Deejaying has been a lifelong hobby of mine! In the early years, I was doing gigs with rack mounted CD players and a separate mixer and components. Then in the early 2000s, DJ controllers came to the market and combined separate components into one piece of gear. Around this time, I stopped doing gigs, sold some equipment, and started to focus on other things like work and school.
After a Few Years Went By
My interest in DJ gear was reignited! So, I purchased my first DJ controller, the Numark N4. A simple entry/mid-level 4 deck controller. It was a fun controller to use with Traktor Scratch Pro, but I still longed to have a full DVS setup. The “Digital Vinyl System” uses special timecode records (or CDs) paired with turntables to control DJ software on a laptop. However, I had no interest in using the timecode CDs, I was focused solely on using vinyl records!
After saving for a few months, on 8/26/2013 I purchased a (used) KONTROL Z2 by Native Instruments. It was the world’s first 2+2 DJ mixer and was “built tough for pro club use”. Unfortunately, it wasn’t built THAT tough! As the x-fader started to bleed after 2-3 years of occasional use.
Either way, it was a great introduction into the world of DVS and using control vinyl. I learned more about the mixer’s intended software Traktor Scratch Pro, now simply called Traktor Pro. While learning more about Traktor Scratch Pro, I was simultaneously researching Serato DJ Pro. The industry leader in the world of DJ software for turntablism.
Making the Big Switch from Traktor to Serato
In 2016, I purchased the 2nd generation of the Numark NS7, of course called the Numark NS7II. It has four channels of mixing, real slip mats and vinyl, and most importantly motorized platters, to re-enter the world of mobile DJing.
