Pioneer DDJ-RX professional 4-channel controller for rekordbox DJ

Product Information

The bottom line for me was that my mixes on the Traktor s4 were better, more creative and easier than this more expensive Pioneer unit. I’ve had the unit for about a week now and its great, but this weekend I tested out the ‘hot-swappability’ of the unit in terms of standard flash (no rekordbox analysis), rekordbox flash, laptop via ProLink, AND Traktor, and these are my thoughts which I wrote elsewhere but wanted to share them here as they may help some in making a decision. Now with the XDJ-RX, for the first time it’s possible to see how a beginner DJ could buy this as their first controller, learning how to DJ on it the “Pioneer” way, and so theoretically carry those skills right across into the pro DJ booth when ready with a minimal learning curve to adjust to. Since one of the issues people have with software / controller DJing is “but the club I want to play in has CDJs, and I don’t know how to use them!”, this could turn out to be significant. As far as the standalone mixer functionality in this: I understand that this mixer will be ‘digital’ as far as the architecture goes? By pressing and holding the Menu button under the screen, you can access the system preferences, which contain a lot of choices, of which I’m going to highlight a few here.

I have been forced to use Rekordbox at work, at first I hated it, but I have grown accustomed to it and its most redeeming feature is the lightness on PC load, that aside, to answer your question on playlists/Drives In other words I need something ultra versatile with the ability to get used to playing on Pioneer’s club standard without actually buying it. Something fairly future proof – I would like my equipment to last a good a couple of years before it gets obsolete or I won’t have a possibility to expand it/make it up to date.Rekordbox DJ includes all the accustomed tools including Sampler, Slicer, Hot Cues, Beat FX and Sound Colour FX along with Beat Jump and introducing the new Pad FX so you can create multiple FX chains using all 16 pads. The XDJ-RX, though, is the first controller to come close to hitting the spot with Rekordbox – close enough for us to feel excited about using it. Aside from the library searching issue, there’s not much I missed here from DJing with Traktor, Serato or VirtualDJ plus a controller – and I did like the Pioneer look and feel. The tempo faders are long and precise, making for easy beatmatching similar to Pioneers CDJ / XDJ players. The overall sensation of mixing and performing on the DDJ-RX is that you can trust it and let rip! Road test – live on the radio

Nevertheless, the XDJ-RX is very, very good. Pioneer DJ is coming close to landing a killer punch outside the DJ booth, something pretty significant since the company is already the undisputed champion within it. Rekordbox DJhas arrived; the new software released by Pioneer DJ is just what Rekordbox users have been waiting for. Rekordbox DJ uses one library so a set can be prepped and played straight from a laptop and used with a controller or export the same library to a USB device ready to use on the industry standard CDJ-2000 Nexus players. I already have a very powerful laptop (rMBP 15”) so I am not counting this cost at all – it’s there alreadyThe controller’s layout mirrors the software’s GUI, giving you instinctive control of performance features including Hot Cues, Sampler, Slicer, Sound Colour FX, Beat FX, Beat Jump and Pad FX. Secondly, the XDJ-RX has many of the practical benefits of a DJ controller, namely that everything is in one box, and so it’s relatively easy to move around, but with the standard layout and features of Pioneer DJ gear that will be instantly recognisable to any DJ used to playing on any Pioneer set-up from the past 20 years. With Pioneer’s Rekordbox laptop analysis pre-gig making it possible for Pioneer DJ equipment to more and more do what software / controller DJs can do, this controller has a lot of the fun of those systems, but with the added benefit of a small learning curve between it and the pro DJ booth. The Pioneer DDJ-RX DJ Controller is designed with no quality compromised. At first glance it is similar to its big brother, the famous SX, however the DDJ-RX features new, superb components tailored to provide DJs with an intuitive rekordbox dj experience.

It will be interesting to see what comes next. I would like to see Pioneer release a controller like this with four channels and a touchscreen priced a bit higher, and another one, again with a touchscreen (leaving that off the XDJ-RX was a mistake), but without all the complicated inputs and outputs of this unit, only controlling two software channels, and so coming in cheaper. Deliveries will be made subject to the terms and conditions of the courier company. djkit.com will not be held responsible for late deliveries. All my music is in MP3s (therefore I need ‘digital DJ’ in one form or the other i.e. laptop dependent controller djing/DVS/all in one laptop free unit) but I also will start buying vinyl records and increase this slowly with timeThanks to in-house software and hardware development the DDJ-RX offers tight integration with low latency possible with modest system requirements enable the RX to deliver a super responsive experience.

Lastly (please forgive me for writing so much – I am just so passionate about it) I have this question: Rekordbox is Pioneer’s DJ software solution, but it’s slightly different to Serato, Traktor, VirtualDJ and the like, in that it is not intended to go into the DJ box with you – at least when it comes to standalone/all-in-one systems. Rather, it’s intended to be used to prepare your music beforehand, so that you can do all kinds of cool controller-type stuff in the DJ booth, without the laptop being there with you. The Pioneer vs Traktor discussion is v interesting. I have used CDJ 2000 nxs a lot and I simply don’t find them as intuitive as the traktor system, both Manually and in SYNC mode. Can I use serato DVS with this? That would be great if I could – all my music is in mp3 but I plan on starting buying pure analog vinyl records too. Do we have any rumors if XDJ-RZ is coming out anytime soon? (with 4 channels, split cues and touch screen/s) ?XDJ-RX with a pair or 1200s – this will give me standalone unit in rekordbox ecosystem (great to get used to Pioneer’s club standard DJM/CDJ system) and also standalone mixer for playing analog vinyls when I want to. I am not sure about DVS and Serato DJ (digital DJing) compatibility with this. Another fresh new pioneer feature is the fantastic sequencing loop record control. The sequencing loop control means that creating loops on the fly has never been easier for on-the-move mixers. Experimental DJs can also enjoy the unique level of splicing made available with the 16 velocity sensitive pads. fully analog mixer (in terms of internal architecture and signal processing, not that it is ‘with digital’ in that it has built in sound card) for example Xone:43