Your first small controller
AlphaTheta DDJ-FLX2
A small two-deck controller for rekordbox, Serato and djay with its own outputs; most DJs will outgrow it.
Photos: AlphaTheta Corporation
of 10 reviews recommend itand 2 owner reviews
Choose it if you want one small controller that works with whatever you DJ from. It runs rekordbox, Serato DJ Lite and djay, and a computer or a USB-C phone or tablet powers it over one cable; phones without USB-C connect over Bluetooth, which carries control only. Unlike the Mix Ultra it has its own master and headphone outputs, but it has no gain controls, meters, browse knob or mic input. If you expect to play out, reviewers point to the full-size DDJ-FLX4 instead.
- Best for
- First-time DJs mixing from a phone, tablet or laptop on a small budget.
- Skip it if
- You want gain, meters, a mic input or track browsing on the hardware.
What people praise
- Runs rekordbox, Serato DJ Lite and djay on a phone, tablet or computer
- Easy to set up and learn on as a first controller
What to know first
- Most DJs will outgrow it; reviewers point to the DDJ-FLX4 for anyone more serious
- No gain controls or level meters on the unit
Video reviews
- BPM SupremeOct 2024Recommends
- Karl ThomasOct 2025Warns off
Travel, practice or a backup
Numark MixTrack Go
A pocket-sized Serato and djay controller with stems buttons; tiny jogs and no full EQ are the price of its size.
Photos: Numark / inMusic
of 10 reviews recommend itand 8 owner reviews
Choose it over the FLX2 if it has to go in a backpack as a travel, practice or backup controller. At 0.6 kg and 93 mm deep it is the smallest and lightest pick, with Acapella and Instrumental buttons, a filter knob per channel that switches to a bass cut, and Serato DJ Lite and djay unlocked free; reviewers and owners agree it is small enough to take anywhere. The cost is its size: tiny jog wheels, a short pitch fader, cramped controls and no full EQ, and in Bluetooth mode its own outputs switch off, so headphone cueing goes too. For a first controller, Digital DJ Tips and DJcityTV point beginners to the larger Party Mix III instead.
- Best for
- Practice anywhere, travel, or a backup controller that fits in a backpack.
- Skip it if
- You want full EQ, larger jog wheels and room for big hands.
What people praise
- Small and light enough to carry anywhere in a backpack
- Stems control with dedicated Acapella and Instrumental buttons
What to know first
- Tiny jog wheels and cramped pads and knobs, hard going for large hands
- Short pitch fader
Video reviews
- DJcityTVJul 2026Mixed
- Nick SpinelliJul 2026Recommends
No cables, on battery
Hercules DJControl Mix Ultra
A battery-powered Bluetooth controller for djay on phones and tablets; it has no audio outputs of its own.
Photos: Hercules / Guillemot Corporation
of 6 reviews recommend itand 8 owner reviews
Choose it over the FLX2 if you mix in djay on a phone or tablet and want no cables at all. It connects over Bluetooth, runs up to 10 hours on its battery, and unlocks djay's Neural Mix stems on a dedicated button. It has no audio outputs, so cueing goes through the supplied mono split cable, often with a phone adapter, and two owners report lag through Bluetooth speakers. It works only with djay; for rekordbox or Serato, or to learn to play out, choose the FLX2.
- Best for
- Beginners and casual DJs mixing in djay on a phone or tablet.
- Skip it if
- You want rekordbox or Serato, stereo cueing, or a controller you can gig with.
What people praise
- Light and compact enough to carry in a backpack
- Up to 10 hours on the battery and no cables to set up
What to know first
- No audio outputs: cueing needs the supplied mono split cable and a phone adapter
- Not for gigs or for growing into club gear
Video reviews
- justin spiegelDec 2025Recommends
- Midlife Crisis ManagementOct 2025Recommends
Stems on a phone or iPad
Reloop Buddy
A 1 kg djay controller with Neural Mix controls and a tablet slot; the two-band EQ and tight layout are the cost.
