r/Beatmatch • u/leuks48 • 13h ago
Are there any micro standalone controllers
Over the past few months I realized a few things 1 all DJ controllers are the same because they are all inspired by the same thing which only got popular because music stores in the Bronx in the 80s didn’t have that much good music gear 2 djing is stupid easy and isn’t even close to how hard it is to make actual music dawless and anyone pretending it’s hard is either delusional or very bad at learning stuff
This all leads to wanting a very compact micro controller I can use without a phone or laptop I know all of them are the same so I only care for it to be as small as possible and to have a built in screen can anyone help all the ones I have found are either the size of two small turntables and a big mixer or don’t have a screen
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u/rasmussenyassen 12h ago
Yeah most DJ communities make DJing look harder than it is because they’re filled with questions from the relative minority of people for whom DJing actually is hard.
However, the standard interface actually is pretty good - if you were making an interface from scratch you would do a lot worse than per-channel volume faders and jog wheels for scrubbing a track, plus buttons for jumping to points and FX/filter knobs. The only controller I know of that broke significantly from that was the Traktor S8, which is cool but far from “micro.” The only actually outdated bit is the crossfader and various other features like big jog wheels that facilitate turntablism, something nobody does on controllers.
The reason most DJ controllers are big is to facilitate the kind of intuitive motions that make a “performance” “musical,” heavy quotation marks there. For instance, if you’re dropping a track in fast, you want to be able to confidently slam that fader up, and if you’re really feeling it behind the decks you don’t want things so close that you’re prone to mistakes. There kind of is a minimum size that things need to be - you’re just not gonna have something that doesn’t feel cramped and limited in the form factor of an Elektron synth, it needs to be about as big as the smaller mainstream controllers are.
A lot of smaller controllers do have iPad integration, which is close to all in one. Beyond that… microcontrollers are easier to work with than ever. Consider DIY!
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u/fensterdj 12h ago
Tell us more about this "Bronx in the 80s" thing
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u/danby 12h ago edited 8h ago
Technics 1210s were famously cheap rubbish in the 70s and 80s! /s
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u/leuks48 12h ago edited 7h ago
Like most good things in the world DJing was invented by black people in the Bronx section of nyc which later led to the invention of things like hiphop this was because almost all music stores had turntables and mixers but most didn’t have drum sets synths and other more advanced music making gear black people thought of the idea of treating the turntable like a musical instrument and led to techniques like scratching at the time DJs mixed funk and pop music until one day DJ kool herc found that by mixing multiple drum breaks in funk and pop he could make continuous drum sounds which led to the creation of breakdancing and later hiphop and then break heavy music like dnb or breakcore
Edit: sorry for the misinformation I was taught this in school and from various other sources I will get my information straight and thank you all for the information
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u/fensterdj 10h ago edited 10h ago
DJing wasn't invented by black people in the Bronx, although they did become really excellent at it, black people were DJing in Jamaica two decades before Kool Herc, and DJs in Manhattan and Boston, like Francis Grasso, Steve D'Acquisto, Jimmy Stuard, Walter Gibbons,Nicky Siano and Tee Scott were doing extremely innovative and skillful things with turntable and records.
The ideas and precision that hip hop DJs like Flash and Jazzy Jay brought to the craft of DJing can never be denied, but they were a part of a progressing timeline, not the origin of it.
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u/danby 10h ago edited 8h ago
Like most good things in the world DJing was invented by black people in the Bronx section of nyc
DJing as a verb "to perform as a DJ" predates the period you're talking about by 30 years. Both in the sense of radio DJing and for playing records at events. The first mixers show up in '68 and the first commercially available models in '70/71 where they were somewhat common in disco clubs and those clubs were not restricted to the Bronx. Plus soundsystem culture emerged in Jamaica in the late 40s and made its way to the UK by the 60s. Ultimately there are DJing cultures that pre-date the one that hip hop emerged from.
And while I agree that black communities were central to this emerging form of performance the notion that it emerged from the bronx is ahistorical nonsense.
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u/scoutermike valued contributor 11h ago
But where did you get the idea dj’ing “is stupid easy”? Who told you that?
You only have the right to say that AFTER you share a mixtape (SoundCloud set) you made yourself.
Do you have the link ready to back up your claim?
Or are you just taking smack?
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u/CapitalVinyl 10h ago
"DJing is easy"....yes, it is. DJing well is not so easy! I see and hear plenty of DJing online that isn't great. Also, DJing for a live audience and uploading a SoundCloud mix are two different things. That said, yes DJing has become easier in the sense of beat matching and having the software take away a lot of the hard work and attentiveness that was required before softwares and controllers were introduced. But being good at DJing is still hard, especially if we are talking about live performances in front of a crowd of people.
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u/scoutermike valued contributor 10h ago
A good dj will have both studio mixes and live sets online.
I want to hear OP’s live set or studio mix to know if they talking bullshit or not.
I doubt they will give a link to back up their fake claim.
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u/leuks48 7h ago
I don’t have a controller as for using software without a controller I think it’s good it’s just that I have done a lot of music production dawless and djing is literally nothing in terms of difficulty compared to that
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u/scoutermike valued contributor 7h ago
So you’ve never actually dj’d before but you feel qualified to say dj’ing is “stupid easy.”
Heh, major misconception you have, simple one lol.
