Denon DN-D4500 MK2 details

Denon attempt to shake up the mobile DJs by adding USB to their very successful DN-D4500 MK2. I wonder if they'll use it for anything more than a flexi-light?

Denon DN-D4500 MKII USB controller (9)

The mobile market is a huge but often overlooked sector of the DJ world. It’s just not sexy enough you see, as their needs are pretty basic in the whole scheme of things, so you’re not likely to see people losing their minds over RGB lights and HID, as it’s just not a factor when your needs extend to slam mixing Billy Jean into Sex Bomb to a bunch of smashed wedding guests.

So to a lot of us, Denon upgrading their massively successful DN-D4500 to add USB might be a bit coma inducing. But for a very great many people, this is a quantum shift in workflow, akin to moving from vinyl to CD and mustn’t be trivialised or overlooked. For some, it’s a step too far of course, as being able to flick through endless CD cases is part and parcel of being a mobile DJ. I’ve seen some party DJs who normally play from a repertoire of no more than 100 songs have the most ridiculous volume of CDs on display. Perhaps they’ll switch up, and have hundreds of USB drives to replace them.

Here’s what Denon have to say about the Denon DN-D4500 MK2:

Denon DJ DN-D4500MK2

Category: Professional Dual CD/MP3 & USB Player

Press Release Date: 10th September

Product Release Date: October 2012

Suggested Retail Price: circa €585 + local VAT

  • Audio playback from USB memory devices (AAC, AIFF, MP3, WAV)
  • MP3 CD File Search System
  • CD Text / ID3 Tag Support
  • CD-R/RW Disc Playback
  • 2 Hot Starts/Stutter per drive
  • 2 Seamless Loops per drive w/B Point Trim
  • Power on Playback
  • Pitch Control: ±4.0/10.0/16.0/24.0/50.0/100.0%(CD) : ±4.0/10.0/16.0%(MP3)
  • Platter Hold (Jog Bend): ±99% max
  • Key Adjust
  • Shock Proof Memory (Audio CD: 20 sec., MP3: 100 sec.)
  • Instant Start

As a DJ, your desire to be creative and rock a crowd with your music doesn’t stop when you’re using different media formats. Whether you’re playing MP3s up to a high quality 320kbps, standard audio CD’s, or files from a USB drive, the DN-D4500MK2 offers you two Seamless loops with live B-Trim editing for mixing perfection, two Hot starts for instantly starting from your predetermined point on a track, Cue stutter, Selectable pitch ranges from 4% to 100%, an adjustable Brake effect, and a superb Key Adjust feature, which keeps vocals and music sounding true even when you adjust the speed of the track.

Is there any need for an update in CD based technology?  The beauty of the Denon DN-D4500 originally was its ability to give you flexibility in media sources, ease of use, and a robust build quality that would last the rigour of taking gear on the road from club, to party, to Wedding. The DN-D4500 became a celebrated product for mobile DJs who rely on a sturdy robust tool to do their job – wherever that may be! So what was there to improve?

Feedback over the last few years was always the same – add USB integration because everything else about the original Denon DN-D4500 was already perfect. So the DN-D4500MK2 has taken the very best of what Denon, and now Denon DJ, has become known for – providing the very best DJ solutions (that last!) and made them better.

The MK2 features two USB slots for connection to USB storage devices containing digital music files. The first is located on the front of the unit for ease of access and suited for USB sticks and the second is on the rear of the CD drawer unit which is best suited for larger USB drives that can then be mounted in a flight case with the product (not included).

“The Denon DN-D4500MK2 delivers a simple, indestructible, unit which continues Denon’s reliable and trustworthy legacy”Pro Mobile Magazine 2012

The Denon DN-D4500 MK2 has taken the very best of what Denon DJ has offerd the Mobile DJ market over the last decade and brought it completely up to date without losing any of the key original attributes. As a Mobile DJ you can still play from your thousands of CDs, control your mixes as intuitively as ever, and take the step forward into digital storage, all in one device that still lasts the demands of DJing night after night.

Links:

www.denondj.eu/product

www.facebook.com/denondjofficial

www.twitter.com/denon_dj

www.denondjforums.com

Denon DN-D4500 Summary

I find myself a little sad that this doesn’t use Denon’s Engine software, but perhaps that’s for another update. One step at a time I guess. Prying CDs out of some hands is going to be a hard enough task.

Interestingly, the update is more for the APAC market – that’s Asia and Pacific to you. Seems that Denon players are massive over there. The regional nature of DJ technology is fascinating, and will be covered in an article very soon.

Mark Settle
Mark Settle

The old Editor of DJWORX - you can now find Mark at WORXLAB

Articles: 1228

17 Comments

  1. I can’t see much point in this myself. If the DJs are still using CDs then adding USB isn’t going to be much benefit. If they’re playing MP3s then they’re probably already using a computer or multimedia player, and won’t need twin CD decks. Denon are “too little too late” with this one. If they had followed in the footsteps of Numark’s HDCD1 with a twin CD + HDD unit years ago then maybe.

    • Oops, what I meant to say was “The only mobile DJs I know STILL USING CDs are old farts who should have thrown in the towel years ago. Most mobile DJs I know are 100% digital.

      • I know MANY young (age 16-24) CD guys. Modern DJs think their “pee three” files sound better, but in reality, CD’s sound FAR better than anything compressed. You notice it when you’re at a conference centre, but not so much when you’re using a puny $4,000 system. Mine is $140,000. :-)

  2. So a mobile DJ buys this & starts using a USB drive instead of CD’s. ….he’s still got to drag the base unit containing the CD drawers around with him though, as that’s where most of the electronics / PSU / audio outputs are.
    It would have been a lot better if they’d have put all the electronics in the head unit, so you could run it without the CD drawers if you wanted.

  3. Epic fail,would have bought one of these for small bar gig until i discovered the usb ports are on the cd unit,why would I want to cart the cd unit to play off usb?utterly ridiculous who on earth designed this?

  4. Its time to up the Anty, @ Denon, if you gona survive, you need much much bigger screens, Flacsupport, onboard wifi, Usb and SD ports.

    We all know that the quality is way better then Piodeer, so is the price

    But without flac or HQ soundquality support like 24/96 you soon be dead in the water
    while the competition dance on your grave to beats played from a forged SL1200

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