Roland DJ-707M Review - Best Serato DJ Controller EVER For Mobile DJs?
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- Опубліковано 8 вер 2024
- Phil Morse takes an in-depth look at this mobile, wedding and event-DJ friendly Serato DJ Pro controller, focusing especially on the venue customisation options, the way the drum machine can easily be used for mobile re-drums with classic tracks, the hardware effects, and one feature that is basically a "mobile DJ game-changer".
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Unboxed my DJ-707M last night. Wow! Perfect for the wedding and event DJ. I eliminated a rack of PA equipment. I'll be practicing this week for my first gig next weekend with this new conroller. Thanks Roland.
Glad you're loving it. What do you love the most about it?
My traktor and pioneer sx2 have been collecting dust in my closet since I purchased the Roland. Best controller I’ve ever used
Nice one :)
Great job Phil, you never fail to cover the new products with an unbiased approach. Roland had done thier homework. Would purchase this.
Glad you found it useful, Dj MyGuy!
This is what us wedding dj’s have been waiting for! And more! Many channels like a real mixer with with effects, anti-feedback, Roland beats!
Wow. I’m excited! Like the day they legalized marijuana here in Canada!
this might just be my next controller instead of pioneer :o
Yo that drum machine function is nuts! From your tutorial I am loving this controller! You get a lot of “useful” bang for the buck! Thanks for this wonderful tutorial!
You're welcome Akinkunmi!
Umm it’s not that great
Making redrums on the fly within a controller of that size?? Game changer!
How can it have taken this long to come out with something especially for Mobile DJs??! Thank you Roland, this is my next controller.
What is it that particularly attracts you to this Jason?
I focus primarily on weddings, and presently use a separate line mixer and processor with my controller and mics to provide greater signal control/flexibility and processing. The fact that this product seems to focus just as much on being a great hardware mixer as it does on being a capable DJ controller might mean I could ditch all that extra gear, which is always a plus.
I dont mean to be so off topic but does anyone know a way to log back into an instagram account??
I somehow forgot the login password. I would appreciate any tricks you can offer me
@Ian Colin Instablaster =)
@Ezra Joe thanks for your reply. I found the site thru google and I'm in the hacking process atm.
Looks like it's gonna take a while so I will reply here later with my results.
I’m working with this controller now. Playing with it at home for the time being. FREAKIN FUN!!!
Glad to hear it!
As a mobile DJ I have been using the Denon DJ MC6000Mark2. Its been bullet proof and I have struggled to find a worthy upgrade. This looks like the one.
Yeah this is a great option for mobile DJs :)
Hey brother Phil, the SLIP is there on the Roland dj-707m with Virtual Dj.
I'm using it with Virtual DJ since Sept 20th, and its been an incredible experience!
THANK YOU DO MUCH for the excellent thorough tutoriaal.
Truly this has been an excellent controller. (I'm definitely considering getting a 2nd one for the home studio)
I was about to get the DDJ1000, but instead, I got rid of my DDJ-SX3, As well as I got rid of my Numark NS6II and I'm loving how portable the Roland 707 is!
Especially doing weddings, corporate events and night clubs with 2 dance floors!!
This will come in handy! One room its the ceremony and the next room its the reception.. and its all one controller!
With night clubs with 2 dance floors, one room has the top 40 music and the other room is just long D&B chill-axing trax! With the 2nd dance floor I'm using Mix Meister and it seems to be fine. I'm open to suggestions with a software package that can handle this setting.
Great Price, Tons of great Features and a whole lotta awesomeness in this small footprint!
Travelling Mobile DJ's this is the wave of the present and the future!
Pioneer's gotta watch out because Roland is going to take over!
You're welcome, and thanks for the feedback Cosmo.
Thanks Cosmo! I was wondering what to use MM for beyond making error proof mixtapes.
The controller enables that!
When Roland entered the controller market, I thought: who is waiting for this? But after having seen your review, I absolutely get the added value for mobile DJ’s! Definitely on my shortlist for my next controller...
It hides its attractions well...
