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*Prices Ranges in USD: 300:$ 300-500:$$ 500-1000:$$$ 1000-2000:$$$$ 2000+:$$$$$First impressions
The Reloop Mixon 4 is the first 4 channel DJ controller on the market that supports IOS and Android devices. The Mixon 4 has a tablet dock that accepts up to a 12.9 inches iPad Pro, and that is a first as well.
On IOS and Android the Mixon 4 supports Algoriddim’s djay Pro, and used with the big iPad Pro (12.9 inches) it looks gorgeous. I tested it with a regular iPad Air 2, and despite the screen being smaller and thus harder to read, it still was a workable experience.
But the Mixon 4 also support several DJ software packages on Mac and PC. There are mappings for Traktor Pro and Virtual DJ available, but the Mixon 4 is at its best when used with Serato DJ.
A Serato DJ license is included in the box, but the Pitch ‘n Time plugin will have to be bought separately at USD 29. Considering the price of the Mixon 4, around USD 700, spending some extra cash on DJ software should not put too much pressure on anyone’s budget.
The Mixon 4 is well built and feels solid. The top plate is metal with a plastic body around, and while this is not a top of the line DJ controller it does feel like it can survive some serious “on the road” abuse.
Video Review
If reading through the written review is too much too ask, check out our detailed video review below!
Features & functionalities
Let’s have a closer look at the Mixon 4, and work our way down through the decks. Later we check out the mixer and the inputs & outputs.
Deck features
The effects section of the Mixon 4 is fairly standard. 3 buttons to control 3 software effects individually and a knob to set the beats for each effect. There are buttons to load effects, and using the shift key, it’s possible to browse through your effect list in your software and change them. There is also a tap button to select the BMP for the effect manually.
My only issue here is the color of the center indicator on the effect knobs. The blue used is hard to see in good lighting conditions, and (probably) impossible to see in a dark environment.
I wish Reloop would have used white as on most other knobs, which makes the center position much easier to see. This seems like a detail, but if the button is not set the way you want when you engage an effect it could have annoying consequences for your mix.
The pitch fader is not a full size one, but large enough for beat matching purposes. the led in the center position is always a helpful addition.
Under the pitch fader, there are 3 buttons that control specific performance features: the slip button, the key lock button, and the key sync button. The key lock allows locking the pitch of track to a specific value so that speeding or slowing down the track doesn’t affect the pitch, the key sync allows syncing the key of a track to the key of another track. See the video for a demo on this.
These key related features are handy, and while not everyone is a fan of harmonic mixing, knowing how to do it can be a lifesaver when you absolutely need to mix two tracks that have clashing keys. I personally don’t use it often but the more I test this on various DJ controllers the more I get inspired to try it out in sets.
The loop encoder is one of my favorite features on this DJ controller. Any visual indication of the loop size selected in DJ software, be it with LEDs or an LCD screen, is a killer feature to me since there is nothing more irritating than engaging a loop at the wrong size. Also, having a knob to set the loop size feels, at least to me, more natural that +/- buttons.
Finally, the jog wheels. The jog wheels are typically Reloop: aluminum, very large and flat. I personally like them, but would prefer them to be a little less flat, I found that the limited height makes it a bit more difficult to nudge.
The key sync and key lock features and the loop encoder with visual indication of selected loop size are my favourite features on the Mixon 4.
The performance pads & transport controls
Not much to say here that I haven’t said before many times. Really good & responsive performance pads, support for Pitch play (again, see the video if you want to see how that works): this is the part of the Mixon 4 that gives away it’s Serato DJ focus. All the typical functions (hot cues, loop rolls, sampler, slicer…) are present and most of them not only work with Serato DJ but with djay Pro as well when using a tablet.
All the typical functions (hot cues, loop rolls, sampler, slicer…) are present and most of them not only work with Serato DJ but with djay Pro as well when using a tablet. I didn’t test the Mixon 4 with Traktor Pro or Virtual DJ but I assume the mappings will support, when available in the software, all the features as well.
The mixer
The Reloop Mixon’s 4 mixer has 4 channels, and this is the first IOS & Android compatible DJ controller to features this.
The mixer is fully equipped with gain controls per channel, 3 band EQ, and a filter knob that can be combined with an FX for a combo FX effect. The VU meters per channel are small but useful. The load button per channel is located right above the cue buttons, which is a bit dangerous if your software is set to play on load or to load even if the deck is playing.
There are crossfader assign switches per channel, and there is also a crossfader curve switch. The faders are quite loose and feel solid. The crossfader feels, at least to me, good for cutting, if that is your thing.
In the middle section, the mixer has knobs for booth & master volume, cue volume & cue mix and finally a knob to control the volume of your samples (handy).
Inputs & Outputs
The front of the Reloop Mixon 4 is very clean: two headphone jacks (regular and mini size) and a mic input with volume control.
On the back, the Mixon 4 has a USB input, an input for your Android or IOS device, TRS booth out, RCA master out and XLR master out.
What is missing, are inputs. Despite this being a 4 channel controller, it doesn’t have inputs on any channel to connect external media players/turntables. This is understandable considering the price, but still, I feel that adding those would have made this DJ controller even more attractive.
Conclusions
The Mixon 4 is a very decent piece of gear. There are few design choices that I’m not really happy with (lack of hardware mixer, the design of the effect knobs, placement of the channel load buttons…) but overall it does a very good job of combining support for Serato DJ and IOS/Android based DJing.
Switching between PC and a mobile devices, be it a tablet or phone, is very easy and fast: if you are using a Mac running Serato DJ and say you want to switch to an iPad running djay Pro, just place the iPad in the docking station, connect it and the Mixon 4 will automatically switch to the iPad. This is good news for DJ’s that like to have a backup plan in case their laptop dies, as switching between the two doesn’t take more than a few seconds.
Mixing with an iPad Pro and djay Pro on the Mixon 4 is a comfortable experience, and is a nice to have feature next to using Serato DJ and a laptop.
I still wouldn’t call it a professional DJ controller, but a good choice for DJ’s that want to make the most of Djing with a tablet. If, however, your only weapon of choice is a laptop with DJ software on it, there are superior choices out there. The Numark NS6II, for example, comes with Serato DVS and a hardware mixer fur a mere USD 100 more…
What are your thoughts on the Mixon 4, do you agree with our conclusion? Comment below!
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*Prices Ranges in USD: 300:$ 300-500:$$ 500-1000:$$$ 1000-2000:$$$$ 2000+:$$$$$
