While we all sit and wait for Pioneer DJ to answer Denon DJ’s Prime range, it seems that Denon DJ themselves aren’t quite so patient. Having already slapped Pioneer DJ around the face with its Prime range gauntlet, they’ve now preempted any planned CDJ and DJM response with updated Prime units. The static jogged SC6000 Prime, the motorised SC6000M Prime, and four channel X1850 Prime mixer all get worthy updates, and send a definite warning shot to Pioneer DJ’s future plans.
Normally, I would run separate stories, but Denon DJ has sent out combined PR. So that’s just what I’ll do. Strap in…
DENON DJ® REDEFINES THE ULTIMATE IN MAINSTAGE DJ TECH WITH SC6000/SC6000M PRIME MEDIA PLAYERS AND X1850 PRIME MIXER
Introducing flagship media players with 10.1” touchscreen, HDD drive bay and 8.5” jog wheels plus the technologically advanced X1850 mixer – Engine OS-powered units raising DJ creativity to new levels.
Fort Lauderdale FL, USA (Jan 9, 2020)—Denon DJ (www.denondj.com), a leading manufacturer of premium DJ products and solutions, today announced the introduction of their new SC6000 and SC6000M PRIME professional DJ media players and uncompromised X1850 PRIME Mixer. Both standalone media players feature a 10.1” touchscreen, Wi-Fi streaming, internal HDD drive bay, large 8.5” jog-wheel, plus performance pads with sophisticated design illumination. The technologically- advanced, DJ-booth centerpiece X1850 mixer represents an incredible technical and creative experience for 4-channel, pro-grade audio, mainstage DJ mixing.
- Advanced Touchscreen UI
The SC6000 and SC6000M PRIME feature a stunning, high-definition 10.1” touchscreen with gesture support. DJs can navigate, reorganize, filter and search their music with on-screen keyboard plus view dual-layer playback of track waveforms.
- Wi-Fi Enabled Music Streaming
Both SC6000 and SC6000M have built-in Wi-Fi and wired internet connectivity enabling DJs to play music from partnered music streaming services, Beatport*, Beatsource*, SoundCloud* and TIDAL. (Customers receive a FREE 3-month trial subscription to TIDAL.)
- Ever-Evolving software
ENGINE OS is the performance power inside the SC6000 and SC6000M, packed with industry- first standalone features like on-the-fly music file analysis, on-board track preview plus class- leading time stretch and musical key change algorithms. With a proven track record of continuous feature upgrades, ENGINE OS is unmatched in the DJ industry.
Jog Wheel Essentials
The SC6000’s solid, 8.5” platter brings a large, ‘hands-on’ surface area for positive and tactile ease-of- use, plus has a precise-feel, smooth tension adjustment for customizing to a DJ’s preferred response.
SC6000M PRIME – Legacy DJ Vinyl Platter Control
The SC6000M has a die-cast aluminum 8.5” motorized platter with newly-designed ‘quick-release’ vinyl. It offers turntablists ultra-responsive platter control, powered by a brushless DC electric motor, customizable with adjustable torque range adjustment.
X1850 PRIME – Command the Mix
The rugged, all-metal built X1850 4-channel mixer has multi-assignable digital and analog inputs to handle any mainstage DJ gig. With a defined high-visibility EQ section, 16 enhanced Pro-Club BPM Effects, Filter/Sweep and new FX Quantize control, DJs can easily sculpt beat-grid accurate sonic elements. The X1850 channel faders have positive tension, smooth throw and optimal stability. In addition, dual USB inputs and two dedicated mic channels add to the essential DJ workflow features with the crisp, OLED screen handling FX parameters and customizable performance options.
