Review: AlphaTheta DDJ-FLX2 DJ Controller

I’ve been DJing for about seven years, but I would never actually call myself a DJ. The reason is that, saying “DJ” conjures a specific image in people’s minds. They envision someone who plays clubs and weddings, blending and transitioning between songs designed to keep the party moving.

I’m not that DJ: I’m a radio DJ. My skills (if you can call them that) are worlds away from what your average party host does. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t sometimes want to try my hand at the more performative side. There's no surprise that AlphaTheta’s (formerly Pioneer DJ) new DDJ-FLX2 caught my eye; it’s designed for beginners on a budget and nails the basics without any deal-breaking trade-offs. After a while honing my skills, I can firmly say it's a good place to start. Pair it with a favorite DAW and you can be practicing and recording live sets in no time.

Not Cheap-Feeling

Considering its $180 list price, it’s be perfectly reasonable to assume the DDJ-FLX2 would feel like cheap plastic garbage. That’s shockingly not the case. Yes, it’s all plastic, but it’s definitely heavier than you’d expect, and there’s no flexing creaking in the chassis. The knobs are firm with solid detents at the halfway mark, the buttons are reassuringly clicky, and the faders all have nearly the perfect amount of resistance.

The overall look and layout isn’t terribly dissimilar from original Pioneer DJ DDJ-200, which it’s effectively replacing. It manages to look quite a bit more refined thanks to its less-garish lighting, cleaner labeling, and a matte finish.

That’s not to say there are no issues. The jog wheels are unimpressive at best. They’re helpful for finding your place in a song, but I can’t imagine trying to scratch or do any real DJ tricks with them. Limiting its usefulness in a live setting is the fact that there’s no mic input, and the only two audio outputs (cue and main) are 3.5-mm TRS jacks. It’ll do the job if you’re just looking to practice at home or DJ a small house party, but if you showed up to a club with this, you’d definitely get some looks.

Excellent Integrations

Chances are, regardless of your preferred DJ app or whether you’re using an iPad or 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 XPS, a base-model iPad from 2021, and a Google Pixel 7. I had few issues when connecting over USB-C (other than the port on my Pixel being extremely flaky).

Getting connected to the iPad over Bluetooth could have been a bit more seamless, and I never managed to get it to work at all with my phone. That being said, because of the latency Bluetooth introduces, it’s not really ideal for DJing anyway.

AlphaTheta says that the DDJ-FLX2 is compatible with Rekordbox, Algoriddim Djay, and Serato DJ Lite, though I only tested it with the first two. Since AlphaTheta also makes Rekordbox, it’s unsurprising that integration there is the tightest. It works exactly as you’d expect right out of the box, and the labels on the hardware mirror the terminology you’d find in app. If you haven’t committed to a particular DJing platform yet, Rekordbox is worth exploring since there’s a surprisingly feature-rich free version. Plus it supports streaming from SoundCloud, Beatport, Beatsource and Tidal, in case you’re still building out your library at this stage of your DJing career.

I mostly used it with Djay however, since that is the software I was trained on when I joined the ranks of Maker Park Radio all those years ago. Plus, it has Apple Music integration, which makes it easier for me to add things to my rotation on short notice and with minimal fuss. The FLX2 worked out of the box without issue with Algoriddim’s Djay Pro software, though the labeling and naming conventions don’t always line up which can lead to some confusion.

Usable in Real Life

In addition to practicing at home, I DJed a couple of episodes of my radio show with the FLX2 and even experimented with doing short seamless blocks of dance music on air. The Smart Fader function made it simple for a noob like myself to transition between tracks with the aid of filter and echo effects, while smoothing over small discrepancies in tempo. And when I wanted a little more time to make sure I had everything lined up or wanted to do a mini mashup into the next track, the loop pads worked like a charm. I wouldn’t say I’m ready to DJ a huge venue, but I feel a little more confident indulging in dance mixes on my show now.

If there is one major complaint I have, it’s that I still have to reach for my mouse and keyboard when I want to queue up the next track. Many more advanced controllers will allow you to scroll through tracks using the jog wheels and add them to a deck with the push of a button.

When the AlphaTheta DDJ-FLX2 was released at the very end of October many were quick to declare it the best beginner DJ controller on the market. I’m inclined to agree. I’ve had a Reloop Beatpad for a number of years, but it has mostly collected dust because, frankly, it was too much for what I needed. Maybe with time I will grow into it, but for an absolute novice of a DJ it’s complete overkill.

The FLX2 on the other hand is small and approachable. It pares things down to just the most essential of tools without feeling so restrictive that you outgrow it almost immediately. My one caveat would be to look elsewhere if you intend to learn how to scratch. There are other DJ controllers at a similar price, or even cheaper, but they tend to be less full-featured or are glorified toys. The DDJ-FLX2 manages to strike an excellent balance of capability and price ($179) that make it easy to recommend for a beginner.