Friday is a day when nothing happens in the world of press releases. And for some reason, my body decided to stay in bed until the ungodly hour 08.50am this morning. So you can imagine my surprise when I opened my email, and through my bleary eyes saw the most humongous lump of hardware staring back at me. After a period of eye-rubbing and reading, the email garnered a couple of expletives, words that essential meant “golly — there’s a turn up for the books”. Pioneer DJ just announced the video ready DDJ-RZX mothership, and in turn dropped a rather large mic in front of the whole industry.
Here’s the DDJ-RZX press release:
Capture, control, create: Meet the DDJ-RZX audio and video performance controller – Native control over the new rekordbox™ video Plus Pack for rekordbox dj
1st July 2016: We’re releasing our new flagship controller, the DDJ-RZX. Designed to make the most of the new rekordbox™ video Plus Pack for rekordbox dj, it builds on our heritage of making video DJ equipment like the DVJ-1000 and SVM-1000. The DDJ-RZX is a 4-channel professional controller for mobile DJs and anyone who wants to bring videos into their performances.
The DDJ-RZX features three touch screens for viewing track information and applied pad effects. Video previewing and monitoring is sharp on the 7-inch screens and they give access to all the key features in both rekordbox dj and the new rekordbox video Plus Pack. You only need to use your laptop to browse your rekordbox library and select tracks. Two XLR combo input jacks give distortion-free Mic output and the 3-band Mic EQ and Mic FX let you tune each voice. Plus, the extensive FX unit includes Combo FX, Sampler Repeat and Release FX, as well as the studio-quality Sound Colour FX from the DJM-900NXS2 mixer. It inherits traits from the CDJ-2000NXS2 multiplayer and DJM mixer series including large jog wheels, multicoloured Performance Pads and high-quality sound.
The DDJ-RZX is available from July at an SRP of €2,999 including VAT. The controller comes bundled with licence keys for rekordbox dj, rekordbox dvs and rekordbox video (worth a total of €409 including VAT).
rekordbox video is a Plus Pack for rekordbox dj that adds video performance features to our rekordbox dj performance software. Its key features include:
- Native control of videos – scratch and add FX to videos as if they were audio tracks
- Transition FX – use the crossfader to mix two video sources with a choice of 20 in-built FX. Add up to five effects to your favourites and recall them
- Touch FX – trace on the display’s x and y axes to add FX and adjust parameters
- Slideshow – create slideshows of still images in advance or on the fly
- Camera FX – show the live feed from a digital camera connected to your computerTo buy the rekordbox video Plus Pack for rekordbox dj, follow these steps:
- Install the rekordbox music management application (version 4.2 onwards). Download it here for free (available from 1st July 2016).
- Buy a rekordbox dj Plus Pack licence key here for €139 (if you don’t own one already) and install the Plus Pack.
- Buy a rekordbox video Plus Pack licence key here for €159.
If you’re a rekordbox dj monthly subscription user, you can use the video features without buying a licence key. Find out more about the rekordbox family.
Watch our introduction video for the DDJ-RZX or find out more here.
KEY FEATURES OF THE DDJ-RZX
- Layout mirrors a CDJ set-up
Mix audio and videos instinctively with features inherited from the CDJ and DJM series including large jog wheels and multicoloured tactile Performance Pads. The 4-channel controller has an independent sampler section for intuitive control of Beat Sync, Quantize and Trim on the sampler.
- High-quality sound
Hear the true sound of your tracks thanks to AC inlets for reduced cable contact resistance and a high performance 96 kHz/32-bit D/A converter made by Asahi Kasei. Plus, low jitter clock IC and the 96 kHz/24-bit USB sound card ensure powerful, high-quality sound.
- Three touch screens for complete control
Take your performances to the next level by using the three 7-inch touch screens to preview/monitor video and image files, and to trigger Beat FX and Release FX. Plus, Touch FX lets you add FX and adjust parameters by tracing on the x and y axes on the display. Use deck display mode to check track information such as titles, BPM and key. And use mixer display mode to see enlarged waveforms for each track, as well as loop and Hot Cue information. Create instant doubles by simply touching the display.
