Video Review
Magma’s Riot is the company’s top-of-the-line range of bags designed for DJs who travel a lot. Today I’ve got the smallest (simply called the Riot DJ Backpack) as well as the largest (the humungous Riot DJ Backpack XXL) up for review. Let’s dive right in!
First Impressions
The first impression they give is simply of being really sturdy. Although soft, they are angular, with tightly rounded corners and both horizontal and vertical thick nylon tension / compacting straps adding to the “squared off” feel. They’re also full of pockets, which are quite square, too (well, rectangular to be exact).
The backpacks are a bit unusual in that the primary material is tough PVC tarpaulin, which allows – along with the sealed zips – for Magma to realistically make the claim that they’re 100% waterproof. Now I’m in the Mediterranean as a write, with the temperature approaching 30C (not bad for October! I know, I know, someone’s got to do it…), so that does mean it’s hard for me to test their “waterproofness” (and I’m not throwing it in the swimming pool, that’d be unfair). But I reckon all but a fireman’s hose-worth of water would comfortably stay out of bags like these.
Where these bags are really very much similar to 90% of DJ bags in the market is that they’re black in colour all the way. Internally, Magma has gone for a bright red that serves as a great contrast against tiny items that are difficult to spot like black USB sticks, SD cards, and car keys. They’re generously padded inside, and the shoulder straps are decently padded too to make those long commutes easier. The straps come with metal buckles and can be fastened together into a chest harness as needed. There are carry handles on the top for both models, as well as a side handle for the XXL, though I wish the padding in them were a bit thicker on the XXL as of course it can hold heavier / bulkier gear…
Magma Riot XXL
In Use
The Magma Riot XXL has three front pockets with double compartments: A top zipper opens up the main pocket itself, and the one in the front unzips a slimmer pocket. There are various types of both zipped and non-zipped mesh pockets inside the main compartments. On the smaller Magma Riot pack there’s a single front pocket similar to those found on the XXL, with a small “pencil case” sized one below that. There are carry handles on the top and side, but I wish the padding in them were a bit thicker, since the XXL could potentially hold heavier/bulkier gear…
Inside, the XXL has two openings, a “top opener”, and a compartment that unzips all the way around three sides so they bags can be opened like a traditional case would. The front (top opening) compartment is meant for laptops up to 19″, and the rear one for large controllers; on the XXL that means anything up to the Pioneer DDJ-SX in size.
Magma Riot DJ Backpack
Meanwhile, the smaller model has a single top-opening compartment that can be expanded with a zip to make the bag deeper, and add a small top compartment right by the top carrying handle too. Your laptop can fit in that compartment divided from anything else by an internal padded sheet, or if you have a very small, thin laptop or even an iPad, there’s a separate single zip “slip in” compartment right against your back.
The cases are designed to fit a suitable-sized controller, and to keep the larger sized devices snug in the XXL, there’s a nylon reinforcement strap inside, like a suitcase might have. The main compartments have divider flaps in addition, and there is plenty of Velcro-attached padding to find a snug fit for your controller. The internal compartments also have large mesh bags at the top to use up the inevitable space that appears once your gear has “settled” due to gravity, which are perfect for headphones, leads, airport sandwiches etc.
Conclusion
It’s important to protect your gear, especially as a gigging DJ. If you do a lot of travelling with your laptop and gear in tow, a bag like this is a great idea. I think the XXL is at a disadvantage through no fault of its own in that it’s just too large to go on board a flight with you as hand luggage, and I’d be extremely hesitant to let a controller go into a plane’s cargo hold, lest it be secured in a flight case, but that’s the fault of the size of the gear inside, not the bag itself. (The slightly smaller model – the XL – will just about fit into cabin luggage dimensions if you don’t overpack it.)
No such problem with the smaller of the two though. Indeed, the Magma Riot is too small for most controllers, and is really best if you’re a DVS DJ who wants to cary control vinyl or CDs, an audio interface, and maybe a small mixer; or alternatively a couple of modular DJ controllers, a laptop, and some headphones too.
Either way, these bags are sturdy, understated, durable, and with the added (stated) advantage of also being waterproof. Like any bag, it’s only as good as how you pack it; I’d resist the temptation to slip my laptop in the very front pocket of the XXL, for instance, even though a 13″ or smaller MacBook Air will easily fit, because such pockets just aren’t so well protected…
However, as long as you work out an efficient and sensible way to pack your bag, and choose one that fits your controller properly and snugly, most DJs in most cases – even those who travel a lot – could get away with carrying their gear in a Magma Riot Backpack, and avoid needing heavy, expensive-to-transport and far less practical traditional hard cases made of wood and metal. After all, digital DJ gear calls for practical, modern solutions, and the Magma Riot DJ Backpacks definitely provide that.
What kind of bag do you use to carry your DJ gear in? What stuff do you keep inside? We’d love to hear your thoughts, so do share them in the comments section below.
Phil Morse
