A couple of weeks ago, my social media inboxes started to get pinged with messages entitled “have you seen this?” or assorted variations thereof. What I was looking at was a not entirely convincing pack shot of a Pioneer DJ DDJ-1000SRT. Yes, it’s an obvious product but I wasn’t convinced. Days passed and more leaks appeared, one of which was so huge (probably an honest mistake but it’s always the retailers) that it absolutely confirmed the legitimacy of the leaks. So now please cast your eyes on the most obvious product release ever — the Pioneer DJ DDJ-1000SRT, the Serato DJ Pro version of the the rekordbox based DDJ-1000 that was asked for over and over at launch.
Now… given that it’s a joint release, I’m blessed with two flavours of PR. But which shall I post? Both of course silly — I insist that you always need to hear the official voice in full before you listen to my opinionated one. Let’s start with Pioneer DJ:
The Wait is Over: Meet the DDJ-1000SRT
Club-style 4-channel performance DJ controller for dedicated use with Serato DJ Pro
August 8th, 2019: If you’ve been eagerly anticipating a Serato-compatible version of our pro-grade DDJ-1000 controller, good news: The wait is over.
The 4-channel DDJ-1000SRT inherits the layout of the DDJ-1000, which feels familiar to a CDJ+DJM club-standard set-up. All the same professional features are there too, including low-latency, full-size jog wheels from the CDJ-2000NXS2 and the slick MAGVEL FADER for tight scratching.
Concentrate on the crowd, not your laptop, thanks to color On Jog Display, which gives you important track information in the center of each jog wheel. Build excitement on the dancefloor and create huge drops with 4 Sound Color FX and 14 Beat FX. And with 16 Multicolored Performance Pads (8 per deck) at your fingertips, you can trigger various features including Hot Cues, Slicer, and Pitch Play to put your own spin on each track and keep your audience in raptures.
If you want to use Serato DJ Pro to play at events and parties and you need a controller that’s portable but packed with features, you’ve found your perfect match in the DDJ-1000SRT. Its multiple inputs and outputs enable you to connect external equipment and assemble different setups, so you’ll be prepared for anything.
The DDJ-1000SRT will be available from August at an SRP of €1,499 including VAT. Simply plug it into a laptop running Serato DJ Pro to unlock the software – you don’t need a license key or subscription – and use the included Pitch ‘n Time DJ Expansion Pack to enable advanced key-related features. The controller is Serato DVS-ready (Expansion Pack available separately).
Special limited offer: Free Serato DJ Suite
We’re putting a free Serato DJ Suite voucher worth €299 in the boxes of the first 5,000 DDJ-1000SRT controllers that we ship worldwide. This all-in-one suite includes a Serato DJ Pro license and unlocks all the Serato Expansion Packs, including Serato Play, Serato DVS, Serato Video, Serato Flip, and Serato Pitch ‘n Time DJ.
To protect your DDJ-1000SRT from bumps and scrapes in between gigs, we recommend carrying it in the DJC-1X BAG. Constructed with an EVA Durashock molded body, ballistic polyester, fleeced lining, and eggshell foam, it’s a hard-wearing but lightweight solution with a snug fit.
Want to know more? Watch the DDJ-1000SRT introduction video or find out more about the controller.
KEY FEATURES OF THE DDJ-1000SRT
- Serato DJ Pro compatibility
Feel at home using Serato DJ Pro with the DDJ-1000SRT. You’ll be able to easily use popular features such as Hot Cues, Beat Jump, and Slicer, bringing more creativity to your performances. The controller comes bundled with a voucher for the Serato Pitch ‘n Time DJ Expansion Pack, enabling you to use Key Shift, Pitch Play, and Key Sync. You can also mix, cut, and scratch while maintaining perfect key and audio quality.
- Full-size jog wheels and MAGVEL FADER
Mix and scratch your tracks with freedom. The jog wheels taken from the CDJ-2000NXS2 look and feel familiar, and you can customize the way they react to your touch with Jog Adjust. The MAGVEL FADER is highly durable for more than 10 million movements1 and responds to every deft movement you make, so intricate performances feel effortless.
- Portable DJ controller with club-style layout
The DDJ-1000SRT is the ideal piece to take on the road. You’ll feel at home using all its feature controls, which are arranged in the same layout as those on our club-standard NXS2 setup.
- Color On Jog Display
Focus on your performance and keep your eyes off your laptop. A full-color, high-definition LCD screen in the center of each jog wheel gives you all the information you need, such as playback time, BPM, and playback position. And the color scheme is the same as Serato DJ Pro’s, creating a more intuitive experience.
- Professional FX
Show your flair and spice up your sets with the four popular Sound Color FX from our DJM series mixers. You’ve got 14 Beat FX to get creative with too, and you can instantly reference BPM and the name of the selected FX thanks to the dedicated Beat FX display.
- Standalone DJ mixer with multiple inputs and outputs
Switch between DJs seamlessly thanks to the two USB ports for PC/Mac and connect your external equipment to the four inputs. Plug in DJ players and analog turntables, plus two mics. You can also use the DDJ-1000SRT as a standalone DJ mixer without connecting a PC/Mac.
