Buying an all-in-one DJ System tips

Since two or three years, there is a new kind of affordable setup which currently gets more and more attention: the all-in-one DJ Sets. Now, those are basically two DJ media players and a mixer combined into one device. 

The advantages are obvious: playing on those setups really feels like playing on a club setup, you got screens directly on the device and you don’t necessarily need to use a laptop. Most of those devices can also work with DJ software, so those are also an option for laptop DJs. In this article, we will present you our four favorite all-in-one DJ players.

One disadvantage of those controllers is then you not can switch or upgrade a single player, since it one device. So keep in mind that you have to switch the whole setup if you want to upgrade. The biggest advantage is that they are perfect to move to a different location, just open one case and you're good to go! No need to plug in cables in different media players.

Pioneer XDJ-RX2

Brand: Pioneer DJ

Pros:

• Nexus club setup styled layout
• A lot of advanced features
• High build quality

Cons: 

• Only a two-channel mixer
• No support for 3^rd party DJ software

When it comes to DJ hardware, Pioneer is the number one brand on the whole market for a reason. Their devices are incredibly high-quality devices and probably one of the biggest dreams of any bedroom DJ. And so is the XDJ-RX2, a full standalone all-in-one DJ player with Recordbox DJ support. A layout, similar to Pioneer’s Nexus setup (which is the international club standard), a huge, amazing touch screen and a lot of performance features make this device a solid choice. Unfortunately, the RX2 does only support Recordbox so it’s not an option for Serato, Traktor, and Virtual DJ users. Also, we wish that Pioneer would have included a four-channel mixer into this device. That would give you the option to upgrade your setup by adding two more decks to it. But if you are playing off a USB stick or Recordbox DJ, don’t need four decks and want something as close to the club standard as possible, the RX2 might be for you.

Denon MCX8000 

Brand: Denon DJ

Pros: 

• Full 4-channel standalone mixer built-in
• Club setup styled layout
• High build quality

Cons: 

• Not as many features as other devices
• No touch screens

Speaking of Serato, Virtual and 4 decks, we definitely have to mention the MCX8000 by Denon. Feature-wise, it is not as strong as the Pioneer XDJ-RX2 but it’s close. And what makes it so amazing, is the fact that it has a 4-channel standalone club mixer built-in. Now, this does not only give you the feeling of playing on a professional club-setup, but it also allows you to add two more media players or turntables to it and get a 4-channel hybrid setup. 

On top of that, the MCX8000 also has deck layering available when used with DJ software. This means that you can control four decks inside your DJ software using just the MCX8000. Speaking of software, the 8000 does fully work with Serato DJ (enabled) and Virtual. It also supports Traktor and Djay but the screens on the MCX won’t work when used with one of these two. Anyway, we think that it would have been cool if Denon built touch screens into this standalone player. Also, we find it a shame that features such as recording to a USB stick from the device itself are not available. But if you want to have a flexible setup, which you can upgrade later, the MCX8000 is a great choice.

Denon prime 4

Brand: Denon DJ

Pros: 

• 4 channel standalone player
• Almost identical layout to Denon’s Prime club setup
• An incredible amount of features

Cons: 

• Only Serato software support at the moment

The Denon Prime 4 is the last setup on our list and it’s in our opinion the best one on the current DJ equipment market. Being the first 4 channel all-in-one player, it has absolutely everything you need as a mobile-, hobby- or even club DJ. The number of features is amazing and the layout of the Prime 4 is very similar to Denon’s Prime club setup, consisting of two SC5000s and one X1800.

On top of that, it’s also very flexible when it comes two your preferred music source: It features 4 USB inputs, one SD card slot, storage for a hard drive and it will also work with Serato DJ. The only downside for us is that there is currently only Serato support announced, so we don’t know if this device will also work with Virtual DJ and Traktor. But as we already said before, this is an absolute beast and if you have the money to buy the Prime 4, it’s definitely worth it.

Conclusion

Which player you will buy in the end mainly depends on your budget and your preferred music source. The Prime 4 is basically the only option for people who want to use SD card or a hard drive while Recordbox users should only look at the XDJ-RX2. Which hardware you buy, will always depend on personal preference. 

Also have a look at our articles about DJ Software, DJ Headphones, and digital DJ controllers for beginners!