Finally a company that collected feedbacks from many mobile DJs and built a controller to satisfy their needs. What most controller manufacturers don't do. Thanks Roland! ♥️♥️♥️
Just got mine. Had to watch this video in order to understand the full power of this unit. Glad to retire my NS7 to the lab and take this light but portable unit out. I was pleasantly surprised at how responsive and accurate the little jog wheels are. Even though the jog wheels are small I find them to be more accurate than the Pioneer SX & SR units. I wouldn't have purchased this unit if it weren't for you Phil and I'm very happy.
Glad you're loving it, Brandon!
The controller is awesome and I love using it in my mixes and gigs. There is so much to discover with this, USB audio interface for streaming, DVS control, the drum machine for re-drumming old tracks. Even the touch pressure sensitive sounds when you use sampler on the right deck. It really is epic!!! You have to try it to believe it. It’s a powerhouse!
Couldn't agree more!
sick!
Bit the bullet, and picked one up today. After 32 years of DJing, from vinyl to CDJs, and now to this, my first controller. Thanks for the detailed review, it made the decision easy!
Awesome! Great controller to go with :)
I have always overlooked this name in the controller world . . . This would be in my next line up!!!
I was lucky enough to play with this on Tuesday at the Expo. it sounds great , and has so many thing on that little body. the jogs are nice for a small jogs. I was able to do a beat juggle (2 beat) with little issue.
Great feedback, thanks Jose.
Potential game changer for me. Been using Denon controllers for years as they're the only company making stuff worth having for mobile (my opinion). As a wedding DJ, aux input and mics that work independently of the software are essential in case of emergencies and they've clearly thought of that here.
But they've gone deeper, and I'll explain why this has piqued my interest so hard.
I play open format, mixing lots of genres in the same set. I have no problem mixing genres and moving tempos with my current setup and the way I mix, but modern music and older stuff sometimes don't play nice together. Mix a Stevie Wonder track like Superstition or Kiss by Prince into something more recent and it always sounds absolutely flat as a pancake.
I've tried using remasters instead, or tweaking the EQs ie. adding more bass and mid,, but the result is they are always missing something. The energy almost completely disappears.
I even went as far as wondering if there was something I could buy like a mini processor like radio stations have, the output runs through a processor before it hits the airwaves to make everything sound big and full and level, that I could integrate into my setup.
Your example here Phil of utilising the in built drum loops to beef up the bridge between modern and older is pretty much exactly what I've been looking for to take my sets to the next level.
Game changer.
I know it's not out yet, but even so I'd probably wait 6 months or so because I'm a Traktor user, so I'd want to see what mappings people would come up with and get some feedback on what the integration is like. That said, I've been using a Denon MC4000 with Traktor for a while now and other than the jog wheels being pretty much useless because of the latency, they work together perfectly for my needs so this DJ-707M could very well be the next toy I consider dropping some coin on.
Very exciting, and excellent thorough, in-depth review as always Phil. Well done.
Thanks for the kind words. I agree - the simple, easy to use drum machine may end up being the killer feature of this for mobile DJs. Would like to see more DJs doing live redrums.
Excellent review. Very well done. I really really hope they update the DJ-808 to include some of these features as a DJ-808s, like they did with an update to their TR-8 to an S version. So much great stuff here, and the improved efficiency of the compact workflow items and inputs / scenes / routings with eq and comp settings would make a 808s just a superb killer top level DJ mixer controller drum machine. I have the DJ-808 already and if this is where Roland is heading with their next iterations we are in for some really great stuff for version two of the original units.
If we get any news of that we'll let you know...
If they update this to include the sequencer of the other DJ units, I'd be all over it
Buy a beat machine to go with it
I’m interested in checking it out.
Hottest song being requested at weddings right now in Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA is “The Git Up Song”. Blanco Brown.
Compact size and weight , plus all those features make this better than the ddjsx IMO
An amazing review, I'm a bit late to the party but I have watched this whole video three times and just ordered one. Thanks Phil, very detailed.
You are most welcome
How are liking the drum machine?
I’m having a hard time with syncing especially when blending back and forth
@@Mdnesseptx I do like it, that's the next thing on my list to be honest. I won't try it on the road until I am 100% sure of what I am doing. I want to make sure I don't sync the wrong deck!
