Sometimes a product comes along that is likely to cause a bit of a buzz in the industry. It’s something so exciting and yet so divisive that it will split the DJ community into two groups. There are those out there that will love it and those out there that simply won’t get it. We believe the XZF-DJCT-W control tower is one of those products. While many companies have built boutique and limited-production DJ booths for years, this is the first mass-produced DJ booth readily available for purchase. It’s a portable DJ booth for everyone – no waiting for production runs or signing up on lists. Today, we’re going to take an up-close look at this exciting new product in our ProX XZF-DJCT Review.
ProX XZF-DJCT Review – What it is
The XZF-DJCT-W (which we’re just going to call the control tower from here on out) is an all-in-one DJ stand/booth that’s aimed at the mobile DJ. The booth is ready to accept common DJ controllers like the DDJ-SX, DDJ-1000, DDJ-SZ, DDJ-SZ2, and the XDJ-XZ. The control tower includes two road cases for transporting both the column and base. Not only that, but a DJ controller will fit in the road case as well. No more having to haul your controller separate from your booth or table! The cases are big (and heavy), coming in at 174lbs total. While the cases aren’t unmanageable, it’s important to know you’ll need a legitimate mode of transport for the system (no Toyota Corolla’s allowed).
Once you get the booth out of the cases the weight is a much more manageable 55 lbs. Despite the weight, it’s a “modern” product simply due to the ease of setup. You can have the components out and ready to go in a matter of minutes! Because of its small footprint, this isn’t a product for the DJ that likes to hide a million cables and boxes behind their table or front board. It’s sleek, slim, and stylish – exactly what many corporate and wedding clients are looking for.
Setting it up
As we mentioned previously, getting the booth set up was a breeze. Once it was finished, we couldn’t help but admire the clean, minimalistic design. The aesthetic is pleasing to the eye and would easily blend into almost any venue. This is a huge selling point for DJs to potential clients, venues, and planners. The DJ controller is recessed into the top of the deck, allowing those in attendance to see your work. There is a solid stand for a laptop in one corner and a microphone holder in another. We love that the laptop isn’t directly in front of the DJ. This will give DJs the opportunity to better connect with their crowds.
As far as construction goes, the column supporting the controller is made of wood. Heavy-duty road case style latches hold the various pieces together and seem very secure. The column itself contains 3 tiers of shelving for wireless microphone receivers, headphones, cables, and whatever other accessories you bring with you. Directly underneath the controller is another slot of available space. It’s slim, but there is enough room for a microphone receiver and other narrow accessories. Towards the back is a porthole to allow cables to pass through the middle of the column without being seen. All of the controller’s knobs and inputs on the front of the controller are accessible below the lip of the top plate.
We have to give ProX props for the finish of the control tower. While many people opt for a plastic or metal construction, the wood stands out and looks classy. It’s finished in a nice, textured white paint that is as rugged as it is eye-catching.
Breaking it down
We wanted to give you an even more in-depth breakdown of the control tower, so we pulled off the top section and removed the controller. Underneath, you’ll see the pieces of chunky foam that hold the controller firmly in place. ProX includes various foam pieces that will fit the controllers we mentioned above. They also include a handful of frame tops to add the final touch to each compatible controller.
We love that they include options for different controllers straight from the manufacturer without the need to specify which controller we have. That way, if we want to upgrade or change our setup down the road we don’t have to buy a whole new faceplate and foam setup. We also took a look at how the controller is held during transport. After all, no one wants their expensive and vital DJ controller to break on the way to an event. Thankfully, we saw extreme pressure foam around the inside perimeter of the case to protect controllers from the jostles and bumps of the road.
What we love
First things first, we LOVE the style. Booths and stands like this seem to be the future of DJing, much like column speakers have become more popular. The sleek, modern lines coupled with the white finish seem to check all of the boxes today’s clients are looking for. The control tower is yet another new option on the market and demand only seems to be increasing. With that being said, it would be worth getting ahead of the curve and getting a setup like this earlier than later. Being the first in your area to offer a product has its benefits! If you aspire to DJ at luxury hotels, boutique events, and retail spaces this will only improve your image.
What we’d change
While we really appreciate how easy the control tower is to set up, we are not big fans of the cases. They’re big, bulky, and heavy. If you’ve already got the infrastructure in place (i.e. a van or large truck) to move something like this then this won’t be a problem for you. However, if you’re a smaller operation using a car or crossover, a system like this may not be feasible.
The wood finish is another area we are a little slower to warm up to. The finish is great, don’t get us wrong – you just have to be more careful. The fact that they include the hefty road cases is a testament to this fact. As long as you keep the system in those cases whenever it’s being moved you should be A-OK. The small scuffs and smudges we saw on our system during our testing were easily removed with a little elbow grease.
ProX XZF-DJCT Review – Wrapping it all up
All-in-all, we’re fans of the ProX XZF-DJCT-W Control Tower. It’s good-looking, versatile, and easy to use. It can decrease your setup time and improve your image over the standard folding table and facade. If you have space in your vehicle to transport it, picking one up seems to be a no-brainer. The best part? You can grab one today without waiting for a limited production run. The Control Tower truly is a portable DJ booth for everyone.
Questions or comments, please leave them in the comment section below, or feel free to contact us directly. Let us know how we can help and check out our advice and instructors.
We’ll see you on the flip side!
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