Numark had the bulk of the new gear for digital DJs at the BPM Show this year, and the NDX500 media player was a great little addition to the range. Essentially a replacement for the company’s NDX400 CD/USB player, the new model adds a killer feature: a USB socket on the back, through which you can use the unit as a Midi controller for DJ software, and even a sound card too.
They NDX500 is optimised for Serato (although you’d need a Serato-enabled audio device such as the new Akai Pro AMX mixer too), meaning a pair of these and – for instance – the aforementioned Akai sat between them gives you the equivalent of a Serato controller, but modular and with the ability to play CDs and from USB, too. They feel more like club gear than cheap all in-one-controller to play on, too, and in fact – despite their low price tag (around £200/€250 each) – they are well made, with particularly good jogwheels.
As we mentioned in our modular DJing piece, we think this kind stuff is breathing new life into the controller scene, and at lower-than-ever prices, too, which has to be a good thing. Here’s a closer look with Numark’s Chris Roman:
Video talkthrough
Do you like the look of the little NDX500s? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Phil Morse
