Reloop Mixtour Pro Review – The best portable DJ controller?

Reloop and Laidback Luke have collaborated to release an all-new DJ controller. The $500 Mixtour Pro promises a complete DJ package in a super-portable form factor. 

Right away you’ll notice a couple of things that stand out. Where are the jog wheels? Why is it so small? Until you start mixing with it, it’s hard to believe this thing is a proper DJ controller at all. But not only is it a serious bit of kit, but Reloop claims it has 10x the functionality of the Pioneer CDJs you’ll find in most DJ booths. 

If all this from something that will comfortably fit in your backpack sounds a bit too good to be true, read on for our full review. 

What does it work with?

The Mixtour Pro is designed to work alongside Algoriddim’s Djay Pro software. This powerful and versatile DJ software will work across a wide range of devices, so you can connect it to your Windows or Mac computer or even a phone or iPad. 

Djay Pro’s streaming functionality also allows you to play tracks from Tidal, SoundCloud Go+, Beatport Streaming, and Beatsource Streaming. That gives you instant access to a huge library of tunes, so you get mixing straight away without having to download any tracks. 

It’s got a USB C port with an 85kw pass-through that allows you to connect to a power source and charge your device at the same time, and it’s also bus-powered. 

For sound, the integrated 4x Out USB interface with Cirrus Logic D/A converters gives you 24-bit audio with low latency, so your mixes come through crystal clear. There are also stereo RCA outputs on the back for your main audio output. 

No jog wheels? No problem!

The Mixtour Pro’s lack of jog wheels is one of its standout features, but it will also be one of its most divisive design choices. You may think that it will make beatmatching impossible, but Reloop has designed it to work purely on sync, so you won’t need to worry about using the jog wheels to nudge tracks in time. There are manual controls but it’s really not designed for that.   

Of course, the sacrifice of losing the jog wheels will put off a lot of DJs as well. Being forced to use sync all the time won’t resonate with everyone. You’ll have to be 100% certain that the beat grid is perfect before you load your tracks up or you won’t be able to fix it easily. This could also make mixing non-quantised older tracks much harder as the beat grid won’t be reliable.

But this shouldn’t be a problem for those who are already comfortable with using the sync function and mainly DJ electronic music.

Advanced features

Despite its small form factor, the Mixtour Pro is still jam-packed full of features. It supports 4 deck mixing, as each side of the controller can double up to control 2 decks. The transport section lights up in different colours to clearly show you which deck you’re on. 

The effects paddles allow you to apply either switch on/off or apply a temporary burst of a range of effects. The Mixtour Pro is also the first DJ controller to introduce Djay Pro’s Crossfader Fusion. This gives you the power to automatically mix from one track to another, using a range of preset transitions. 

There are also 8 performance pads, which you can customise to either have 8 for a single deck or split them into 4 per deck. These can control hot cues as well as bounce loops, pitch cues, instant FX, auto loops, and samples.

One of the most exciting things about Algoriddim’s Djay Pro is the Neural Mix feature. This lets you manipulate and mix the drums, instruments and vocals of any track separately using AI. This is natively built into the Mixtour Pro, giving you easy access to stem mixing. 

Having so many options in such a small package means that lots of the knobs and buttons double up, depending on what you want them to do. For example, the eq knobs are also used to control the level of the stems when you set it into the Neural Mix mode.

There are a lot of features in the Mixtour Pro that might not be immediately obvious. You’ll likely have to spend some time with the user manual getting your head around all the different button combinations you need to unlock everything. 

Premium Design

One of the first things that struck us about the Mixtour Pro when we first got our hands on it was the build quality. It’s got a decent heft to it without being too heavy, and all the knobs and faders have a solid feel to them. Its top panel is made of brushed aluminium with a high-gloss acrylic plate inlay. It’s also got large non-slip feet so it will stay in place no matter how vigorously you’re mixing. Overall, this really feels like a premium piece of professional gear, rather than an all-plastic starter controller. 

Who is this for?

The Mixtour Pro fills a pretty interesting and unique niche in the DJ world. At $500, it’s just about priced out of the entry-level DJ controller market. 

If you’re a more experienced DJ who’s regularly travelling for gigs, this could be perfect for you. For events like weddings and parties, where you’re expected to bring your own equipment, you might not want to regularly be lugging around a heavy controller or all-in-one setup. The Mixtour Pro will easily fit in any bag, and as long as you’ve got your phone or laptop with you, you’re good to go.