Thanks for visiting our Numark V7 Review.
Turntables are being developed at a rate of knots, and it is only fair for DJs to keep up with the trend. Numark has developed some of the best DJ controllers available, and the new Numark V7 could well be their best product thus far. If you are in the niche that likes playing digital music, then you will need to lay your hands on these decks as soon as you finish reading this review.
I am certain most DJs have had a chance to try the NS7 which many consider the godfather of all 100% digital MIDI controllers. The NS7 was designed to work in close collaboration with Serato ITCH software which allows digital DJs to play like vinyl purists. The NS7 features two high torque, spinning platter and original vinyl to top it all up.
The central question many will be asking, is the V7 just another spin-off of the famed NS7? The correct answer to that is not quite. This review will reveal as such. Check out other options for DJ CD Players.
The Numark VS7
You cannot examine the V7 without first looking at what the NS7 missed or what makes it less of a winner than the V7. However, there is nothing you can take away from the NS7 – it is an excellent mixer. Many will agree that it is not 100% and it fails to get this score due to a few issues as highlighted below:
- Its size – The NS7 is bloody huge and carrying it around for gigs can prove quite a challenge.
- It is costly – To afford the NS7 you will need to put some serious cash on the side to get it off the shelf.
- It lacks flexibility – Considering that the unit is an all-in-one, you will need to have everything or you have nothing at all.
- It has some omissions and quirks – For any purist DJs out there, the NS7 fails to provide an on-board FX. Besides, the two decks are exact copies of each other. For instance, the pitch control on the left deck is on the left-hand side, and the one on the right-hand side is on the right.
What The V7 has to Offer
The V7 is essentially a 100% digital performance deck. This means that it cannot give the DJ a chance to play music from a CD player. The mixer is not in-built, but it does have a Sound card. To get it ready, you need to start running Serato ITCH on your computer, plug in the V7, and channel the output from the deck into a mixer. This will give you one channel of digital sound. You can add another deck using an Ethernet cable which allows you to plug only one of the decks on the computer. This way you get a classic two-decks and mixer DJ set up, and you can access all the digital delights of loops, cues, library search and the like.
The V7 is built like a tank and scores 100% on the professional grade. The platter is perfect, and its resolution is ten times higher than that of MIDI. What this means is that it feels like an actual turntable and sounds like one too. The unit has many advanced controls that make it stand out as real pro equipment. This comes as no surprise considering this is has been adopted from the NS7.
If you have been using Serato for some time, you will look at the above features and be tempted to say “I really need to get that.” NS7 users will even feel more inclined to jump ship and get the V7. If you do not fit into any of these categories, here are more reasons why you should seriously consider the V7:
- You could be looking for one digital deck – The V7 allows you to control two decks on software simply by hitting a switch button. On the rear side of the unit, there are two different line-outs made for this particular purpose. As such, you can play a whole set on one unit as long as you remember which deck you are controlling at any given moment. If you already have a vinyl or CDJ that you’re happy with, then you might consider the V7 to add the digital element to it. It offers you versatility, and you might just consider trying it.
- You want controls that are similarly laid out on both decks – As I had earlier pointed out the Numark V7 has controls that are laid in the same exact way for both the right-hand side and left-hand side decks. (The NS7 had different layouts on each deck). I bet many people disliked this layout and if you are looking to change that, then the V7 is the perfect choice for you.
- You want an independent on-board FX – The V7 comes with on-board Serato ITCH’s FX. This as a whole sounds great. However, you need to note that they may not be the most flexible or advanced, but they are quite good. Thus, if you are looking to spice up your pre-mixer then here is your answer.
The Downside
Although not really an issue but rather an observation, the V7 is capable of controlling two Serato decks, as such I should presume that it can control four decks when two are connected via Ethernet. This seems like an obvious omission by Numark considering Serato has shown over time that it works fine with Allen & Heath which have four decks. At the time of writing this review, using the V7 to control four decks was not possible.
The other downside to the V7 is that it cannot measure up to the standards set by Pioneer. Pioneer seems to have identified all the needs of a DJ and they are creating equipment to address every need that a DJ may have. Their vision remains to help all DJs play music from any medium and installation equipment that will work with anything and everything. As such, this is simply a strategic issue rather than an issue with the decks.
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