Well I was mostly right. While I spotted that Pioneer DJ had cheekily slipped in a covert glimpse of their new controller, I proposed that it (wrong) would most likely be a rekordbox controller (tick) and be called the XDJ-RZ (nearly). The full story is that Pioneer DJ has released two controllers, the DDJ-RX and DDJ-RZ, essentially the DDJ-SX and DDJ-SZ repurposed for the new rekordbox 4 software.
Seems that Pioneer’s PR team has yet to upload assets, so you’ll just have to make do with a cut and paste from the email:
NEXT GENERATION: introducing the DDJ-RZ and DDJ-RX – the world’s first controllers for rekordbox dj
Pioneer DJ is launching the DDJ-RZ and DDJ-RX – the first hardware to deliver native control of rekordbox dj performance software, announced today. The controllers give rekordbox DJs the ultimate flexibility and convenience: to prepare their tracks in rekordbox and then enjoy plug-and-play performance with the software, direct from their laptop.
The DDJ-RZ and DDJ-RX mirror the layout of the software precisely to enable intuitive creative performances. New to these controllers are the beat parameter buttons, Sampler Cue mode and Sequencer mode, which lets DJs record, play and loop pad routines on the fly.
The top-flight DDJ-RZ shares all the features of the DDJ-RX, but adds a club-quality magnetic crossfader, large jog wheels inherited from the top-flight CDJ-2000NXS, an OSC Sampler and two USB sound cards.
The DDJ-RZ and DDJ-RX are available from October 2015 at SRPs of €2,099 and €1,049 respectively, including 21% VAT. Both controllers come bundled with the rekordbox dj Plus Pack, (worth €139, including VAT, or €10.90 a month subscription, including VAT).
KEY FEATURES OF THE DDJ-RZ AND DDJ-RX
- Layout mirrors rekordbox dj for instinctive control
- Multi-coloured Performance Pads with Velocity Mode
- Low latency jog wheels with On Jog Display
- 4-channel mixer
- 4 Sound Colour FX, Beat FX
- Sequencer Mode
- Release FX: echo, vinyl brake and backspin
- Quantized Beat Jump
- Slip Mode
- Multiple inputs and outputs
- Needle search
- Crossfader curve adjust
- High-quality MIC input
- Jog Feeling Adjust
- P-Lock Fader Cap
ADDITIONAL FEATURES OF THE DDJ-RZ
- Customisable OSC Sampler
- 2 USB sound cards for seamless DJ handovers
- Durable, responsive magnetic crossfader
At first glance, they’re repurposed Serato DJ controllers with a couple of new controls (capture and sequence), some minor tweaks, and new LEDs installed, running software that many are saying is very reminiscent of Serato. I would love to be a fly on the wall in Auckland right now.
To get the full scope of these will require further reading of the Pioneer DJ’s site, as well as pouring through PR that is as yet unavailable. So I’ll leave this story right here, and return to it later after my breakfast. Rest assured that we’ll be all over these at BPM… oh wait, they’ll be all over our demo stage at BPM 2015 with subsequent 20 minute video. ;)
DDJ-RZ GALLERY
DDJ-RX GALLERY
