When you’re top dog, there’s always someone coming after your throne. Denon DJ is gunning for the CDJs with more capable units for a better price. And Richie Hawtin’s Model 1 and Allen & Heath’s Xone 96 have their sights on the DJM range. The booth is most definitely under siege.
Now we did think that NAMM might see a response to Denon DJ’s increasingly more powerful barrage, but Pioneer DJ seems to have hunkered down on that front. But protecting their DJM position is the new DJM-V10 — a monster of a mixer aimed at turning the heads of probably more European DJs wearing black t-shirts than US ones. Expect to see a heap of Model 1s on eBay soon.
So that you have the most complete information, and importantly to stop you asking the most obvious questions, here as ever is the full press release — whether you like it or not:
CRAFT YOUR SOUND: Meet the DJM-V10
6-channel club mixer enabling DJs to craft new soundscapes from multiple audio sources
January 16, 2020: Forge a unique sound with the DJM-V10. Born from a fresh design concept, the DJM-V10 is a new breed of mixer, built to enable the most creative DJs to craft original soundscapes. This 6-channel unit produces warm audio with energy and presence, and it’s loaded with unique features. So, take full control of your mix and enjoy the freedom to create something the crowd has never heard before.
Connect CDJs, turntables, and other line-level audio sources to the DJM-V10’s six channels and use the specially developed 4-band EQ to sculpt your sound. Fully kill the high and low frequencies and play with the two mid ranges, which use an exclusive curve, to mold your mix. There’s a brand-new filter too, controlled by the dedicated knob on each channel. Bring rich texture to your tracks by selecting high or low pass, then sweeping the knob all the way from the left to the right.
Unlimited creative options are available thanks to the expanded send/return section on the DJM-V10. You can route audio to one of four built-in FX and up to two pieces of external equipment. Assemble a custom setup by plugging in FX units, guitar pedals, and more to further personalize your performance. Route the audio back to the original channel or mix it straight into the master output. You can also choose to return it to a separate channel and tweak it further with the filter. And you can even use selected smartphone apps in your performances by connecting your device via MULTI I/O.
Every aspect of the DJM-V10 has been carefully designed to produce the best audio possible, and to give you the tools to shape your sound. After layering elements and FX with the six channels, use the 3-band master isolator on the master output to drastically change, or fine-tune, the contours of your whole mix. And if you want to play raw, classic recordings with modern, mastered ones, use the compressor – the first of its kind we’ve ever featured on a mixer – and blend together tracks you might never have dared to before. Simply turn the knob and the loudness of the audio from the selected channel will be boosted, resulting in a more natural mix. Keen to spice up a track? Add harmony and depth with Beat FX including the brand-new Shimmer.
If things don’t sound right behind the decks, use the new booth EQ on the DJM-V10 to adjust the audio coming through the monitors. And with dual headphone outputs – each featuring their own monitor channel and level control – you can comfortably take over the decks from a DJ who’s wrapping up a set, or perform back-to-back all night, without having to compromise on what you hear in your headphones.
The DJM-V10 will be available from early February 2020 at an SRP of €3,299 / £2799 including VAT. To use it with rekordbox dj/dvs, connect the mixer to a computer running the latest version of the software (rekordbox dj/dvs license(s) required, available separately). The DJM-V10 is also Serato DVS-ready (Serato DJ Club Kit license required, available separately – Serato DJ Pro compatibility is coming soon) and TRAKTOR DVS-ready (requires TRAKTOR PRO 3, available separately).
Want to know more? Watch the DJM-V10 introduction video or find out more about the mixer.
KEY FEATURES OF THE DJM-V10
- Elite sound quality
Feel the warmth of the mixer’s natural sound and hear every detail in the music. We’ve adopted studio-quality 96-kHz/64-bit mixing and dithering processing within the DSP, as well as 32-bit high-quality A/D and D/A converters. All of this, plus the low-jitter clock circuit, helps produce a full low-end that’s complemented by vibrant mids and precise highs.
- Six channels
Choose your ideal setup and plug in everything from CDJs and turntables to samplers, synths, and drum machines. To make setup easy, the analog input terminals line up with each channel on the top panel, so you’ll always know where to connect your cables when you’re in the booth.
