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Introduction
All this digital DJ lark is great, but it’s completely changing the DJ setup. For the uninitiated, replacing decks and a mixer with a laptop and a MIDI controller is somewhat confusing. And should you decide to go walk this new age digital path, knowing just what you need can mean being plunged into a technophobe's nightmare.
Something that are always talked about in these circles are sound cards. Normally the domain of PC users, sound cards have become mainstream, especially with audio making the transition to computers in a big way. Being a long time Mac user and certainly not a digital audio user, when presented with Numark’s DJ IO I wondered what they hell it was used for. But now the mists have cleared, it’s very obvious what the DJ IO does and just how essential it is for today’s laptop DJ.
But what is DJ IO?
Imagine if you will that you’re running some DJ software or other. Now think about how your audio will be output and then think about how you’ll be able to achieve master output AND monitor via headphones at the same time... now you can see just what DJ IO is for. Because laptops only tend to have a minijack for headphone audio output, DJ IO gives you master outputs and headphone monitoring, but also gives you a mic input that you wouldn’t normally have in a mixer-free digital setup. So unlike many other sound cards, this is audio output only, so you won’t be able to use it for any other use. The mic input is routed straight out, bypassing the computer completely.
DJ IO is a USB2 port powered 120mm square plastic box. Pretty lightweight but still sturdy enough to withstand the rigours of the regular batterings dished out in laptop bag lugging DJs, although I'm not sure how long the rubber feet will last being shoved into a laptop bag on a regular basis. Because of the construction and lack of PSU needed, the additional weight is negligible. It’s worth pointing out that to make best use of DJ IO, you do need a USB2 port otherwise you only have use of one output. And depending on your computer, you may also need a PSU if your USB port can’t supply enough power.
Installation
Getting going is simple - drivers are supplied for PC and Mac and it’s as easy as installing, rebooting and plugging in. Once installed, it should appear as a sound card to all available software. Sound wise, it runs 24 bit at 44.1 and 88.2kHz and despite the relatively lightweight feeling and cheap price, it sounds pretty cool.
The way you output is varied. You can either play directly from your laptop straight out to the PA or route into an external mixer or recording device. One problem is the lack of headphone gain, but hopefully you’ll have sort of control over master and monitor levels in your software.
Summing Up
This is a great box for the growing laptop DJ market. Instead of having to shell out a lot of money for functionality you might not need, DJ IO fills a gap between your laptop and output without breaking the bank or becoming unnecessarily complex. But if you want inputs, look elsewhere.
Ratings
Build Quality - 8/10
All plastic but fine for a simple output sound card
Sound Quality - 9/10
No complaints for the price
Features & Implementation - 8/10
You get a lot for your money, but a headphone gain would have been nice
Value For Money - 9/10
You get exactly what you pay for, plus a little bit more.
Pros:
• 2 outputs
• Microphone with gain
Cons
• Build quality might be a problem if forced in and out of a bag too often
• No headphone gain
The Bottom Line
Need better output and monitoring while DJing from your laptop? Look no further - this is what you need.
Big thanks to Numark for the loan of DJ IO.