- Professional Mic section
Hear voices loud and clear thanks to two XLR combo input jacks for Mics. Control the output with the 3- band Mic EQ and use the four Mic FX – Echo, Reverb, Pitch and V Tune – to add texture and to tune each voice.
- Extensive FX unit
Add the following FX to your tracks from rekordbox dj or external players and sound sources.
- Combo FX – control Sound Colour FX and Beat FX at the same time using the touch screens
- Sampler Repeat – change the length of a loop just by touching the display and apply Sound Colour FX when using the rekordbox dj sampler
- Sound Colour FX with sub parameter control – use the studio-quality Sound Colour FX from the DJM-900NXS2 mixer including Sweep, Filter, Crush, Dub Echo, Noise and Space, and fine- tune them using sub parameter control
- Release FX – exit complex FX patterns by selecting Vinyl Brake, Echo or Back Spin and twisting the dial
- Other features
- Active Censor – intuitively control the new Active Censor feature in rekordbox dj. Set in and out points and apply Reverse Roll, Trans, Echo or Vinyl Brake FX to disguise explicit words in tracks. The FX will then be heard whenever the track is played from rekordbox dj
- Three bundled licence keys – comes with licence keys for rekordbox dj, rekordbox dvs and rekordbox video
- Newly developed crossfader – highly durable and capable of over 10 million movements
- OSC sampler – four oscillator sounds
- Dual USB port – for smooth transitions between DJs
- Brushed aluminium faceplate – high quality and professional design
- P-Lock fader cap – locks fader knobs to prevent dropping
A protective case for the DDJ-RZX will be available. Made from lightweight, durable materials, it has a robust, black metal frame to keep your controller safe during transit. It also features built-in carry handles and wheels for easy transportation (to be sold separately).
DDJ-RZX specifications
Software：rekordbox dj
Input ports：CD/Line x 4 (RCA), Phono x 2 (RCA), Mic x 2 (XLR & 1/4-inch TRS jack)
Output ports：Master Out x 2 (XLR x 1, RCA x 1), Booth Out x 1(1/4-inch TRS jack), Headphone Monitor Out x 2 (1/4-inch stereo jack x 1, 3.5 mm stereo mini-jack x 1)
Other ports：USB x 2 (Type B x 2)
Frequency response：20 Hz ～ 20 kHz (USB, CD/Line, Mic1, Mic2)
Total Harmonic Distortion ratio：0.002% (USB), 0.003% (CD/Line)
S/N ratio：116 dB (USB), 101 dB (CD/Line), 91 dB (Phono)
Power requirements：AC 110 V to 240 V, 50 Hz/60 Hz
Power consumption：48 W
Maximum dimensions (W×H×D)：945 mm × 119.7 mm × 547 mm
Unit weight：15.9 kgrekordbox video SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
< OS>
Windows: Windows 10, 8.1, 7 (The latest service pack)
Mac: Mac OS X 10.11, 10.10, 10.9 (Updated to the latest version）<Minimum system requirements>
CPU: 2.5GHz dual-core IntelⓇ CoreTM i5 or above
Memory: 8GB or more of RAM
Hard Drive: 250MB or more of free space (not including space for storing music files, etc.)
Display resolution: At least 1280 x 768<Recommended system requirements>
CPU: 2.2GHz quad-core IntelⓇ CoreTM i7 or above
Memory: 16GB or more of RAM
Hard Drive: 250MB or more of free space (not including space for storing music files , etc.)
Display resolution: At least 1280 x 768
DDJ-RZX — BACK IN THE VIDEO GAME
Having got over the shock of such a thing (Pioneer DJ had a gap in their market that we hadn’t thought of), especially on a Friday, my mind turned to the product itself. And Pioneer DJ is showing itself to be brave and clearly after DJ world domination by dropping the biggest boldest lump of video capable hardware in the DJ scene. Video is an area that sits on the fringes of regular DJing, and has yet to really find its feet. Pioneer of old invested heavily into the scene at the very high-end as well, but it never really took off in a big way.
