Is the FLX2 for you? Whether you’re a beginner DJ or a travel-oriented veteran selector, this unassuming AlphaTheta device might be your new favorite on-the-go piece of gear (see the AT website here for full specs and product page).
Necessary disclaimer: AD. The fine people at AlphaTheta did send me a shiny new DDJ-FLX2 to try out. However, I solemnly swear that this review is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help me Carl Cox.
For those curious on specs and whatnot, I’ve detailed the ins, outs, pros, and cons of this miniature music machine in my standalone review here: AlphaTheta DDJ-FLX2 Review: Is This the Best Bang-For-Buck Portable DJ Controller?
However, beyond toying around with the FLX2 at home, I wanted to test it out in the wild: At a house party, out and about in the city/beach, and on a weekend getaway.
I received the diminutive digital device just in time to take it with me on a weekend excursion away from the hustle, bustle, and diligently dynamic dancefloors of Barcelona a few weeks ago. I also played with it at the playa and added it to my gear for a gregarious Greek get-together. Aside from alliterative adjectives I really do have plenty to say about the functionality and FUN that the FLX2 provides.
So, I stepped out of the house and put this thing to work in three distinct environments. Here is my three-part experience battle-testing the AlphaTheta DDJ-FLX2 in the wild.
Photo credit: AlphaTheta
COMMON THREADS: THE DDJ-FLX2 ON THE GO
First things first. There are a few common threads in each of these examples.
The most obvious is that the DDJ-FLX2 is so damn easy to pack. Like, teeny tiny EZPZ super easy.
I’m meticulous with a lot of things in life, but not most. Packing is one of those “not most” things, and being able to throw a DJ controller into your bag without having to completely rethink your packing strategy is a huge plus for me.This isn’t one of those pieces of gear that requires its own suitcase, flight case, or rethinking how many pairs of underwear you really need.
The controller, some headphones, a USB-C cable, and whatever device you’re using to run Rekordbox (laptop, iPad, phone) will get you surprisingly far. For group party setups, add a power bank and bluetooth speaker to the mix.
The second common thread was the power of this tiny controller to arouse curiosity. (The Realm, anyone??)
DJ friends wanted to have a go (“this thing looks like playing on a Nintendo Switch, can I try?”). Newbies wanted to know what it was and if it worked the same as larger controllers. Even the homies who had no idea what they were looking at seemed intrigued by the petite piece of gear. It brings people together!
Finally, there’s the fact that the FLX2 packs a humble punch.
It was enough to rock a pool party, create a private mix on the beach, and provide a steady electronic base for live instruments for a stripped down jam sesh in the wilderness.
Three very different use cases, same little controller. All good things!
The sole piece of photographic evidence
GREEK WEDDING: A 30-PERSON POOL PARTY
I went to the wedding of two close friends last week on the Greek islands and brought the DDJ-FLX2 with me at the request of the groom (who himself started on a DDJ-200) for a pre-pre-wedding party. Leave it to the Greeks to make this a three-day affair (four with the recovery day; no complaints).
The setup was about as straightforward as it gets:
- DDJ-FLX2
- Sennheiser HD25 headphones
- USB-C cable to a laptop running Rekordbox
- AUX connection out to a big bluetooth speaker
The party setup was just as straightforward: Full bar (Gordon’s gin should have sponsored us, I fear), beautiful villa and view, spacious outdoor pool area, and 30 or so friends, some of whom just getting to know each other for the first time.
A few different DJs jumped on throughout the evening and late into the night, utilizing the groom’s laptop and running our own USBs through the laptop and Rekordbox. We navigated from house classics and nu disco into melodic and peak-time techno, and as the drinks started flowing, the Greeks eventually took the controls (rightfully so) to play some traditional bangers and 2000s throwbacks. Call that a malaka mix.
The official pre-party the following evening had CDJ3000s and a Pioneer A9 ready for us to rock, and the wedding DJ at the reception of course had his own top-of-the-line gear. But there’s no way we would have been able to transport equipment this size or bring a larger controller with us for the pool party, and the DDJ-FLX2 really made the night a hit!
At one point, we needed to move the party from poolside to inside due to fears of noise complaints. Wouldn’t you know it, the entire setup was a piece of cake to pack up and set up again within minutes.
As I said in my previous article, it’s not the gear, but the DJ and the selection. Yamas!
Barcelona beach
BARCELONA BEACH: A DJ SET FOR ONE
The Greek wedding was a proper party (still recovering a week later), but my prior FLX2 experiment was about as intimate as DJing can get. A mix just for me and the sea.
A few blocks from my house on a lazy Sunday morning just before the aforementioned tsipouro-soaked wedding excursion, I took the little guy down to the beach and plugged it into my phone.
I admit I am wary of relying on streaming and WiFi/data connectivity to fuel my track selection, but when working with a small controller on the go (I would be far too nervous to rely on pulling my tracks from the cloud in a club), being able to mix off of my Spotify playlist is so damn convenient and cool. Add a few tracks, plug in, and boom. Ready to mix.
