AlphaTheta DDJ-FLX2 review: A great DJ controller for beginners

This does not mean that there are no problems. The running wheels are unimpressive at best. They’re useful for finding your place in the song, but I can’t imagine trying to scratch them or do any real DJ tricks with them. Limiting its usefulness in a live setup is the fact that there’s no microphone input, and the only two audio outputs (signal and master) are 3.5mm TRS jacks. It will do the job if you’re just looking to practice at home or DJ at a small house party, but if you show up to a club with this, you’ll definitely get some looks.

Excellent integrations

Chances are, no matter what your favorite DJ app is or whether you’re using an iPad, a laptop, or even an Android phone, the DDJ-FLX2 should work with your setup. I tested it with a MacBook Pro, a six-year-old Dell

Connecting to the iPad via Bluetooth would have been much smoother, and I was never able to get it to work at all with my phone. However, due to the latency that Bluetooth offers, it’s not really ideal for DJing anyway.

AlphaTheta says the DDJ-FLX2 is compatible with recordbox, Guridim Djayand Serato DJ LiteAlthough I only tested it with the first two. Since AlphaTheta also makes Rekordbox, it’s no surprise that the integration there is the tightest. It works exactly as you’d expect right out of the box, and the labels on the device reflect the terminology you’d find in the app. If you’re not committed to a specific DJing platform yet, Rekordbox is worth exploring since there’s a free version that’s surprisingly feature-rich. Plus, it supports streaming from SoundCloud, Beatport, Beatsource, and Tidal, in case you’re still building your library at this stage of your DJ career.

I used it mostly with Djay, since that’s the software I trained on when I joined its ranks Radio Maker Park All those years ago. Plus, it has Apple Music integration, which makes it easy for me to add things to my rotation in no time and with minimal fuss. The FLX2 worked out of the box without issue with Algoriddim’s Djay Pro software, although tagging and naming conventions don’t always align which can lead to some confusion.

Usable in real life

Photo: Terence O’Brien

In addition to practicing at home, I coordinated a few episodes of my radio show using the FLX2, and also auditioned for short sets of dance music live. The Smart Fader function made it easy for a beginner like me to transition between tracks with the help of filter and echo effects, smoothing out small discrepancies in tempo. And when I wanted more time to make sure everything was in order or wanted to do a little mixing on the next track, the loop pads worked like a charm. I can’t say I’m ready to DJ at a huge venue, but I feel more confident indulging in the dance mix at my show now.