But what we have here is a massive controller, essentially a DDJ-RZ with touch screens. It’s the shrunk down touring system for the rest of us… well the rest of us with deep pockets anyway. But it does video as well, rather than being primarily a video controller. So it will absolutely sell to a number of people based entirely on being the biggest controller in the market, but has the added value of being an all in one video ready controller.
But it’s good to see that the video Plus pack isn’t limited to the DDJ-RZX. Obviously you don’t get the built in video features in all the other units, which leads us neatly to…
LAPTOP STILL REQUIRED
Sorry people — the DDJ-RZX, even with three x touch screens still requires a laptop running rekordbox with all the plus packs installed. The hardware lacks any AV outputs, making the laptop the link to your video screens and your music library. There’s no USB ports on the faceplate either which does rather indicate that this will never be a standalone unit.
I’m not in any way surprised — we’re still waiting for a full four channel standalone unit from… well anyone really. It’ll get there of course, just not yet. But bar standalone, this is the most complete rekordbox experience that you can get. It’s a full mixer, and as such is rekordbox DVS ready too. I don’t see DVS being standalone inside anything for a while, if only because you need some serious internal grunt, as well as screens.
SUMMING UP
The DDJ-RZX will cost €2999/$2999/£2369, complete with rekordbox, rekordbox DJ, and all the Plus Packs, and will be available in July. Pioneer DJ just needs to start making mics so they can at least drop their own for a change. ;)
GALLERY
Damn it I didn’t know it would be this soon. I just bought XDJ-700s waiting for this to land! At $3,000 though reasonable, I don’t think I can justify it.
dam that’s expensive!
I guess that it’s a matter of perspective. It’s an all-in-one controller clearly modeled after a NXS2 setup with screens that can also do video… but needs a laptop. It practically does everything – except work without a laptop – so $1000 over the DDJ-SZ doesn’t seem unreasonable.
Said differently, $3000 is a lot of money – but doesn’t mean that the RZX isn’t priced right.
$1000 over an already overpriced controller. The RZX is overpriced just like everything pioneer sells except for maybe the Wego-3.
I’ve been waiting for DDJ with screen, but man, this is a behemoth of a controller! It’s huuuge and I can only imagine how big and heavy a case for it will be! I think I’ll wait for gen2 or for DDJ RXX version which should be smaller.
Another point is CPU requirements… I remember I had NI Traktor S8 (hapilly sold) which had two tiny screens and it choked on any i5 machine… here we have 3 screens of 7 inch which are touch enabled and all this is connected to the computer via USB… I’m wondering how they’ve solved USB protocol limitations (if have at all).
Waiting for first hands on reviews!
The hands on reviews will certainly reveal a lot more about this controller. As for the weight, the controller weighs 35 lbs. For comparison the NS7ii weighs almost 34 lbs. The NS7iii weighs a little less at about 31.5 lbs. The DDJ-RZ weighs about 23.5 lbs. So yes it is heavy. The RZX not a lot wider or taller than the RZ but it is deeper 21.5 inches compared to 16.5 inches on the RZ.
https://www.pioneerdj.com/en-us/product/controller/ddj-rz/black/specifications/#info
Pioneer says there will be a case for the RZX
“A protective case for the DDJ-RZX will be available. Made from lightweight, durable materials, it has a robust, black metal frame to keep your controller safe during transit. It also features built-in carry handles and wheels for easy transportation (to be sold separately).”
http://www.pioneerdj.com/en/news/2016/ddj-rzx-rekordbox-video-controller/
The recommended system requirements are also higher than probably most software out there but even my 2011 Macbook Pro meets the processor requirements and I can bump the RAM from my installed 8Gb to the recommended 16Gb for less than $70.
if it had motorised platters and larger, fold-down screens…..
