Numark NS6 prerelease review

On Sunday May 1st Numark product designer Mike Hoska came to the Inferno Night Club in Madison, WI to show off their new DJ hardware the NS6. A control surface running the four deck version of Itch. After checking out the pro demo that Mike put on we all got to put our hands on it and try it out. We were very impressed with the intuitive and easy to grasp lay out of the controller.

Numark's last Itch controller the NS7 broke the mold as far as platter control is concerned and the NS6 is even higher resolution. In fact its the highest platter resolution on the market. Scratching on this unit was a joy, no lag and no drift. But, the cross fader even in the aggressive cut position has a bit of a rounded edge to it similar to the Rane Empath. Better for that party rocking funk than the technical tight sound desired by the DMC style scratchers. The faders felt smooth and had a nice throw that wasn't to resistant but also didn't feel loose or cheap. The buttons are also nice and active, with a definitive click and not too much action, but enough to let you know your pushing something. The NS6 isn't just a controller but also a fully featured digital mixer. With 4 lines, two phono and two mic inputs that run with out being hooked up to a computer. It is also a fully midi mappable control surface providing flexibility both on the road and in the studio. All in all a very solid unit.

Ratings

MC 8/10

Wyatt 7/10

Over all 7.5/10

MAP: $999.99

MCAudio: Too cheap to post. Hit us up.

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From the Numark site

Integrated 4-Channel DJ Mixer that works with or without the computer

Inputs for 4-line, 2 turntables, 2 microphones

Serato’s Itch 4-deck DJ software included

Built-in professional 24-bit audio interface with balanced XLR outputs

Touch sensitive illuminated wheels with 3600 ticks of resolution per rotation

Strip Search with track position indicator

Channel assignable effects controls

Mouse-less library navigation with view options

Deck controls include: Key Lock, Pitch Control, Manual and Instant Looping, Hot Cues and Beat grid

NS6’s uses standard MIDI protocols enabling DJs to use it with a variety of MIDI software