Two decks, club layout
Pioneer DJ DJM-450
A two-channel mixer with DJM-900NXS2 effects and a rekordbox DVS soundcard, but no booth output.
Photos: Pioneer DJ / AlphaTheta Corporation
Choose it if you mix two decks from a laptop or want to try DVS; for records or CD players with no laptop at all, the analogue Xone:24 under Also considered is the alternative, on thinner evidence. Connecting it unlocks rekordbox Performance mode and DVS, and it brings the Beat FX and Sound Color FX of Pioneer DJ's club mixers to two channels. It has no booth output, the reservation most reviewers raise, so if you play venues with a monitor speaker the DJM-750MK2 is the step up. Serato DJ Pro needs a paid licence.
- Best for
- Home DJs learning the club DJM layout on two decks, with rekordbox DVS.
- Skip it if
- You play venues that need a booth monitor, or want MIDI control of software.
What people praise
- Brings the DJM-900NXS2 layout and effects to a compact two-channel mixer
- Eight Beat FX and four Sound Colour FX with parameter control
What to know first
- No booth output for a monitor speaker
- Control vinyl for DVS is sold separately
Video reviews
- DJ Deep BhamraJul 2020Recommends
Learning to scratch
Numark Scratch
A two-channel Serato DVS scratch mixer with an Innofader at a budget price; four red pads per channel.
Photos: Numark
Choose it over the DJM-450 if you want to scratch in Serato. It unlocks Serato DJ Pro and DVS, has an Innofader crossfader with reverse and slope switches, and each channel switches between timecode and normal records. Owners and reviewers praise its value and mostly metal build, but it has four red pads per channel, one USB port, no aux input, and effects that need Serato; three owners report faders wearing out. For eight pads and hardware effects, the DJM-S7 under Also considered is the step up.
- Best for
- Turntablists and vinyl DJs moving to Serato DVS on a tight budget.
- Skip it if
- You want effects without a laptop, laptop changeovers or an aux input.
What people praise
- Strong value: Serato DJ Pro, DVS and an Innofader for the price of a budget mixer
- Innofader crossfader is smooth and precise for scratching
What to know first
- Only four single-colour (red) pads per channel
- Software effects and pads need Serato; without a laptop only the filter works
Video reviews
- DeckademicsJul 2020Recommends
- DJBoothSep 2019Recommends
Four channels at home
Pioneer DJ DJM-750MK2
A 4-channel mixer with most of the DJM-900NXS2's layout and effects, minus Pro DJ Link and digital I/O.
Photos: Pioneer DJ / AlphaTheta Corporation
Choose it over the DJM-450 if you need four channels and a booth output. All four channels take phono or line, so turntables and players can stay plugged in, and connecting it unlocks rekordbox Performance mode and DVS. Reviewers call it the closest thing to the DJM-900NXS2 layout for a home or bar setup; for the booth itself, the DJM-A9 is that layout's successor. It has no Pro DJ Link, digital outputs or record out, and Serato DJ Pro needs a paid licence.
- Best for
- Home and bar setups that want the club-standard Pioneer layout without the flagship.
- Skip it if
- You need Pro DJ Link, digital outputs or the full DJM-900NXS2 effects set.
What people praise
- Most of the DJM-900NXS2's layout, feel and effects for about half the price
- Built-in sound card runs rekordbox and DVS over one USB cable
What to know first
- Fewer Beat and Sound Color FX than the DJM-900NXS2, and no X-Pad
- No Pro DJ Link, digital outputs or record out
Video reviews
- SKAPDEMar 2018Recommends
- CrossfaderDec 2017Recommends
The club booth
Pioneer DJ DJM-A9
The DJM-900NXS2's successor: cleaner sound, two headphone cues and a better mic section, at a club price and size.
