Allen & Heath Xone DX Review

The long awaited arrival of A&H’s four-channel midi mixer has brought about its share of both criticism and praise. Boasting some great specs, the first version of Serato Itch with four decks, and full midi support for use in any other software, it seems to have it all. But beyond the hype lies the end user – you. The DJTT team cut through the fluff and put the Xone:DX through its paces to see what it can do.

Product Summary

THE GOOD: An extremely well-built midi controller with a four-channel mixer and dual banks for effects control. It also features two dual-layer virtual decks that employ different colors to easily identify which you are working on. The Xone:DX comes with a four-deck version of Serato Itch and full midi output in multiple channels for mapping in the software of your choosing. A powerful, high quality 20-channel sound card with phono and mic pre-amps complete the unit to give a complete, all-in-one package.

THE BAD: The lack of touch-sensitive jog wheels and midi-only mixer section (it is not an analogue mixer) could limit the allure of the unit to some. The small buttons are playable but don’t have great tactile feel. The unit is quite dark and the LED feedback does not shed a lot of light, so working in low-light conditions will require additional lighting. The relatively high price may put it out of reach of many of its target customers. Well built but very heavy, this might be reaching the boundaries of portability.

THE BOTTOM LINE: A compact unit with ample controls and a fantastic sound card. The dedicated four-channel mixing section and creative solution for easy deck orientation provide a lot of allure for a more conventional DJ, while the lack of touch sensitive jog wheels may alienate the controllerist or occasional scratcher.  However, with its quality construction and ability to fully midi-map to the software of your choice, the creative and long-term possibilities are limited only by the user’s imagination.

The Great Unboxing Ceremony


Aesthetically appealing for its understated color scheme, the metallic dark grey top of the Xone:DX has an unfortunate semi gloss finish that is prone to reflect a lot of light. In low-light conditions, finding your way around the controls can be an issue.

The feel of the faders is light yet firm, akin to a stock Xfader on a VCI-100 rather than a Ecler Eternal fader (which I would describe as light and free). The pots and encoders are firm with strong detents. The buttons are all smooth in action, but are rather long in travel and tiny compared even to a vci-100 buttons. The transport buttons are firm and positive with a very short throw. You will immediately notice that the pitch adjustment is not a slider, but a rotary encoder. This is a push action, two-midi-note encoder (as are all the other encoders) that is intended to be two stage – course and fine – and is mapped as such in Itch.

Ergonomically, the layout suits my hand size (medium to small) but those with thick fingers could find it cramped, particularly because the right-most effect control, an encoder, is very close to the third pot.

The rest of the controls are well spaced and fit well together. The jog wheels are really small and are not touch sensitive. They are very smooth but have enough resistance so that they will not start turning when subject to heavy beats.

Construction is solid. A metal case with plastic corner protectors and fairly large feet give the unit a sturdy feel. It’s a little larger than a VCI-300 and not offensively thick. Weight-wise, it is light enough to transport in a bag but you would not like to have it slung across your shoulder for hours. So far, the only bag available that fits and protects it is the Mono 365.

Hooking Up

The controller has to be powered with the included power supply (12V, 1.25A) and cannot  be run from just the USB. There is no power switch, which means that there will be an audio spike when you plug in the unit if the speakers are on. Make sure the amp connected to the output is off when connecting the power (a big POP through my speakers!). Better still, plug in the power supply before connecting anything else.

The USB connection does double duty on the Xone:DX for both midi and audio signals. I would highly recommend a good quality, short USB 2.0 cable.

The Xone:DX has a built in 20-channel soundcard: four pairs of analog ins and outs and one pair of digital ins and outs.  The analog ins are unbalanced RCA, apart from the balanced mic input. The analog outs are balanced XLR or unbalanced RCA on the master and the rest are unbalanced (RCA on the back and headphone on the front).  The digital in and out are SPDIF (COAX RCA in and out, and optical out).

The back panel has the bulk of the audio connects, 5-pin midi in and out and the USB. The audio ins of channels 3/4 (Deck 2) and 5/6 (Deck 3) include phono pre-amps for turntables, and there is also a ground stud. A direct input 1/8” jack on the back will port audio to the master outs (this bypasses the soundcard, so no volume control from the DX).  This is in the event of a computer or soundcard crash.  If either happens, turn all the mixer controls to minimum and press play on your MP3 player connected to the input port.

