It’s funny how the market has changed. Seems that for the longest time, the manufacturers pandered to the needs of pros and high end users, with a slew of fancy pants controllers with twice as many channels as needed, and altogether too many buttons. But now attentions are turning to the entry level, to the noobs who all want to be DJs, and want to be DJs anywhere and everywhere. Denon has brought out a stream of new stuff, but now it’s time for a bit of low end love. Behold the Denon DJ MC2000 – designed for and powered by Serato’s DJ Intro software.
First thing – it might be small and relatively cheap, but that doesn’t mean it can’t perform. It has considerably more than 2 turntables and a mixer has, and does it in a much more compact and cheaper package. Many seem to have forgotten the time before loops, cues and samples, when DJing was as simple as mixing one track to another on beat. So the MC2000 package offers over and above what many DJs actually need, let alone what a beginner needs to learn.
Here’s the word from the Denon mothership:
Denon DJ MC2000 DJ Controller
- Designed specifically for ‘Serato DJ intro’ Software (included)
- Plug & Play – USB Bus Powered
- Full MIDI Output – Map to other DJ Software
- Denon DJ ‘Professional Grade’ Construction
- Intuitive File Browsing Controls
- Built-in Audio interface
- MIC Input /Line Input
Now is the chance to step-up from the dance floor to the DJ Booth and ‘own the party’.
Denon DJ has been rocking crowds and owning dance floors since the dawn of DJing so we know how to capture your desire for music and offer you the very best gear for bringing any party to life.
The brand new MC2000 brings, for the first time, the very best in Denon DJ professional quality and technologies, then integrates them it into a product that’s accessible to everyone. From the ‘plug and play’ link up with Serato DJ Intro to the intuitive layout and controls on the deck, now is your time to join the new generation of DJ Superstars.
Mix like a Pro.
DJ equipment can make or break a performance. There are many choices to make when you first lay down a mix on your first deck, first mixer or first controller and it’s easy to get lost amongst sub-standard gear or controllers designed to be used at home in the bedroom.
With the MC2000, DJing has hit the masses with one single controller that is as much at home being used day-to-day to practice as it is being taken to a gig and used effortlessly in front of screaming crowds.
With an inbuilt professional-grade USB Audio Interface there’s no need to use your computers processing power just to output sound or buy extra gear to get club-quality audio from your speakers. The inbuilt interface gives the option of running true high quality audio out of the MC2000 to a serious speaker set-up wherever you are; in a club, at a gig, or just at home setting up for a night of mashing-up tracks.
Plug & Play.
Fresh DJing relies on relentless practice and knowing your music so why should you wait to get home to start dropping beats? The MC2000 doesn’t need to be plugged into a mains power supply for you to get thrashing out tunes – it’s USB Bus powered which means if you’re hanging with friends and want to show off your latest mix then you simply need to power up your laptop and plug in the MC2000 with a USB cable (supplied). It’s as easy as that because the MC2000 has been designed with Serato DJ Intro software in mind, complete with a layout which reflects exactly what you are doing on the laptop screen. Serato DJ Intro detects the controller automatically and is ready to work from the moment you take out of the box and plug in – giving you true ‘plug & play’ functionality*.
Serato DJ Intro Software.
Serato DJ Intro is the newest piece of software to join Serato’s illustrious DJ range, which includes popular professional DJ solutions, Scratch Live and ITCH. With over 10 years’ experience in software development, Serato bring their unique approach to this new plug-and-play system.
“We’ve been very fortunate to work with the world’s top DJs”, says Sam Gribben, C.E.O. of Serato Audio Research. “We’re looking forward to offering a whole new generation of DJs the chance to discover the tools that professionals around the world have trusted for years.”
Serato DJ Intro allows for traditional two deck mixing of digital music files from a computer. Large music collections can be managed with the Serato Crate system, plus advanced iTunes® integration allows for instant access to existing library and playlist information.
Design & Build.
With its portable design and solid build; the MC2000 is the ultimate weapon in your DJ bag, completely redefining the quality and usability of its class. With every single detail aimed at improving value and retaining simplicity without compromising features and sound quality.
The layout takes the very best from the already successful MC6000 and MC3000 platforms and puts it into an even more compact unit that’s tweaked especially to work seamlessly with Serato DJ Intro and similar DJ software.
The jog wheels and faders are lifted straight from the MC6000 Professional DJ Controller to retain the professional grade and high-quality feel that Denon DJ customers have come to expect. Built to take even the most enthusiastic mixing and hard-core techniques, the MC2000 stands tall amongst the competition as the only true professional grade product that inspires even the freshest of newcomers to pick up and join the DJing community.
Looking at the pictures, this is aimed directly at beginners. It lacks some of the essential bells and whistles that some quite literally cannot function without, but it does seem to cram quite a lot into its diminutive 400x240mm chassis. I’d rather find out from a beginner what they think is missing.
What excites me the most is Serato’s DJ Intro. While way too many people turn their noses up at it because it’s not pro enough, I actually think it deserves a little more credit. When first announced, Serato were worried that they had put too much into it, but given that ever-raising bar for DJs, I think they pitched it perfectly. The subsequent issue has been including it in units with way more power than DJ Intro offers. But that’s another story. However, the MC2000 is of course MIDI-mappable, but I struggle to see how the mapping could be any better, unless some gifted mapper got hold of it and turned it inside out.
The actual tightness of of integration that DJ Intro offers is amazing. The jog wheel in particular on DJ Intro enabled units is by far better than the price its pitched at. You can see DJ Wreckdown in the video pulling off some cool scratch tricks on the unit. Not sure about the sharpness of the fader curve though. And no, I do not know if an Innofader can fit into it.
And so to price – the expected price (still some discussion apparently) is £269/€325/$299. Given the performance I’m expecting from it, I’d say that the MC2000 is likely to be a winner with the hip young things, and to be honest many other people too. For experienced DJs, this is priced to allow anyone to buy one as a cost effective throw it in the back of your car backup.
I like the look of the MC2000. It seems to have every basic covered (except recording, which is annoying, but solvable via 3rd party software), and should keep DJs of all styles and abilities happy. I’m looking forward to chucking this around the worxlab very soon.