Photos: Pioneer DJ / AlphaTheta Corporation
Choose it over the DJM-750MK2 if you are fitting out a club booth, or want the mixer the booths you play have moved to. All seven reviews recommend it as the DJM-900NXS2's successor: cleaner sound from 32-bit converters, two independent headphone outputs with their own cue and mix for back-to-back sets, a mic section with 48 V phantom power, a Bluetooth input on any channel and two USB ports for two computers, on a layout that stays familiar. It costs more than the 900NXS2 and rival mixers, it is wider, taller and heavier, so check that it fits an existing booth or flight case, and its Stagehand remote monitoring needs a paid iPad app and a router and can't be switched off. MusicTech calls it a harder sell for DJs mixing at home, and no owner reviews were found. For six channels with a compressor on each, the DJM-V10 under Also considered is the hybrid studio-and-booth alternative.
- Best for
- Clubs and DJs who want the current Pioneer DJ club-standard four-channel mixer.
- Skip it if
- You own a DJM-900NXS2 that fits your booth, or you mix at home.
What people praise
- Cleaner, higher-resolution sound from the 32-bit ESS converters
- Two independent headphone outputs with their own cue and mix for back-to-back sets
What to know first
- Costs more than the DJM-900NXS2 and rival mixers
- Wider, taller and heavier than the 900NXS2; may not fit existing booths or flight cases
Serato battles on turntables
Rane Seventy
A steel two-channel Serato battle mixer with adjustable MAG FOUR faders; leaner than the Seventy-Two, no touchscreen.
Photos: Rane
Choose it over the Numark Scratch if you play Serato on turntables or Rane Twelves and want a battle mixer built for the road. It unlocks Serato DJ Pro and DVS, comes with control vinyl, control CDs and a Pitch 'n Time licence, and has two USB ports for changeovers between laptops. Reviewers prefer its MAG FOUR faders and simpler layout; what it gives up is the touchscreen and the deeper effects of the DJM-S11. Beyond Serato, only VirtualDJ is supported, with a paid licence.
- Best for
- Serato scratch DJs on turntables or Rane Twelves wanting a focused, road-ready battle mixer.
- Skip it if
- You want a touchscreen and more onboard effects, or don't use Serato or VirtualDJ.
What people praise
- MAG FOUR faders feel light and smooth, with crossfader tension set from the front panel
- Simpler, more focused layout than the Seventy-Two
What to know first
- Leaner than the Seventy-Two and Pioneer's DJM-S7 and DJM-S11: no touchscreen, six onboard effects
Video reviews
- Digital DJ TipsJan 2020Recommends
- DeckademicsSep 2020Recommends
Four decks from a battle mixer
Pioneer DJ DJM-S11
The reference scratch mixer for Serato: four-deck control from a touchscreen, at a high price.
Photos: Pioneer DJ / AlphaTheta Corporation
Choose it over the Seventy if you want four decks from a two-channel mixer, or play rekordbox as well as Serato. Its touchscreen gives four-deck control, its effects section is the deepest here, and two USB-A ports act as a hub for CDJs and controllers. Both Serato DJ Pro with DVS and rekordbox Performance mode with DVS come free, though reviewers find rekordbox lags Serato on it. It replaces the DJM-S9, and control vinyl is not in the box.
- Best for
- Scratch and battle DJs on Serato who want four decks from a two-channel mixer.
- Skip it if
- You mainly use rekordbox, or the DJM-S7 covers what you need for less.
What people praise
- Touchscreen gives real four-deck control from a two-channel mixer
- Deep 22-effect section with flexible stacking and Smooth Echo
What to know first
- Expensive at around $2,000 / £1,800
- No split cue at launch (added by firmware 1.04 in July 2023)Fixed
Also considered
- Allen & Heath Xone:24. A fully analogue two-channel mixer for records or CD players with no laptop. Both professional reviews recommend it for its warm, clean analogue sound, the Xone filter and a solid build, and the two substantive owner reviews at Thomann agree on the sound; the shared reservation is a single filter for both channels. It launched in October 2025, so two reviews and two owners is too thin for a pick. It has no sound card, so DVS or software needs the Xone:24C or a separate audio interface.
- Allen & Heath Xone:92. The four-channel analogue mixer for vinyl and techno DJs who want filters and no menus, updated with filters that switch in and out without a pop, better phono preamps and a replaceable innoFADER crossfader. Both professional reviews of the updated model recommend it, and nine of the eleven owners read at Thomann repeat the sound, the build and the filters; one returned it, finding the sound overrated and the phono preamps too quiet. Two reviews is thin evidence, so like the Xone:24 it sits here rather than among the picks. It has no effects, digital outputs or USB interface, so software DJs need a separate sound card.
