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You are here: Home / Tech Corner / Gear & Software Reviews / REVIEW: Roland DJ-202 DJ Controller with built-in drum sequencer

REVIEW: Roland DJ-202 DJ Controller with built-in drum sequencer

June 30, 2020 By Dave Mac

Roland DJ-202 DJ Controller with built-in drum sequencer

The Roland DJ-202 is an entry-level DJ controller from a legendary brand that has had an immense influence on dance music.

Roland DJ-202

The original Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer produced in the early 80’s, its successor, the TR-909 plus the TB-303 Bass Line all had fairly short production runs, but were the instruments that defined house music.

Today, the sounds of all three of these devices are still used and have been re-introduced as part of the AIRA series, Roland’s DJ/Producer performance range.

As entry-level DJ controllers go, the Roland DJ-202 offers a lot for the price point so it is unsurprising that it is one of the most popular on the market.

Unboxing

Build Quality

3.5/5
Very light and it sports a plastic casing and facia. The sliders, knobs and jogwheels are all nice and solid but the pads are not the greatest.

Looks & Features

4/5
The Roland DJ-202 looks awesome. The green backlit buttons and pads are great and the feature set includes stuff not found in any other brand of DJ controllers – i.e. the drum sequencer and built-in drum samples.

Sound Quality

5/5
This is without doubt one the highlights of this entry-level controller. When cranked up and played through a decent sized PA, it really held up well. I’ve heard some ‘pro controllers’ used on big rigs and they don’t even compare.

Value for Money

4.5/5
The DJ-202 offers more than just the basic mixing and looping/slicing features that all Serato controllers have. It has all the necessary features and lacks none. The built-in drums as an added extra makes this is a great choice.

The Roland DJ-202 has a plastic facia and casing. This means it is ultra-light and very portable.

It may raise concerns about durability but to be honest the DJ-202 is in good company.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a DJ controller at this price point that does not use plastic. Overall the build quality is good though, and aesthetically it is definitely one the best looking on the market.

The jog wheels are a genuine highlight and these are important if you want to practice traditional beatmatching without a sync button.

Roland DJ-202

While they can’t simulate the feel of club CDJ decks, they are adequately responsive for a beginner to learn to mix and suitably usable for a seasoned DJ too.

The same can be said for the knobs and sliders although some may feel the channel  sliders are a little short.

Perhaps if you are a scratch DJ, this may be the case but for all other DJ use they are 100% fine.

The tempo sliders are also very short but that’s to make way for the generous size jogwheels, a reasonable trade-off in my opinion.

The pads are okay. For hot cues, slicing and looping they do the job, however for drum sequencing they are challenging.

The layout is traditional so no re-learning of where to find functions and the feature set is substantial. More about that later.

Built-in drums sounds and sequencer

Roland DJ-202

The Roland DJ-202 includes sounds from four of Roland’s legendary electronic drum kits: the TR-808, TR-707, TR-606 and TR-909.

That’s a lot of percussive elements at your fingertips!

These sounds are built-in so even without connecting to the Serato DJ software it is possible to sequence drums.

As mentioned at the start of this review, Roland’s drumkits are the backbone of where house and techno music started.

A well-documented challenge, however, is the technical prowess needed to effectively use the sequencer on the fly while DJing.

Roland DJ-202

Unlike its bigger siblings, the DJ-505 and DJ-808, there is no dedicated drum sequencer section on the Roland DJ-202.

So, to select drumkits and to sequence these require a series of buttons in combination and sub-menus which is quite confusing and not particularly intuitive.

It takes practice and a good memory although I will say this; is a guitar or piano easy to just pick up and play fluidly? 

Nope, so a little brainteasing should not deter one to be honest.

Any oldskool DJ/Producer who used samplers back in the day will laugh when complaining about the ‘trickiness’ of using the sequencer.

The performance pads were actually more challenging as they are quite ‘clicky’ and lack enough tactility.

The caveat to this though, is that the DJ-202 sports a MIDI-in connection at the back of the unit.

This means that if you get a bit more serious about the sequencer you can add any controller with pads that you may be more comfortable with.

Additional notable features

Roland DJ-202

The feature set on the DJ-202 is substantial for the price point of this controller.

Dedicated Serato FX buttons at the top are standard and the mixer section includes filter  and trim knobs per channel.

There is also a volume rotary next to each channel’s FX section and one to control the levels of your drum sequences, which, by the way, will remain in sync with your master tempo with its own dedicated controls.

Jogwheels can be used in vinyl or slip mode and the Roland DJ-202 even sports 4-deck control via deck selection buttons next to each platter.

I can also attest that their claim of having low-latency platters (jogwheels) is indeed true!

Another novel addition is the FX feature included for the Mic section. 

Would I buy it?

Roland DJ-202

The Roland DJ-202 has a lot going for it and not a lot against it.

For beginners, it has everything you need to get cracking on learning to DJ.

For those on a tight budget, no matter what skill level you’re at, the DJ-202 will perform adequately for small events, home use or practicing.

The drum sequencer and MIC FX add an awesome performance angle to DJing so once you’re a little bored with just mixing two tracks into each other, you can have some real fun with these too.

I was impressed by the sound quality at a high volume too, so using it for an actual club performance is also feasible.

It’s not just for home use; don’t be afraid to use this for actual gigs, although it must be said it’s probably not built for rigorous gigging.

Also, you’d need to upgrade to the full Serato version for serious gigging as the in-the-box Lite version is quite limiting.

PROS

  • Built-in drum machine
  • MIDI input
  • 4-deck control
  • MIC FX
  • Sound Quality

CONS

  • Drum pads a bit tricky
  • Serato Intro software

Roland DJ-505

If your pocket can afford it, the Roland DJ-505 is a great step up from the DJ-202 and would probably be my choice in the range.

The DJ-505 includes a dedicated drum sequencing section which imitates the TR-808/909 layout and some added useful extras that make it more of a professional choice.

It’s a bit bigger, more solid and adds some important performance features for the more serious user.

It’s an affordable performance controller that packs a real punch, plus the DJ-505 includes Serato DJ Pro.

Expect to pay*:

  • Roland DJ-202 – R 6,195 incl. VAT
  • Roland DJ-505 – R 14,190 incl. VAT
  • Roland DJ707M – R 18,995 incl.VAT

*Prices as at time of review.

WEBSITE

[youtube_sc url=”https://youtu.be/7egbc44dhS0″]

Contact Roland South Africa to secure your exclusive extra 10% off the price off a DJ-202, DJ-505, or DJ-707M DJ controllers.

Purchases can be made from your favourite participating dealer, using our special discount coupon. Only while stocks last.

Tagged With: cheap dj controller, DJ controllers, entry level DJ controller, laptop dj, roland, Serato DJ, TB303, TR808, TR909 Filed Under: Gear & Software Reviews

About Dave Mac

Dave Mac co-founded and was the Editor-in-Chief of BPM Magazine for the 10 years it existed. With over 20 years experience in all aspects of the music biz, he continues the legacy online with the dynamic IDM Mag.

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