All audio connections made to the back panel are converted to digital and fed back into the software. Remember, this is not an analogue mixer. This means that your audio device is connected to the soundcard must be used to mix internally in your software. In case you were wondering, the ‘THRU’ on the headphone cue buttons is an Itch command that is equivalent to Traktor’s ‘Audio Through’.

The front panel has the mic input and controls: these are an XLR jack; EQ with high- and low-frequency adjustments; and the mic level. The mic is routed through audio inputs 7/8 (Deck 4) and is selectable from the rear panel. The mic signal has to be sent through the software just like all the audio inputs, the same as the connection made to Deck 4.

The dual headphone outs are also on the front (featuring 1/8” and 1/4” jacks).

In the Mix

Working with the DX in Traktor or Itch is a pleasant experience. I like the Itch workflow and find the controls intuitively laid out. Traktor mappings available exploit the native Itch markings as much as is practical, but some adaptation is required.


The mixer section is clean, and almost everything you typically need is there for you. Each fader has a nice long throw for keeping the mix levels in order, and the individual channel and master LEDs let you know what’s going on without having to stare at your computer.  Traktor users may miss a dedicated the filter knob, but there are alternatives in some mappings that use the low frequency EQ knob for this function. The Xfader can be set-up to go from any of the four decks, or multiples there of, to any other with the X-Y select switch (Traktor mappings may exploit this switch for other uses, so the functionality is mapping-dependent).

The virtual decks are both dual-layer with dedicated layer transport buttons. They are identified by color, so the LEDs are green on layer 1 and red on layer 2 – a nice touch that is very easy to work with. The deck is the whole side minus the effects section on the top corners (which are on the same midi channel as the mixer).  Therefore the loop section and specific deck controls, which have a nice shift button, are all on a layer that has its own dedicated midi channel. This means that you can map one layer, copy it to a new midi device, change the deck and midi channel and then have each layer perform identical tasks. LED feedback is excellent for the transport and pitch controls, but a bit weak in the loop section where only the on button is backlit.

The physical controls on the virtual decks are spacious, owing to the small jog wheel size. The hot cue buttons are small and have long travel, unlike arcade buttons. They are, however, playable with a small adaptation period, but their size will not allow you to do multi-finger presses. So doing those quick triplets or even 1/16th notes that are possible with bigger buttons is not going to happen. These hot cue buttons do, however, have individual LED feedback.


The effects decks are tailored for Itch’s effects layout, but are equally good for Traktor, however you will need to get used to having an encoder for the right-most knob.  The on/off buttons have blue LEDs to show their state. For use in Itch, the top of each column of controls has an FX1 and FX2 button (also with blue LED feedback) to assign each effect deck to a channel. These can take on different uses for assigning effects within Traktor.

Pumping Out the dBs

The soundcard packs a serious wallop! Both the volume and quality of sound is quite impressive. Using the balanced outs to my speakers produces such strong lows and mids that I could return to the speaker manufacturer’s base set-up and enjoy a full spectrum of audio (I had the highs slightly lowered to get an even balance). The unbalanced output is just as strong, and you should have no problems getting through to the crowd with either hook up.

The three pots down the centre of the mixer are VCAs for controlling the soundcard, with the master and booth pots also sending midi data. They provide ample range and fine tuning adjustments and the headphone amp is quite powerful (hey, it goes to 11!) with enough volume to make your ears ring if you wear the cans too long.

The mic pre-amp is not very strong with my Sure 58 attached, requiring the level and gain both to be cranked to get decent audio levels. Don’t be afraid to add some EQ gain too to get the volume right .

Going Forward


As a powerful DJ midi mixer with a kick-ass integrated soundcard, there is nothing in the DX’s class that has all the controls and a four deck mixer (although rumors have it something may be coming out like this for the Traktor crowd later this year).  Itch DJs that were looking for 4 decks with on-board effects will be very pleased, with the only drawback being weak scratching.

When I saw the first videos of the DX, I was excited about the potential it set forth. After waiting patiently for it to become available and now having worked with it, I am even more excited about what I can do with it. Every time I set out on a mix I feel enticed to try more and more different ways to ply my craft. The fluid layout and tactile controls make you feel attached to your set and in full control of it. I look forward to exploring all that people will dream up for the DX and to the years of service it is sure to provide me.

