Just before BPM 2014, Numark unveiled the NV, a 4 channel Serato DJ controller, with the unique feature of a pair of high resolution screens built right in. There was much hoopla surrounding the launch, and largely it was well received aka. I don’t know of any show stopping issues and nobody has taken to hammer NV hate in full caps into a forum somewhere. Indeed our own Ray aka Arkaei adapted his previous NS7II performance to the NV we had in the Worxlab in the blink of an eye. But I guess Numark would like to sell a few more of these lovely little things, so here’s the Numark NV II, an updated version of the original.
Obviously there is a press release, that details what amounts to a short list of improvements and a fresh paint job:
NUMARK STRENTHENS ITS PERFORMANCE LEGACY WITH INTRODUCTION OF NEW NV II PROFESSIONAL DJ CONTROLLER
World’s leading innovator of DJ solutions follows up on the amazing popularity and success of their original NV controller with NV II, offering significant performance upgrades
Cumberland, RI USA (June 1, 2016)— Numark (numark.com), the world’s leading innovator of DJ solutions, today announced the introduction of their new NVII DJ controller, which follows up on the immense popularity and sales success of their original NV controller. The original NV shattered the status quo of DJ controllers by introducing dual 4.3-inch full-color screens that provide 1:1, real-time feedback of Serato® DJ, complete with spinning Virtual Decks, effects (FX), cue points, waveforms and more. No other DJ controller could match NV’s combination of visual screen-based functionality, Serato control, touch-activated platters and performance pads, all coupled with Numark’s legendary build quality and value.
The new NV II builds upon the NV’s innovation, quality and performance, taking it to an even higher level. The NV II adds gridlines on the screens so DJs can visualize the beat of their tracks more accurately. In addition the NV II adds 5-column sort options for the music as well as additional columns of KEY, BPM and TIME. That makes it much easier for DJs to keep the music moving, without diverting their attention from the action.
The navigation control set is also new and much improved. Based on real-world feedback from NV users, Numark made these navigation upgrades in the NV II:
- Push to Load via Knob
- Deck swap on big button
- Sort by: ALBUM, ARTIST, SONG, BPM, KEY
- Onboard quick access controls for beat jump and quantize on/off
Real World Touch and Feel
Exclusive to Numark are the NV II’s dual, highly-advanced touch-capacitive jog wheels. Touch-capacitive means that the platters actually sense the DJ’s ‘style’ of use and they adapt themselves to that individual user. They “remember” how fast or slow, subtle or hard the DJ uses the platters and they provide the exact amount of adjustment based on past usage. The platters become an extension of the user’s personality and DJ’ing style.
Key Features
- 4-decks of Serato DJ software control in a sleek, low-profile design
- Dual full-color displays provide 1:1 real-time visualization of Serato DJ
- Gridlines on screen enable perfect beat matching
- 5-column options to show Song, Artist, Time, BPM, and Key
- Dual 5-inch hyper-responsive metal platters with search and scratch modes
- Adaptive learning platter technology for optimum response
- 16 velocity-sensitive trigger pads with backlit RGB feedback
- 10 pad modes for hot cues, loop slicing, and sample triggering
- Mouseless library browsing controls with dedicated on-screen feedback
- Integrated BPM metering for manual beat matching; Sync button for an instant match
- Pro-grade crossfader with Fader Start and curve adjustment
- Zone/booth outputs and balanced XLR outputs for club use
- Serato DJ included via download
“We knew the original NV controller was going to be a hard act to follow, because it was so innovative and successful,” said Chris Roman, Sr. Product Manager for Numark. “However, the NV II offers real and exciting upgrades in terms of its screen displays and navigation functionality. The overall look is far more attractive and inviting, plus the NV II continues to offer the value that Numark is famous for. DJs are going to love this.”
US retail for NV II is $699.00 and it will be available in Summer 2016.
THE SAME BUT DIFFERENT
Cutting through the copious hyperbole generated by the Numark PR machine that has clearly been turned some way past 11, it’s clear that this is a remarketing exercise for the original NV with a handful of improvements. There are cosmetic changes, but from a workflow perspective the buttons around the screens get some new functionality. It’s unclear if updates to Serato will change this on older NVs or if it’s firmware specific though.
We can’t let this press release pass without comment on the jog wheels blurb though. The way it is written implies that somehow the NV II is intelligent and has the ability to learn the user’s ways of handling the jog wheel. I’ve reached out to Numark to get some clarification on this, but I’m inclined to think that over-exuberance is at play here.
WORTH AN UPDATE?
For existing users, almost certainly not, and the vast majority of my NV review still stand. If there are no physical changes, then hopefully Numark will release a software and firmware update to give existing owners some of the special sauce.
Summing up, the updated Numark NV II will cost $699 (so the same a the current one) and will be available in the somewhat vague term of Summer.
GALLERY