Control Serato DJ Pro
The SC6000/M and X1850 bring advanced control of Serato DJ Pro. This enables touchscreen navigation and flexible hardware control of all Serato DJ Pro’s library and performance features. **
SC6000 PRIME Key Features
- Flagship standalone professional DJ media player powered by Engine OS
- HD 10.1″ touchscreen for excellence in visual and interactive UI
- Built-in Wi-Fi and wired internet connectivity for music streaming
- Responsive rubber buttons and performance pads with sophisticated design illumination
- Built-in internal HDD drive bay to store music onboard
- 8.5” jog wheel with large surface area for platter manipulation
- Locking IEC connector for secured power cable
- Best-in-class time stretch and musical key change/sync algorithms
- Standalone Track Preview
- Serato DJ Pro controller mode **
- Internal, on-board analysis of music files (including Rekordbox™ collections)
- Dual-layer playback with independent analog/digital outs
- StagelinQ connection for Event/Pro DJ lighting and video control
- Plays uncompressed audio formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV)
SC6000M PRIME adds
- 8.5” motorized-platter with torque adjustment
- New vinyl design with quick release lock
- Motor spin on/off control
X1850 PRIME Key Features
- 4-Channel, multi-assignable input, Pro DJ Club Mixer
- 24-bit/96kHz digital output for uncompromised audio quality
- 16 pro-level BPM FX with new FX Quantize control
- ‘MIDI Start with Clock’ feature for syncing external instruments
- Defined visibility, expressive 3-band EQ section
- Rugged, smooth channel line faders
- Channel dedicated Sweep FX and Filter
- Crisp, OLED screen for FX editing and preference adjustments
- Tension adjustable, Denon DJ ‘flex-fader’ Crossfader
- Dual-USB audio connections for software and audio devices.
- Serato DJ Pro upgrade ready **
- (2) dedicated XLR mic inputs with EQ/Level/talkover
- 5-Port LAN Hub for network & StagelinQ Event lighting/video connectivity
- Locking IEC connector for secured power cable
Our next updates are just around the corner!
Later this month we will go into public beta for new versions of both Engine OS and Engine Prime.
- Engine OS ‘SoundCloud Public Beta’ – SoundCloud brings the greatest selection of music from the most diverse creator community on earth to both our SC5000 and SC5000M players plus the PRIME 4 Standalone DJ console.
- Engine Prime ‘Sync Manager Public Beta’ – The brand-new Sync Manager brings easy and straight forward file management capability to Engine Prime. Manage and synchronize both your external media and internal hard drives easily, elegantly and efficiently. Any performance changes made on the drive during your set can also be synced back to your computer with just the push of a button. In addition, this update will add support for macOS Catalina and Apple Music too.
Wait… there’s more
Tune in on Monday, January 13th at 10am EST for more exciting news from Denon DJ!
U.S. retail pricing
SC6000 PRIME – $1499 | SC6000M PRIME – $1699 | X1850 PRIME – $1099 | Shipping early Q2,
2020. The SC5000 will remain available at $1099, both the SC5000 and SC5000M will continue to receive updates and evolve with the rest of the family.
“With the introduction of the SC6000 and SC6000M, Denon DJ reaffirms its position as ‘the company that listens’, representing an ever-evolving philosophy to deliver flagship DJ technology to the professional DJ booth,” said Denon DJ’s Creative Director, Paul Dakeyne. “Both units have creatively advanced workflow and feature sets, plus on-board Wi-Fi streaming, ensure DJs will always have the greatest catalogs of music available to them. Connected to the totally uncompromising features, build quality and performance power of the X1850 mixer, DJs can be sure they truly embrace the future’”
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About ENGINE DJ software
- ENGINE OS is a purpose-built embedded platform to power cutting-edge DJ hardware, expand workflow and performance creativity plus enable flexible collection management directly from the hardware.
- ENGINE PRIME software diversifies collection management and preparation workflows from the comfort of a desktop or laptop computer.
