Fortunately, NI announced their Audio 4
DJ just in the nick of time. My buddy Jason
Jenkins currently uses its big brother, the
Audio 8 DJ, with his Traktor Pro setup, and
swears by it. So, with elevated expectations
I fired up the Audio 4 DJ and took it
to a few gigs.
First off, the thing is tiny. In my gig bag, it
takes up a fraction of the space of my old
interface. More importantly, it’s extremely
roadworthy. Metal construction, a single
knob for volume, and a recessed display add
up to ruggedness that some competing units
sorely lack. This box inspires confidence.
Setup is a snap, as NI’s years of software
experience makes the install process
a breeze. What’s more, the included disc
also boasts the Kore Player with a demo
soundpack and Traktor 3 LE software, so
new users have a few goodies to get them
up and spinning quickly.
I rely on Ableton Live for my work and as I
expected, the Audio 4 DJ was recognized
and configured in a few mouse clicks. Most
crucially, at gigs it performed like a champ.
Like some laptoppers, I mix within my software,
using only two inputs of the club’s mixing
console and relying on Live’s interface for
cueing tracks. Obviously, NI knows this is a
popular approach, as outputs 3 and 4, which
are what you’d use for your “preview” mix,
are duplicated at the headphone out.
At home, I used the Audio 4 DJ for
recording my Dave Smith Mopho and
Korg Kaossilator synths, and was pleasantly
surprised at the overall audio quality.
The converters sounded clean and crisp.
DJs who spin vinyl will appreciate that
plugging in a pair of turntables is covered,
thanks to the built-in phono preamps and
ground connector.
All in all, the Audio 4 DJ is precisely
what I was looking to prep my DJ rig for the
future. It’s tiny, built like a tank, and beautifully
designed. I bought the review unit and
now rely on it for touring.
PROS
Super compact. Rugged construction.
24-bit/96kHz converters. Includes
phono preamps. Rock solid drivers.
USB bus-powered. Headphone jack
with dedicated volume knob is on the
front where it belongs.
CONS
No onboard signal metering. RCA connectors
are great for DJs but would
require 1/4" adaptors for most keyboard-
and band-oriented setups.
INFO
$249 list/approx. $200 street,
native-instruments.com
NEED TO KNOW
What is it? USB2.0 audio interface
with four inputs and four outputs.
Who’s it for? Given that it has RCA
connectors only, it’s optimized for DJs,
as these connectors are what you’ll
find on turntables and DJ mixers. It
could also work for a small desktop
studio, though.
What does the Audio 8 DJ have
that this doesn’t? Four more each of
RCA ins and outs, an XLR mic input,
and MIDI I/O.
Is it worth it? For a basic, get-it-done
interface for DJs with laptops, it’s the
best value going.