Pioneer DJ has never done motorised platters. But it’s an untucked box in their repertoire. So who knows. Nothing surprises me anymore.
huh? i always thought the PLX1000 had motorised platters or maybe they had to be manually spun with a handle??? nothing surprises me either
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Portable_78_rpm_record_player.jpg
Motorized platters in their controller range. PLX is a turntable… But yes Pioneer could make a new kind of beast if they want. In other hand it doesn’t seems the y have chioose due DVS expansion pack in rekordbox software.
It’s a big one. I would hate to carry that on a plane, :D.
Also as a VJ, I am very skeptical of the utility of the video side of this. It looks way too simplistic compared to what you can do with modern software like Arena.
Also, you really need a stand alone controller to operate visuals and who is going to want that plus this enormous rig if it will even allow you to use an additional controller in the first place.
And finally, VJing is a full time job. I wouldn’t be able to do both simultaneously and I don’t think anyone else will either. I guess if it is just cross fading between 2 clips when you change tracks and mirroring visual effects with audio ones, it will be somewhat automatic. Really, it seems more like a gimmick than anything else.
But does it still have an airhorn button?
I am so skeptical about the usefulness of video in this sense. Do VJs ever, and I mean ever, need only four layers of video? And to control it this way? I just don’t see why it’s there, other than a useless feature checkbox that very few people will ever use. And if that’s where the industry is settled, checking boxes that are effectively useless for users, then that’s kind of a waste of innovation.
And do DJs even VJ AND DJ at the same time? I mean, I’m not exactly hip to what’s cool with those young kids slingin rhymes on the street, or whatever, but I just can’t imagine that being actually useful.
But I don’t see the value in the product in general. That’s not to say it isn’t a good product, though. I’d need to lay hands on it.
I don’t get how your opinion of the VJing aspect of this results in the statement “But I don’t see the value in the product in general.”
You don’t see the value in having a four channel rekordbox controller with three touch screens so you almost never have to open use your laptop? Seems like all the other amazing things about this controller are getting lost in the VJing aspect.
I don’t mean that the product has no value. I don’t think it’s worth $3000. Others may love it, and want to buy it, I just don’t think it’s worth the price.
^Agreed. But I’ll have to wait and see the DJWORX review and reviews of the 1st adopters of this behemoth controller. Right now, at first glance, it’s not something I would go and sell my NS7III for.
I wonder how the “no controllers in the booth” promoters / club owners will feel about this particular controller….
This was one of my very first thoughts. I believe his opinion was more about people not knowing what they were doing. That said, if the booth is small, finding space for this beast would be very hard, especially at changeover time.
I understand the technical limitations, but I feel like they really missed an opportunity to answer the “no controllers” controversy by including standalone playback in this unit. Having done so would have provided club owners with a replacement for their standard deck-mixer-deck install that would satisfy both CDJ djs and controllerists.
This is a 3000 dollar controller, a full nxs setup is around 6000 dollars. though they could have made this all in one… why would they cannibalise the nxs line?
Well it’s missing two big things… The CD drive, and the USB input. Those DJs that live and die by those two things will not even consider this controller.
if you want a proper, immersive visual experience, you can either hire a good VJ, or learn the craft yourself. this product is for those who want neither.
mobile jocks / corporate parties / anything top40 is gonna fall under the “we’ve got a projector, might as well” category. with other types of music, people are unlikely to bother building up a video library, so they’ll leech or buy stock material which will start looking old & boring real fast.
