The Lowdown
These bags are sturdy, understated, durable, and with the added (stated) advantage of also being waterproof. Like any bag, though, it’s only as good as how you pack it.
Video Review
Conclusion
It’s important to protect your gear, especially as a gigging DJ. If you do a lot of travelling with your laptop and gear in tow, a bag like this is a great idea. I think the XXL is at a disadvantage through no fault of its own in that it’s just too large to go on board a flight with you as hand luggage, and I’d be extremely hesitant to let a controller go into a plane’s cargo hold, lest it be secured in a flight case, but that’s the fault of the size of the gear inside, not the bag itself. (The slightly smaller model – the XL – will just about fit into cabin luggage dimensions if you don’t overpack it.)
No such problem with the smaller of the two though. Indeed, the Magma Riot is too small for most controllers, and is really best if you’re a DVS DJ who wants to carry control vinyl or CDs, an audio interface, and maybe a small mixer; or alternatively a couple of modular DJ controllers, a laptop, and some headphones too.
Either way, these bags are sturdy, understated, durable, and with the added (stated) advantage of also being waterproof. Like any bag, it’s only as good as how you pack it; I’d resist the temptation to slip my laptop in the very front pocket of the XXL, for instance, even though a 13″ or smaller MacBook Air will easily fit because such pockets just aren’t so well protected…
However, as long as you work out an efficient and sensible way to pack your bag, and choose one that fits your controller properly and snugly, most DJs in most cases – even those who travel a lot – could get away with carrying their gear in a Magma Riot Backpack, and avoid needing heavy, expensive-to-transport and far less practical traditional hard cases made of wood and metal. After all, digital DJ gear calls for practical, modern solutions, and the Magma Riot DJ Backpacks definitely provide that.