- 4-band EQ
Sculpt your sound just the way you like with the newly developed 4-band EQ. The frequencies, curves, and boost and cut amounts on each band have all been specially designed to give you total flexibility. Completely isolate the high and/or low and tweak the two mid ranges – which have their own custom curves – to fine-tune your mix.
- New filter with dedicated knob on each channel
Drastically change the sound of a track or make tiny adjustments using the newly developed filter with resonance control. Switch on high or low pass by pressing either button, then turn the knob from all the way to the left (no filter applied) to the furthest position on the right (maximum filter applied). Because the high and low pass are separated, the entire range of the knob is dedicated to the option you choose, giving you twice the resolution to play with compared to the filter on the DJM-900NXS2. This means you can make much more nuanced adjustments to the effect.
- Send/return section
Send audio to one of four built-in FX and up to two pieces of external equipment to create unique sounds and even live remixes. You can connect a variety of units to the TRS jack send/return terminals such as guitar pedals, FX units, and more.
The built-in send/return FX are Short Delay, Long Delay, Dub Echo, and Reverb. With parameter knobs at your fingertips, you can further tweak the FX as follows:
- Size/Feedback: changes the room size when using a reverb, and the feedback amount when using delays and echoes.
- Time: adjusts the decay time of the reverb and the delay time for delays and echoes.
- Tone: changes the hue of the effected sound, making it deep and heavy or light and crisp.
- Master Mix Level: acts as the overall volume of the effected sound when Master Mix is turned on.
Whether you’re using external equipment or the built-in FX, you decide where you want to return the audio to. Route it to an empty channel and make further changes to the effected sound using the EQ and filter. You can even drop it straight into your mix by turning on the Master Mix to route it to the master output.
- 3-band master isolator
Effortlessly control the tone of your entire mix using the 3-band master isolator, which features new boost/cut curves and adjustments to the crossover frequencies and other parameters. Grab the large dials and hype up the crowd by drastically changing the sound.
- Compressor knob on each channel
If you want to play old or unmastered tracks but you’re worried they’ll be overwhelmed by the loudness of music made with modern production techniques, the DJM-V10 has the solution. Turn the compressor knob on the relevant channel and the mixer will “beef up” the audio in real time. The quieter the track, the more pressure is added, boosting the sound of “weaker” tracks and having a minimal effect on mastered music.
- Dual headphones output and booth EQ
Plug in your headphones at the same time as another DJ and enjoy independent monitoring. Each headphones output has its own Cue/Master Mix control and level adjustment knob so you can choose what you want to hear as you prepare to take over the decks, or during back-to-back sets. And, with booth EQ, you can tweak the sound from the monitor speakers to prevent ear fatigue during long sets.
- Support for external devices, apps, and services
DJ software
Control rekordbox, TRAKTOR PRO 3, and Serato DJ Pro*1.
RMX-1000 for iPad
Plug in your iPad via MULTI I/O, open the RMX-1000 for iPad app, and trigger FX and pre-assigned samples to build up and break down tracks in sync with the beat.
ShowKontrol
The DJM-V10 supports the extended PRO DJ LINK ShowKontrol protocol. This enables DJs, technical producers, LJs, and VJs to use all the important information from the DJM-V10, such as actual fader and knob positions, to effectively align sound and visuals and create shows that blow audiences away.
On top of this, some of the DJM-V10 settings can be remotely configured via ShowKontrol software.
DJM-REC
Efficiently record and easily archive your mixes via the DJM-REC app for iPhone or iPad. Upload your sounds to cloud services or effortlessly live-stream your sets.