I don’t foresee too high an adoption rate, and many complete failures along the way. most DJs are too dumb to understand the gain/EQ on their mixer, I don’t even want to think what’s gonna happen when you introduce them to the wonderful world of video codecs. I doubt rekordbox will just re-encode any of the youtube-downloader shit people ARE no doubt going to throw at it. there will be crashes and complaints.
for this to go over without becoming a complete support nightmare, pioneer would have to set up their own AV content distribution, but then it would all become even more uniform and boring that DJing as a whole already is.
so yes – some big name like James or Luke will probably tour with pre-produced high-quality video content to promote this system, in order to make you believe you can do it just as easily. but you can’t. VJing is a bit like DJing was 15 years ago – the real pro stuff is expensive and elaborate, there are no decent “instant” solutions.
anything beyond the ultra-basic stuff (play/blend clips, overlay text), the software won’t be able to do anyway, because that will always go over the average DJ’s head. resolume/modul8/arkaos or touchdesigner/vvvv will still reign supreme in the VJ world. of course, for the regular jock who “just wants to have visuals”, this will likely be a decent makeshift solution – but it doesn’t seem any more exciting than mixemergency. NEXT!
I’m confused about one thing though – does something like this allow to just have a visualization running synced to the main mix? I’m really not into “videos” in the traditional sense of the word.
To get that with my current setup I was thinking of just running the mix through winamp to use milkdrop visualizations.
obviously I haven’t tried this one yet, but there are basically two ways to include videos into your DJ set – either load a video file (visual and audio in one container), or assign a video file to an audio file (as in “link” a visual to a track – I’m not sure rekordbox is capable of that, someone correct me please).
what you’re talking about is an algorithmic, generative visual based mostly on transients in low/mid/high frequencies. which is basically just an elaborate level meter. it looks mostly the same no matter which track you play, while videos are naturally linked to a specific track. so there is a clear difference. I used to do that milkdrop thing too (~12 years ago), but it tends to get rather psychedelic when you keep it going too long and everybody can basically do the same thing ;)
rekordbox does the former, and offers some blend effects. like I said, it will be enough for mobile jocks, and people who “just want visuals”, so marketing-wise it’s probably going to be somewhat successful, like most things pioneer does. but there’s really nothing “next level” about it.
If only you were this critcal towards NI products.
I am this critical towards any product.
Where’s NI, by the way? Did they fall asleep over the “success” of stems?
I have a sneaky suspicion that we’re in the “quiet before the storm” phase. My fingers are crossed for holy hell breaking loose at some point.
Same here. I have a feeling something big is brewing.
Or, for someone like me who’s a motion graphics artist and a casual DJ who wants to get good DJ equipment and the ability to add in visuals, this looks pretty awesome.
assuming rekordbox can’t link different audio/video files, you’d need to produce, say, 50-60 videos for a short DJ set, and would be limited to using only these videos until you produce more. so my question would be, why not use a proper VJ tool like resolume, slap ALL your clips in and blend them with any tracks while you DJ?
I’m very curious about the ability of Rekordbox to play video and audio independently of each other. I’m currently using DjPro and it has that capability.
I don’t have the budget to go full hog on Resolume and the computer that’s needed
At 3:05 in the intro video, the narrator says, “You can also independently mix audio and video…”
Wow. I already feel sorry for the stress Pioneer’s tier 1 support people will suffer after this drops.
The 2 yt video mixing you have described is probably the future as it has been the same on music side. Boring for most of us but enough for the majority of people at clubs. The big fest will continue hiring big names some of them with true visualist in their crew but some not and flashy stock videos will be the standard which Pioneer represents: entertainment.
well, we can’t all be Robo Kitty.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVBvouxRFtM
looooooooooooool
Do understand what your saying! But I think they dodged most of the video problems by allowing the software on the laptop control the video aspect of it. If you look at the specs for the recommended laptop required those are no low specs computers. Which leads me to believe that all the processing of the video playback is dependent upon your laptop and software you use and not the controller itself. The video inputs and output is dependent of your laptop capability. Based off what I’m seeing it looks like they just added 3 touch screen monitors to DDJ RZ which in theory if you had an DDJ RZ you could just add some video monitors and just use Rekordbox Video to be able to do the same thing the RZX does. Of course minus the touchscreen experience. If sales don’t do well then they probably already have a stand alone video attachment in the works that you can add to your existing DJ controller.