This time my setup consisted of:
- DDJ-FLX2
- Sennheiser HD25 headphones
- USB-C cable
- iPhone 16
- Rekordbox app
- Spotify playlists via 5G streaming
- Magnetic power bank (because my iPhone has a shit battery)
That’s it! Just me, the FLX2, my headphones, and a view that honestly, seriously, I mean it, didn’t suck. The lazy sun rising through the clouds over a moody Mediterranean sea called for creativity and some introspective selection.
I technically could have brought a speaker and had a master output going while mixing in the headphones, but I didn’t really want to impose my musical choices on the world at 11am on such a beautiful day. In fact, I am morally opposed to the idea.
This was a much more personal experience and the mixing was fun and flowy, with no real objective other than enjoying myself and playing around with some of my favorite tunes. Best place to trainwreck EVER. Who was gonna judge me? A seagull!? Get real.
For me, this is where the portability of the FLX2 really shines. This thing can be the piece of gear that completes the vibe for a house party, or, for lack of better terms, be a high quality toy you bring along for a day trip so you can practice or just play around.
After all, it’s about having FUN! Don’t get it twisted, y’all.
Jam sesh in the mountains
MIXING IN THE MOUNTAINS: FLX2 IN A LIVE WORKFLOW
Sometimes you’ve just gotta get away. About one month ago, that’s exactly what I did.
A friend and I planned an escape to a remote house in the French Pyrenees for the express purpose of disconnecting, making music, and perhaps some perspective-shifting nature-friendly extracurriculars that I won’t get into.
The important part is that we had a small little Citroën Picasso to load up and there is only so much musical gear you can squeeze into such a finely constructed piece of machinery.
We weren’t taking a studio or full live setup (nor do we have enough gear for that, yet, to be quite honest). Instead, we wanted a bare-bones collection of instruments to make some nice noise far away from the chaos of Barcelona without having to think too much about the workflow or packing.
The Casio PSX-100 keyboard was the centerpiece, offering a couple of soothing voices for stripped-back jamming, along with a simple acoustic guitar.
Then came the electronic stuff:
- DDJ-FLX2
- Teenage Engineering KO-33
- Laptop with Rekordbox
- Sennheiser HD25 headphones
- USB-C cables
- JBL Xtreme 2 speaker + AUX
The FLX2, along with the KO-33, became the perfect sonic supplements for creating a steady electronic base to riff on top of.
The controller took up next to no space in the car. In fact, it took up far less space than my backpack or most of the other instruments we brought along.
We managed to fit everything — keyboard, laptop, speaker, FLX2, cables, guitar, and assorted musical nonsense — onto a kitchen table overlooking the mountains. The view certainly didn’t hurt the inspiration!
This was a far different use of the FLX2 than rocking a pool party or crafting a personal mix on the beach.
I selected a few spacier tracks from Aphex Twin, Barker, Max Cooper, Floating Points, and Djrum and used them as a percussive and pad-filled base to fill out the landscape for the more traditional instruments to put melodies on top of. Something to provide atmosphere and rhythm while the guitar and keyboard filled in the gaps.
Across the weekend, my miniature magical music box got a solid two to three hours of use each evening, with the Performance Pads getting far more attention than they did during the house party and personal playa situations. Loops, hot cues, FX, and the smart high pass/low pass controls allowed for little rhythmic experiments to expand into wider ideas.
When the weekend was over, there was basically nothing to tear down. Cables out, throw it in a backpack, pile it back into the car. Easy as.
There are pros and cons, of course, to any piece of gear and the FLX2 is no exception. However, this thing can be used in multiple situations with ease and is a solid addition to any mobile music setup. That’s a flex, too.
Get it? Flex, too!? FLX2? Please clap. Thanks.
Photo credit: AlphaTheta
IN CONCLUSION: GO FORTH AND MIX
After using the FLX2 in three completely different environments, I’m convinced that its biggest strength isn’t what it can do, which is not necessarily why many consumers would move to purchase it, but rather where it can do it.
That’s not to say that it isn’t entirely capable of many things the FLX4 or similar controllers can do. However, where the FLX2 wins is its portability and how much more likely you are to use it due to the ease of carry and setup.
At the Greek villa, it was a legitimate little party machine. On the beach, it was a private mixing playground.
Off in the mountains, the controller’s first real out-of-the-house test for me, it was an ideal accompaniment to live instruments. Looping, spacey, consistent beats to occasionally twist with FX and let ride until inspiration struck for a new chord progression or drum pattern.
In each situation the FLX2 humbly punches above its weight.
As I mentioned in my full review of the controller, I still prefer a larger workspace and the wider array of options and comfort that the FLX2’s older siblings or more advanced cousins offer. If I’m playing a proper club gig, of course I’m bringing or playing on something bigger.
However, the FLX2 is about having a DJ setup when you didn’t necessarily plan on having a DJ setup. If you’ve already got this compact controller, consider packing it on your next trip just in case. If you don’t, consider adding it to your arsenal.
Either way, consider this your sign to get out there and make some noise this weekend! The FLX2 is the perfect petite piece of gear to make that possible.
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