Numark iDJ Pro

Reviews | Numark iDJ Pro
88
A
lgoriddim’s Djay software
has found a new home and
audience on the iPad, with
its app winning multiple
awards and even showing up during
Apple’s iPhone 5 keynote. At FM, we
love it for its effective simplicity and,
when controllers like Numark iDJ Live
and Vestax’s Spin began to support the
app, it began to transform itself from a
fun, quick mixing tool to a bona fide
bedroom DJ solution. Numark agree
and their epic iDJ Pro is the app’s
biggest accessory yet, mirroring a lot of
Numark’s NS-series stylings, but with a
pad-shaped hole in the centre.
Pad company?
At first glance, the iDJ Pro seems like
overkill. There’s no USB port so this is
for iPad and iPad only and, bearing in
mind its size and price, it might feel
like over-investing in a fad. But once
you get your hands on it, the iDJ Pro is
just as solid as any controller on the
market. You might expect some corners
to be cut considering the more
‘consumer’ market this might be aimed
at, but it’s not the case – the jogs feel
as good as any controller out there, the
rotaries and faders are solid and there
are even XLR outputs round back.
Speaking of I/O, alongside the XLR,
there’s a phono out, 3.5mm and 1/4–
inch headphone outs plus an aux and
1/4–inch mic input.
In place of volume faders, there are
two large 270º knobs with illuminated
LED indicators and there’s also an
on-screen gain if you want some extra
volume, though the app does have a
gain matcher function. A three-band
EQ, loop control, effects, cues and
transport make up the rest of the
hardware and all of it feels very solid.
Good design
Once your iPad is in the padded slot,
there’s no new app to download – Djay
magically transforms into the iDJ
Pro-friendly GUI once it’s connected.
The connection is over the now-defunct
30-pin connector, which is a pity, but
thanks to the socket-on-a-lead
connector employed you can use a
Lightning adaptor, albeit at the price of
not being able to close the neat lid.
Time will tell if Numark will release a
Lightning connector version.
The app itself is well designed for
the controller – pretty much everything
you can do on the controller can also
be done via touch, with a few
finger-friendly additions like X/Y pad
effects and a sampler, which can load
in custom sounds via iTunes. The only
things you have to use the iPad for are
changing the effect the knob controls
and zooming in and out of waveforms,
though it feels more could be done to
take advantage of the iPad’s hands-on
ethos rather than simply replicating
functions. The hardware does a good
job of accessing some less apparent
features like quickly halving and
doubling loops and stutter rolls that
work in slip mode. There are three
potential hot cues per track – simply
pressing buttons 1, 2 or 3 will create
them, shift-pressing will delete them.
High quality
The iDJ Pro does everything it should
and it does it well. It feels solid, it’s
well laid out and packs a lot of features
while maintaining a logical and
intuitive interface. Is this for the club?
No. But as an entry-level point to pro
DJing practice or for the ultimate
house party solution, it’s up there with
the best. It’s niche, but priced well and
Numark’s high-quality components
mean you’ll be comfortable and
confident with higher-end equipment
when you move to the booth.
WHAT is iT?
An extensive controller
for Algoriddim’s Djay app
for iPad
ConTACT
Who: Numark
Tel: [phone]
Web: www.numark.com
HiGHLiGHTs
1 Good build quality
2 XLR outputs
3 Elegantly simple
speCs
System Requirements:
iDJ Pro via iPad: Output
Level (XLR): 12.8dBV
(differential) Output Level
(Phono): 6.8 (single-ended)
Frequency Response:
<+/-2dB, 20Hz – 20kHz
THD+N: <0.03%
SNR: 105dB
Outputs: XLR, balanced
RCA, unbalanced
1/4” headphone
1/8” headphone
Outputs: Phono,
unbalanced 1/4”
microphone input
Dimensions:
561 x 333 x 76mm
Weight:
254g
Numark
iDJ Pro | £310
iPad DJing might be niche but Numark have you
covered. Declan McGlynn asks ‘How pro can go?’
VeRDiCT
STABILITY
❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚
VALUE
❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚
EASE OF USE
❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚
VERSATILITY
❚❚❚❚❚❚❚
RESULTS
❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚
A niche product, perfectly
implemented. Shame about the
30-pin, but iPad owners should
take this seriously.
FMU261.rev_numark.indd 88 12/5/12 2:21 PM