The ultimate in portability from this battery-powered DJ controller with built-in speakers. Greg Scarth finds out what makes the latest Mixstream so versatile.

As part of the inMusic group which also includes the likes of Denon, Rane and Akai, Numark benefit from the shared expertise and technology of their sister brands. Despite ostensibly being the budget DJ brand of the inMusic family, Numark have increasingly moved upmarket in recent years. The new Numark Mixstream Pro Go is one of the brand’s more high-end offerings, an evolution of the Mixstream model which has become a popular choice among beginners and more experienced DJs.
The Pro Go will be a familiar layout to anyone who’s seen previous Mixstream models. Like the Mixstream Pro and Pro Plus, the Pro Go is a two-channel design with a 7-inch touchscreen, 6-inch jog wheels and basic mixer. There are a few superficial differences to the colour scheme, but the big difference in terms of hardware is the inclusion of a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which obviously adds weight to the Pro Go (around one kilogram more than the Pro Plus) but gives you the benefit of four hours’ fully wireless performance (our testing suggested Numark might be a little conservative with this claim; battery life will depend on various factors like screen brightness, speaker volume and so on, but you should easily manage four hours plus in normal usage).

We know from experience with the previous Mixstream models that the basic formula here is solid; Numark use the Engine software found in most Denon controllers, meaning that the Pro Go has a reliable operating system to match its solid hardware spec. There’s little need to go into too much detail on the basics here, because the Pro Go simply matches the Pro Plus in many ways: very good sound quality, decent if unspectacular build quality and superb performance courtesy of that excellent touchscreen and thoroughly developed Engine OS.

In terms of functionality, the Pro Go is once again very similar to the Pro Plus, as you’d expect, including the ability to stream wirelessly from Amazon Music Unlimited thanks to a hardware DRM chip, as well as all the standard options like SD card, USB sticks and other streaming services. However, there are some notable differences when it comes to effects. The new Touch FX screen adds Kaoss Pad-style hands-on control of effects including Filter Echo, Filter Reverb, Filter Roll and LFO Echo. It’s a great addition to the Engine OS, and the intuitive nature of touchscreen control gives you an excellent further layer of performance on top of the standard FX controls and toggle switches. We’d expect to see similar touch effects appearing on other Engine controllers in future, but for now they give the Pro Go a genuine USP.

Portable controllers tend to divide opinion. To a certain kind of chin-stroking DJ, the idea of built-in speakers will be anathema, and that’s fine. If it’s not for you, Numark and Denon offer plenty of similar controllers with more traditional approaches. The point of the Pro Go is that it will appeal to people who really value that level of versatility in a controller. You don’t have to use the battery power and the speakers every time, but you have the option to set up quickly anywhere without worrying about cables and ‘proper’ speakers. That could be as simple as moving the unit from your bedroom to a shared living space for a quick mix session before a night out, or something a bit more exotic like taking the Pro Go to a park for an al fresco mix. The ability to prep playlists anywhere without any additional equipment will also surely appeal to a lot of DJs.

At £746, the Pro Go is priced more or less where you’d expect, around £120 more than the Pro Plus. The biggest challenge comes from Numark’s sister brand, Denon, in the form of the Prime Go. At the time of writing, the Prime Go is around £200 more expensive, but it has a few advantages over the Mixstream. The Prime Go doesn’t have speakers but it’s smaller and even more portable, with sturdier build quality than the Pro Go. Another trade-off is that it also has smaller jog wheels, but to make up for that it has slightly better controls for things like loops. It’s not a clear-cut case of one being better than the other per se; the Denon will appeal to some DJs while others will be happy to save a decent chunk of cash and opt for the Numark. What the Mixstream Pro Go definitely achieves is adding another excellent options to inMusic’s ever-expanding line-up. Whether you opt for the battery version or the more basic Pro Plus, the Mixstreams are solid, dependable mid-range choices.
Greg Scarth
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