For many DJs, one of the best Pioneer DJ controllers and a laptop at home is more practical and affordable than a full pro CDJ and mixer set-up. Pioneer’s DDJ controllers range from fun, accessible beginner’s units to specialist scratch DJ models and top-level multi-channel professional performance controllers.
With prices that start at under £200 and go up to around £1,500, there is a DDJ for every section of the DJ market, from complete newbies and casual hobbyists to pro DJs who are gigging every weekend.
If you’re interested in Pioneer DJ controllers, then this buyer's guide will help you match your particular DJ needs and requirements to the ideal Pioneer DDJ.
Our top picks
Extensive functionality, multi-platform compatibility, stems implementation, multi-mode jog wheel displays, comprehensive I/Os, and industry-standard layout make the FLX10 hard to beat.
The FLX4 has everything you need to learn the basics, it’s affordable, compatible with Rekordbox and Serato, and designed to be accessible to beginners with Smart Mixing features to make DJing easy.
Beginner’s DJ controller with a basic feature set designed to make DJing simple and accessible. You can use it with beginner DJ apps WeDJ, djay, and edjing Mix, as well as Rekordbox, and it's super easy to set up. Simply plug it into some speakers and headphones using the split cable, connect it to your laptop or phone via USB and you’re good to go.
Best overall
Pioneer’s newest flagship pro DJ controller supersedes the popular DDJ1000 with a number of substantial improvements, and in our 2024 review it proved to be a very well-specced and powerful unit.
The FLX10 is compatible with both Rekordbox and Serato (with a couple of tiny caveats), has a fully implemented Stems control, customisable multi-mode jog wheel displays, an improved Magvel crossfader, DMX connectivity for lights, and new Beat and Sound Colour FX and auto mix functions.
Aside from its excellent level of functionality, the FLX10’s big advantage is its reassuringly familiar industry-standard layout, which means switching to CDJs in the club or festival should be a breeze, making this a strong Pioneer DDJ choice for DJs who want to go beyond playing at home or online.
Read our full Pioneer DDJ-FLX10 review
Best on a budget
In our test, we rated the FLX4 highly, praising its combination of accessibility and decent spec for the price point. It’s a stripped down version of the FLX10, and while it obviously has fewer controls and less functionality than its bigger sibling, it has everything required for a beginner to get to grips with DJing.
It’s a beginner's controller and it comes with Automatic Mix and FX functions that won’t be of much interest to seasoned DJs but which are ideal for newbies wanting to try DJ techniques out, and which in our test worked smoothly and effectively.
The FLX4 is also compatible with Serato, has Bluetooth connectivity so you can DJ from your phone and, unlike its predecessor the DDJ400, can include your mic output in the main output, so you can easily MC or give shout-outs over your mixes.
Read our full Pioneer DDJ-FLX4 review
Best for beginners
Pioneer’s DDJ-200 is its beginner’s DJ controller and has a basic feature set designed to make the DJing process simple and accessible. You can use it with beginner DJ apps WeDJ, djay and edjing Mix, as well as Rekordbox, and is super easy to set up. You simply plug it into some speakers and headphones using the split cable it comes with, then connect it to your laptop or phone via its single USB connection and you’re good to go.
It has all the basics you need to start out including a pair of jog wheels, performance pads, tempo sliders, crossfader and three band track EQ along with Beat Sync buttons and Pioneer’s automaticTransition FX, which are automatic multi-effects made to aid transitions.
It’s very light so, in theory, you could gig with it – although in practice you don’t really get sturdy units at this price point, so in that sense it’s perhaps not the ideal travelling controller.
Best for Rekordbox
The DDJ-800 was a compact version of the DDJ-1000 which has now been superseded by the FLX10, leaving the DDJ to fill a very particular niche, that of portable mid-level Rekordbox-only 2-channel DJ controller. Its particular strength is that it is specifically designed as a gigging unit, so it’s light and compact, which is obviously an advantage when travelling to the gig, but does mean that some of the controls are small.
It comes with a set of Pioneer’s Beat and Sound Colour FX which you can also use on external gear like vinyl record players (although only when the 800 is connected to Rekordbox). It also has customisable jog wheel displays, balanced outputs, a set of responsive performance pads, while its familiar club-standard DJM-style mixer and general layout is close to the kind of CDJ set-up you’ll likely find in a club or festival setting.
