NAMM approaches, thus my inbox begins to twitch with the sweet smell of new shiny. Pioneer DJ has developed a habit of releasing things pre-show now, and if they’re true to their emerging patterns, the new rekordbox ready DDJ-1000 4 channel controller is the first announcement from the show.
As ever, let’s hear what Pioneer DJ has to say, and then dig into it a little deeper:
The new rekordbox dj experience: Meet the DDJ-1000 controller, designed for rekordbox dj –
Club-style interface for intuitive performances in a compact, portable body
16th January 2018: We’ve created a new DJ controller for dedicated use with our professional performance application, rekordbox dj. The 4-channel DDJ-1000 is designed to help you get the most from the new features coming to rekordbox dj following the release of the latest version of rekordbox (ver 5.1). The upgraded software will be available to download on 18th January 2018.
The DDJ-1000 offers the ideal solution if you want to play at events and party venues other than clubs thanks to its easy portability and brand-new user interface, which is similar to the familiar multi player/DJM club-standard set-up. Its professional features include full size jog wheels inherited from the CDJ-2000NXS2 with added On Jog Display so you can keep an eye on important track information without looking at your laptop. Bring creative flair to your mixes with 14 Beat FX and use the 16 multicoloured Performance Pads (8 per deck) to trigger various features including Hot Cues, Pad FX and Keyboard Mode, which enables you to play a Hot Cue in different semitones. This allows you to improvise with sounds and create musical phrases as if you were playing on the keyboard of a synthesizer or other instrument.
The significantly updated version of rekordbox includes enhancements to the Related Tracks feature, adding more options for quickly finding tracks that are well matched with the one you’re playing. And the improved rekordbox dj Plus Pack brings new additions such as Automix, which uses the software’s upgraded track analysis to automatically and seamlessly mix tracks.
The DDJ-1000 will be available from mid-January at an SRP of €1,199 including VAT. It comes with a bundled licence key for our professional DJ performance application rekordbox dj, worth €139.
Watch the DDJ-1000 introduction video or download rekordbox ver 5.1 for free from 18th January 2018. If you own a licence key for one of the rekordbox Plus Packs (rekordbox dj, video or dvs), you can upgrade to the new version of the Plus Pack for free.
KEY FEATURES OF THE DDJ-1000
- Portable DJ controller with club-style layout
All the buttons and knobs on the DDJ-1000 are arranged in the same layout as those on our club-standard CDJ-2000NXS2 and DJM-900NXS2 set-up. The jog wheels are inherited directly from the CDJ-2000NXS2, so they look and feel familiar to use. As a result, using rekordbox dj with the DDJ-1000 creates the same experience as playing from USB drives with a NXS2 set-up. The DJ controller is compact and portable, too, so you can easily take it wherever you go.
- Colour On Jog Display for quick reference and accurate performances
A high-definition LCD screen in the centre of each jog wheel displays information such as playback time, BPM, waveform, playback position and Hot Cue and Loop points. You can customise the information you want to see, so there’s no need to look at your laptop during a mix or scratch routine.
- 14 Beat FX including new additions
The DDJ-1000 is loaded with all ten popular Beat FX from our DJM mixer series plus four new FX for adding creative flair and texture to your sets. You can instantly reference BPM and the name of the selected FX without looking at your laptop thanks to the dedicated Beat FX display.
New FX:
- Enigma Jet, Mobius Saw, Mobius Triangle – FX that add sound with a feeling of infinite rising or descending
- Low Cut Echo – echo-derived effect that cuts low frequencies of the echo sound
- Improved MAGVEL FADER
The DDJ-1000 features a new MAGVEL FADER crossfader, which inherits the design architecture of the renowned MAGVEL FADER PRO from the DJM-S9 professional battle mixer. Highly durable for more than 10 million movements, the new MAGVEL FADER enables complicated, intricate performances with a smooth feel. Plus, we’ve refined the software processing for jog wheel and crossfader operation to significantly reduce latency, so scratching feels more intuitive than ever.
- Multiple input/outputs enable different set-ups
DJ changeovers are a breeze for rekordbox dj users thanks to the two USB ports for PC/Mac. The DDJ-1000 has four external input terminals for DJ players and analog turntables, plus two Mic inputs. You can also use the DDJ-1000 as a stand-alone DJ mixer without connecting a PC/Mac.
- Other features
- Multicoloured Performance Pads – tactile illuminated rubber pads trigger Hot Cues, Pad FX, Beat Jump, Sampler, Keyboard Mode and more
- Feeling adjust – customise the feeling of the jog wheel
- Advanced Super Fast Search – quickly reach any playback position
- Page – switch between Hot Cues 1-8 and 9-16
- Key Shift and Key Sync buttons – direct control of rekordbox dj key-related features
- Sound Color FX – enhance your sets with the four popular FX from the DJM mixers
- Aluminium/acrylic-finished top panel – for a quality look and feel
- Lightweight and portable
- rekordbox dvs ready – requires the rekordbox dvs Plus Pack licence key and dedicated Control Vinyl (both available separately)
KEY FEATURES OF REKORDBOX VER 5.1
- Automix for smooth and natural automatic mixing
Drop tracks into an Automix playlist and rekordbox dj will mix them accurately and smoothly. Phrases in a track are now detected by the newly developed phrase analysis algorithm in the track analysis section of rekordbox’s KORETECH engine. In addition to the phrase information, Automix uses track information such as beat position, BPM and key to make mixes sound natural. You can scratch, apply FX and change the order of tracks during Automix.