I use Serato video and have the Pioneer DDJ SZ and my video playback experience has be flawless. Keep in mind I only do MP4 music playback and no layers and stuff provided in software like Arkaos, Resolume and Mix Emergency. My only major concern is the Rekordbox software. I haven’t used it before and I don’t know how reliable it is compared to Serato. If anyone is using Rekordbox I would greatly appreciate some feedback on your thoughts on Rekordbox incorporating Video? Is gonna be able to compete with Serato Video?
I haven’t used Rekordbox yet because I don’t really use anything Pioneer in my setup (I’d jump at a RMX-2000 or a DDJ-SP2 if they made them though). I’ll test it eventually, but I need to finish a couple of other projects first.
As a rule of thumb, you can assume that any and all new software is likely to be buggy for quite some time after release. Doesn’t matter if it’s Pioneer, Serato, NI or Ableton. They’ve all got good dev teams, but it’s just impossible to test every type of setup (plus all the dumb user ideas) in advance.
However, if you work with well-prepared (as in: properly encoded) video files that rekordbox prefers – which should be the same ones Serato Video/MixEmergency likes, at least that would be the smart thing for Pioneer to implement – I don’t think you’ll run into trouble.
Over twice the price of the Denon DJ MCX8000. Is it worth it?
At least you can tell if the headphone cue buttons on the channel strips are activated or not. On the MCX8000 the cue buttons are lit all the time. When cue is active for a channel, the button is lit a little more. It’s very hard to tell if you have a channel cued or not. Hopefully Denon can correct that with Firmware, but it hasn’t happened yet. Also, if you’re not a fan of mirrored controller layouts, you probably won’t like the MCX. I really wanted to love the MCX but there’s still some stuff that I know would irritate me.
More for video djing than vjing….
This beast is way too big !!!
A Numark Dashbaord like would have made more sense IMO since it could have replace also a Pioneer DJ-SP1.
Imagine something compact that have touch screens, player controls, pad controls, fx controls, video controls and video plus pack, library controls… using it with any thing that have a soundcard => Ultimate evolutive accessory isn’t it ? Then, sell it at 500-800$ and I’m in :-)
The second paragraph defined an iPad with accesories… ;P
I’ll only be happy when my DJ gear is on wheels and I can sit in it.
Isn’t this “putting the cart before the horse”? Rekordbox DJ isn’t quite a polished product, yet. It’s still a little glitchy. Adding video without 64 bit drivers for Win users, what the hell are they thinking? Work on stability, before you introduce new features.
As for the hardware, it’s a behemoth. Going to need a shoe horn to squeeze that controller into a booth that already has the house kit set up… but it is shiny.
What I’m saying is all you described is what I can do with my 415€ ipad mini 4 and usb3 lighting adapter with any usb class compliant controller and/or soundcard. ;)
It was ironic bro’ ;-)
The thing is all big 3 major brands (serato, traktor and rekordbox) wouldn’t make enough money using iPad in their ecosystem.
And I think a three 7″ touch screen set up is better for a dj system.
No prob ;)
From money POV is clear these brands prefer sell hardware solutions laptop based but there is room for profit in iOS realm too.
About 3 screens vs 1 not really sure because we can make more things on ipad (some better than laptop such music searching which is one of the drawbacks in Traktor) and modular app setup (things like AUM mixer, loopyHD, Modstep… Video!) for few bucks. Also the promo video shows some lagging in fx xy control which seems crappy for the money it cost IMHO.
If you didn’t try an iPad with some of these apps, let it a chance. With the proper apps, adaptor and controller it could be more affordable, versatile and even powerfull (optimized)
Regards!
Totally agree.
Serato just need to update their remote app.
If only they could get their priorities right!!
Make it USB-standalone and 4-deck playback, and then we’ll talk
here here
How does it support VJing with no video out?
Through your laptop.
pioneer just gave all competition a run for the money
Exactly my thoughts : “What could be added on top of that ?”
Standalone mode and… that’s it !
Very good to have the classic jogs rather the capacitive ones…. Are the effects still Post fader? And why they removed the NOISE from the sound colour effects? The oscillator isn’t that accurate using it.