Its decent feature set, together with the DDJ-800’s compact size and light weight, make it a very strong choice for any DJ who needs to travel with their controller.
Best for scratching
At £1500, it's a little more expensive than its ‘non-scratch’ two-channel sibling the DDJ-FLX10, but the REV7 gives you a raft of functions and controls designed specifically for open format and scratch DJs: a ‘battle’ set-up with horizontal pitch controls, a customisable Magvel crossfade, customisable jog wheels so you can choose between levels of torque and friction in the platter movement, four dedicated ‘instant scratch’ buttons with internal samples, and a spacious mixer section to provide maximum scratch-room.
The REV7 also comes with some brand new Beat FX – Duck Down, Fill Out and Helix Out – which are multi-effects specifically designed for multi-format or scratch DJs to perform transitions in creative, original ways using fills, rolls, drops and risers.
It also has a decent set of inputs so you can hook up actual vinyl decks or other additional gear, and although it doesn’t have the FLX10’s dedicated hardware stems controls, Serato stems can be controlled from the performance pads.
Best mid-range option
The Pioneer FLX6-GT is a four-channel controller for multiple DJing apps. It has no need for you to download any drivers, you can simply plug it in and get DJing.
It's virtually the same as Pioneer’s FLX6 DJ controller, but with a nice visual upgrade in the shape of the graphite grey finish. So you get the Pioneer club-standard layout with track EQ, Beat FX, Sound Colour FX and two sets of performance pads – but the GT also has updated and slightly larger jog wheels that are now the same size as standard CDJs, which is a nice bonus.
Its unique selling point is the large ‘Merge Effects’ knob on the top right of each deck which can be used for creating all sorts of drum rolls, drops and risers, which, along with the ‘instant scratching’ Jog Cutter FX, are aimed squarely at open-format DJs.
Best for Serato
The 1000SRT was Pioneer's dedicated Serato version of their highly successful DDJ1000 controller. The 1000 has now been superseded by the FLX10 but, to date, Pioneer hasn't produced a FLX10SRT. Instead, the FLX10 works with Rekordbox and Serato (with near-perfect Serato mapping: the FLX10’s new Mix Point Link function is missing in the Serato implementation, and not all the performance pad labels match – see our review).
Prior to the FLX10, the DDJ1000SRT was a strong Pioneer controller option for Serato DJs. However, the FLX10 is better specced, has improved jog wheel displays, more FX and full part separation implementation too.
It’s difficult to justify choosing a new 1000SRT over a new FLX10, but a second-hand 1000SRT could still be a very strong controller choice for the Serato DJ.
Best Pioneer DJ controllers: Buying Advice
When deciding which Pioneer DJ controller is the right one for you there are a few key factors (after budget, obviously) which will help narrow down the options: software, DJ style, home use or gig use, and number of channels.
If you’re currently using Serato, Tractor or Virtual DJ rather than Pioneer’s software Rekordbox, you’ll need to consider which DDJ unit works with your software. Most of the DDJs we’re looking at here are Rekordbox and Serato compatible but Traktor, VirtualDJ and djay users have fewer options.
If you’re a scratch DJ then the REV range should be where you concentrate your research as they include specific design elements for turntablists such as large jog wheels, lots of space around the crossfaders, horizontal 'battle'-style pitch controls etc.
Are you planning on using your controller at home or would you like to plug it into the sound system in your local bar and put a night on? If you want to travel with it then you'll need to consider how rugged it is. And if you want to play music in public rather than just at home or online, the quality of the preamps and the outputs may affect your buying decision too.
Finally, most DJs are fine with two channels, but for some, an extra pair and the chance to connect external gear like a vinyl record player is an important factor to consider too.
How we choose products
Here at MusicRadar, we are experts in our field, with many years of playing, creating and product testing between us. We live and breathe everything music gear related, and we draw on this knowledge and experience of using products in live, recording and rehearsal scenarios when selecting the products for our guides.
When choosing what we believe to be the best Pioneer DJ controllers available right now, we combine our hands-on experience, user reviews and testimonies and engage in lengthy discussions with our editorial colleagues to reach a consensus about the top products in any given category.
First and foremost, we are musicians, and we want other players to find the right product for them. So we take into careful consideration everything from budget to feature set, ease of use and durability to come up with a list of what we can safely say are the best Pioneer DJ controllers on the market right now.
Find out more about how we test music gear and services at MusicRadar.
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