@@MedwayMobileDisco I bought it and sent it back. It’s not for live mixing. The drum machine is only for producing remixes at home. I tried everything.
@@Mdnesseptx At 28:30 of Phil's video he talks about adding beats to transitions which I think would be useful. I guess you tried that. It's something I want to work on.
I don't really like the play buttons as I don't find them that responsive. For that reason I release the jogwheel to start the track.
I think I’m gonna get this plus the dvs upgrade in serato because I want to use my turntables because I’m using phase. Everything about this mixer is perfect. Size, zone, mic feedback, saving scenes. The only problem is the size of the jog wheels and the fact it doesn’t have an led around them. But you can solve that issue immediately with a pair of cdj’s.
Q
forgive my ignorance but you'd add the turntable with DVS upgrade in serato and not rely on any issue with the 707m. What turntable did you add and how did it go?
Might trade-in my DJ-505 for this one. I never used the the drum machine DJing live because I could never remember which drum pattern I needed to use. Have the drum patterns named and set to pads is more useful and functional
Thanks for your comprehensive review. I've been looking at controllers for years and I've never seen a controller that has just about everything I need. If all these features are usable and reliable, this controller is amazing.
1) Supported by Virtual DJ
2) 4 Mic inputs
3) Mic effects
4) Mic feedback suppression
5) 2 USB inputs
6) 2 Balanced and 2 Unbalanced inputs
7) Compact size
What I don't like (Minor issues)
1) White pads for effects (I've never used them)
2) White pads for drum (I don't have a use for it)
3) Jog wheels seem too small (I would prefer larger ones instead of all the white pads at the bottom)
I suggest downloading it and giving a try yourself mate :)
@@digitaldjtips I haven't decided to get this controller yet. It would be great if someone did a review of the quality of the effects for singing Karaoke on this controller. Previously I bought an American DJ controller and the effects are unusable and I don't want that to happen to me again.
This is an excellent controller.... It's something that every dj needs...... Even I guess edm djs need this for travelling lol.....
You could be right - after all, it is a full Serato performance controller with all the pads.
@@digitaldjtips exactly this a good serato pro dj controller 🔥 lol..... It's something I need.... I've been djing with a ion frost mix for 3 years... 😔....ive even started scratching and even playing in small clubs...... I wash I could own one..... Ive entered the competition to win..... Just keeping my fingers crossed and hopes high....!
AWEOME REVIEW...THANK YOU SO MUCH...THIS IS MY NEXT CONTROLLER...
No problem!
i'm in the market for a new controller. Currently, using Pioneer DDJ-SX2. Very interested with all the capabilities of this controller. Great review thanks Phil.
You're welcome.
Great video! Really practical for us wedding DJs!
This would be an awesome fit for small footprint gigs. I’m out in Clinton, MA USA. My most asked for song is Jax Jones All Day and Night
Roland changing the game
I think I stumbled on the perfect timing to upgrade my controller.
I generally DJ Weddings, and this seems like the perfect controller.
I don't need big jog wheels or massive amounts of DJ effects.
Output for Videographers or separate room is amazing.
Already ordered one before this video, this just made me feel more confident about my decision!
Hope you enjoy it!
How is it?? Is it stable? Any malfunctions yet? I'm buying mine tomorrow
@@P4boot it's great. Haven't had any issues thus far.
Haven't properly tested out all the parts yet. Like the noise gate, but using it straight out the box is great.
I was certainly impressed with the mic system, but that's comparing it to my old NS6 controller lol
Used to be my hate when people hold the mic soo far away, but now it's pretty safe to crank up the gain and not have feedback. And the commission etc keeps it at a very even noise level
You might miss things because of its size. For me I miss the needle search
Great review Phil. In the past I did hardware reviews for Mastermix and Mixmag so I appreciate the work involved in a review like this. Well done and keep it up!
Thanks Glen
This looks like a great solution for mobile DJ's. It's packed with features but doesn't look as heavy as the Denon products. and along with an Aira drum computer it would be a nice full setup
Yeah it's nowhere near as heavy as any other "pro" controllers, or as big.
