Korg Kaoss DJ Review

Recently we got our hands on the tiny Korg Kaoss DJ controller. Even though this controller is a couple of years old, it still fills a gap in the market! We wanted to have a play, and find out what makes this controller so unique.

Video Review:

Feature Overview

Its Size!

The Korg Kaoss DJ has to be one of the smallest yet most versatile DJ controllers on the market. It’s no wider than the length of an iPhone 6s plus. You can easily fit it inside most travel cases and backpacks. This makes the controller a perfect companion for any holiday or vacation.

Korg Kaoss Pad

Well done to Korg for installing their legendary Kaoss Effects pad into a DJ controller. Why is this so amazing? Well firstly the effects built into Serato DJ Intro are not great. They don’t work post fader, so something simple like an echo out is hard to achieve. With the Korg Kaoss Pad effects you now have access to 120 different programs. Not just effects, but an in built synthesiser too.

If you’re not a producer or don’t know what a synthesiser is, this basically means you can create sounds, such as bass notes, or melodic patterns with the pad, that will play over the top of the music.

On top of that the pad stays in key with the track you’re currently playing so you won’t get any notes that sound awful while you’re mixing. That’s as long as you are mixing in key! It’s easy to get quite lost in the effects just because of the sheer volume that are available, but it’s still a very fun pad to play with!

Serato DJ Intro

The controller is built for use with Serato DJ Intro however can be used with the full version of Serato after an upgrade. It also works with Virtual DJ if you already use this software.

Inputs and Outputs

Its great to see that a controller of this size can even be used as standalone mixer. Plug a pair of CDJs into the back using the RCA inputs and you can nearly have a club ready set up. It also has a microphone input plus an RCA master out.

The Jog Wheels & Touch Strip

These are very strange to use if you’re already used to conventional DJ controllers or CDJs. They are basically rotational touch controls. You can’t do much scratching with them and the search functionality isn’t great using them.

Above each jog wheel is a touch strip with 3 modes. The first mode allows you to nudge the track faster or slower to get two tracks in time with one another. The second mode is the auto loop mode. You can half or 2x a loop live in the mix. In the third mode you can save and recall up to 3 hot cues which is always useful for DJs.

Who would we recommend this controller to?

Personally we would say this controller is perfect for any house, tech or techno DJs as the Korg Kaoss effects pad is so fitting for that style of music. We would also recommend it to any DJs who are doing a season abroad in places such as Ibiza. With it being so portable and so fun to play with it really is the perfect companion for taking away in a travel suitcase.

If you produce your own music and you’re thinking about getting into the DJ industry then this could be a great product to start with. Producers can use the in built synthesiser to create on the fly while mixing their own music.

Conclusion

The main thing to remember is that DJ’ing is meant to be fun. We’re meant to enjoy playing with music. This controller is one of the most fun products we have played on. It’s not ideal for any serious DJs who want a reliable set up, but if you need something to add to your current collection of equipment that is portable then it’s a great product to consider! In the UK it’s only £99 currently.
Click here to purchase the Korg Kaoss DJ!