Reviewed: Allen & Heath Xone:DX

Price: $1299

Communication: Midi and Audio over single USB

Available: Now

Ships with: Serato Itch

allen and heathcontrollerdxmidimixerReviewxoneXone DX
Comments (91)
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  • syroup3

    Has anyone experienced any problems with distortion? My dx seems to crackle (through the speakers and headphones) every 4th beat. I’ve tried unpugging the speakers and it still crackles so it must be the dx with the fault. Can anyone help?

  • Phillip Philvester Mezzatesta

    I’ve got this puppy.  I work in DJ Gear Retail and of all the controllers I’ve played with, this is the best for mobile gigs in my opinion.  It hasn’t missed a beat in the 7 months I’ve been using it – week in week out.  I’m not a scratch DJ, so the scratch thing doesn’t worry me.  It’s reliable, solid and packs a nice punch.  Worth every cent!

  • Kike

    i have lots of issues i connect 2 12” power speakers n one side always goes out my mic don’t work n i just got that new from guitar center 

    • Sandywayne48

      You have to push button on line 4 back of unit then hold shift while push line 4 will light up yellow

  • Djayhooker

    Id like to use this with Traktor, only bc Seratos timestretch/key hold  is so low quality, I thought it useds the same one as Ableton but it cannot be, tracks sound horrible even with bpms not stretched to far from the original. I hope this maps to Traktor well.

  • 000vot

    just bought coming in the mail soon bought for 300 dollars should i have any complaints? no! it was cheaper than msrp and a new price some of you guys are just spoiled.

  • Sorin

    Hi guys,

    I have a little problem, I recently purchased xone dx, and would like to knowhow to use it with traktor pro 2 …

    If I can help with mapping
    Thank you

  • Changobabalu

    I have returned my 1st 2 xones because of malfunction. They both had intermittent right side output issues. The right side only but, the whole right side as in all the outputs xlr, rca. The 1st one I had the mic worked. The 2nd 2 as I am on my 3rd the mic input does not work for some reason. I find this very annoying. If anyone has had a similar experience please let me know changobabalu@gmail.com I am interested to hear about other peoples experiences with the xone dx. Other than the bad luck with the R side and the mic input I really like the unit. It could be more tactile the controllers but they are functional enough and the sound and construction are awesome. 

  • dj davis

    Serato itch installed in my pc and sometimes the music is jumping, as a court. What can be? thanks

  • Activated Soundwaves

    Been Looking around for a mixer that will Do both analog and Control Midi Devices such as my korg Electribes sx & mx and on top of this i can do a dj set, so looking for total intergration, and Except for The Korg Zero 4 Their is nothing else this intergrated, and i dont want to go down that ableton warping Path, so In theory i would like to Sync My Electribes and switch about from live preformance to djing serato itch etc, although i have heard a few bad points, this still seems like my only option, my only concern is the Midi sync with my electribes will i be able to get this bang tidy in timing with searto itch, and using the Electribes as the slave. i know i may be able to to route a line back into my electribes Auto Bpm scan, and also send my electribes outputs to the analog Channels on the Dx, so i am thinking It will be as good as a Portable setup can be, anyone else syncing up the Electribes, i would be interested to here the results, and whats more these are retailing at under £700 now, so just want some confirmation on my thoughts, before i make this jump, maybe next week.

    Cheers

  • Activated Soundwave

    Been

  • Vincenttbe

    can i ask for, who have the mapping for the dx on vjd7, please thank you. email me on vincenttbe@yahoo.com.

  • Vincenttbe

    can i ask for, who have the mapping for the dx on vjd7, please thank you. email me on vincenttbe@yahoo.com.

  • Vincenttbe

    can i ask for, who have the mapping for the dx on vjd7, please thank you. email me on vincenttbe@yahoo.com.

  • Vincenttbe

    can i ask for, who have the mapping for the dx on vjd7, please thank you. email me on vincenttbe@yahoo.com.

  • Charles

    Does anybody a map for the dx to virtual dj?

  • NOOB

    Can You use this with ableton?

  • Dj Haven

    @ Josh Ribing, The Mappings work perfect, thanks for posting, I’m having a blast using it with traktor now since itch is not doing its job!