Photos: Reloop
of 8 reviews recommend itand 7 owner reviews
Choose it over the Mix Ultra if you want stems under your fingers and proper headphone cueing. It has dedicated Neural Mix controls for drums, instruments and vocals, its own audio interface, and a rear slot for a phone or a tablet up to 12.9 inches; plugging it in unlocks the djay Pro features it has controls for. With a phone or tablet it needs a USB charger or power bank. Reviewers fault the two-band EQ and cramped controls, and three of seven Thomann owners report hum or static on the outputs.
- Best for
- djay users who want portable stem mixing from an iPad or phone.
- Skip it if
- You need three-band EQ, a mic input or full-size controls.
What people praise
- Dedicated Neural Mix controls for drums, instruments and vocals, the first controller built for them
- Small and light enough to travel, at about 1 kg
What to know first
- Only two-band EQ, with no mid control
- Cramped controls, with the EQ knobs close to a docked tablet
Video reviews
- justin spiegelOct 2025Recommends
A Serato travel controller
Reloop Ready
A Serato controller small enough to sit on a 13-inch laptop; a two-band EQ and cramped controls are the trade-off.
Photos: Reloop
of 7 reviews recommend itand 2 owner reviews
Choose it over the Buddy if you play Serato from a laptop and want a second controller to pack. It sits on a 13-inch laptop, runs on the laptop's USB power, and controls both Serato FX units with large RGB pads; it unlocks Serato DJ Lite, and also runs djay on an iPhone or iPad with a USB charger. Reviewers call it priced high for a first controller and fault the two-band EQ, side-mounted controls with tiny labels and dim pads. Owner evidence is thin, with two Thomann reviews. If size matters more than pads and effects, the MixTrack Go is less than half as deep and about half the weight.
- Best for
- Serato DJs who want a travel or set-prep controller that fits a backpack.
- Skip it if
- You want one main controller, a three-band EQ or a mic input.
What people praise
- Small and light enough to sit on a 13-inch laptop and travel in a backpack
- Controls most of Serato in a tiny body, including both FX units and the pad modes
What to know first
- Two-band EQ, with no mid control
- Cramped layout: side-mounted headphone and master controls, tiny labels
Video reviews
- DJcityTVAug 2021Recommends
- DJ Nicky HNov 2024Mixed
Also considered
- Pioneer DJ DDJ-200. The old beginner pick here. All nine professional reviews recommend it, but Pioneer DJ no longer makes it, and it has no audio interface, so the sound runs from the phone or laptop through a split cable. The DDJ-FLX2 replaces it.
- Hercules DJControl Mix. The Mix Ultra's sibling, which also connects to djay over Bluetooth but has no battery. It has no record yet.
- Numark DJ2GO2 Touch and Hercules DJControl Starlight. Two smaller, simpler Serato controllers, each with an audio interface and Serato DJ Lite. Numark says the DJ2GO2 Touch fits on top of a laptop and gives it touch-sensitive jog wheels and eight pads; Hercules gives each Starlight deck one bass and filter knob instead of an EQ. Neither has a record yet; the MixTrack Go replaces the DJ2GO2 Touch, and seven of its reviews and owners call it a clear step up.
- Reloop Mixtour. The review covers the original model. Reloop's current compact djay controller is the Mixtour Pro, which has a three-band EQ and a second USB-C port for a power supply.
- The Next Beat by Tiësto. Sometimes listed with small controllers, but its manual makes it wider than the full-size DDJ-FLX4 and about as heavy. Its record is thin: four reviews, two of them mixed.
How to choose a mini DJ controller
How much to spend
The cheapest pick is the MixTrack Go, which buys its own outputs, stems buttons and Bluetooth MIDI but no full EQ. The Mix Ultra, at about $135 in the US or £119 in the UK, buys Bluetooth and a battery but no audio outputs. The FLX2, about $189 in the US, adds its own master and headphone outputs and runs rekordbox and Serato DJ Lite as well as djay. The Buddy, about $206 or £183, adds dedicated Neural Mix controls and a tablet slot. The Ready costs the most, about $272 or £241, for large RGB pads and both Serato FX units, and reviewers say that price suits experienced DJs better than beginners.
