It’s been a busy old week in DJ land, and Thursday brings yet another piece of shiny for you to pour over. I’d say new, but it’s an update, one that brings a very popular unit bang up to date with this week’s announcement. The updated Pioneer DDJ-SX2 is a response to the collective groaning experienced by existing DDJ-SX owners who can’t use the new DVS expansion pack, brings dedicated controls for the all new Serato Flip, better jogs, and makes some other bits and bobs that bit nicer.
As ever, a detailed press release, and be sure to watch the video – there’s a nice performance in there:
Definitive Design: Pioneer DJ launches the DDJ-SX2
– the first controller with dedicated buttons for the new Serato Flip
7th August 2014: Pioneer DJ is launching the DDJ-SX2, the industry’s first controller to give DJs native manipulation of the software’s latest upgrade, Serato Flip, unveiled this week. The four-channel DDJ-SX2 builds on the popularity of its predecessor, but inherits two must-have features from the top-flight DDJ-SZ: Performance Pads with multi-coloured cue point LEDs and on-jog digital cue point markers. Plus it’s Serato DJ DVS upgrade-ready and boasts improved jog wheel latency, making it the scratch DJ’s ultimate companion.
Serato Flip is a paid Expansion Pack for Serato DJ that gives DJs the power to record and re-play hot cue sequences on the fly. The DDJ-SX2 is the only controller with designated buttons – Record, Start and Slot – to put intuitive Serato Flip performances at their fingertips. DDJ-SX2 owners can add Serato Flip to their software package at no extra cost; the controller comes bundled with a FREE Serato Flip expansion pack voucher worth EUR 22.
The DDJ-SX2, with free Serato Flip expansion pack voucher, is available from October at an SRP of EUR 999/ GBP TBC.
PLUS the first 10,000 units come bundled with a free voucher code for the Serato Video Expansion Pack worth around EUR 129 / GBP 119.
Find out more at http://pioneerdj.com/m4.php?cat=controller&p=ddj-sx2
Watch Serato Flip in action on the DDJ-SX2 at http://youtu.be/IPqewVF2fq4
NEW FEATURES OF THE DDJ-SX2
- EXCLUSIVE: designated buttons for intuitive control of Serato Flip
Serato Flip lets DJs record hot cue combinations and replay them on loop. So they can record themselves triggering cues with the Performance Pads and automatically loop the sequence back on demand. The six slots let DJs store up to six sequences to be played back later. Three buttons cover all the functions of Serato Flip: Record (start/stop recording), Start (start/stop loop) and Slot (store).
- NEW: Performance Pads with multi-coloured cue point LEDs
DJs can instantly trigger Quantized Hot Cues, Roll, Slicer and Sampler, or hit Shift to save and activate Cue and Slicer Loops – while Velocity Mode lets them control the sample volume with the amount of pressure they apply. The multi-coloured backlit LEDs give a visual reference to which modes are in play and will reflect cue points that DJs have preset in Serato DJ.
- NEW: Enhanced jog wheels with digital cue point markers and countdown
The DDJ-SX2 has improved low-latency jog wheels for perfect scratch response every time. In addition to the backlit-LED On-Jog display, which shows the playback status of tracks, this model gains illuminated cue point markers and an accurate countdown for even greater scratch and reverse precision.
- NEW: Serato DJ DVS upgrade-ready and a variety of inputs and outputs
Like its predecessor, the DDJ-SX2 has four inputs, so DJs can connect it to DJ players and/or turntables and use it as a four-channel stand-alone mixer. It’s Serato DJ DVS upgrade-ready, so DJs can buy a Serato DJ DVS Expansion Pack and scratch with CDJs/analogue turntables using Serato NoiseMap Control CD/vinyl. Two master outputs (XLR and RCA) and a booth output enable connections direct to professional PA equipment. And the two MIC inputs have been improved to eliminate distortion.
