Check out the new CDJ Pioneer Media Player. Although it’s a CDJ, there is no CD player. Which makes total and absolute sense in 2020. If you want a CDJ with a CD player, keep the previous model of the last generation.. This is the future. Or at least, the present. All the new features in this new model are already existing and available in the Denon SC6000 PRIME Professional DJ Media Player since before thought.
Sure it’s not a multi touch screen, so you can’t pitch waveforms, but apart from that, it’s large, colorful, and stacked with features. A large screen is so much easier to work with and delivers an almost “laptop-like” experience.
The lack of a CD slot. Yes, yes we get it many DJs still use CDs. But it really doesn’t make sense to create a media player with a CD slot in it in 2020, does it? Why integrate mechanical parts that are becoming more and more expensive than most DJs don’t even use? So I totally get the move by Pioneer DJ to leave them out. Calling this the XDJ-3000 would have been more logical, but we guess that giving up the legendary CDJ brand name would have been marketing suicide…
What we like less
We love the fact that the hot-cue buttons are now ordered horizontally, but why right below the screen? They look a bit cramped there.
On the other hand, maybe it just takes a little bit of getting used to. And being close to the screen means that you can really “match up” the buttons with the cue points shown on the screen. We will have more to say on that when we get our review units!
It’s also not clear to us what other functions these hot-cue buttons can have. We would have preferred for Pioneer DJ to include full blow performance pads here, but I guess the logic is that if you need Rekordbox performance features, get a DDJ-XP2.
First Look
We will do a full review of this unit in the near future, but our first impressions are positive. Yes, it’s much more expensive than a comparable Denon DJ deck, but Pioneer DJ is asking this price because they know pro Djs will buy them. And in all fairness to them, Rekordbox is still superior to Engine Prime, and that’s a big part of the story.
Pioneer DJ is the Apple of the DJ industry, while Denon DJ is more like Samsung or OnePlus. Pioneer DJ innovates slowly but surely and manages to maintain an industry-leading position.
Denon DJ goes all out on features while still keeping the price low and therefore, shows the way forward technologically. And who wins? The consumer having more choice than ever before.
Key Features
9-inch touch screen
Multi-Core processor
Improved transport controls
In-Jog Display
8 hot cue buttons
Key sync and key shift
Gigabit ethernet
USB 3 computer connection
Upgraded audio
Hardware unlock for Rekordbox DJ
Pricing and Availability
Available now, price 2299 €.
Source: djtechzone