Past that, the money buys more than size. The Mixtour Pro, about $385 or £339, adds four decks and a three-band EQ but has no jog wheels. The full-size DDJ-FLX4, about $329 in the US, adds a mic input. These are end-of-October 2026 figures; the table above shows today's price.
The smallest and most portable
| Controller | Size (W x D x H) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Numark MixTrack Go | 324 x 93 x 40 mm | 0.6 kg |
| Hercules DJControl Mix Ultra | 315 x 174 x 40 mm | 0.85 kg |
| Reloop Buddy | 325 x 220 x 48 mm | 1.04 kg |
| Reloop Ready | 325 x 220 x 48 mm | 1.14 kg |
| AlphaTheta DDJ-FLX2 | 383 x 208 x 48 mm | 1.2 kg |
| Reloop Mixtour Pro | 129 x 310 x 51 mm | 0.96 kg |
| Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX4 (full size) | 482 x 273 x 59 mm | 2.1 kg |
The MixTrack Go is the smallest and lightest pick, and the shallowest by far. The Mix Ultra is the only one with a battery, so nothing else goes in the bag to power it. Its cover doubles as a phone and tablet stand and adds 0.28 kg, though reviewers find the stand too narrow for cased phones and larger iPads. The Buddy and Ready share one body, and the FLX2 is the widest pick but still 0.9 kg lighter than the full-size FLX4. Reviews and owners say the MixTrack Go, Mix Ultra and Mixtour Pro fit a backpack, the Ready sits on a 13-inch laptop and travels in one, and the FLX2 and Buddy are small and light enough to travel. The MixTrack Go takes the least desk space of all, and the Mixtour Pro comes next, but it is built for sync.
What the size costs
Small controllers give up parts of the mixer. The Buddy and Ready have a two-band EQ, which reviewers name as the main limit on both. The FLX2 and Mix Ultra keep a three-band EQ, but the FLX2 has no gain controls, meters or browse knob. The MixTrack Go goes furthest: no EQ knobs, only a filter per channel that switches to a bass cut, with the smallest jog wheels and a short pitch fader. None of the five has a mic input. Reviewers also point out that larger controllers with more features can cost no more, so if it will stay on a desk at home, see the best DJ controllers. A micro controller makes most sense as a travel unit, a practice unit or a first controller for someone who mixes from a phone.
Headphone cueing needs an audio interface
To hear the next track before anyone else does, the controller needs its own audio interface with separate master and headphone outputs. The Buddy, Ready, DJ2GO2 Touch and Starlight have one, and so do the FLX2 and MixTrack Go on a USB cable. The Mix Ultra and DDJ-200 don't, and nor do the FLX2 and MixTrack Go over Bluetooth, so the sound comes from the connected device through a split cable. The audio interface explainer covers the difference.
Power
From a laptop, the FLX2, MixTrack Go, Buddy and Ready all run on the USB cable, and a USB-C phone or tablet powers the FLX2 and MixTrack Go too. The Buddy and Ready can't draw power from a phone or tablet: they take the device on its own charging cable and need a USB charger or power bank in their USB-B port. Over Bluetooth, the FLX2 and MixTrack Go need a USB power adapter or power bank. The Mix Ultra runs on its battery and charges over USB-C, and the Mixtour Pro has a second USB-C port for a power supply.
Software comes first
Most small controllers are built around one app. The Mix Ultra works only with djay, and the Buddy and Mixtour Pro are djay controllers too. The Ready, DJ2GO2 Touch and Starlight unlock Serato DJ Lite, and the MixTrack Go unlocks both Serato DJ Lite and djay. The FLX2 runs rekordbox, Serato DJ Lite, djay and Traktor Play. Pick the app first: see Serato DJ Pro, what rekordbox is and the best DJ apps for phones. Neural Mix stems are djay's, and using stems explains what they add.
What else to carry
None of these has speakers. You'll need headphones, a cable to whatever speakers are in the room, and, for a phone or tablet, the right charging cable and a USB supply. The best DJ headphones and best DJ backpacks cover the rest of a travel kit.
How these picks are made
Each pick is the small 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. Controllers under Also considered without a record rely only on the manufacturer pages linked there. No controller 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.