Are you sure about jogs not being capacitive? Where does it say that?
Ooh – only the R series of controllers (ignoring the random WeGO and the full blown CDJ/DJM setup) that can work with the video plus pack. That’ll wind up all the S series owners!
The S series doesn’t work with rekordbox, and the R series doesn’t work with Serato DJ. And the S Series have Serato Video and MixEmergency. So everyone should be fine, unless rekordbox video is better than the others.
The S series do work with Rekordbox (can’t add link due to the way the Pio site works) along with various CDJs, XDJs, R1, Aero etc. etc.
My mistake and thanks for the update. It looks like they’ve been adding the S range over the last 6 months.
vjing in a dj app. 2007 is here and he wants his Killer application back
It’s pretty…. but still WAY TOO BIG! People dis laptops, but yet the size is more manageable and more powerful. What if the motherboard fries, your SOL. These all in one solutions may look good on paper, but screaming for a disaster to happen.
They should have made this a modular setup, the mixer and 2 controllers, that can fuse together magnetically (Stanton) SCS — speaking of Stanton, I’m anxious to see their new offerings since the purchase of Deckadance).
It’s really good for travelling!!! I love Pioneer newer controllers!!! Excellent!!!
It’s ironic, of course. When it’s all gonna stop!!!! When will other brands decide to strike back, and let another vision of “Future Of DJing” rise ???!!!!
I’m sick with their représentatives’ behavior at tradeshows, in France, disrespectful attitude toward some of us. I want other brands to take over the industry!!!
There is a modular version, the DJM/CDJ line of products. Or if you need the third screen, the Tour line if you can shell out copious amounts of money to play on those.
I like this idea, but to drop the USB inputs just leaves a sour taste for this launch. I’m not a pioneer fanboy, but I’m waiting for the RZX2 that “should” be a standalone unit with the video output built in. Now that would be the ultimate controller.
Well, if you take away the computer then it’s not a controller anymore.
No mention of library searching capabilities??
all done on the laptop.
Nice but… does it fly?
It believes it can fly. They were gonna call it the DDJ-R Kelly but he wanted too much $$$. :-)
Guys, beware of the latest rekordbox issues, refrain from updating to version 4.2.0 http://www.pioneerdj.com/en-us/news/2016/support-notice-for-rekordbox-420/
Actually…. I might just pull the trigger and buy this after watching the video. For video djing it’s sensational. Laptop can go under the desk and it has absolutely everything on the controller. So easy to manipulate video with a controller designed for it.
Doesn’t have absolutely everything on the controller…for example you cannot search for tracks directly on the controller, you still need the laptop for that. If you plan on using the slideshow, image display or text overlay feature you need the laptop for that also.
Cheers. Only reason I would get it is to throw the laptop underneath the booth. If they add those features I might think about it. Overlay is important as is track search. Any idea if they are planning to add the features?
Rekordbox is in development continuously so you never know. Looking at a Macbook for example there is a closed display mode and there would need to be some way of Pioneer interfacing the screens as a recognisable video device much in the same way as an external screen maybe. What might be more likely to happen is that you could put the laptop away with the lid OPEN underneath the booth maybe. Others might say if you want to get rid of the laptop completely then consider the CDJ range or the XDJ-RX.
Cheers. I’ve tried using dust on my mac with serrate and have had no success. I’m happy to have the laptop lid open underneath the booth. Just would like to have the same functionality as the laptop with the rzx.
Get “Caffeine” from the Mac app store, it’s FREE and will do the job.
In addition to this, Duet works really well with my Macbook and Rekordbox…
In addition to this Luke i’ve been testing using my iPad through the Duet app with the RZX so I can position the library part of Rekordbox on the iPad and put the laptop away and it’s worked quite successfully, albeit not with the laptop lid fully closed. I will work on that bit this week and put a video together to show it working.
Time for a play said Zebedee….bigger than my kitchen table…just under a metre wide and over half a metre deep…where will I eat my dinner tonight?
