Link: UDG | Price: $79.99/€79.99/£69.99
INTRODUCTION
The growth in DJ luggage has been staggering. But making a one-size-fits-all bag is damned near impossible. So it comes down to the bag designers to get creative with the bag’s innards to be as accommodating as possible for the plethora of controllers in the market place.
Enter the UDG Urbanite series. As far as bags go, these fall very much into the utility category and do little to satiate my inner bag whore. They have a job, and that is to keep your controller and assorted bits and bobs safe. The medium sleeve’s task is incredibly simple – to keep a controller safe and sound.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
I have long ceased to be excited by DJ luggage, and this isn’t going to change that. Think of it as a laptop sleeve for your controller and you get the idea. Like 99% of the market, black nylon is the main material, with the sides being formed from a tough but not super rigid foam. Opening it up reveals soft grey inner material to stop scratching of your shiny controller, with a series of different sized strips designed to accommodate controllers from the diminutive Pioneer WeGo (which still rattles around a little), right up to the MPC Renaissance and Kontrol S4 without strips.
The lid is lined with the usual grey protective foam that adds a layer of protection to an otherwise reasonably soft case. And there’s a carry strap supplied inside that bag. As I said, all rather unexciting stuff, but can you imagine what a laptop sleeve review would be like?
Beyond the basics of squeezing a controller into the medium sleeve, you may be able to slot some cables and other small items in, but this is not designed to have all manner of DJ chaff shoved into it. It is by definition a sleeve, so expect to carry another bag with this. Speaking of carrying, I’m not a fan of the handle – it’s flat and hard and not especially comfortable.
WHO IS IT FOR?
It’s easier to tell you who it’s not for — anyone who flies. Firstly, it’s too big for hand luggage. 56cm is the international standard, and the sleeve comes in at 59cm. That said, you could probably get away with it because the sleeve is likely to stay slimline. I imagine most check-in staff would be OK with it. But assuming the worst, and you’re made to check it, the sleeve is too soft. Your controller will not fair well being abused by baggage handlers.
For everyone else however, the UDG Urbanite sleeve is ideal, provided you don’t stack nothing on top of it. If you treat it like a protective sleeve rather than a rugged hard case, your controller will be kept nice and safe.
SUMMING UP
This review is as efficient as they come, if only because the UDG Urbanite medium sleeve does just one thing. And it does it well provided you personally carry it around yourself and take the due care and attention that your gear deserves. The styling is as minimal as the function, and for me both are a good thing. Sometimes it’s easy to get lost in maximising function, but let’s be happy that the UDG Urbanite sleeve fulfils its only job really well.
GALLERY
