Musikmesse 2013: Numark Mixtrack Quad
For over twenty years, the DJ setup was never looked at holistically as a single setup. It was always the sum of its parts, and to some degree, this was much more idea than having everything in the same box. Racks, for example could be built to satisfy specific needs, and each part of the rack could be replaced as needed. Alternatively, there were some dual CD players that put each of the two decks together in one piece, but even those were attached to a separate rack which read the information from CDs. Today, there are just as many all-in-one solutions out there, and I dare say that many of them have their advantages that beat out modular setups. One thing is that each part of the unit will play nice with the next. The days of having to carry spare cables to appease whatever incoming piece of equipment was added are over. Also, with many digital DJs using their iPads instead of laptops to DJ, it makes more sense to have less gear to worry about. The MixDeck Quad is one of the few four channel all-in-one MIDI controllers that is worth its weight. The newest remake of it sheds some poundage by grouping controls closer together. http://www.digitaldjtips.com/2013/04/numark-mixtrack-quad/