Hi everyone, been using Djay for about three years now, really enjoy playing with it but so far I haven’t found a controller I‘m very happy with. Thinking about buying a PIoneer DDJ RR or Denon MC 3000, but I only play with my iPad. Is there a way to get them properly mapped on iOS and working or is that a far away dream?
MIDI mapping in DJay is pretty straight forward and easy to do. It takes time though. Basically you have to MIDI learn every single button, knob, encoder and slider on the controller. There’s a lot of room for error in this process if you’re not careful and not used to MIDI mapping. Personally, I love customizing my controls with every piece of hardware that I use to meet my workflow and DJing style.
Two things that generally can be challenging to get working properly with creating MIDI mappings from scratch are the jogs wheels and level meters. So if you don’t already own a DDJ RR or MC 3000 and have no experience with MIDI mapping, you might want to stick with a controller that is already natively supported by DJay. Then you can dabble with MIDI mapping and do some customization of the built in mapping to suit your needs.
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I agree, unless you know exactly what you’re doing, getting a Controller that is natively supported and can be customised to your liking is the way to go…
Thanks for the fast replies! I was kinda hoping that maybe Algoriddim will add them to their natively supported controllers 
I‘m currently playing with an S2 MK3 and a Pioneer SB3. Actually got the S2 to replace the SB3 but to my own surprise the sound is too bad.
I‘m playing gigs 2-3x a month at clubs and I need a setup with more powerful sound. The technicians are always eyeballing my controllers 
and telling me I should just switch to USB and the club owned CDJs. But I like Djay a lot and it’s sorta what I started out with, so don’t wanna switch atm.
Can you think of a portable, rather small controller, that has good enough sound for a club? I kinda also like the Denon MC 4000 but can’t buy it anywhere generally would be great if it had XLR Master outs. I think that would get some appreciation by the technicians 
It’s hard to recommend a controller without knowing all your requirements. I’d start by looking through Algoriddim’s list of Natively Supported MIDI Controllers for your operating system of choice at the bottom of this page: DJ Controllers, DJ Mixers and other DJ Accessories | Algoriddim
If I was in your shoes, I’d probably wait for the new Reloop Mixon 8 Pro in Sept/Oct. It’s not very portable though. Unfortunately most of the portable 2 channel controllers don’t have pro balanced XLR or TRS outputs.
Actually the longer I research the more I want the Denon 3000, @Emily is there any way Algoriddim will include this controller in the natively supported list for iOS soon? Or is it, if ever, a long process?
Hi @Fresh27,
Thanks for reaching out about native support for the Denon MC3000 on djay. While I’m not allowed to talk about future plans, I will go ahead and add your request to our internal list for future consideration.
As others on this thread have advised, it may be best to choose a controller that’s already natively supported to ensure the ease of getting started mixing with djay right away. 
Haha ok, that sounds a lot like it’s in the stars and very likely won’t happen in the near future
It’s actually hard for me to find an easily portable, two channel and good quality build controller for iOS 
In my opinion Djay doesn’t support many, that could also be considered club quality and are available to buy. @Emily which one would you suggest me to get?
@Fresh27 one controller that I can recommend that has a high build quality, pro outputs, works with iOS and is still very portable is the Vestax VCI-400. I’ve been using this controller with djay for over 3 years now and it works great. I’ve had this same controller for about 10 years and everything still functions perfectly. I originally used it with Traktor. The only issue is finding one. Vestax went out of business several years ago so you’ll have to try to find a used one on Reverb or eBay. Hope that helps.
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Thank you for that recommendation 
Haha at first sight I thought that’s a Gameboy inspired controller somehow. I can’t find any information on the output bpu, do you know further technical specifications? Do you think there could be a problem with connectivity regarding iOS in the near future as the controller is quite old already?
What are your thoughts on the other controllers of Vestax?
@Fresh27 you’re welcome. Here’s a link to some VCI-400 manuals: Vestax VCI-400 Manuals | ManualsLib
Hard to say about future connectivity. It’s class compliant USB so shouldn’t be an issue, but don’t expect there to be any firmware updates EVER. As far as other Vestax controllers, I’ve never used any so can’t help you there. The VCI-400 is built like a tank, but it’s certainly no longer modern. I’ve been searching for a 4 channel, pro build, portable replacement for years, but really there’s nothing like it. So far the first thing to come close is the Reloop Mixon 8 Pro, but it’s going to be a lot bigger and more expensive than the VCI-400. If you can find one in decent shape used, I’m sure it will be cheap enough to take the risk.
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How well does it connect with Djay? I‘m reading about a crackling noice, probably firmware related, is that an issue for you? I gotta say, four channels on such a portable controller is pretty awesome.
What do you miss with it? Like in what sense is it not modern for you? I feel like look wise it’s probably the best looking controller out there, but it just is very different to the other gear.
@Fresh27 I haven’t experienced any crackling issues with mine. I have the limited edition Ean Golden version so not sure if that makes a difference or not. I know that I also installed the latest firmware that’s available somewhere online.
It’s a fantastic controller. I think the only thing it’s missing is RGB lighting on the performance pads. Not at big deal all things considered.
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@Slak_Jaw, what happened with the MC7000 you said you are ordering almost 2 years ago?
I remember experimenting with a VCI-400 and with DJPLayer Pro on iPad back in the days. Fun times 
I have a Reloop Mixtour, and while it’s cheap and super portable, the audio quality is low. Because of the Mixtour, I’m not really sure how much I can trust Reloop for audio quality, TBH.
My MC7000 sounds great to me, and is very well built. I still recommend it, although it’s not portable really.
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Why did you switch to a Reloop? I immediately believe you regarding the sound quality. It’s kinda strange to me, like with my Traktor S2 MK3, isn’t the sound the most important thing?!
What I don’t like about the Denon are the sizes. So chunky, wouldn’t be able to chuck it in an EasyJet hand luggage
im using a denon mc7000 and its DREAMY. theres so many extra buttons that i mapped to instant FX omg its an FX DREAM!!!
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@Kaloyan I never ended up buying a MC7000. Couldn’t find a good deal on one where I was. Ultimately, I decided that get a Prime 4 which I love, but it’s definitely not portable so I still use my VCI-400 a lot.
I think I‘m actually getting a Vestax it’s so compact but got four channels and it looks like it has a lot of options to play with. What kind of bag do you use with it? If you use one?
Anyways thank you for making me aware of this controller, at first sight I would have missed it I think, probably mostly because it looks so different.
Nice! If you can find one I think you’ll be quite happy with it I think. Hopefully Denon or Reloop eventually release something similar to replace it.
I use a Decksaver and a DJ TechTools Controller Backpack with mine. It fits perfectly inside the padded sleeve. Sadly I think this bag has been discontinued. The VCI-400 is all metal construction though so it’s pretty tough. Mostly you just need to protect the faders and jogwheels which the Decksaver does well. I’ve travelled with it several times overseas and just put it in my checked bag with the Decksaver and my clothes. No issues.
You’re welcome! Hope it works out for you 
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I’ve used / use a Denon MC6000 / MC6000 Mk.2 with an iPad Air.
They’re supported natively, have XLR outputs (and 4 channels means you can map the bass/mid/treble from the spare channels to the neural mix controls). Works great, sounds great and is a lot more compact than an MC7000. Denon don’t make them any more though (which is a pity).
There will always be things better to do on the iPad screen than map to a controller though, the effects pads are great as you can drag your finger around the pad to create different sounds. I use it a lot with the gate effect.
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