- Advanced Related Tracks feature brings more detailed search criteria
The popular Related Tracks feature – which displays tracks that are well matched with the one you’re currently playing – has been significantly upgraded. You can easily find even more relevant tracks using increased search criteria such as artists, comments and file formats, and you can save your custom criteria and call it up at any time. This feature is highly useful for creating unique sets from tracks you might not have otherwise thought to mix together.
DDJ-1000 specifications
Frequency characteristic 20 Hz to 20 kHz (LINE) S/N ratio 112 dB (USB) Total Harmonic Distortion 0.002% (USB – MASTER1) Input / Output Terminals Inputs LINE/PHONO × 2 (RCA), LINE × 2（RCA） MIC × 2（XLR & 1/4-inch TRS jack x 1, 1/4-inch TRS jack x 1）
Outputs MASTER × 2（XLR × 1, RCA x 1） BOOTH OUT × 1（1/4-inch TRS jack）
PHONES × 2 (1/4-inch stereo jack × 1, 3.5-mm stereo mini-jack × 1）
USB USB (Type B) x 2 Maximum Dimensions (WｘDｘH) 708.0 × 361.4 × 73.4 mm Weight 6.0 kg Accessories AC adaptor, Power cord, USB cable Quick Start Guide, rekordbox dj licence key card
System requirements
Compatible OS Mac macOS High Sierra 10.13 (updated to the latest version) 
macOS Sierra 10.12 (updated to the latest version)
OS X 10.11, 10.10 (updated to the latest version)
Windows Windows® 10, 8.1, 7 (the latest service pack) CPU Intel® processor Core™ i7, i5, i3 Intel® processor Core™ 2 Duo: 2.0GHz or above
Memory 4 GB or more of RAM
Nutshelling the DDJ-1000
Yay, another 4 channel controller. It’s hard to get excited about such things these days, but let’s have a look at what it offers. But to be clear — this is not a standalone unit. You’ll still need a computer running the supplied rekordbox 5.1.
Firstly, the jogs — these are full-sized CDJ style wheels straight from the CDJ-2000NXS2. The difference is that they have a lovely high res centre screen, that while a very welcome addition is a tad busy. I hope we’re offered option on what gets displayed. This something that I imagine will be seen a lot more in the future, but I’ll get to that.
The mixer section is a full analogue mixer. It has four channels, familiar hardware colour effects, as well as 14 built-in beat effects. And because of the 4 inputs (two of which are phono) you can use the DDJ-1000 with rekordbox DVS. You’ll need to buy it, but this controller offers a solid hub for whatever way you want to play.
Pioneer DJ has gone to great lengths to pack an awful lot into the DDJ-1000. For me, this feels like a degree of range rationalisation, as I felt that there have been too many different controllers in the Pioneer DJ range. The DDJ-1000 feels mid range now, and is priced as such. The Pioneer tax isn’t in play here — at DJWORX, we seem to be in agreement that this is a well priced controller.
Breaking free
The first thing that strikes me about the DDJ-1000 is how Pioneer DJ wants to reclaim their IP, and put their mark back on their controllers. When you look back at the other DDJ controllers, they were largely repurposed Serato DJ controllers, and not explicitly made for rekordbox.
But when we have here are some classic CDJ touches. The familiar jog wheel dimples and start stop button rings. It started on the DDJ-RZX, and has continued through to the DDJ-1000. But it’s not just looks — as Serato DJ and rekordbox’s feature set diverges, it’s hard to have a one paradigm does all scenario. What works for Serato DJ’s features may not translate that well to the directions of rekordbox.
This makes me happy — because of the utter dominance of Serato in the controller game, their influence on design elements is clear. It’s good that aesthetic details can play a part in controller design again, because alongside the actual features, they really do matter.
A GLIMPSE OF THE FUTURE?
Clearly Denon DJ is piling the pressure on Pioneer DJ in the booth with the Prime series. This in turn will have forced Pioneer DJ to either come up with fresh ideas, or at least bring forward ideas that they were saving for a rainy day. Well Prime was that rainy day, and slap bang in the middle of the jogs is a clear response to Denon DJ.
Just look at that gloriously detailed centre screen. And it’s sat in the middle of a classic CDJ jog wheel. It’s clear to me that with coalescing hardware and software IP, we’ll see something very similar on whatever Pioneer’s response to the Prime series will be.
SUMMING UP
The DJ-1000 rekordbox controller will be available mid-January (so any day now) with quoted prices of €1199, £1059, and $1199 respectively.
Gallery
