One of the most popular pieces of DJ controller hardware in the world, the Traktor Kontrol X1 (either mk1 or mk2), has all the necessary transport functions without nary a pitch fader nor jog wheel. There’s obviously going to be a use-case for platters when done right, as shown by the amazing hardware of the NS7 II or Pioneer’s current flagship DDJ SZ, but why do all controller makers feel the need to add them to everything? Rather, when incorporated into a controller, they take up a huge amount of space when there are already great workflow alternatives. Let me get one thing straight here… I’m not saying jog wheels are completely irrelevant. Those videos do more to show ‘real world’ use of DJ gear than manufacturers could ever hope for. Yes, one could argue that scratch routines are more interesting than videoing a DJ set, but the 502,117 subs on Boiler Room’s YouTube channel (including mine) would disagree. Videos from the likes of Vestax and Numark show scratch champions and scratch performances more than straight up mixing, even though a tiny fraction of the DJ community would incorporate any into their sets. This is why it seems that jog wheels are almost always used as a marketing technique for new gear. The fact is, that for a very long time DJs and turntables were completely and undeniably intertwined. So here I am, arguing the toss about why manufacturers keep sticking piddly jog wheels on their controllers, and whether the time has come to look at a workflow without them. These (often lively) talks inevitably end with the words “we should write an article about this”. Like most of the DJWORX thinkpieces, this article started as a debate in the worxlab.
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