Pioneer DJ is on a roll right now. With BPM approaching and a string of new stuff being announced, they’re clearly looking to fill every corner of their stand with new shiny, and the updated and rekordbox standalone XDJ-RX2 will absolutely garner the attention of a broad spectrum of the show’s visitors.
You know how this works — their complete words, and then a few of mine:
Inherit the Booth: Meet the XDJ-RX2 all-in-one DJ system for rekordboxTM –
Professional layout, 7-inch touch screen and multicoloured Performance Pads
14th September 2017: We’ve upgraded our popular all-in-one DJ system, the XDJ-RX, to create the XDJ-RX2. The new two-deck, two-channel system inherits features and design traits from our flagship NXS2 set-up to bring you a professional DJ experience, whether you use it to control music stored on your laptop via rekordbox dj or directly from USB devices.
The 7-inch touch screen in the centre of the XDJ-RX2 displays waveforms from both decks simultaneously, plus detailed track information including sync status and playback position so you can get a quick visual reference during mixes. You can bring up a QWERTY keyboard on the display to find your next track faster, plus there’s a large rotary selector and Needle Search, Track Filter and Short Cut features inherited from the flagship CDJ-2000NXS2 multi player. Each deck has eight large, multicoloured Performance Pads for tactile control over Hot Cues, Beat Loop, Slip Loop and Beat Jump, and you can get even more creative with the Beat FX and Sound Color FX, which come from the flagship DJM-900NXS2 mixer.
The XDJ-RX2 comes bundled with a licence key for our professional DJ performance application, rekordbox dj, worth €139. Simply activate the licence key, connect your PC/Mac to the XDJ-RX2 via a single USB cable and start using the system to trigger features and FX in the software. A limited number of the XDJ-RX2 systems we ship will also include a licence key for rekordbox video – the Plus Pack that enables you to bring videos into your performances when you play with rekordbox dj.
The XDJ-RX2 will be available from September 2017 at an SRP of €1699 including VAT.
Watch the introduction video or find out more about the XDJ-RX2.
KEY FEATURES OF THE XDJ-RX2
- 7-inch touch screen and other features from the CDJ-2000NXS2
Stay in control of your performances at all times with help from the 7-inch touch screen in the centre of the XDJ-RX2. Keep an eye on waveforms and detailed track information, including sync status, from both decks at the same time to ensure seamless mixing. Use Wave Zoom for a closer look at the current playback position and call up a QWERTY keyboard to quickly find the next track you want to play. You can also browse through tracks using the large rotary selector and Needle Search, Track Filter and Short Cut features, all of which come from the top-flight CDJ-2000NXS2 multiplayer.
- Layout and performance features from the DJM-900NXS2
Perform precise, smooth mixes on the XDJ-RX2 using the EQs and channel faders, which feature curves equivalent to those on the DJM-900NXS2 mixer. Add creative flair with Sound Color FX and Beat FX, also inherited from the flagship mixer.
- Multicoloured Performance Pads
Unleash your creativity with eight large, multicoloured Performance Pads on each deck for instant access to Hot Cues, Beat Jump, Beat Loop and Slip Loop, all of which are popular professional features. You can set up to eight Hot Cues on each deck.
- USB connection/Link Export for rekordbox
Import tracks to our rekordbox music management application on your PC/Mac to prepare them for performances by analysing BPM and setting up Hot Cues and loops. Using USB connection/Link Export mode, you can connect your laptop to the XDJ-RX2 and play your prepared tracks via the system without needing to export them to a USB device.
- Includes rekordbox dj licence key
Every XDJ-RX2 comes bundled with a licence key for our professional DJ performance application, rekordbox dj, worth €139. Thanks to its built-in sound card, you can connect the XDJ-RX2 to your PC/Mac with a single USB cable and use it to control the latest version of the software.
- Protective accessories available
To help protect your XDJ-RX2 on the road, the DJC-RX2-BAG is available separately at an SRP of €129. The high-quality bag features an EVA Durashock moulded body, egg-foam and a fleeced lining to prevent damage from vibrations and shocks. For even greater protection, the FLT-XDJ-RX2 is available at an SRP of €539. The lightweight, durable case is made from industrial 6 mm plywood with bonded high-pressure laminate so it’s solid on the outside, while the foam lining makes it soft on the inside. Aluminium reinforced edges, recessed butterfly catches and folding handles make it the ideal way to transport your XDJ-RX2.