  • Anonymous

    [quote comment=”32114″]Good review! How competitive is itch with traktor pro? Are you going to post a video review aswell on the site? Looking forward to it…[/quote]

    I’ve personally had both Traktor scratch pro and serato, and i like serato way better. easier to use and more function, especially now that they have added FX.

  • Josh Ribing

    [quote comment=”33006″][quote comment=”32118″]If the DJ-Techtools community and Ean would adopt this thing like they did with the VCI-100, I would buy one. I think it has a lot of potential but I’m to lazy to map this thing in traktor myself. Good news there is a 4-deck Traktor controller comming up![/quote]

    If this is true, your disgrace the community.[/quote]

    dope mappings here..work perfect!

    http://www.mixarchitekt.com/tem-xonedx.html

  • Anonymous

    [quote comment=”32118″]If the DJ-Techtools community and Ean would adopt this thing like they did with the VCI-100, I would buy one. I think it has a lot of potential but I’m to lazy to map this thing in traktor myself. Good news there is a 4-deck Traktor controller comming up![/quote]

    If this is true, your disgrace the community.

  • NUJAK

    No jogwheels is a no go and it won’t do well I think. A few UK folks will buy it but it aint nuthin to be excited about.

  • DJ Giff

    Got my DX at the weekend second hand on ebay – full price just too much. Anyway, have to say this controller is ***THE BUSINESS***. First thing I did was to test to see if I had the “tapping issue” – see earlier post. Had to bang really hard near the play/cue buttons to trigger it – for me, this is not an issue at all. I’ll never bash my kit like that and there’s no way a sub woofer would trigger the play/pause button to engage (as shown in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL90ib9fBEw).
    So, the “manufacturing problems” experienced by some are not an issue for me.
    The build is rock solid, not too heavy or too large – LED feedback is very clear and the feel of the controls on the unit is just right. The sound card is top notch – working on 2.5ms latency without a problem, no hiss from the speakers & packs a punch in terms of volume.
    Now spending far too much time getting my head around Mix Architekt’s mapping of the DX to Traktor Pro(see http://www.mixarchitekt.com/tem-xonedx.html – amazing job, respect to Mix Architekt for this) and changing the mapping to suit my style.
    So I’m a happy Xone:DX owner. Looking forward to spending years perfecting my technique and working with this controller.

  • Josh Ribing

    showing it works great with Traktor.

  • Josh Ribing

    I have a Xone DX. Solid unit, awesome sound and for me the best 4 deck controller out there.

  • Snickel Fritz

    “Most people impulse buy equipment to test it out and a month later they need rent money…thats where i come in!!!!!” Couldn’t agree more URBSTAR. let somebody else pay overpriced retail. or wait a couple months and the price will drop…..always does. and by that time, they’ll have worked out all the glitches in the system to boot. I’m a big fan of A&H, but $1300 is too much.

  • Arclyte

    Price point is definitely an issue with all of the ITCH based products. They are all hoovering too close to the same price (The VCI 300 with it’s FX unit is around $999) and it makes the whole thing a little confounding. It would have been nice to see a little bit more of a wider price range within the products including a $500 or less option. I will continue to argue that Serato and partners need to come down with some of their price points or continue to leave the door wide open to VDJ or Traktor to scoop up their tailwinds. It’s going to happen, I am seeing more DJs coming out with VDJ with Serato like skins. I also see more Traktor based DJs stepping up as well (US of course).

  • URBSTAR

    [quote post=”6212″]lala
    June 16th, 2010 at 12:07 pm Quote
    Waste of money….for 1300 you can get a apc40, a firewire sound card, vci-100, and a 4 channel mixer Map it all yourself to your style. Im not a fan of all in one gear. Get the pieces separately so if one takes a dive you not completely out of luck.

    wow.. where are you shopping? walmart? lol[/quote]

    Craigslist and Ebay……I guess your a guitar center dude. My entire setup came is second hand. If you have cash and patience you can get more bang for your buck. Most people impulse buy equipment to test it out and a month later they need rent money…thats where i come in!!!!! My APC40 was 225 in the box 2 months old from GC My Motu Ultralite was 200 my vci-100 was 325. My DJX750 mixer was 150. korg padkontrol was 50 . Novation nocturn was 60. All that for under 1000 and the are separate pieces….so if one thing fails i dont lose my entire setup…But i guess there is a lot of rich kids with no talent picking these up to look official who cant even mapp it themselves looking for templates…LOL

