Reloop’s new Mixtour Pro DJ controller, first announced back at NAMM in January, will finally be available in stores this month, with supplies hitting Europe round about now, and the US in the next few weeks.
The Laidback Luke connection
The Mixtour Pro is a notable release for a few reasons, most of which have been driven by the deep involvement of our tutor Laidback Luke, who has been pushing boundaries recently DJing from Algoriddim’s Djay Pro platform simply using his phone rather than the provided “pro” gear.
This is something he’s been doing on the biggest festival stages using the original Mixtour, and so he had a lot of input into the redesigned Mixtour Pro in order to correct many of the shortcomings he felt were an issue with the original model.
At the same time, Luke has been working closely with the makers of the Djay Pro software, Algoriddim, so that together the hardware and software work extremely well for the kind of DJing that Luke advocates, making this a special release due to that close involvement of such a respected, singular minded DJ with both sides of the partnership.
What’s new?
The new Mixtour Pro has a superior build quality, better 24-bit four-out audio card, but perhaps more importantly for such a small unit, lots of thoughtful design improvements that mean it’s completely possible to DJ quite technically (as Luke prefers to) across four decks in the unit and no extra deck controllers or hardware at all.
In addition, Luke has had the mapping made to incorporate lots of useful shortcuts for advanced DJs who want to do things like key shifting, halving and doubling loops, manually shortening loops, adjusting the BPM manually from the unit, even executing an instant backspin with a keystroke – all of which look like they make the new model a lot of fun to use.
Laidback Luke’s video
In this video, Luke tells the full story behind developing Reloop’s Mixtour Pro, walks through the controller’s new design, and shares his secret mappings.
Learn to DJ with Luke: Laidback Luke’s Creative DJing Course
Perhaps a small controller like this makes the most sense when DJing from a phone or iPad, but it is also compatible with Algoriddim’s djay Pro software running on laptop too, giving lots of flexibility for the DJ who prefers the idea of playing on a smaller controller and doesn’t mind figuring out how to do it without jogwheels/platters.
We have a review unit winging its way to our studio, so keep an eye out for our full review, but for now, you’re in the loop!
Phil Morse
