters are there to check and adjust the input volume on each channel.

Serato DJ Intro is included with this controller. It also works with the Serato DJ premium version. The inbuilt sound card with frequency sampling rate 24 bit/44.1 kHz. A 1-year warranty backs it by Pioneer.

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4. Hercules DJControl Jogvision DJ controller

Hercules Jogvision DJ Controller comes with a display in the center of each jog wheel. The display indicates both the playback speed and the position of the track. The display will help you to boost your performance rather than looking at the computer screen.

A built-in high-resolution 24-bit /96 kHz audio interface. Besides mix and headphones outputs, it has a Booth out with adjustable volume for speakers. This controller includes Serato DJ Intro. Jogvision DJ Controller has robust construction and stylish looks.

It features two decks and one central mixer. Plus, two sets of 4 drum pads with RGB lighting and CUE color match. The air control functions convert the distance between your hand and the sensor. When your hand moves with no contact, it creates new sounds.

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5. Denon DJ MC4000 2-Channel DJ Controller

Now we have raised the budget and moving towards the premium DJ controllers with advanced features and functionality. From Now on these DJ will cost you more than $400.

Denon DJ MC4000 is an excellent combination of features and build quality for the beginners who want to go to professional level. It is a two deck controller with a robust steel chassis for longer durability. It 100 mm long-throw pitch faders gives precise control over the tone.  Plus, the intuitive controls and helps in the natural and balanced operation of the set elements.

It includes Serato DJ Intro and is upgradable to full Serato DJ.  Moreover, it is compatible with the Traktor 2, Virtual DJ 8 and Algoriddim Djay Pro software, also with the other DJ application that supports MIDI mapping. It packs a premium sound card that delivers 24-bit audio output.

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6. Traktor Kontrol S2 MK2 DJ Controller (Native Instruments)

Traktor Kontrol S2 is a 2-deck DJ Controller system works with both Mac and PC. It is fully integrated with Traktor DJ app for iPad and iPhone.  It is compact, portable and stylish. Traktor Pro 2 software is included with this controller.

To give you more control over the music it facilitates the user to use up to four software decks and advanced track library management. With sturdy knobs, precision jog wheels, and RGB backlit buttons it gives the user easy control over the mixing.

The S2’s onboard audio interface provides main and booth outputs for connecting sound systems. The headphone pre-listen cue buttons and 3-band EQ offers full control over the music. An additional remix knob alongside the two deck channels will help you in smooth mixing.

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7. ADJ VMS5 DJ Controller

ADj VMS5 is one of the most comprehensive DJ controllers among the budget DJ controllers. It has an all-in-one MIDI controller to control their software and music from their laptop.

VMS5 has 62 assignable MIDI buttons and switches. It has 2 Phono, 4 Line, 4 USB, 2 Microphone inputs. Two microphone channels with illuminated ON/OFF switches. Also, gain/treble/mid/bass EQs On/off cueing on each MIDILOG channel.

It is compatible with the Virtual DJ 8 LE software. Make sure to read the operational manual for proper setup of the Virtual DJ software with the VMS5 DJ controller.

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8. PIONEER DDJSR Pro DJ Controller

Pioneer DDJSR delivers superior performance features and portability. It includes a built-in Serato sound card that keeps it ahead of its competitors. It uses the rubber performance pads to trigger Hot Cue, Roll, Sampler and Slicer.

It is compact still it has large low latency jog wheels for excellent scratch response and accuracy. With the Serato DJ software, everything is plug and play. Plus, with the dedicated buttons for FX and advanced features such as Beat Jump, Slip mode and Quantize it is designed for the professionals.

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9. Numark NVII DJ Controller for Serato DJ

Numark NVII has reinvented the DJ performance. With its sleek design, seasoned with red and white colors, it will surely grab your attention on the first look. The best part of this DJ is the fresh look and those big 4.3-inch full-color screens.

The NV II comes equipped with touch-capacitive EQ, FX and filter knobs. The 16 velocity-sensitive pad will let you remix on your own. It has four deck control that gives users unlimited opportunity to create and remix you imagined in your mind. Numark NVII is included with the Serato DJ software and backed via 1-year warranty from Numark.

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10. Pioneer Pro DDJ-SX2 DJ Controller

If you are not on a budget and you could spend around $1000, then Pioneer Pro DDJ-SX2 is the best DJ controller for you. It is the best DJ controller under $1000 for the professionals DJs. There have been a lot of appraisals of this DJ controller.

This 4-channel DJ controller is built on the success of its predecessor DDJ-SZ. It has improved jog wheel latency. It features three dedicated buttons record, start, and slot to access Serato Flip and record hot cue combinations and replay them on the loop.

It houses full-sized jog wheels are optimised for a perfect scratch response. Plus, it is Serato DVS upgrade ready. A 1-year warranty backs it by Pioneer.

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Conclusion

While there are many DJ Turntables available on the market, we have carefully chosen a select few with the best bang for the dollar.

We hope you like our list of the best DJ controller for beginners with optional trigger pads. For any questions or suggestions, do let us know by dropping us a comment below in the comment section.