Roland DJ-202

I recently decided to get back into doing DJ sets after a 15 year hiatus (I play mostly Drum n Bass) and was looking for a way to practice at home without spending $2k+. Last time I went behind a DJ booth, I noticed they don't even use turntables/records anymore, just CDJ's. So a DJ controller seemed the best way to go (for now) to get me back in the game. Eventually I'd prefer a standalone system that doesn't involve a laptop (and latency), but they can get pricey and im not ready for that kind of commitment...yet. I looked at alot of different controllers. My first instinct was to look at Pioneer, as they were always the industry standard for digital turntables back in the day. The FLX4 and Rev1 looked like great products, and I was going to go with the Rev1 as I like the bigger jog wheels and the battle style layout for scratching. The FLX4 supports both Rekordbox and Serato (Rev1 is only Serato, which will eventually involve a subscription or a $250 purchase for the software), but the jog wheels were kinda small at first glance (they are 4.4"). Then I saw the Roland DJ 202... It has the bigger johwheels, about the same size as the Rev1. [EDIT: the jogwheels are NOT same size as Pioneer DDJ Rev1. They are 5" and Rev1 are 6.5"] Just about all the controllers in the $300 range do pretty much the same thing as far as controllers go. The Pioneer ones have some adjustments you can do to the crossfader, and I don't think that's available on the DJ 202. [EDIT; you can adjust the crossfader curve (or reverse it) and volume/upfader curve in the Serato Pro software] However, the DJ 202 also has a built in drum machine with 606, 707, 808, and 909 samples and a built in sequencer; which is crude and involves menu diving. But it can also be used via MIDI and used just as a drum machine. And would totally work in a DAWless setup (there's a standard MIDI out port on the back). Which could certainly be useful in the future as I also produce music. Then the biggest reason I pulled the trigger with the Roland DJ 202 was the free Serato Pro upgrade. Serato Pro requires a subscription (like $10 a month), or you can purchase it for $250. It's a great program for what it does, but $250 is a little more than I would want to spend on top of a controller. I registered the product on the Roland site, and they just emailed me the Serato Pro product key, no other actions required. So once I got it set up and working (it took a little while to get everything working right), I was surprised at how well the DJ 202 felt. They jog wheels have a nice heaviness/drag to them. I tried scratching a lil and it's certainly very different than using records. The crossfader felt kinda cheap and was pretty "clacky" when using it, especially scratching. But it wasn't too bad and can definitely get used to with practice I think. Overall I was very impressed with how it felt and performed. Like I said before, I'll probably end up with a Pioneer XDJ RX3 (standalone system; no laptop/PC required) or something like that in the future, but I think the DJ 202 will work great until that time. One thing I was really concerned about with the DJ controllers was the latency. Especially for scratching. But it wasn't as bad as I thought. You can adjust latency to some degree in Serato by changing the sample rate, but was able to get it to about 4ms with a sample rate of 128 and it still sounded great. On all the reviews I read about all these controllers, no one ever touched on the latency part. So if anyone is wondering, it's very workable. I hope this answers any questions someone considering this product may have. In conclusion, it's a great controller for $330 and the included Serato Pro makes it a REALLY great deal. And then Serato Pro is yours forever and will work with just about any DJ controller these days. The added drum machine/sequencer is certainly unique and makes the DJ 202 stand out from the other controllers in the same price bracket. I haven't tried any of the other controllers so I can't really compare how they feel in relation to each other. But for what is is and what it does and what it costs and what you get (controller + Serato Pro), it's certainly worth it and a 5 star rating. Thanks again, Roland!!!

This is a great little controller you basically get for free considering the Serato Pro upgrade. Despite what people say in the feedback, all you need to do is email Serato support with a few details and they send your key and you are all set. No voucher needed, but there is a registration card you need, so don't throw away anything until Serato is fully registered. I am an old school DJ and just wanted something basic to do some nice long mixes with my digital catalogue, but this thing is way beyond basic. 4 decks, 3 effects per deck, stems, loops, drums, sequencer, beat syncing with pitch lock and more. It does take time and practice to get good at it though. It is really two disciplines - Roland 202 controller and Serato Pro. Not an easy thing to configure and operate all this technology. You need to go through the manual a few times thoroughly. For example, someone here said you can't hear both decks. Not true, simply blend the cue and master outputs to hear both. This is in the manual. Decks have a decent feel despite their size and I am not really trying to do a bunch of scratching. But they do cut in real time and slip mode is great for getting mixes perfect. Not everything is recorded with a smpte track and tempos vary slightly with some records despite syncing! Next is the Serato Pro itself, you need some serious computer hardware for this software. You must read the manual on how to configure your PC to operate for optimal performance. I don't use any of the streaming, but all the major services are there. And all updates are free. Latest version included stems which was an added bonus and works great in 4 modes with the 202. I had to trade off for sequencing but who cares - it's STEMS! Took some reading of both manuals to get it working - but this how you learn. Loop feature is also great for extending short tracks for long fade outs. Very light weight. Could you DJ a party with this? Absolutely! Not sure how much it could stand the rigors of the road, I have a hard case when not in use. Too many things to break on it. The one thing that really sucks has nothing to do with the 202, it is the Serato Pro Manual. You cannot download a full copy of the manual unlike Roland. It is all digital. What a PIA! This has cost me some time because the manual is in a bunch of different sections (within sections) and their website is not always updated, e.g. I get redirected to Serato Lite instructions and it can take forever to find the answer! All and all, well worth the money. Lots of bang for the buck if you take the time to figure it out. Practice makes perfect!

Nice unit it stopped working several times