"In Depth Review

The first thing you'll notice when taking this console out of the box is how closely it resembles the RMX. It has the same weight, feel, and general configuration of its predecessor. This is not necessarily bad, the RMX was an extremely durable console that could take a beating and still work; the 4-MX follows suit and is equally well constructed. At first sight, you might think these are basically the same system, but you'll find some very nice improvements that boost the 4-MX to a level above.

One of the biggest improvements is the updated jog wheel. While the RMX sported and underwhelming, hard to use wheel, the 4-MX sports a pair of larger jog wheels with rubber grips on the outside. The wheels feature a locking system, which can be active by the clamps on the bottom side of the unit.

Overall, the wheels sound great and work like a charm. They feel ready for use, but share the same construction characteristic of the rest of the unit, and can surely take some abuse. They are also touch sensitive, so simply pressing on the top can lead to some interesting effects. Over the RMX these wheels are a tremendous improvement, they not only sound, look, and feel better, but their improved size makes them much easier to use.

As for sound quality, we can't complain. The tone of the 4-MX was clean and crisp. Many units in the price range the the MX falls into seem to have sound quality issues. With the MX however, we found none.

The system itself is very compact, but doesn't feel cluttered. Hercules did a good job managing button and knob real estate on this one. The mapping is not the most intuitive, but I feel this to be a minor concern. The amount of buttons and knobs on this thing is definitely impressive. You get all your basics you would find on any standard controller, as well as a few extras that are a nice to have. A build in kill switch is a nice touch, which seems to be lacking in many other manufactures kits. . As it comes out the of the box, there are some questionable decisions on button mapping, but with the right software you can create your own mappings. In the end, if your the type who likes to sit and customize it to your own workflow, then there is a ton of buttons in which to do so with. However, in terms on out of the box simplicity, there could be a little work done to improve it.

The unit also sports two sets of 1/4" microphone and headphone jacks, one set on the front and another on the top. These seems to be for those that have their M-4 flight-cased and cant access the front. This type of attention really shows the care Hercules put into the design of their product.

On the back side you'll fine are two sets of 1.4" TRSjacks and RCA outputs for the master out. Initially, you might assume this to be a booth out with an independent volume, but it is actually configured to give the same output the headphone receive. Hercules claims that this "can be used to connect monitoring speakers which are used by DJs in clubs instead of headphones when they are mixing in an enclosed DJ booth and separated from the audience by a window". This seems like an odd configuration, and most DJ's won't see themselves in this situation. But, if for some reason you do, I guess you can be thankful for it.

You also get the standard line ins for decks, cds, ect. No big surprises here.

Software:
4-MX Virtual DJ 7 LE Software

The Hercules 4-MX comes with a special edition of Virtual DJ 7. This special edition of the software let's you DJ with four decks right out the box! This is a nice move, a lot of units only come with two deck software, saving you having to shell out more money in order to use your system. This version also allows you to record, an option commonly disabled on light or limited edition versions of DJ software.

The downside though, a lot of the extra features of Virtual DJ are disabled in this edition. They do give you the chance for try out the software for free for 20-days, and during that time you'll get a chance to preview all the extras you're missing. If you find you like what it has to offer, you'll be shelling out a little more money in order to upgrade yours to the pro version.

The 4-MX also comes with a simple control panel software. This allows you to adjust several other settings, generally related to the hardware and how it function. Simple tweaks might include how much the music cuts when you speak into the mic, or how much the jog scratches. Any DJ will appreciate the customization that can be achieved here.

4-MX Control Panel

The Good:
If your a fan of the Hercules RMX your in for a treat on this unit. Building off it's predecessor, you'll find the construction of this system to be just as solid as the former, as well as sporting a host of improvements. The best improvement, we found, was the upgraded job wheel. You also get the ability to control 4 decks right out of the box, and at a decent price. If your looking for a solid, durable console at a very fair price, this may be the one for you!

The Bad:
One of the negatives we found with this unit was the clunky knobs. Their plasticity appearance can be a turn off for certain DJS. There are also some questionable configurations with the input and outputs which will get into later.

The Bottom Line:

In the end, I think this is a really solid system, and I really liked it. At it's core, this is a simple DJ controller. It borrows a lot of the RMX, but does enough to be a clear improvement and stand on it's own. The jog, wheels, buttons, and knobs all feel a little smoother on this system, and for the relatively small design of this unit it all fits nicely. If durability is any concern of yours, then definitely give this console a look, I dare you to try and find something that can stand up to the beating one of these can take. Although it is missing a few key features that "Pro" equipment will have, most are going to find this to suit their needs. The features it does have, like the four deck use, make this an excellent system for the DJing enthusiast. As for price, you'll be hard pressed to find another controller with four deck functionality at the price you can pick one of these up for. If you liked the RMX, then you'll definitely love he 4-MX hands down!" -- Chi-City DJ

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