- Other features
- Bundled rekordbox video licence key – included with a limited number of systems
- Two Mic inputs – XLR & 1/4-inch TRS jack
- AUX and 2 x Line/Phono input terminals – connect turntables, DJ Players or portable players
- Two USB-A ports – Import digital tracks from rekordboxTM (iOS/Android)
XDJ-RX2 Specifications
Frequency characteristic 20 Hz to 20 kHz (USB, AUX (0 dB/12 dB), MIC1, MIC2) S/N ratio 112 dB (USB) Total harmonic distortion 0.003% (USB) Input / Output terminals Inputs LINE×2 (RCA), PHONO×2 (RCA) MIC×2 (XLR connector & 1/4-inch TRS jack), AUX×1 (RCA)
Outputs MASTER1×1 (XLR), MASTER2×1 (RCA),
BOOTH×1 (1/4-inch TRS jack),
PHONES (1/4-inch stereo phone jack×1,
3.5-mm stereo mini jack×1)
USB A type x 2, B type x 1 Dimensions (W x D x H) 728.2 mm × 443.8 mm x 108.4 mm Main unit weight 9.1 kg
PADS AND SCREEN
If you’re groping for the selling points of this over the old one, I can sum it up in the above sentence. The XDJ-RX2 gets a touch screen, pretty much the top third of a CDJ-2000NXS2, albeit showing two waveforms rather than one. This will make users instantly at home on either, and does explain the “inherit the booth” strapline.
And it seems that 2×4 RGB pads are becoming a standard feature, no matter what the workflow. The previous version had a measly single row of pads, and only in boring old blue. Now it’s bang up to date and offers features that would normally associated with such buttons.
One thing — it has remained at two channels. This is not a complaint, but simply an observation, as I personally feel it’s the right choice for the target market. My feeling is that the target audience is actually perfectly happy with two channels, and is unlikely to dabble in looping on 3rd and 4th channels. Pioneer DJ wants you to have a solid slice of the booth, but in a more compact form. You can if you wish plug in external devices, but they’ll sit in the same channels as your regular decks.
Two further musings here — the Denon DJ MCX8000 offers just two channels of standalone play via Engine in a four channel unit. This makes me wonder if the embedded performance of these units is currently only capable of delivering two solid channels right now. It’s also quite possible that four channel play is being reserved for an XDJ-RZ. There’s certainly enough interest in standalone units to warrant such a beast. I’m also left wondering where Serato and Traktor are in all this standalone stuff too.
AN ODD LAUNCH
Here’s how things normally work for the duck’s arse tight marketing machine. Nothing leaks, retailers get early looks under pain of death, and we press types find out pretty much at the same time i.e. 8am UK in the morning of launch. It’s an admirably tight ship that others would do well to aspire to.
But the XDJ-RX2 is technically old news. Both DJ Techtools and Digital DJ Tips ran speculative pieces about the possibility of an updated XDJ-RX months ago, indicating that Pioneer DJ wasn’t exactly precious about this sort of thing leaking out, officially or otherwise. Then a few weeks ago, an image of the rumoured new unit hit the usual sources, including our Twitter. And just this week, the XDJ-RX2 appeared all innocent like in the new rekordbox 5 video, topped off by the official video sitting unlisted in Pioneer DJ’s Youtube channel, but still leaking out.
For the record, stuff like this is usually media gold. But I’ve never found speculation useful for anyone, especially when attention spans are short, and rumour rapidly gets quoted as fact. And in a world infected with fake news, I prefer to stick to real facts.
Topping this uncharacteristic launch off is availability. Usually it’s weeks away, but with echoes of Apple product launches, the XDJ-RX2 is in shops today, as it should be.
So all in all, this has been a very atypical Pioneer DJ launch. I’d love to hear the logic behind this, publicly or privately. I’m intrigued…
SUMMING UP
There’s a price to pay for all this embedded stuff, and it’s one that initially made my arse cheeks clench. The XDJ-RX2 is going to set up back a full $1699/€1699/£1529. Yeah I know right? That’s almost £400 more than the old one at launch. But what you have to get past is that this isn’t a simple brainless MIDI controller. It’s fully standalone and a mixer too — essentially bar a CD drive, it’s a take anywhere with all bases covered device. It is a good slice of the booth that it wishes you to inherit.
There’s a price to pay for breaking free of the shackles of the laptop, and this is it. But if it’s anything like experience of the old one, it’s likely to be worth it.