Great review Phil !! I love this controller ... very professional and small size ... it is also supported plug & play by Virtualdj 2020
Cool, thanks for the heads up
great piece of controller ! Thanks for this full review 👍
I was thinking purchasing a new mixer or controller. The 707m seems perfect for both. The build quality is also looks appealing. Thanks
Yeah it's a great option
this is amazing machine!!!!!
Because it is purely geared towards a working dj in a bar/club/event a real pro setup better than any other controller i've ever seen as a workhorse pro bit of kit..
i'm gonna get 1 as soon as i can!!!!?????!!!!!!
Thank you for making the video!!!!!!!!
Yeah we're big fans of this thing :)
Great review, as always. I like the display in the top right, feels “Roland”🙂 I never see sweep-filters on mic-input on DJ mixer/controllers, just a high/mid/low filter. Sweep is awesome for mic inputs if you ever plug in to a bad pair of cheep speakers, same with compressors, why do they never put that on mic or instrument inputs on DJ gear? it is needed if you got any musical instrument hooked up.
POWERFUL!powerful controller(Uncle Ruckus Voice)!
How come my TR Drum Machine doesn't tell me the genre? It just says "1-16" instead of "house", "trap", "gospel" etc.? HELP! :-(
Looks like an awesome controller to DJ with! Thanks for the review
You're welcome Tim
the effects on the 707m sound very clean.. i enjoyed your breakdown.. thanks DDJT
You're welcome!
I really love you , man. Love your insight. Love your track and your gear selection. Love where you seem to be able to zero in on a user / performer concern and offer valuable insight. Bought some parts for my LIVID CNTRL:R - by getting an additional unit that works. So really, I get the best of both worlds.
Thanks a lot Pete!
Omg so many features!! I'm buying today ❤
Enjoy, it is a great controller
Just picked one up. 😀
Great!
Roland makes great gear. It's not flashy or color coded, but it's a great tool for the trade
"a great tool for the trade" is a good description.
Great presentation Phil! I would like to get one someday for a geek like me. I like the idea of creating live out-tro.
Yes, it's really not hard and adds a new dimension to what you are able to smoothly mix.
As always, excellent and thorough review. Best one I've seen yet. Thanks!!
Thanks George!
I love the drums. I use it often to match up old songs with newer ones. I usually play to a mixed age crowd. The scratch function I'm just using a bit more but if I can program a button for that then it's fine. Otherwise a perfect unit for my needs (hint, hint, wink, wink, nudge, nudge). Thanks for a great channel, learning everyday!
Thanks for your feedback Sergio. Who knows, you may win!
Hello I just finished trying to figure the drum machine out.
It gets out of sync when I’m trying mix from one side to another. It goes pretty good for a while then 👎🏼. Any tips?
BAD ASS LITTLE CONTROLLER 🔥
We agree
This is my next controller....I still have my Vestax VCI-380......Just the possibilities of routing.....
Another connoisseur's controller!
I'm gonna buy it too. This is the most utilitarian controller ever.. I'm Sick of carrying a mixer...anybody knows if it has been mapped to vdj???
No doubt it will be soon enough...
I also still am rocking my VCI 380 and back in the market... this guy might be the winner!!!
Wow, what a review! Thank you so much for your hard work and attention to detail.
No problem at all, thanks for watching!
I have to agree, the missing 'slip' button is a bummer (that's one of many reason why we have An NVII), but being it's mappable, it's DEFINITELY not a deal breaker. I would, however, hold on to my NVII but I would seriously consider doing away with my DDJ-SB3 & run with this & just use my NVII for what we have the DDJ-SB3 for....definitely!
In fact, if Roland would have came out with this before we bought our NVII, we wouldn't have bought the NVII, we would be bought the 707M!
Thanks for your feedback!
This is the controller I have been waiting for, for my wedding gigs, house parties etc, phil this will do the job for me, but I just wish the price would go down a little bit before the Christmas period.
Who knows? Let's wait and see...