ENGINE, the most technologically advanced, standalone DJ software! Find out more at (www.enginedj.com)
BIG AND SMALL TOUCHES
Before I start, I have yet to see or touch these units. inMusic has a big pre-NAMM media launch planned in Miami, but I’m tied up on another project. But I’m reliably informed that post NAMM, I’ll be tripping over a pile of new inMusic goodies in the Worxlab.
So I’m left to pour over PR and use my existing experience of Prime gear to add commentary. So let’s look at each big bit:
BIG SCREEN: Taken from Akai’s MPC range and now grafted into top end Prime models, this is quite a window into the belly of the 6000s. The existing 7″ one is already big, but for me this entirely removes the need to have a laptop in my setup. Two of those should be ample for anyone.
BIGGER WHEELS: Denon DJ’s old range had the 3700 and 3900 vinyl topped players. And while this 8.5″ beauty might not be as big as that, but it’s plenty big enough. And if you want bigger, use turntables or a Rane Twelve, because vinyl feel is obviously more important to you than anything else.
INTERNAL DRIVES: Another idea taken from old Denon DJ and now part of new Denon DJ, the SC6000 Primes, just like the Prime 4, now have internal storage. You have to supply the storage of course — you don’t have to use it and can stick with USB or SD.
On the smaller side it’s touches like quick release vinyl (I trust I can still adjust the friction between vinyl and slipmat) and locking power cables that make small but important differences.
The X1850 Prime is less of an obvious update, and definitely feels more like the flippant response of “50” when asked what the difference between the X1800 and X1850 was by one of the team in Slack. I feel like somebody could secret swap out a new X1850 for my old X1800 and it would take me a while to twig.
I’m assuming that given the top tier direction of Prime that an X2000 Prime is in the works somewhere. I cannot help but feel that there’s more to be squeezed out of the four channel mixer paradigm than we’re currently seeing, if only because I have a Xone 96 sat next to the X1800 Prime in the Worxlab.
I’m sure there are reams more that I could write, and probably will once I’ve played. It’s only then when I can form real opinions based on hands-on experience.
ENGINES REVVING
One noticeable change is the way Engine is referred to. Engine OS is now a thing, and rather than just being firmware is now the glue that binds these devices together. It implies a family, running on a common platform. Indeed, Engine DJ has also just appeared, and a screenshot referring to sync manager is included in the PR.
Perhaps this is indicating that Engine DJ is the name of a software suite that includes Engine OS, Engine Sync Manager for managing playlists and devices, and beyond that a full fat version to take on the established software players? It’s the logical conclusion, and is exactly how rekordbox came about. It just has to be so much better than it currently is. It’s the most common complaint from user and we media types.
More than anything, there is even more of a feel of a coherent ecosystem running a family of products. Next week will show us more I’m sure.
BUT WHY NOW?
Usually in the technology race, it’s a game of keeping up with the Joneses. Company A releases something — company B releases something a bit better — and repeat. But in this scenario, company A dominates, company B attacks, company A has no response waits, company B pre-emptively attacks again.
Now one could argue that there is no attacking, and that Denon DJ is simply putting out a string of excellent products. But their initial marketing campaign was based around #changeyourrider, a direct reference to leaving Pioneer DJ behind. And one could also argue that this shock and awe carpet bombing of NAMM (there’s more to come — its right there in the PR) is a response to anything that Pioneer DJ might be planning for NAMM. After all, they most likely have their roadmap right in front of them courtesy of new hire Rik Parkinson.
But having taken the Prime players to this level, it must surely give Denon DJ some breathing space where that can focus on marketing to tackle the monopoly that Pioneer DJ has. As I’ve said before, market share is so much more than just having the most advanced technology. Denon DJ clearly has that, so it’s everything else they need to work on. The “best” toys are not enough.
SUMMING UP
The SC6000 Prime will cost $1499/£1259, the SC6000M Prime is $1699/£1429, and the X1850 Prime is $1099/£999. All are available “early Q2”, but so was the Prime 4. I trust Denon DJ learned from their experience with that.
GALLERY
