I’ve been lucky enough to lay my hands on the hottest and latest shiny for a decade and a half. Many lumps of nextlevelness have passed through the Worxlab, but few have left an indelible boot print of an impression quite like Numark’s NS7 family did. The combination of advanced controller features and motorised real vinyl platter made them the ideal combination for my needs.
It’s also fair to say that Denon DJ’s SC5000 Prime player left a reasonable impression on me when it brought together the very best of media players and controllers in a single standalone unit. But for as much as Dan wished it didn’t have a jog wheel at all, I wished that a motorised platter version would appear.
And now it has. And it’s stunning. Behold the majesty of the Denon DJ SC5000M motorised media player.
They’ve enlisted the help of Kenny Dope to evangelise a little about the joy of 45s:
Obviously there are some words from Denon DJ:
DENON DJ® SC5000M PRIME COMBINES LATEST DIGITAL TECH WITH LEGACY VINYL PERFORMANCE FOR PERFECT TURNTABLIST EXPERIENCE
Denon DJ’s SC5000M is the world’s only professional DJ media player with 7” motorized platter that delivers a true, mechanical spin beneath a DJ’s fingertips
Cumberland RI, USA (August 9, 2018)—Denon DJ (www.denondj.com), a leading manufacturer of premium DJ products and solutions, today announced the introduction of their revolutionary SC5000M Motorized Platter, DJ Media Player. Based on the multi tech award-winning SC5000 Prime, the new SC5000M Prime brings DJs the true essence of vinyl-based turntable performance, combined with ultimate creative control over their digital music files.
DJs and Turntablists wanting motorized control on a Pro media player will applaud the SC5000M’s ultra-high-resolution platter response and authentic vinyl experience, in both the live gig and studio environment. The added benefit of ‘Instant-Doubles’ delivers the digital dream to a DJ’s fingertips, so they can immediately duplicate their currently playing track, in its precise point in the timeline, onto another layer or deck—thus enabling even the most adventurous performers to get the best of both vinyl and digital worlds!
SC5000M Features
- Motorized platter with real 7” vinyl
- Adjustable vinyl tension for slip/scratch control
- 2 variable torque settings (low/high)
- 7″ HD display with multi-touch gestures
- 24-bit/96kHz digital audio outputs
- Dual-layer playback with individual audio outputs
- Plays uncompressed audio formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV)
- 8 multifunction trigger pads for cues, loops, slices and rolls
- Customizable RGB color around the platter
- (3) USB and (1) SD input for music playback
- LAN output to link to up to four players
- Includes Engine Prime music management software
The SC5000M takes a prominent place within the renowned Denon DJ Prime Series line-up. A quick re-cap of the stunning Denon DJ Prime Series:
Recognizing a critical need in the professional DJ space for equipment that delivers unprecedented levels of performance, ease of use, musical file organization and complete system synergy, Denon DJ’s Prime Series is the future of the professional DJ experience—available now! The Denon DJ Prime Series started with three extraordinary units, each one a trend-setter in its own right:
- The SC5000 Prime professional media player with 7-inch multi-touch display, 24-bit audiophile sound, powered by Denon DJ’s incredible Engine Prime music management software
- The X1800 Prime Professional 4-channel club mixer with OLED screen, Sweep and BPM FX and LAN connectivity with multiple SC5000’s
- The VL12 Prime direct-drive professional DJ turntable, with heavy-duty all-metal construction, superior vibration isolation, RGB custom-controlled lighting and adjustable torque and pitch to fit any DJ style
Any one of these units by itself represents a performance and innovation breakthrough. When all three are used together, they form a complete system that is unsurpassed in professional DJ excellence.
Watch the video “Introducing the SC5000M with Kenny Dope Gonzalez” here.
“The new SC5000M takes its rightful place in the Prime Series lineup by adding a 7-inch motorized platter to the already amazing performance capabilities of the SC5000”, said Paul Dakeyne, Creative Director for Denon DJ. He added, “For professional DJs and turntablists who want a no-compromise media player with authentic vinyl-feel motorized control, there’s really nothing else like this, anywhere.”
U.S. retail pricing for the SC5000M Prime Professional Media Player is $1899. They will be available Fall 2018.
An all too brief time
Last week my old friend, DJ inspiration, and Denon DJ’s tirelessly roving evangelist Paul Dakeyne paid one of his regular visits. This time however, it wasn’t just for the wonderful food served up in my tourist friendly village, but also to bring a new slice of Denon DJ for a show and tell. It has become a ritual that I make myself scarce (coffee run) while Paul sets the stage for whatever new thing is being proffered for opinion. We have a literal unveiling, after which we chat, and then I play.
The new SC5000M Prime media player is essentially a regular 5000 with a motorised 7” platter. When stated in such a rather glib and matter of fact way, it sounds quite underwhelming. But let me assure you that the DJ world just became a better place for this single feature change.
The motor is updated from the original NS7 and V7 controllers. Of course you can run it as a static jog wheel and have all the stuff that the 5000 has, but that seems rather pointless as you lose the sexy centre screen. In use, I found that to be eye candy and largely frippery anyway, But in its place, the motorised platter delivers a humungous injection of pure unadulterated fun.
The SC5000M Prime brings together the very best bits of modern DJ technology, and shoehorns it into one stunning unit. It has all the controller goodness I could ever need, the tactile feel of vinyl, full standalone operation, and a huge touch screen to negate the need for peering at a laptop.
The fact that the NS7 family only had a 7” platter has never bothered me. I have no need for slavish adherence to emulating a turntable, because I have actual turntables. There’s just something about the 7” motorised platter that floats my boat, a fact that confused me as I just don’t understand the fascination with spinning 45s at all. Paul D will testify to my effusive gushing at just how much fun the SC5000M was, an element sorely missing from DJing these days.
And a rare thing has happened — a video was shot, but was intended for Denon DJ’s internal team only. But bugger it — here it is:
CALM DOWN MARK
Reading this back, I’m somewhat taken aback by my ebullience when talking about the SC5000M Prime. After 15 years, I have become somewhat critical of just about anything that companies feel brave enough to push through the DJWORX review machine. Indeed, I’m aware of a tendency to get all Jay Ranyer after a bad meal in my initial scribblings about a new toy, a trait that is recognised and fixed before publication. I’m not a monster, nor writing to upset people who have worked hard just for clicks and giggles. I do it out of passion.
And I hope that’s something that comes through in this piece. While I still have issues with Engine Prime, that will continue to evolve and address the shortcomings. And I would make the centre lug smaller, and lose the label and run the groove up to the lug. But the SC5000M Prime has, after maybe 15 minutes of play, cemented itself in my heart and importantly mind as my perfect player…. until the next one obviously. It disconnects me from a laptop (although software support is inevitable), yet delivers everything that is brilliant about controllers, and gives me a window into my performance. And of course, it gives an old vinyl head like me that tactile feel that I need.
Summing up
For those that loved the Numark V7, your update is here with bells on, albeit with a price tag to match. For me, NSwhat? I think the SC5000M may have uncovered my DJing mojo again.
Price tag is the same as the regular version and will be available in a month or so. Check out the full site here.
GALLERY
