Tag Archives: Numark Total Control

Numark Total Control MIDI DJ Mixer

I purchased the Numark Total Control MIDI DJ mixer to see whether MIDI would work for me in my studio setup. Turntabling is all about the vinyl, but I had some ideas for some bizarre dub experiments with high quality MP3s and lots of echo/reverb effects…and I must say, in spite of my early reservations, the Numark Total Control mixer did the trick, and then some.

According to the Numark hype for this DJ control surface, the unit’s 31 buttons, 20 knobs and 5 faders, “send MIDI data from the controller to your DJ software of choice” which in my case was an upgraded version of the included Numark Cue LE. If you purchase the Numark Total Control DJ mixer, I strongly suggest getting the CUE upgrade or better yet, paying for the upgraded Traktor software (a lite version comes with the Numark Total Control).

For new DJs, the most valuable thing about the Numark, aside from the tricks you can pull with the effects that are found in the upgraded versions of Traktor or Numark Cue software packages, is the fact that this DJ mixer is USB powered.

No, you can’t plug your iPhone into it, and you need the laptop and software to make the mixer work. But if you have a collection of high-quality MP3s (hopefully that you ripped from your vinyl collection, heh) encoded at good rates, this makes for a nice compact setup.

In the studio, I personally prefer a combination of vinyl, CD, and digital files, plus the hardware to run in case my computer setup chooses to crap out on me that day. I don’t gig with the Numark Total Control–there’s nothing at all wrong with it, just my personal preference. I’m a bit more old-school, I suppose, and I like the reliability of hardware….but if you want to go all-digital on a budget you could do a HELL of a lot worse than this. It’s a great starter kit for new DJs learning the ins and outs of spinning and earning money from it.

Numark Total Computer DJ in a Box

numark-total-dj-in-a-box

Aspiring latop DJs, take note…here’s a complete solution from controller to soundsystem interface--AND it’s priced to move. This starter kit is simple to learn–the Numark Total Control mixer is simple to learn. It uses Traktor LE, which is really all you need to get started learning the ropes. That said, be prepared to fork over the cash to upgrade to a full version of Traktor, as you’ll want the extra tools once you’ve mastered the basics.

I can’t vouch for the quality or lack thereof when it comes to the headphones–I only use Sony or Sennheisers. The DJ i/o box is designed to get your signal from the laptop or desktop (shudder) to a mixing board or PA system.

Your signal is run through RCA jacks into the soundboard…don’t expect XLRs out of this package, but again for those getting their feet wet in the DJ world (or DJ podcasting ) this is a nice compact package.

I strongly recommend you use a backup system including CDs and vinyl in case your computer setup tanks for any reason—including system crashes, hard drive failure and other gremlins that can jack up a gig. The Numark Total Computer DJ in a Box itself is quite reliable from my experience with the gear, but your computer’s hard drive may be another story. Don’t rely only on MP3s to get the job done, new DJs…you’ll live to regret it.