Thanks phill I think you just changed my mind was going for pioneer 800 but might just buy this instead 👍
Glad to have helped you
I have a Numark Express which has and still is serving me well for around 10 years now, but I've been looking for an upgrade for sometime now as well and this could well be my next purchase for myself. So thank you for your video and I'll let you know how I get on should I purchase this one. Best wishes. DJ Chester.
This is a great controller, I think you'd love it.
Talk about much more than meets the eye... Excellent review Mr. Phil..
It certainly keeps its talents hidden!
For me is a great controller, I bought it yesterday 😅
Good choice!
this controller looks cool, but then I realize that I can rather have a simple dj controller and small and portable and cheap mixer console like xr12 and have a lot more possibilities with these two... and then I asked myself do I really need this "all in one" dj controller from Roland... Anyway, great controller and great review as always, thank you!
This seems like a really good DJ controller for mobile gigs, specially the mic features. Only con is the pitch faders, they're smaller then standard size. They appear to be the same size as the DDJ-400. Not a deal breaker (specially since some mobile DJs don't seem to bother to beatmatch), just a little difficult to use.
As for the slipmode button missing, any buttons I'm missing that I use, I tend to bind them on the number pad of my laptop. For example, slipmode is missing on the DDJ-400, so I set the numpad key 1 and 3 to be the slipmode button for deck 1 and 2 respectively.
Yeah, agreed re missing buttons - and luckily as it's only Slip mode (that I missed, anyway), may even be able to find a redundant button on the unit itself - although I do like my Slip button to flash to remind me it's on!
they're smaller, 60mm, but higher resolution than other faders in that size
Great video, awesome hardware from Roland. Thx Phil! It's seems like a really good DJ controller, I like the drums and other special features.
Those simple redrums seem to be going down really well!
This and a 1200 would be an awesome rig. By itself, I feel it's a bit too small and much like the old S4, looks like a toy vs a really serious set up, but clearly it has some great advantages and smart upgrades.
Stick it in a hard case and it'll look professional enough :)
Great review! This looks good!
Thanks Cecelia
Thanks a lot. Great Review - solid and most informative!!
Thanks! Glad it helped :)
Loving there re drum, overall a wicked controller. My only issue is the size of the jog wheels but I’d like to give them a test run
Definitely worth a test run. I didn't mind them at all.
Hi Phill,can you do another video using the Roland 707m,it's functionality and another genre,house,hip--hop,dancehall plz🤗
Thanks for the suggestion
Great review. Seems very fun and featurepacked controller, Wish pioneer could drop something simmillar ( IM down with rekordbox) aint leavin my ddj 1000 but the drum and MIDI is tempting, connect a TB 303 for example .. hardware fxs Also sound really good ..👍🏽👍🏽
The screen looks like 1981 DOS graphics, but still a very cool controller.
Agreed and agreed! lol :)
Very useful review I just bought this one.
Enjoy, it's awesome
Hi Phil from Niagara Falls,Canada
Weiss - Let me love you is the hot track here!
Still using a VCI -100 ... I could use an upgrade!
Cheers
big up Niagara - cheers man!
Nice job on this demo. It did help those of us who have to read manuals. Thanks
Glad to help
Black Coffee. We Are Africa!!! I mix a lot of afro house with Deep.. Fort Wayne Indiana
You da man and that’s da controller!
It is indeed!
Another piece of awesome hardware from Roland 👌🏽👌🏽
What do you like most about it Will?
Digital DJ Tips the whole unit to be honest, Roland adds all these extra features that allows you to do whatever u want with your dj sets!!
Thanks for letting us know your thoughts Will!
Great Review and insight into this controller - I'D love if you could do a review of it with Virtual DJ
(preferably with edit to the default mapping, that gives you track previewing, maybe with the PUSH/LOAD/SELECT encoder - kinda like how it works on Traktor S4) might just be my next controller, I'm a Traktor user, just not a fan of Serato, So debating to take the plunge and use it with VDJ :)
Thanks for the suggestion :)
Hey Phil great review just purchased over the weekend😊 On the filter/ fix knob how did you get more effects, mine just reverb, jet,noise,dub echo,filter? Also wr can I get a copy of that Fleetwood Mac song?