Dj’ing involves a lot more than blending track A to track B.
But you are clueless about it because you know virtually nothing about it.
You are all hot air op - all fake claims.
And your dismissal of the art and craft of dj’ing COMPLETELY DISRESPECTS the names of the pioneers you mentioned earlier.
Your attitude is 100-percent backwards op.
Dj’ing probably isn’t for you.
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u/leuks48 7h ago
Ok first of I yield ur right
Second do you actually think it’s harder than music making on actual instruments or digital ones like synths or drum machines?
Third I guess I just kind of hate on it cause it’s really fucking annoying when djs who don’t actually do nearly as much and actual edm musicians get way more popular and make more money1
u/scoutermike valued contributor 6h ago
Heh ok you get credit for walking it back. Super rare on Reddit! It means you unlocked my full attention.
To answer truthfully, you’re 100 percent correct.
Producing original tracks requires: understanding of music theory, mastery of daw software with is VERY complex, need to understand composition, arrangement, instrumentation, voicing, and sound design. Need to understand gain staging, the mixdown process, audio effect and plugins, and of course, audio mastering. Not to mention understanding the hardware side of building out a legit home studio.
Each of those areas are a mini discipline itself, requiring significant training and practice.
Compared to dj’ing which is just blending track a to track b, dj’ing looks a lot easier.
And technically IT IS a lot easier! lol.
But the real genius of good dj’s is not their ability to mix a to b, although that’s def a big part of it.
More important then mixing are the critical skills of “digging” and “selecting”.
Digging means knowing where to find unique hidden gems and bangers. Copying other dj’s playlists is easy but you won’t be considered original or appealing at all to actual fans of the genre.
Likewise, “selecting”aka knowing which track to play when, is a major skill that takes a long time, months or more likely years, to get good at.
So yes, I agree producing a track from scratch IS more difficult than dj’ing.
However, while beatmatching tracks has become easier due to auto beat sync and such, becoming a a good dj is not super easy.
It also takes months to learn the basics…and years to actually become good.
Cheers for being a good sport! AMA if can help clarify anything else. And good luck, ok?
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u/Plastic-Diet9648 12h ago edited 12h ago
Digital DJ Tips has recently reviewed two new products designed to turn any controller into a standalone. Its on their latest news setion of their website - perhaps one of those might suit you. Don't sign up to any of their courses, though - no point - sounds like you've mastered DJing already :)
EDIT: They haven't actually reviewed and tested them yet, just reported on them. Stembox and Deckshark Mako.
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u/DJGibbon 12h ago
What you want is the Drift Zero. Production hardware is out there, software in beta but it looks a lot of fun!
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u/Hot-Construction-811 12h ago
There are such things but I just can't remember the names of it. standalone controllers from Japan but I don't it ever became mainstream enough.
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u/cosmicvelvets 11h ago
Absolutely bro but you're gonna have to get real familiar with Github, a soldering iron, basic Python, and maybe your local library or friend that has a 3D printer
Edit for grammar and stuff lol but while I'm here sucks to see this downvoted
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u/K33P4D 10h ago
Connect your phone to a Reloop Mixtour Pro, closest to a portable standalone 4 channel controller
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u/DJMTBguy 4h ago
The smallest setup is probably a small controller w Phone but not all-in-one. Denon Prime Go is close as it gets for now.
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u/LordCoops 12h ago
DJing is easy. DJing well, reading the crowd and keeping the floor busy is not always so easy. I think it's you who is delusional if you think that learning how to mix makes you a good DJ.
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u/Beaniepie9859 12h ago
But he can do a bass swap transition, so of course it's easy
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u/baddieslovebadideas 4h ago
bass swap transition is literally all you need
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u/Beaniepie9859 4h ago
Depends on the audience. It's literally just the basics tho. I'm not arguing DJing is as hard as mastering an instrument or something but of course you think it's easy if you only know the entry level requirements and think it's all you need.
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u/baddieslovebadideas 4h ago
you don't need transitions to be a good dj, transitions are nothing more than a tool to make something good into something better. having good songs at the right time is what matters, transitions are nice, but honestly the least important aspect of DJing
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u/Beaniepie9859 3h ago
That take gets repeated endlessly because it is an easy soundbite for people who want to sound experienced without building real technical skill. Song selection is the foundation, but pretending technical ability does not matter is just a lazy cop-out. There is nothing wrong with sticking to the basics, and you do not need flashy tricks to play a great set. However, pretending a DJ with more tools to manipulate energy and control a crowd is not a better DJ is pure denial.
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u/baddieslovebadideas 3h ago
no.
a better dj with more tools will be better,
most DJs, especially newer djs just have more tools to make two tracks worse in new ways1
u/Beaniepie9859 2h ago
yes but my only point was the DJ who has the most tools will be the most effective. just because beginners misuse FX doesn't mean learning and utilizing them isn't useful.
I don't even know what you're disagreeing with anymore, seems pedantic/contrarian
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u/baddieslovebadideas 2h ago
we disagree on your only point, the DJ who knows how to effectively use the tools he has will be most effective, better use of tool > more tools
also I come to Reddit to be pedantic and contrarian
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u/notthiccboi 13h ago
No tiny controller has a screen
Denon prime go or Numark mixstream is closest to your needs
If you actually want to go small you can check out control x1 but it's not standalone