All traveling DJs need something to carry their gear around in, even if they’re just hoofing it down to the local dive bar for a tune-up set. After hunting for a suitably rugged, comfortable and well-priced bag for my digital DJ endeavors, I finally struck gold with the Lil Namba Remix Backpack. The smaller brother of the Big Namba Studio Backpack, this medium sized, nice-looking gear bag really does the job, and is integral to my setup. If you’re interested in a single gig bag for a laptop/controller/soundcard rig, check out the full review.
WHAT IT FITS
To give you an idea of how much can fit comfortably into the Remix bag, I laid out my usual gear on the sofa. I was even stunned myself when I saw what came out of it – it’s like a TARDIS!
THE BIG COMPARTMENT
• Plenty of room for the VCI without damaging the faders.
• The laptop pouch belittles my 13-inch Macbook, and will hold a 15-inch laptop with no trouble.
• Space for plenty of large cables, such as the NI Multicores in the large back pouch.
• It can carry the M-Audio Oxygen 8 V2, however, it’s a tight squeeze, and unfortunately requires me to lose a few cables.
IN THE FRONT
• Comfortably fits my big headphones, and NI Audio 8 DJ soundcard, which is fairly bulky.
• Room for loads of USB and RCA cables (in the handy velcro strap).
• Also accommodates a medium sized USB hard drive, small notebook, footswitch, guitar lead, sharpies and wine gums.
SECRET COMPARTMENT
• This is where I slot in my CDs. (The pictured wallet doesn’t come with the bag; it came with my car!)
• This could easily fit in magazines, documents, wallet, etc.
CABLES
• Namba included useful little velcro cable ties, which seriously help with digital DJ setting up syndrome – when you’re given 5 minutes to empty your bag in a dark booth, and you need that spare cable.
• Both compartments have dedicated cable straps to hold everything in place – which I’ve found super useful for the same reason.
THE VERDICT
PROS:
• Über spacious for a bag of its size and weight
• Plenty of handy compartments and straps to organise your gear well – a very valuable feature for me
• Comfortable on the shoulders
• Very brightly coloured interior, so you can see the contents in the dark
• Rugged design to protect your gear
CONS:
• It would be a tight squeeze for anything larger than a VCI-100 (look at it’s bigger brother, the Big Namba Studio Backpack for that).
In terms of how it weighs up against the rest of the market, the Lil Namba Remix Bag seems like the perfect way to carry around your gear for a price of $129.95 US. I have yet to find another bag on the market that is both larger than the usual oversized laptop satchel (like the new Traktor bag) but smaller than the mammoth producer bags, such as the Magma and UDG varieties. If your looking for something with more of a “dj gear” look then the UDG producer bag is also a solid option. Check out our review here.
