[NAMM 2016] Numark CD Mix USB & Mixdeck Express Video Talkthroughs

“No laptop required” is definitely one of the themes of NAMM 2016, but while solutions like the Denon DJ MCX8000, Pioneer XDJ-RX and Gemini SDJ-2000 are busy offering big feature sets and even bigger screens, Numark has two offerings for both more budget-oriented and mobile focused DJs: the CD Mix USB and the Mixdeck Express.

A bit of history here is instructive: Numark has had similar controllers to the CD Mix USB in its range for about 15 years now, and the Mixdeck Express has also been around for a while, albeit now available with improved audio circuitry for 2016.

The CD Mix USB offers basic CD and USB mixing in a metal-cased unit that is for a specific use case: The mobile DJ who has little interest in beatmixing and other club-style techniques, but who rather plays from song to song, needs a couple of good mic inputs, and puts a lot of weight on simplicity and reliability.

Meanwhile, the Mixdeck Express packs better jogwheels and thus gives more of a nod towards beatmixing, and crucially can also be used as a Midi controller as well as as a CD/USB media player, so it’s possible (as in the video here) to use it with Serato DJ (and, interestingly enough, the also just-announced Numark Dashboard screens).

For people who want to leave the laptop at home but don’t want to drop big on advanced controllers with feature sets they may not need, Numark is offering two interesting alternatives here. Watch on to find out more…

Video talkthrough

So do you think we are (maybe belatedly) moving into a time when the laptop will get increasingly left at home? What’s your view on the simpler type of standalone controllers as featured here? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.