Four channels on an iPad
Reloop Mixon 8 Pro
A four-channel Serato and djay Pro controller built around iPad DJing; the mirrored deck layout takes getting used to.
Photos: Reloop
of 13 reviews recommend itand 11 owner reviews
Choose it over the FLX10 if you DJ from an iPad. It docks an iPad up to the 12.9-inch Pro, can connect a computer and an iPad at the same time, and unlocks Serato DJ Pro free; the full djay Pro needs a subscription. Its decks are mirrored and many functions sit behind Shift, so try the layout before buying if you can. It has no dedicated Serato stems controls, which is where the FLX10 wins.
- Best for
- djay Pro DJs, especially on iPad, who want four channels and full connections.
- Skip it if
- You want a club-style layout, onboard effects or dedicated Serato stems controls.
What people praise
- Solid, weighty build with a metal top panel
- Jog wheels with built-in displays for BPM, time and pitch
What to know first
- Mirrored deck layout takes getting used to
- Many functions sit behind Shift or are poorly labelled, so there is a learning curve
Video reviews
- Passionate DJNov 2024Recommends
- CROSSFADRSep 2023Mixed
Four decks and stems from a laptop
Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX10
A 4-channel rekordbox and Serato controller with hardware stems; dearer than the DDJ-1000 and dense with features.
Photos: Pioneer DJ / AlphaTheta Corporation
of 12 reviews recommend itand 19 owner reviews
Choose it over the Mixon 8 Pro if you play from a laptop and want stems under your hands. It unlocks rekordbox and Serato DJ Pro, takes turntables or players on channels 3 and 4, and has the XLR, booth and two mic connections that clubs and weddings need. Its stems sound better in Serato than in rekordbox, reviewers say, and much of what it does goes unused if stems don't interest you. To leave the laptop at home, look at the SC LIVE 4.
- Best for
- Club and mobile DJs on rekordbox or Serato who want hands-on stems.
- Skip it if
- You have no use for stems or four channels, or want a standalone unit.
What people praise
- Hardware stems controls make live mashups and acapellas easy
- Runs rekordbox and Serato DJ Pro, with Serato DJ Pro unlocked free
What to know first
- rekordbox's stem separation sounds rougher than Serato's
- Much of the feature set goes unused unless you want stems; Mix Point Link needs preparation
Video reviews
- ThoziJan 2026Recommends
- PACHINCO MusicJul 2024Warns off
Four decks without a laptop
Denon DJ SC Live 4 and SC Live 2
Laptop-free Engine DJ units, four decks or two, with built-in speakers; strong value, but a small screen.
Photos: Denon DJ
of 14 reviews recommend itand 70 owner reviews
Choose it over the FLX10 if you want four decks without a laptop. It plays from USB, SD or streaming services such as TIDAL and Beatport over its own Wi-Fi, has speakers built in for practice, and works as a Serato DJ Pro controller with the licence included. Its 7-inch screen is cramped for four decks, it has no inputs for turntables or CDJs, and a run of owners report faults needing repair. The SC LIVE 2 is the two-deck version, without the booth output and aux input.
- Best for
- Home, streaming and mobile DJs who want standalone mixing and streaming without a laptop.
- Skip it if
- You need turntable or CDJ inputs, or a larger screen for four decks.
What people praise
- Strong value for a four-deck standalone unit
- Built-in speakers are better than expected for practice and as booth monitors
What to know first
- Faults needing repair or replacement: faders, jog wheels, outputs, screen, mic inputs, freezes mid-set
- The 7-inch screen is cramped for four decks
Video reviews
- DJ CarloNov 2022Recommends
- TheDjLabMar 2023Recommends
The club layout without a laptop
AlphaTheta XDJ-AZ
A CDJ-3000 and DJM-A9 booth in one four-deck standalone; expensive and heavy, with no stems or sampler.
Photos: Pioneer DJ / AlphaTheta Corporation
of 12 reviews recommend itand 10 owner reviews
Choose it over the SC LIVE 4 if you play club booths and want the same layout everywhere. Reviewers call it the closest all-in-one to a CDJ-3000 and DJM-A9 setup, with full-size jog wheels, four decks from one USB drive, two phono/line inputs, and rekordbox and Serato DJ Pro free when you plug in a laptop. It has no stems or sampler in standalone mode, and it is heavy enough to need a case or a second pair of hands. Early units froze or lost audio until firmware 1.05, so update it before a gig.
- Best for
- DJs who want CDJ-3000 and DJM-A9 muscle memory in one box.
- Skip it if
- You want stems, a sampler or the most features for the money.