Why is pioneer wasting its time with jog wheels? According to the experts here, jogwheels will be completely gone in less than 2 years.
So despite the touch screens you still need a laptop to search through your library? Never mind that, you still need a laptop?
Thanks, but no thanks.
When will the folks who design these controllers get it right? We want a controller that DOESN’T require a laptop.
Ok so a CONTROLLER that doesn’t require a laptop? So…what would this CONTROLLER control? That’s the idea…it’s a controller…it controls a laptop. If you want a device that is sized like a controller and doesn’t require a laptop then go for the XDJ-RX.
What would it control? Well, how about DJing and your pendrive? Your laptop basically functions as a gigantic pendrive anyway, but regardless, a controller doesn’t need a laptop in order to be a controller. You mentioned the XDJ-RX and we have also have The MCX8000, which is categorized as a controller, yet it does not require a laptop either.
The only downside to the two aforementioned controllers is the inability to keyword search through your library, but touch screens would fix that.
Designing a controller of this size WITH touch screens that STILL requires a laptop is a massive oversight in my opinion.
Just think about how perfect it would be! You plug in your pendrive (no laptop needed) and utilize the touch screens for easy navigation. Sounds like the perfect controller to me.
Ok how many videos are you hoping to store on that pen drive?
The DDJ series all require laptops, the XDJ series don’t. Maybe in the future pioneer will expand the XDJ series to be 4 channel with touch screens and that should satisfy your requirements.
no you dont it has a search on the middle screen
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Not quite the mic drop IMO. No Serato support, No usb input like other controllers/decks and requires a laptop even though it has all those screens. The price is close enough to the “real things” that it’s hard to justify. I, in no way, am saying this isn’t a “great piece of kit” but it’s no mic drop either. Oh yeah, and from what I’ve heard it takes a pretty powerful laptop to run. So, you may have tho spring for one of those too.
In fairness, it’s a rekordbox controller. And like all other rekordbox controllers (to my knowledge anyway) doesn’t support Serato DJ by design.
I went forward with a purchase of this DDJ-RZX. The hardware is excellent and Rekordbox has come a long way. RB5 greatly reduced the amount of resources needed by a laptop and what I call a “USB Sync” feature is a valuable addition. I still wished there was some way to fluently share libraries with Serato but at least I can take USB sticks to gigs where Pioneer gear is used.
Hey, can you elaborate more on your experience? I may take the plunge on this baby….
I’ve had CDJ 2000s before and I’m familiar with DJM series mixers. This controller is that same quality. Imagine a CDJ 2000 with performance pads but NO media access. The knobs all feel solid and the screens are easily readable. The biggest concern I had was with Rekordbox. At the time I purchase my deck they had RB4 and it was a bit twitchy. However, they recently release RB5 and it’s a totally improved and update animal. The transition from Serato to RB4/5 was pretty seamless since they didn’t try to reinvent the wheel. Between the two apps they pretty much have the important stuff in the same spots. To be honest with you, I have not tried the video feature yet but I will soon. So, In my opinion the only compromise you’re making is the lack of using media vs CDJs, which could be a big deal to some.
Yeah. Ive heard that RB 5 vastly improved the experience. Playing only audio files, do you experience issues or is the experience smooth? I do have video but that’s just for fun, not serious djing….
It’s cool. Not for one moment, did I worry about a crash and I have not experienced one, even when I was using the RB5 beta. I think I’ll put together a video soon and if you haven’t already made a decision, I’ll let you know it’s been uploaded.
So, RB 5 has been the savior… ah, another thing: the firmware upgrade for the pitch faders worked ok? Did it become more responsive and precise?
I believe there was a problem with it “drifting” but i’m not entirely sure. I just updated to 1.09, which is one update up from 1.08. 1.08 is the one that fixed the issue and the faders with 1.08 seemed fine to me. I’ll do some more stringent testing tonight, that’s a good question.
My DDJRZ can handle .02 to .01 after the update… I expect the same with this one…