OTHER FEATURES
- Slip Mode
- Sound Colour Filters on every channel
- Crossfader curve adjust
- Needle Search
- Master level and channel level meters
- Controls Traktor Pro2 (DJs need to download and set up the TSI mapping file)
- MIDI compatible
- Professional build quality
- High quality audio circuitry
MAIN SPECIFICATIONS
Software Serato DJ Input ports CD x 2 (RCA), Line/Phono x 2 (RCA)
MIC x 2 (XLR & ¼ inch combined jack x 1, ¼ inch jack x 1)Output ports Master Out x 2 (RCA x 1, XLR x 1)
Booth Out x 1 (¼ inch jack)
Headphone Monitor Out x 2 (front panel ¼ inch jack, MiniPin)Other ports USB x 1 (B terminal) Frequency response 20 Hz – 20 kHz Total Harmonic Distortion ratio 0.003% or less S/N ratio 107 dB (PC) Maximum dimensions(W x D x H) 664 x 353.4 x 70.4 mm Unit weight 5.8 kg SERATO DJ SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Applicable OS (Windows) Windows® 8.1/ Windows® 7
32-bit: (CPU) 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo/(Memory) 2GB
64-bit: (CPU) 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo/(Memory) 4GB32-bit: (CPU) Core i3, i5 or i7 1.07 GHz Duo/(Memory) 2GB
64-bit: (CPU) Core i3, i5 or i7 1.07 GHz Duo/(Memory) 4GBApplicable OS (Mac) Mac OS X v10.9.4/10.8.5/10.7.5
32-bit: (CPU) 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo/(Memory) 2GB
64-bit: (CPU) 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo/(Memory) 4GB32-bit: (CPU) Core i3, i5 or i7 1.07 GHz Duo/(Memory) 2GB
64-bit: (CPU) Core i3, i5 or i7 1.07 GHz Duo/(Memory) 4GBDisplay resolution 1280 x 720 or higher resolution * Serato DJ is a registered trademark of Serato Audio Research Ltd.
* Windows® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the US and other countries
* Mac OS is a trademark of Apple Inc. registered in the US and other countries
* Intel® is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation in the US and other countries
* TRAKTOR is a registered trademark of Native Instruments
THE DDJ-SX2 – THE CHANGES
When a unit is an update, it’s very easy to see what the changes are. So I’ve poured over the images so that you don’t have to:
- Dedicated flip buttons
- Full RGB pads with extra features
- Extra crossfader markings
- Improved centre display
- Pitch controls moved down
- Dual mode control changed
- Reverse gets a censor feature
- “Sync off” marking gone
- Loop control marking improved
- Vinyl button gone and incorporated into slip
Let’s cover off the headline ones. Flip buttons are number one in Pioneer’s list, and probably because it’s hot and new, and as a feature it’s a huge draw. But it’s hard to say if a complete hardware upgrade is worth three buttons for an existing DDJ-SX user. Are Flips more of an offline prepping feature or more for live on-the-fly performance? Time will tell if three dedicated buttons will be enough to fully harness Flip on the go.
The pads get an upgrade that brings them in line with other units. A full RGB light show is in place, as well as key secondary features that the Numark NS7II and Pioneer DDJ-SR has. This could be the feature that makes existing DDJ-SX users upgrade so they have an all-in-one solution rather than buying secondary controllers. This is after all a key feature of all-in-ones right?
The jog wheels get an upgrade too. These just weren’t quite right on the original DDJ-SX review (or the SZ for that matter). An improved display should help make the overall hands-on experience better. Cues point on-screen will help as well.
The original DDJ-SX can’t and won’t ever work with the just announced DVS add-on. Apparently its insides are all wrong to make such a thing happen, which in fairness to Pioneer wasn’t an issue when the SX was announced. But now whatever the internal hardware routing issue was has now been fixed. Again, I’m not entirely sure just how important using DVS is with a huge four channel software driven controller, but for $99 you can buy the add-on and make it happen.
There is of course the added bonus of Serato Video for the first 10,000 buyers, which does somewhat sweeten the deal. But one thing is for sure, eBay is about to groan under the weight of a lot of original SXs hitting it all at once.
Summing up – the DDJ-SX2 will be available for €999 (update – UK price now TBC), comes with Serato Flip, and the first 10,000 buyers get Serato Video. If you’re looking to get it for DVS, that’ll be an extra $99. It’ll be available in October.
OVER TO YOU
Smashing open the piggy bank to get a new DDJ-SX2? Or is the already very capable original more than ample for your needs? Are Flip and DVS a real draw, or do you really need a better jog wheel and all that pad goodness? And did the DDJ-SZ suddenly look a lot less attractive?
GALLERY