What people praise
- Layout and feel of a CDJ-3000 and DJM-A9 club setup, so the muscle memory carries to club booths
- Four decks in standalone play from a single USB drive
What to know first
- Expensive: well above the XDJ-XZ and Denon DJ Prime 4+, though under half the price of CDJ-3000s and a DJM-A9
- Few streaming services at launch, with only Beatport in standaloneFixed
Video reviews
- Digital DJ TipsDec 2025Recommends
- TheDjLabMay 2025Recommends
Also considered
- Numark NS4FX. Nine of eleven reviews recommend it as a lot of controller for the money, with four channels, an XLR master, a booth output, two mic inputs and an aux input. Owners report laggy scratching and distorted mics, and it ships with Serato DJ Lite, with Pro a paid upgrade. It isn't a pick because on 5 November 2026 no shop tracked here had it new in Germany, France or Spain.
- Rane FOUR. Ten of eleven reviews recommend this four-channel Serato controller for the deepest hardware stems control in Serato and a metal build. Rane still lists it, but Thomann has dropped it and Guitar Center lists it as no longer available, so it is hard to find new.
- Rane Performer. A "four channel professional motorized DJ controller for Serato", per Rane.
- AlphaTheta DDJ-GRV6. A four-channel controller with CDJ-3000X-sized jog wheels and Groove Circuit, which swaps a track's drums for loops, per AlphaTheta. AlphaTheta lists Serato DJ Pro as paid software for it.
- Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX6. No longer made. Five of eight reviews recommended it as an affordable four-channel rekordbox controller, with reservations about its plastic build and RCA-only outputs. Pioneer DJ replaced it with the DDJ-FLX6-GT, which has no record yet.
- Denon DJ PRIME 4+. Nine of ten reviews recommend it as the most complete four-deck standalone system, with a 10.1-inch touchscreen and a zone output, but Thomann has delisted it. It followed the original PRIME 4, and Denon DJ's newest version is the PRIME 4 G2: Engine DJ's G2 FAQ lists full-size 8-inch jog wheels, dedicated stems controls and stems rendered on the unit.
- Pioneer DJ OPUS-QUAD. All nine reviews recommend this four-deck standalone for its touchscreen and effects, and it is the mobile and bar pick in the best standalone DJ controllers. Reviewers note it has no performance pads or sampler, and no slip mode.
- Traktor Kontrol S4 MK3. All thirteen reviews recommend its motorised jog wheels and Traktor integration, but Native Instruments has dropped it and names no successor. The best Traktor controllers covers what runs Traktor now.
- Pioneer DJ DDJ-1000, DDJ-1000SRT and Denon MCX8000. All three are no longer made. The FLX10 replaced the DDJ-1000 and unlocks Serato DJ Pro as the 1000SRT did.
How to choose a 4-channel DJ controller
Do you need four channels
Two channels are enough to learn on and for most home mixing. Four let you run four tracks at once, or plug turntables and media players into channels 3 and 4 while the software runs the other two. The guide to two and four channels explains the difference, and the best DJ controllers covers the two-channel picks.
Laptop, iPad or no computer
The FLX10 needs a computer running the software, and the Mixon 8 Pro takes a computer or an iPad. The SC LIVE 4 and XDJ-AZ play on their own from USB drives and streaming services, and also work as controllers when you plug in a laptop. The best standalone DJ controllers and best DJ controllers for iPad go further on each.
The software comes first
rekordbox is the library format Pioneer DJ club players read, so it suits anyone heading for a DJ booth; see what rekordbox is. The FLX10 and XDJ-AZ unlock both rekordbox and Serato DJ Pro, and the Mixon 8 Pro unlocks Serato DJ Pro and works with djay. The SC LIVE 4 runs Denon DJ's Engine DJ when standalone. Serato DJ or rekordbox compares the two, and Traktor users should start with the best Traktor controllers.
Inputs and outputs
The extra channels are most useful when they take outside sources. The FLX10, Mixon 8 Pro and XDJ-AZ have phono/line inputs for turntables, and the SC LIVE 4 has none. On the FLX10, Mixon 8 Pro and XDJ-AZ, playing Serato control vinyl needs the paid Serato DVS expansion. All four picks have a balanced XLR master and a booth output for gigs; the FLX6 had RCA outputs only, a limit its reviewers raise. The guide to DJ cables covers the connections.
How these picks are made
Each pick is the controller with the strongest evidence for its situation. The evidence is what professional reviews conclude and what owners report on retailer sites, compiled for each product, with every source linked on its product page. No controller here was tested in a lab. Products without a record are named under Also considered with the manufacturer page they rely on. Prices come from daily tracking across the retailers we link to, and the status beside each one compares today's price with the lowest recorded. The methodology explains the whole process.
