Sounds more like a greek battle than a true comparison of these two pioneering DJ controller manufacturers. But with both offering exactly the same feature set, looking extremely similar even in shape, and at the same price – the question is which one would be best for you?

I think the best question to ask would be which controller would be most suitable for you as the main differences are aesthetics. Read on to find out more about each and make up your own mind which to pick out for your santas list.

It’s a funny thing when it seems one manufacturer follows suit of another but it just looks like Numark and Hercules have done exactly that. The new Numark Omni Control is simply a Total Control with an audio interface built in to compete against the Hercules DJ Console RMX, and from the shape of the Omni Control it looks like Numark have taken influence from the RMX.

But from Hercules perspective they have realised that they need to offer their RMX as a standard midi controller only, just like Numarks Total Control. Here is born the Hercules DJ Console Steel – the midi only version of the RMX. Now with both companies offering more choice to compete against each other and hopefully in different price brackets you would think it would be beneficial for us prospective buyers – wrong!

Both the Hercules RMX and the Numark Omni Control are priced near enough the same around the cost of £245.

Hercules DJ Console RMX – £244.67 [Order @ Soundware]
Numark Omni Control – £243.70 [Order @ Soundware]

They offer similar control features and have a built in audio interface via USB. In a similar size, colour and shape it seems difficult to select the right one for you but I will be outlining the main differences below for you to make your own mind up…

Hercules RMX

Pros:

• Faders feel much better than the Omni
• Has 6 extra buttons for each deck (6 x cue/loop points)
• Jog wheels slow down quicker if you spin them (not as loose as the Omnis)
• Slightly bigger better looking unit.
• Extra inputs for decks
• Comes with a shoulder bag to carry it in

Cons:

• Buttons feel cheap and bouncy but bigger than the Omnis
• Sound quality not as good as Omnis (only 16 bit)
• Jog Wheels are nowhere good enough for scratching, look ugly.

Omni Control

Pros:

• Better sound quality (24 Bit)
• Better jog wheels for scratching but still not great
• Buttons feel a little bit better but smallish
• Rotary pot to navigate through a playlist and push to select

Cons:

• Slack jog wheels
• Lack of extra inputs
• Pots and Sliders feel cheap

My conclusion would be if you want slightly better jog wheels, only outputs, and better quality sound then opt for the Numark Omni Control otherwise if 16 bit sound quality is good enough for you on the Hercules, go for the RMX as it simply feels better (faders and pots are much nicer to work with).