  • DJ MoneyBags

    $1300 is straight ridiculous. I don’t care what it does. Allen & Heath makes a quality product but, they’ve lost their F’ing minds with that price-tag. (and I thought the Xone 4d was overpriced…WOW)

  • DJ Giff

    [quote comment=”32231″]Im a DX owner and im on my second repair job by A&H to try and rectify the “tap” issues. First attempt was not a solution IMO, so I am sending it in yet again for another repair and we’ll see what happens. A&H is working toward a solution and thats good. But I am really frustrated with the overall situation.[/quote]

    Thanks for the info thictool. Understand your frustration

  • thictool

    Im a DX owner and im on my second repair job by A&H to try and rectify the “tap” issues. First attempt was not a solution IMO, so I am sending it in yet again for another repair and we’ll see what happens. A&H is working toward a solution and thats good. But I am really frustrated with the overall situation.

  • Anonymous

    Could a midi fighter be setup with this? on serato ?

  • DJ Giff

    I mean A&H Xone:DX owners

  • DJ Giff

    [quote comment=”32164″]
    i also heard that there were some manufacturing problems with the DX. have those issues been resolved?[/quote]

    Yeah, there are a lot of shenanigans about a ‘tapping’ issue with the Xone:DX, but as Hesitant and others have calmly pointed out this is being sorted by A&H. See:
    http://www.allen-heath.com/Xone/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3524&PN=434
    http://www.traktor-dj.com/forum/showthread.php?t=106259 (discussed at exhaustive length in this thread)

    I’ve got a Xone:DX incoming so naturally I’m keen to see if this is going to be a problem for me – it’s very interesting to see how it has been reported and how this is dealt with by A&H.

    Do any A&H owners have any thoughts on this?

    Cheers

  • pilmat

    [quote comment=”32194″]Rumors are great fun arent they.[/quote]
    Karlos, you’re such a tease!!
    ..
    One of our forum members has posted a great mix in the below thread showing what he has done with Traktor mapping on the DX. Way to go Yul!
    http://www.djtechtools.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15098
    ..
    Phil.

  • Stephen

    If you have the money for a DX id just save a bit more for a 4D, midi and analogue mixer, the best solution in my thoughts

  • Karlos Santos

    [quote comment=”32193″]I had all but decided to buy one, but now I want to know more about this…

    [quote post=”6212″](yet- rumors have it something may be coming out like this for the Traktor crowd later this year). [/quote][/quote]

    Hah i wondered how long it would be before someone picked up on that !!!
    Rumors are great fun arent they.

  • Chris Jennings

    I had all but decided to buy one, but now I want to know more about this…

    [quote post=”6212″](yet- rumors have it something may be coming out like this for the Traktor crowd later this year). [/quote]

  • Double DutchDj

    I spent hours on the Dx at BPM last year, loved it! Firstly its the only midi controller that actually feels like a real mixer, the layout is so inviting. But if I was to spend that much money, it would have to be a perfect fit for my needs. If A&H added a row of filter pots, another pair of fx units plus touch sense jogs, I’d buy one in an instant.

  • Anonymous

    as in “the waters of lake Minotonka”

  • Anonymous

    [quote comment=”32175″][quote comment=”32151″]Here’s an idea: Get yourself two 1200s w/ a two channel mixer and call it a day[/quote]

    Obvious Troll is obvious[/quote]

    Its like a monogomist preaching at a pologamy convention…. we are tainted and unpure whores, but we like it that way!

    Maybe we should all bath ourselves in lake Minotonka?”

  • Cabdoctor

    [quote comment=”32151″]Here’s an idea: Get yourself two 1200s w/ a two channel mixer and call it a day[/quote]

    Obvious Troll is obvious

  • Seattle Surfin

    Slap some arcade buttons on this and give it Ean Golden mapping (think vci-100 style) for traktor and this could be a hell of a controller.

  • pilmat

    [quote comment=”32169″]do the coloured knob packs from djtech store fit on this bad boy?[/quote]

    The knobs fit, the faders do not as the slot is too big but could be filled with something to make fit.

  • Anonymous

    do the coloured knob packs fro djtech store fit on this bad boy?

  • Karlos Santos

    [quote comment=”32147″][quote post=”6212″]

    It’s not Traktor Scratch Ready or Certified right?

