The DJ is first in and last out. In between, the controller survives a car boot, a service lift, a sticky floor and a crowd that leans on everything. A good DJ flight case protects it on the way there, and then it becomes the booth: lid off, power in, and you are playing while someone else is still looking for an extension lead.

We are case makers, not DJs, so we ask a lot of questions. Do you play from the case on a table or on a stand? Does the laptop sit beside the controller or above it? Where does the microphone live between announcements? Which cables stay plugged in when you pack up? The answers decide whether the lid lifts off or hinges, whether the shelf slides, and how much foam the base really needs. The controller sits low and secure, and plays comfortably from the open case.

A ready-specified case for the AlphaTheta XDJ-AZ

More and more DJs asked us for the same thing: a case for the AlphaTheta XDJ-AZ that they could work from and travel with. So we designed our first custom case with a fixed specification:

• PVC-laminated, five-ply, water-resistant birch plywood, laminated on both sides with a leather-effect finish;
• recessed catches built for a long service life;
• extrusions and hardware chosen for the lowest possible weight;
• a built-in shelf that slides out in both directions;
• an L-shaped headphone adapter included;
• a choice of colour from the laminates in stock.

At 975 × 198 × 592 mm outside it is as compact as the controller allows, and it weighs 11.8 kg. The details are in the post on the ready-specified XDJ-AZ case.

Everything within arm’s reach on the Rane Performer

Borislav Georgiev says the Rane Performer is the best controller the brand has made so far, so it got a case to match. Full access to the front panel, high-grade wheels built in, a sliding shelf and a handy place for the microphone while he works. And the colour of the moment, of course. More photos in the post on the Rane Performer case.

The Pioneer DDJ-1000 case that DJs voted for

In 2020 we asked DJs which Pioneer DJ DDJ-1000 case they liked best. Their votes and ideas shaped the designs we still build today, and two of them stand out.

The compact one, designed with Georgi Ivanov (Dj Georgio), has no shelf, keeps the microphone at hand and weighs about 6 kg. The other one carries everything: a compartment for a 15.6 inch laptop, a wired and a wireless microphone and a receiver, with the laptop resting in a soft bed under the controller.

Thank you for being straight and professional. The build and strength of the case: TOP. Flexibility in designing the products matters a great deal. Here you get it many times over.

Georgi Ivanov (Dj Georgio)

More on the Pioneer DDJ-1000 cases.

From the FLX10 to whatever comes next

New controllers keep arriving, and each one gets the same treatment: measured, planned around its workflow, then built. One of the latest is a case for the Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX10:

I am very happy with my new Smart Cases case for the Pioneer FLX10! The product is world class, but what really won me over was the team’s attitude.

Desi Tsenov

If your controller is not in the DJ flight case catalogue yet, send us the model. Most of our cases start exactly that way.

When the setup is more than one controller

Plenty of working DJs carry a small system, and that is where a custom case really earns its money.

Mihail Neychev keeps twelve separate pieces of kit in one tight case. He opens the lid and starts work, instead of setting up his stall from scratch at every event.

DJ Rado (Radoslav Hristov) plays small events from a blue case with a Denon MC4000, an AKG Mini 2, his trusty 15 inch MacBook Pro and, of course, secret compartments for the takings.

DJ Bedros, a friend and customer for many years, got a case built around a Behringer X AIR XR12, with wireless microphones, a router and a tablet. The tedious plugging and unplugging is gone.

And for vinyl there is our DJ coffin for turntables: two turntables, a mixer and a laptop shelf, all playing from the open lid.

The case is part of the show

A DJ case stands on stage all night, so it is part of the look. Laminates come in black or in colour, and a logo or a label can go on top. You want purple, you get purple. Nikolay Radev and his team got purple cases for their Funktion-One PSM318 DJ monitors, with huge DJ stands to match.

A great solution that combines modern design and practicality, a dream for every DJ.

Asen Mutafchiev

Frequently asked questions about DJ flight cases

Can I play from inside a DJ flight case?

Yes. Smart Cases designs DJ cases so the controller or mixer works from the open case, with the connections you use during a show within reach.

How heavy is a DJ controller flight case?

It depends on the controller and the design. The Smart Cases case for the AlphaTheta XDJ-AZ measures 975 × 198 × 592 mm and weighs 11.8 kg. The compact Pioneer DDJ-1000 case weighs about 6 kg.

Can the case hold a laptop and microphones too?

Yes. One Pioneer DDJ-1000 design has a compartment for a 15.6 inch laptop, a wired and a wireless microphone and a receiver. The XDJ-AZ case has a built-in shelf that slides out both ways.

Can I choose the colour of my DJ case?

Yes. Laminates come in black or in colour, and a logo or label can be added. The XDJ-AZ case comes in any colour from the laminates in stock.

My controller is not in your catalogue. Can you still build a case?

Yes. Most cases start that way. Send the make and model, how you play and what else travels with it.

Build your DJ case around the way you play

Browse DJ equipment cases and mixer flight cases for ideas, or design yours in the online case builder. Then send us your controller model, the laptop you use and how you like to play, and we will build the case that becomes your booth.