The Sleek M-Audio X-Session Pro DJ Midi Mixer Controller

Not Built To Last
I bought this as an affordable controller when I first took on Ableton Live. One big reason why I liked it is that I like the feel of a cross-fader, and this one has it. The serious buzz kill came after I'd used it less than 10 times and the cross-fader went out. I usually like M Audio, but they way they built this one stinks. THE CROSS-FADER IS NOT REPLACEABLE!!! Do yourself a favor, save your money and buy a controller with a replaceable cross-fader, or if you use Ableton, look at the Novation Launchpad or the AKAI APC40.

i returned it
although this is decent for someone who is getting into it. i don't think its worth it because its just too boring. there is no jack to plug in your headphones so you can listen to the next song before you mix it in. this really turned me off. i returned this back and instead going to get a djm700k and 2 cdj400 for me to use as a beginner. because most clubs are more likely to carry the djm800 mixer and the 700 pro is just 1 year behind the 800. most clubs will require you to use their cdj's and mixer rather than bringing your midi controller or bringing your own setup. so i decided to invest money on something that will last me for a LONG TIME rather than seeing myself waste money on upgrades.


make smart decisions if your on a low budget.

MIXER PRO
IF YOU LIKE THE DIGITAL MUSIC ...THIS IS A GOOD TOOL...LET'S PLAY THE MUSIC DJ!!!

An awesome, inexpensive controller!
I've been using the X-Session Pro for a few months now, and I have to say, this is an awesome controller. It's very portable and lightweight (if only I could say that about the rest of my setup!) and has a good response. It's really easy to set up and it's given me a ton of extra buttons, knobs, and faders, and is a great counterpart to my M-Audio O2 (now called "KeyRig 25"). Currently I use it for a fairly unconventional setup in Ableton Live, involving eleven separate tracks containing a multitude of full length songs, vocal samples (speeches and acapellas), loops, and one-shots. The X-Session is good, because it allows me to control the volumes for my four main channels, as well as effects on the rest. Overall I would have to say that this is one of the best products around, and I would highly recommend it to anyone. Even better, the MAudio Digital DJ Mixlab System comes with a free version of Torq, which is useful for playing around with mix ideas quickly and easily.

Exactly What I wanted
Well, first off, I'd like to share just a short bit of hell that I went through to get this item, and NOT because of Amazon (they were excellent). I did my research for a good 2 weeks trying to find exactly what I needed for the software I've been using. Currently I've been spending every night after work enjoying my X-Session Pro with PropellerHead's Reason 4.0. Anyways, after doing my research I knew exactly what I wanted and needed. I ended up going to 2 different guitar centers in Manhattan, one of which told me they didn't even carry the item (even though I had the printed item from guitar center's website in my bag). Anyways, after a long drawn out battle with Guitar Center, including an online order which after a week of not shipping, I had to call THEM, only to find out that GC no longer would carry the item.. absolutely stupid. Ok, I'm finished complaining, but I only wanted to share this because I finally just got onto Amazon, ordered my X-Session Pro, and BEFORE Guitar Center had even removed the charge from my credit card, my X-Session was waiting for me at my house...

So Cheers to Amazon and it's excellent Vendors. (this was free standard shipping as well)

As for the Product. What I like? It's VERY VERY light. I can easily take this anywhere I go. Although it's a bit of an awkward shape..the knobs are kind of tall, over all, I'd consider it fairly portable. I would recommend, however, simply throwing in a shirt or some soft cloth material on top of it (that's not going to get fuzzies in the controls) just for some extra padding.

The response is very smooth! I use this with Reason and find the delay time to be very minimal, especially for something that's working with USB.

No power supply needed! This is one of my favorite features for at the home. It's powered through the USB bus. HOWEVER - LAPTOP USERS beware! That means it will drain battery quicker of your laptop when in use, but I can't imagine running any audio software / doing anything serious with this without being stationary / plugged in to your power supply.

Nice Variety of controls. I love my knobs..ohhhhh I love my knobs...I wish I could have 400, but I do like having 12 knobs and 4 faders or whatever. Another note is that the beauty of this USB device is simply being able to program the controls to your likings. For instance, you can program an oscilator to a fader... if that suits your style... so basically you can adjust tempo / levels with knobs or sliders... it's kind of nice to have that kind of variety and freedom.

Overall, there really isn't anything I don't' like about this so far. I don't use the play/stop buttons, perhaps because Reason simply does not support them, but I'm not upset. The reason I bought this was to use the control nobs and sliders and it's perfect for what I wanted.

I am for sure a novice at this stuff, but this is certainly an excellent edition to studio. I'd recommend it to anyone who already owns a keyboard with usb/midi support etc, and doesn't want to pay a ton of money to build their own work station.

:)