    No it is neither, but it does work very well with Traktor![/quote]

    But, this does mean that you can’t use timecode control with the DX. You gotta get A8DJ/A4DJ for that.. (just sayin’)[/quote]

    Thats right , you need an Audio 8/4 for timecode control.
    The DX will not be Traktor Scratch Certified.

    It does however work amazingly well with Traktor Pro in fact some may say even better with Traktor 😉

  • Bickmore

    Great Review-

    I’ve been a DX owner for three weeks, which replaced my VCI300+VFX1.

    My problem with the Vestax was the build quality. Now with my A&H? Build Quality wise- Totally amazing, it kicks the 300’s ass in that case.

    i dont find missing the touch sensitive platters at all. You can still scrub with the jog wheels, although this really isn’t intended for scratching.

    All round great controller- well done A&H

    The only down-point is the glitchy-happy Itch 1.7. Impossible to use live (which is crazy for a $1200’s worth of equipment). Track Stopping, software crashing and effect bugs.

    Now i wait VERY patiently for Serato to compete with the build quality of this fantastic controller…

    Bring on my Serato update!!!

  • jorge muniz

    great review pilmat! i picked up the xone 4d from ebay for 1800 in perfect condition, but before i considered the 4d, i had my sights set on this. the only draw back was, as you mentioned, that it is not a analog mixer. i planned to start my own night at a bar and i felt that it would be necessary to have a full analog mixer. i love the portability of the dx, though. i may sell of some gear to get the DX as well! =D

    i also heard that there were some manufacturing problems with the DX. have those issues been resolved?

  • Zac Kyoti

    [quote comment=”32151″]Here’s an idea: Get yourself two 1200s w/ a two channel mixer and call it a day[/quote]
    Dude, Are you sure you know which web site you’re on?

  • Anonymous

    [quote comment=”32157″][quote comment=”32152″]Waste of money….for 1300 you can get a apc40, a firewire sound card, vci-100, and a 4 channel mixer Map it all yourself to your style. Im not a fan of all in one gear. Get the pieces separately so if one takes a dive you not completely out of luck.[/quote]

    wow.. where are you shopping? walmart? lol[/quote]
    Ebay! I buy almost eveything there.

  • silversx

    I’m in the beta testing for the next version of ITCH.. and let’s just say it’s amazing so far..

    and scratch has been added so back spins are easy.. and they way serato implemented scratch on a non touch sensitive platter is pretty awesome too..

    not very stable and still bugs so its in private beta still.. but it is night and day vs ITCH 1.6 which ships with the DX as far as features go

  • lala

    [quote comment=”32152″]Waste of money….for 1300 you can get a apc40, a firewire sound card, vci-100, and a 4 channel mixer Map it all yourself to your style. Im not a fan of all in one gear. Get the pieces separately so if one takes a dive you not completely out of luck.[/quote]

    wow.. where are you shopping? walmart? lol

  • MFx

    [quote post=”6212″]What would you want to see in a video review? Give me some suggestions and we’ll see what we can do[/quote]
    Would like to see a setup with hardware like a cdj or tt combined with traktor or itch to see how the latency is with the hardware, because it has to run through the software first. Also like to see a general overview of the dx itself. How plug and play is it. Tips and tricks for the dx, a dx with itch vs. dx with traktor, etc. Hope that gives you some ideas for a video review.

  • I AM URBSTAR

    Waste of money….for 1300 you can get a apc40, a firewire sound card, vci-100, and a 4 channel mixer Map it all yourself to your style. Im not a fan of all in one gear. Get the pieces separately so if one takes a dive you not completely out of luck.

  • Ma$tor Gee

    Here’s an idea: Get yourself two 1200s w/ a two channel mixer and call it a day

  • Anonymous

    How about a review of the four deck itch vs. traktor… how is the sync? does it have midi clocking for sync w external gear?

  • n2hf1st

    cool, but I think I’d rather have a 4d.

  • sj03w4t

    [quote post=”6212″] It’s not Traktor Scratch Ready or Certified right?

    No it is neither, but it does work very well with Traktor![/quote]

    But, this does mean that you can’t use timecode control with the DX. You gotta get A8DJ/A4DJ for that.. (just sayin’)

  • sj03w4t

    Nice one, phil 🙂

    but I don’t like the looks of this thing.. Even the vci-100 silver is better (and that’s no good). VCI-100 black is cool though..