- Pioneer DJ DJM-V10. Six channels with a compressor and a four-band EQ on each, send/return routing for external effects and a three-band master isolator. Five of six reviews recommend it as the best-sounding Pioneer DJ mixer, while MusicTech is mixed and keeps the DJM-900NXS2 for straightforward DJing. All six call it a niche mixer for hybrid and producer DJs, it weighs 11.9 kg, one filter type is shared across all channels, and no owner reviews were found. It isn't a pick because the DJM-A9 covers the club booth and no situation here calls for six channels.
- Pioneer DJ DJM-S9. No longer made: Pioneer DJ has archived it and names the DJM-S11 as the next-generation model. Its reviews are mostly from its 2015 launch, and later ones raise no split cue and connections that fail with age, so it is only worth considering used.
- Pioneer DJ DJM-S7. Eight of nine reviews recommend it as a better DJM-S9 for less, with eight pads per channel, the DJM-S11's Beat FX with Loop MIDI, the Magvel Fader Pro and two USB ports with a hub, and it unlocks Serato DJ Pro and rekordbox with DVS. It isn't a pick because the Seventy and DJM-S11 cover battle mixing on stronger build reports: reviewers find the S7's upfaders and switches cheaper-feeling, one reviewer's channel fader failed within eight months, and one owner review could be read. The DJM-S7 vs DJM-S11 comparison covers the differences.
- Pioneer DJ DJM-S5. Seven of eight reviews recommend it as the cheapest way into Pioneer DJ's scratch layout, with the Magvel Fader Pro from the dearer models and USB power from a laptop. It was the pick for learning to scratch, but the Numark Scratch has the stronger evidence, with far more owner reviews, and the S5's reviewers find its shift and mode combinations fiddly and its four pads per side clicky. Pioneer DJ doesn't list rekordbox for it.
- Pioneer DJ DJM-250MK2. The cheapest way into a DJM with rekordbox DVS, with a Magvel crossfader that reviewers say cuts well. Its filter is the only effect and it has no booth output; the best DJ mixers for beginners compares it with other first mixers.
- AlphaTheta DJM-V5. A three-channel mixer from January 2026 with the DJM-V10's four-band EQ, compressor and send effects in a smaller body, and SonicLink wireless monitoring. It has no crossfader or Beat FX, so it suits long blends. MusicRadar and We Are Crossfader have reviewed it, but it has no page or record here yet.
How to choose a DJ mixer
Club mixer or battle mixer
Club mixers like the DJM-450 and DJM-750MK2 are built for blending: channel faders, EQ and effects for long transitions between players. Battle mixers like the Numark Scratch, Seventy and DJM-S11 have two channels, a light crossfader you can cut with, and pads and effect paddles for Serato. Our guides to the crossfader and learning to scratch explain what the second kind is for.
Software and DVS
Most mixers here have a built-in sound card and unlock DJ software when you connect them, but which software differs: Pioneer DJ's club mixers unlock rekordbox and charge for Serato DJ Pro, while the battle mixers mostly unlock Serato. DVS lets turntables or CD players control the software with timecode records or CDs. Control vinyl is sold separately for most of these mixers; the Seventy includes it. See the guide to digital vinyl systems and Serato or rekordbox.
Two channels or four
Two channels are enough to mix two decks, and battle mixers stay at two to keep the layout tight. Four channels let you keep turntables and players plugged in at once, or run four tracks. Our guide to two and four channels explains the difference.
Outputs
For gigs you want a balanced XLR master output and a booth output so you can hear yourself in the room. The DJM-450 has no booth output, the most common reservation in its reviews; every other pick here has one. Check each pick's product page for the full connections.
What else you'll need
A mixer has no decks of its own. You need turntables or media players, plus speakers and headphones, and a laptop for DVS or software. If you'd rather have decks and mixer in one unit, read DJ controller vs DJ mixer. For the rest of the setup, see the best DJ turntables, best DJ headphones and best DJ speakers.
How these picks are made
Each pick is the mixer 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 mixer here was tested in a lab. 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.
