The holidays are here! Whether you’re thinking of picking up something for yourself or looking for a gift to give to a special DJ/producer in your life, we’ve rounded up 12 of the sweetest bits of gear you can find under a tree or inside a stocking.

And if you’ve been really good this year, think of it as a gift for each of the 12 days of Christmas.

AlphaTheta DDJ-FLX2 (US$179)

The newest beginner two-channel DJ controller on the block. It replaces the DDJ-200 entry-level rekordbox controller, but this time adds an onboard sound card for plugging in your headphones and speakers directly. It features a “club standard” layout with deck controls on either side and a mixer section with three-band EQs and filters per channel. If you want to get into the AlphaTheta/Pioneer DJ ecosystem, this gets your foot in the door.

Hercules DJ Control Inpulse 300 Mk2 (US$200)

An alternative to the DDJ-FLX2 would be this DJControl Inpulse 300Mk2. It has a similar layout to the AlphaTheta controller, but this time with onboard Beat Align lights that help you with beatmatching. It won’t work with rekordbox, but it does work with Serato DJ Lite and DJUCED.

KRK Rokit G5 Classic (US$179)

They are “classic” for a reason. These speaker monitors seem to be on the work desk of just about every bedroom producer and project studio owner (and YouTuber!) because they’ve got a sound that enthusiasts and pros have come to rely on through the last two decades. You can’t go wrong with a pair of KRKs when you’re just starting out, and when you outgrow them, they’re also easy to sell since they’re quite popular.

Pioneer DJ DM40 Speakers (US$179)

Pioneer DJ’s take on bedroom DJ and home studio monitoring gets you decent sound at a budget-friendly price. These are a good alternative to the KRK Rokit’s on this list if you prefer this look, or if you’re already rocking a Pioneer DJ/AlphaTheta set-up and want everything to be uniform.

Pioneer DJ HDJ-CUE1 (US$69)

These headphones are a decent beginner pair that won’t break the bank. They come in black, but you can swap out the ear pads and cables with an accessory pack sold by Pioneer DJ in five different colors: orange, yellow, green, blue, and pink. Take your pick!

Audio Technica ATH-M40x (US$160)

An oldie but a goodie. These headphones are a staple in a beatmaker or bedroom producer’s arsenal because they punch way above their weight class. They’re great for producing on the go and are essential for making crucial editing and mixing decisions when used in tandem with your monitor speakers. They sound good for the price and will be a constant companion in your music production journey.

DJ TechTools Chroma USB Drive (US$61)

Say goodbye to those pesky laptop dongles: DJ TechTools’ latest product is a blazing-fast USB 3.2 flash drive for DJs that comes with both USB-A and USB-C jacks. It’s made of an all-metal enclosure that comes in four colors, and you can even have your logo engraved upon ordering.

DJ TechTools Chroma Caps and Cables  

Deck out your DJ gear with these slick and grippy knobs and faders from DJ TechTools. They’re particularly useful if your controller comes with knobs that have darker notches or highlights that are difficult to see in dimly lit bars and clubs.

Akai Pro MPK Mini Mk3 (US$160)

This is one of the most popular keyboard controllers for music producers, and it’s been that way since it was first introduced back in 2011. You get a two-octave keyboard, eight velocity-sensitive pads, eight knobs, an arpeggiator, and a small onboard status display. That’s a ton of control for not a lot of spend: the only thing that beats this would be the Novation Launchkey Mini, which is what I’d recommend if you were using Ableton Live.

UA Volt 1 (US$140)

Universal Audio is one of the best hardware-accelerated plugin companies in the professional recording studio market, and the company has taken aim at bedroom music producers with its Volt series of audio interfaces. Though pricier than most of the competition in the entry-level range (Focusrite’s Saffire comes to mind), the Volt series comes bundled with some of Universal Audio’s most popular native plugins, which are already worth the price of admission. These include the Pultec EQ and LA-2A Compressor (I use these in every single project I work on) and the Pure Plate Reverb and Galaxy Echo plugins. It even ships with a copy of Melodyne Essential and Ableton Live Lite so you can get started in no time.

Fabfilter Pro-Q3 (US$140)

The best contemporary EQ you can buy right now. A bit pricey considering most DAWs have a stock EQ plugin with a visualizer, but the interface, ease of use, and transparency of this plugin are second to none. Do yourself a favor: Get it and learn to use it well. Your producer self will thank you years later.

Sennheiser HD-25 (US$160)

A legendary pair of on-ear headphones that were introduced in the late ’80s and have stood the test of time. Portable, rugged, and built to last – for many DJs, this is the last pair of headphones they’ll buy.

BONUS:

Loop Earplugs (from US$50)

Stylish, low profile, and with different levels of attenuation. Instead of blocking out sound like traditional foam earplugs (which tend to dull high frequencies more than the others), these aim to lower the overall level of the sound around you instead, leading to a more natural and nuanced sound when you’re at loud venues. These are earplugs for the 21st century.

DJing is bigger and more popular than ever thanks to at-home party sets on YouTube and cool short-form performances on TikTok and Instagram. While new gear releases have been few and far between, it just goes to show that digital DJing has matured and is ready to move into its next phase of evolution as more creators and hobbyists get on board. 

About the Writer

DJ Joey Santos is a content creator with a lifelong interest in music and technology. A former tutor at Digital DJ Tips, the world’s largest DJ training school, he has taught thousands of students globally. He now runs a private DJ and music tuition practice, and advocates for vocational education in the Philippine music industry through his Kuya DJ initiative.