- Other features
- Lockable power cable*2 – avoid accidental disconnection
- DIN Midi out – sync external production gear using the BPM from rekordbox
DJM-V10 specifications
Software rekordbox Serato DJ Pro （coming soon）
TRAKTOR PRO 3.3.0
ShowKontrol
Frequency Response 20 Hz to 40 kHz (LINE) S/N Ratio
116 dB (USB, DIGITAL IN) 105 dB (LINE)
88 dB (PHONO)
79 dB (MIC1,2)
Total Harmonic Distortion 0.005% (LINE-MASTER1) Input/Output Terminals
Inputs DIGITAL x 6 (Coaxial) LINE x 6 (RCA)
PHONO x 4 (RCA)
RETURN x 3 (1/4-inch TS jack)
MIC x 2 (XLR & 1/4-inch TRS Jack, 1/4-inch TRS jack)
Outputs MASTER x 2 (XLR, RCA) AES/EBU DIGITAL MASTER x 1 (XLR)
BOOTH x 1 (1/4-inch TRS jack)
SEND x 3 (1/4-inch TS jack)
HEADPHONE MONITOR x 4 (1/4-inch stereo jack x 2, 3.5-mm stereo mini jack x 2)
REC x 1 (RCA)
USB USB (Type A) x 1 USB (Type B) x 2
Others LINK (LAN) x 1 MIDI (5-pin DIN) x 1
Maximum Dimensions (W ｘ D ｘ H) 437.6 x 467.0 x 107.9 mm / 17.23 x 18.39 x 4.25 in Weight 11.9 kg / 26.24 lb Accessories Power cord (lockable*2) Quick Start Guide
rekordbox system requirements
Compatible OS Mac macOS Catalina 10.15 (updated to the latest version) macOS Mojave 10.14 (updated to the latest version)
macOS High Sierra 10.13 (updated to the latest version)
macOS Sierra 10.12 (updated to the latest version)
Windows Windows® 10, 8.1 (the latest service pack) CPU Intel® processor Core™ i9, i7, i5, i3 Memory 4GB or more of RAM Visit the Serato DJ Pro official website for its specifications: https://serato.com/
Visit the Native Instruments TRAKTOR PRO 3 official website for its specifications: https://www.native-instruments.com
Just. So. Much.
Obviously we had quite different expectations about what Pioneer DJ might release at NAMM. They must be out of units to paint white or coat in gold, so instead decided the make the most uber fuck off balls out mixer they possibly could. “Are you sure that there isn’t something we can paint? Can we paint a cable?”. “Nope — so we’re going to have to make a Model 1-esque Xone killer instead”. And they’ve certainly given it a solid go.
Honestly — I’m overwhelmed by it today. I’m not at NAMM because I’m doing some non-DJ video work with the usual tight deadlines. Thus my capacity to pour over this information to make sage comments is very limited right now. Luckily for you however, we have Dan and Ray (both Xone 96 owners so very au fait with this type of product) to chip in the comments and add their own observations to yours.
FIRST VERY QUICK IMPRESSIONS
It’s about sound. Sound. Sound. Sound. That’s the PR summed up in a few words. If you’re aiming at Model 1s and Xones, it has to be really. Six channels, four band EQ a la Xone, compressor per channel, all new filters, a comprehensive S/R complement, and master isolator show that the V10 means business for those rather more concerned with sound.
An observation — 45mm line faders? I just saw this line on the Pioneer DJ website —”we built a prototype channel fader, tested it, and went back to the drawing board more than 40 times.”. I’m thinking that perhaps on the 41st time, someone could have added 15mm to it, or ideally the first.
My gut says that this was so a crossfader could be fitted in. These are almost certainly going to be installed in clubs, and all manner of DJ needs to be able to rock up and play. My only question is if it contains a Magvel crossfader, where are the curve controls? Embedded in preferences somewhere? I await the inevitable crossfaderless rotary version with glee.
But that’s an obvious thing for me to pick up on. The devil is in the detail, and I haven’t the time to dig in right now. But at first glance, the V10 is definitely a head turner. It’s also interesting to me that it’s going to work with Serato DJ Pro and Traktor, but you need to fund that yourself. I guess Pioneer DJ really want all bases covered.
I’m sure the usual suspects will be churning out full length walkthrough videos from NAMM for you to cross reference to get the answers you need. And if you can’t, ask them in the comments here, and I’m quite certain that our hiding in plain sight spy Drew will get answers for you.
SUMMING UP
The DJM-V10 is going to cost you a lot of money. All your money. Plus an arm, and a leg. Coming in $3199/€3299/£2799, it’s still cheaper than a Model 1, but twice that of a Xone 96.
My takeaway from this single product launch at NAMM — Pioneer DJ is definitely up to something. So what if they didn’t an entire ecosystem at NAMM. If sales are anything to go by, they don’t have to. But the DJM-V10 goes to show that it would be foolish to count them out. I suspect they’ll be keeping the media very busy this year, and your wallets very empty.
GALLERY