Replacing my NS7III with this controller. Unfortunately, it’s on backorder. I can’t wait to start learning it. It really could have helped with an event I did tonight.
I did not see the feedback reduction feature discussed. I was wondering if you guys did any testing on that feature?
Pretty nice thing as mixer and for back 2 backs
Yes, and for having a backup computer ready, too.
You explain this well. Thanks.
No problem :)
Great controller, great review. I just got my Denon Prime 4 which also has a zone output...I love it. If it had Roland's sound setting and compressor part that would be the icing on the cake. Is there any such thing available as a stand alone module? Roland should think about coming out with one..
Indeed!
Great video!!! Thanks Phil 👏🏻
You're welcome Carlos. Hope it helps!
It very much does 🤘
OMG I’ve realized only now how is monstrous this piece of gear! it’s the ctrl factor as A&H DB4 is the mixer factor..I seriously thinkin’ to buyin’ one 👍
Cool!
8:38 "You can also put the effect over the aux input..." How is this possible, I thought the FX were software fx only (the Serato ones I mean, not the Roland hardware fx, obv)?
Need the Catchphrase sample on that oscillator lol!! Say what you see!!!
I’m all the way from Pretoria, South Africa and at the moment the moment Mo Bamba by Sheck Wes is still stirring up the clubs💪🏼
Andre Mouton 🤮 lol
Does it have beat jump??? That’s one of the most useful serato features for me. I use it way more than the normal loop feature
Hey Phil. Fantastic review as always. I was wondering if the unit can be powered by USB only. Thanks!
No, you need to power it using the power supply.
Thank you!
Another brilliant run through
Thanks Ade2Bee, what did you like about it the most?
Digital DJ Tips I like the way you went in to briefly explain, yet not seem to leave anything out about the potential of the mixer, about the microphone inputs and functionality, about the microphone control, a friend of mine is now back on tour I have forwarded this video to him as he often does live PAs and I have a feeling this might suit him down to the ground.
In short it was a professional well thought out conversation and brief about a mixer that I almost pushed to one side
Ahhh thanks! I did intend this to be a 10 minute video, but...
I was interested in that fact because I play mostly in ballrooms and not different venues so it would be nice to be able to have a group of effects on the filter/FX knobs and be able to change them via the scene setting that would change different things all at once during a performance. Are the several effects that you show in the upper right part of the controller stand alone Roland effects that work even when the computer is not connected?
Great review looks good unit Phill,
But that screen as amazing feature packed as it is
Looks like it's from late 80s retro look LCD
actually looks like the same screen on my old Roland U20 keyboard synth lol ( yes the exact same keyboard as Awesome 3 don't go )
Being Roland it wouldn't surprised me they used old retro LCD
How comes they never went down modern Oled route today ?
The channels have modern bright green LEDs , they look same as prime !
Cool controller tho looks the part , I like the FX engine built in
I didn't once think "this screen is annoying" - you tend to "set and forget" (apart from changing the FX settings, which is easy).
Hey Phil, great review! Did you get a chance to test the sound quality on a big rig?
Was leaning towards a Pioneer DDJ-SR2 originally, but read too many comments about poor sound.
Same question to all who have put the 707 to the test: sound quality?
Other question: how smooth does beatmatching go with those small jog wheels?
No we haven't
"We're going to review this to this beautiful new roland controller. Lets start if off big by first going over every single input on the back for 5 minutes"
Very important for mobile DJs who this is aimed at even if it's not the most exciting thing lol :)
I like it so much of only the jogs were as big as an sx or 505 id get it easily
Complete beginner! Would this suit playing techno parties? Am I right in saying you would need a PC and Amplifier to power some pretty powerful speakers for a complete set up?
Thanks great review
This would be great for that, yes you need a laptop and a PA - many speakers these days are active so you don't need a separate amplifier :)
13:40 ! massive
Ditto. Well presented Phil. Do I need to buy the drum kit? All my patterns seem empty.
No you shouldn't need to
Does this eliminate me having to bring a mix board to my wedding gigs? The less I carry the better.
Yes.