  • pilmat

    [quote comment=”32111″]I really need to know how this would work with 2 Electribes plugged into it. What combinations are possible there? 2 decks with 2 machines??…..[/quote]
    Very interesting set-up. It would work well in both Itch and Traktor porting the audio through the software, you could connect up to 4 Electribes and switch between audio through and playing the virtual decks.
    [quote comment=”32114″]Good review! How competitive is itch with traktor pro? Are you going to post a video review aswell on the site? Looking forward to it…[/quote]
    What would you want to see in a video review? Give me some suggestions and we’ll see what we can do!
    [quote comment=”32129″]It’s not Traktor Scratch Ready or Certified right?[/quote]
    No it is neither, but it does work very well with Traktor!
    [quote comment=”32130″]Graphically, this unit is all over the place. Look at horrendous font and fake screws on the FX1 controls.[/quote]
    LOL, I never realized it until you pointed out, but yeah, its all over the map graphically.

  • Haze324

    1300 really isn’t all that much. You don’t get “just a midi controller” 1300 bucks gets you a 4 deck controller (of which there only a few out), a solid sound card, and a software application. If you shop it around i’ve seen it closer to 1100.00 bucks. I think for the ability to plug in one usb to your computer and start playing this is tough to beat for a four channel controller.

  • Dj Nvidia

    $1300? And it doesn’t have touch sensitive platters or any kind of deck/scratch control… they must be insane… I don’t scratch often at all, but every now and then I like to use a simple “back-spin” effects to get through certain transitions….

  • Vinicius Hoffmann

    That was me ^^^^

  • Anonymous

    [quote comment=”32117″]Yes, some guys will buy a VCI 100, cause 1300 bucks for this midi controller seems to much[/quote]
    High quality Midi Controller with 4 channels + a good Audio interface with inputs for TTs or CDJs + Serato Itch software
    To buy a setup like this you would need at least 1100 bucks…
    Is not as much as we think, put on a paper and see by yourself 🙂

  • minimal

    [quote post=”6212″]thanks to controllerism, I’ve all but eliminated the Xone 92 from my wish list.[/quote]

    I would revise that if I were you. The Xone92 is the Stratocaster of the DJ world for a reason. Personally, I am totally addicted to the sound & feel of the 92. When I don’t have a 92, it’s like missing a hand. Vci100 & 92 all the way!

    $1300 does seem too expensive, I would also say go for the 4D.

    Graphically, this unit is all over the place. Look at horrendous font and fake screws on the FX1 controls. wtf.

    Thanks for the in-depth review

  • GianPaJ

    It’s not Traktor Scratch Ready or Certified right?

  • 2YLITE

    I’m sure it’s well built (as are all of their products), but I’ve never understood A&H’s prices… thanks to controllerism, I’ve all but eliminated the Xone 92 from my wish list.

  • Sunny Side Up

    Too expensive for a midi controller. IMHO I would buy Two CDJ-800 MK2 and a DJM 400 for this money. Or maybe a 21 inch iMac. 3 month car payments or a months worth of rent and utilities… If I were into producing Maschine and a MacBook.

    If this is marketed to the high end MIDI users then with they don’t go straight to the Xone 4D? I mean, just save a bit more and go full blast!

  • DJ Fat Panda

    Makes no sense to pay well over a thousand dollars for a MIDI controller . . . Let alone one that really does not have much new to offer – why make a 4 channel controller and have it designed for standard style DJ use?

  • Sjaak

    If the DJ-Techtools community and Ean would adopt this thing like they did with the VCI-100, I would buy one. I think it has a lot of potential but I’m to lazy to map this thing in traktor myself. Good news there is a 4-deck Traktor controller comming up!

  • Shpongler

    Yes, some guys will buy a VCI 100, cause 1300 bucks for this midi controller seems to much

  • Anonymous

    Anyone want to buy a VCI 100? LoL

  • MFx

    Good review! How competitive is itch with traktor pro? Are you going to post a video review aswell on the site? Looking forward to it…

  • The Vly

    Great review! Really nice to have something in depth on this unit as I’m interested in purchasing.

    (A few of the photo uploads look faulty though)

  • Holotropik

    I really need to know how this would work with 2 Electribes plugged into it. What combinations are possible there? 2 decks with 2 machines??…..