I like to think that we train you to think in certain ways when looking at new product releases. For example, if a controller is released with a number at the end it is normally an indicator of channels. So when the Prime 4 appeared last year, my mind immediately jumped to a Denon DJ Prime 2. And finally, here it is. And it’s more or less what you might expect it to be.
Table of Contents
You know how this works — their words, and then ours, and yes I know it mentions the Prime Go, but that’s worth a story on its own, so please keep your comments to the Denon Prime 2:
DENON DJ® INTRODUCES PRIME 2 & PRIME GO – NO-COMPROMISE, 2- CHANNEL STANDALONE GEAR WITH CLASS-LEADING PRO DJ FEATURES
Next generation DJ solutions: The pro-mobile focused PRIME 2 and the rechargeable battery-powered PRIME GO, fully-featured 2-deck smart DJ consoles for ultimate creative DJ performance at any event
Fort Lauderdale FL, USA (Jan 13, 2020)—Denon DJ (www.denondj.com), a leading manufacturer of premium DJ products and solutions, today announced the introduction of their new PRIME 2 and PRIME GO smart DJ consoles. They share the ultimate touchscreen interface experience, standalone Wi-Fi music streaming and are powered by the lightning-fast ENGINE OS platform. PRIME GO adds a rechargeable lithium-ion battery to provide extreme portability. Together, they represent the pinnacle of fully-featured, no-compromise pro-level gear for mobile and club DJs.
Along with their 7” HD touchscreen UI experience, PRIME 2 and PRIME GO bring feature-rich, premium-level control and creative workflow for DJs. These include a class-leading timestretch and key-shift algorithm, the ability to play uncompressed music file formats plus on-board music management, track preview, internal file analysis and ‘direct to media source’ set recording too.
PRIME GO—Ultimate Portability
Prep your set on the move, throw PRIME GO in your backpack, then rock any gig with a fully-featured, pro-grade DJ performance workflow. Keep the music flowing at any event imaginable, powered by an internal rechargeable lithium-ion battery. PRIME GO is the best, no-compromise unit for any event.
PRIME 2—True Mobile Powerhouse
Delivering multicore-powered standalone performance, portability and expressive playback features, PRIME 2 is the epitome of future-facing DJ tech to accommodate any mobile or club-based gig. Able to access and play back digital files from multiple media sources, including a built-in internal HDD bay, PRIME 2’s compact footprint ensures that pro/mobile DJs can carry their musical world everywhere.
Innovation Reinvented
- Stream Music Standalone
- Both PRIME 2 and GO 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)
- Touch and Feel Music
oBoth PRIME 2 and PRIME GO empower DJs with the world’s most innovative user interface with 7” color HD touchscreens handling music library navigation, easy-search, crate management and track load – all with the touch/swipe of afinger.
- Ever-Evolving software
- ENGINE OS is the performance power inside PRIME 2 and PRIME GO. With a proven track record of continuous feature upgrades, ENGINE OS is unmatched in the DJ industry. Denon DJ, the company that listens!
- Lights, Video, Action!
- Expanding further on their no-compromise feature set, the PRIME 2 and GO have StagelinQ connectivity to command impactful AV elements via SoundSwitch lighting and Resolume video control.
Creatively advanced and technologically fast and nimble – for those that live, breath and know ‘DJ,’ PRIME 2 and PRIME GO is their gear!
PRIME GO Features
- Fully-featured, backpackable 2-deck smart DJ console
- 7-inch HD touchscreen with gestures
- Rechargeable lithium-ion battery for up to 4 hours of unplugged performance
- Built-in Wi-Fi and wired internet connectivity for music streaming
- Dual-bank performance pads for triggering hot-cues, loop and roll
- No-compromise, pro-grade audio and connectivity
- RCA aux input for media players, tablets, phones
- Capacitive-touch jog wheels
- Internally analyze music files & Rekordbox™ collections direct from USB
- Standalone Track Preview
- Assignable FX module, 3-Band EQ and Filter/Sweep FX
- (2) dedicated XLR (¼” combo) mic inputs with EQ/Level/talkover
- USB and SD media source inputs
PRIME 2 Features
- Fully-featured, 2-Deck standalone, smart DJ console
- 7-inch HD touchscreen with gestures
- Built-in 2.5″ SATA drive bay to store music onboard
- Built-in Wi-Fi and wired internet connectivity for music streaming
- Capacitive-touch jog wheels with HD central display
- Internally analyze music files & Rekordbox™ collections direct from USB
- Standalone Track Preview
- Independent FX units, 3-Band EQ and Filter
- [8] Multi-function performance pads for triggered audio manipulation
- (2) dedicated XLR (¼” combo) mic inputs with EQ/Level and Talkover
- RCA aux input for media players, tablets, phones
U.S. retail for the Denon DJ PRIME 2 will be $1399 and PRIME GO $999 PRIME 2 and PRIME GO will be available Q1 2020
“With the introduction of PRIME 2 and PRIME GO, we’re beyond excited that the Prime Series, powered by ENGINE OS, is now truly open to the widest demographic of pro-mobile DJs” said Denon DJ’s Creative Director, Paul Dakeyne. “Both units are Wi-Fi enabled and more than compact enough to be carried to any location, but workflow feature-packed to handle any small, medium or large mobile/club gig or event. Together, PRIME 2 and PRIME GO usher in an exciting new era of accessible, no-compromise, tech-powered DJ performance!”
Death and taxes
… and the absolute certainly that a Denon DJ Prime 2 would appear. And obviously losing two channels will mean that other features will be less than its larger Prime 4 sibling. But the Prime 2 still looks to deliver a good serving of all the things that makes the larger Prime desirable, just scaled down.
But all the PR friendly heavy hitters found lacking in alternative offerings are still there — big (not Prime 4 big though) touch screen, internal drive bay, wifi for streaming, full standalone operation, StagelinQ/SoundSwitch etc. It is, within the broad scope of a journalistic flourish, more or less a Prime 4 minus 2 channels.
Well… one casualty of the loss of two channels is the removal of external RCA channel inputs. But a two channel standalone controller is just that, and I’m perfectly happy with it. For me, this is the Prime controller that will sell by the container load. Yes, the Prime 4 is epic, uber, and super, but it’s also a bit much for a significant proportion of the DJ public.
Less is more
While four channels has been the drug that the DJ industry has been pushing for the last decade, the plain fact is that the market is made up of DJs who simply need to mix one track to the next and back again, often without using loops, samples, or whatever vital feature has been added to a product to make an iterative update possible.
When I look at the features of the Prime series that set it apart from everything else — wifi and internal storage in particular — these are delivery and storage methods for music, and as such should be available for all users. These are not features based around creativity — they are entirely about convenience. And yes, the touch screen is smaller than the Prime 4, but it does precisely the same thing — indeed I could easily argue that the Prime 2 doesn’t need a 10″ screen. The SC6000 only has it because it needs a USP over Pioneer CDs, not because the SC5000 screen is too small.
So what I see in the Prime 2 is what is really wanted (and asked for at Prime 4 launch) by the masses — a modern controller with industry leading features, but without too much frippery that pushes the price up and largely remains unused. On paper, and without having played with it, and assuming that Engine software is making leaps and bounds over where it is now, the Prime 2 is likely to scoop up a significant share of the market and win many fans.
Denon DJ Prime 2 Summing up
Given that the Prime 4 arrived 6 months late, and that Denon DJ doesn’t want a repeat of the online unhappiness, let’s take them at their word when I say that the Prime 2 will be available Q1 and comes in at $1399/£1259.
Denon DJ Prime 2 GALLERY