- Other features
- Multicolored Performance Pads – trigger Hot Cues, Rolls, Slicer, Sampler, and Pitch Play
- Key Shift and Key Sync buttons – direct control of Serato Pitch ‘n Time DJ key-related features
- Aluminum/acrylic-finished top panel – for a quality look and feel
- Serato DVS-ready – requires the Serato DVS Expansion Pack (available separately)
1 according to tests conducted by Pioneer DJ Corporation Ltd.
DDJ-1000SRT specifications
Frequency Response 20 Hz to 20 kHz (LINE) S/N Ratio
112 dB (USB)
96 dB (LINE)
85 dB (PHONO)
80 dB (MIC)Total Harmonic Distortion
0.002% (USB)
0.005% (LINE)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 × 1)
BOOTH × 1 (1/4-inch TRS jack)
PHONES × 2 (1/4-inch stereo phone jack x 1, 3.5-mm stereo mini jack x 1)USB USB (Type B) × 2 Power Supply AC adaptor (DC 12V) Maximum Dimensions (W ｘ D ｘ H)
708.0 × 361.4 × 73.4 mm Weight 6.0 kg Accessories AC adapter
Power plug
USB cable
Quick Start Guide
Serato DJ Pro Expansion Pack voucher (Pitch ‘n Time DJ)System requirements
Compatible OS Mac macOS Mojave 10.14 (updated to the latest version）
macOS High Sierra 10.13 (updated to the latest version)
macOS Sierra 10.12 (updated to the latest version)Windows Windows® 10, 8.1, 7 (the latest service pack) CPU Intel® processor Core™ i9, i7, i5, i3 1.07GHz or above Memory 4GB or more of RAM
And now Serato’s take:
Bring the club to you with the Pioneer DJ DDJ-1000SRT
DJs can now get a taste of a club setup at home thanks to the all-new Pioneer DJ DDJ-1000SRT.
The hardware is the first to create a professional CDJ-and-mixer workflow with a Serato DJ Pro controller. This means you get CDJ-sized jog wheels, Pioneer DJ’s coveted DJM mixing section and industry-leading software running the show. The first 5,000 units sold also come with a free Serato DJ Suite valued at USD 299.
Developed specifically with Serato users in mind, the four-channel DDJ-1000SRT also adds 16 RGB backlit performance pads for controlling eight Serato DJ Pro modes. Other highlights include ultra-familiar Serato virtual decks with important track information in full-color, via high-definition LCD screens in the center of each jog wheel. Pioneer DJ’s iconic sound-color and Beat FX are also built in to bring the club setup to life.
“It’s the perfect marriage of Pioneer DJ hardware and Serato functionality,” says Nick Maclaren, Chief Strategy Officer at Serato. “The jog wheel display will help DJs spend more time in the mix, while the combination of Serato’s intuitive performance pads with color FX and CDJ looping controls will allow DJs to get even more creative with their sets.”
The DDJ-1000SRT also includes four individual channels, as well as dual mic inputs and USB ports.
“With a medium-sized footprint, the DDJ-1000SRT delivers that versatile mix of portability in a professional-grade controller,” says Maclaren. “Two mic inputs and XLRs make it a great option for events and parties, while dual USB ports allow for seamless changeover and back-to-back mixing,” he adds.
The Pioneer DJ DDJ-1000SRT unlocks Serato DJ Pro and supports DVS.
Pioneer DJ DDJ-1000SRT – Key Features
- Full-size CDJ jog wheels with Serato virtual decks displaying important track information
- DJM mixing section packed with a MAGVEL FADER crossfader and built-in Beat FX & Sound-Color FX
- 16 performance pads to control eight popular Serato DJ Pro modes
- Dual USB ports for the smoothest DJ transitions and back-to-back performance
- XLR and RCA master outputs
- Four line inputs with two phono options for DVS compatibility
- Two balanced mic inputs
- Unlocks Serato DJ Pro and supports Serato DVS
Download
THE VERY DEFINITION OF NO BRAINER
In all my time in this industry, I don’t believe that there has ever been a more obvious product to release. The original DDJ-1000 has been tremendously successful, but it was clear from the very first day of posting PR that people wanted a Serato DJ Pro version. Well in fairness, people call for a Serato DJ Pro version of anything with a plug these days, but the DDJ-1000 was an obvious call.
Given that Pioneer DJ and Serato are effectively direct competitors in the software field, I’ve been convinced (and continue to be convinced) that the frenemy relationship will eventually end. And at some point, Pioneer DJ will need to fully commit to rekordbox. The issue however has been timing, and with the DJ market currently being somewhat flat, both companies need an easy win to keep the cashflow coming. And from what I can see (no hardware changes at all), a new screen print for the faceplate and some hard mapping inside Serato DJ Pro means that Pioneer DJ will sell a heap of hardware, and Serato will get paid a flat fee plus 5000 licences upfront.
BUT WHICH ONE?
This is decision largely driven by which brand you proudly wear. Software wise Serato has the market and the history, but rekordbox is definitely becoming more popular. The days of it being unknown and unproven software are definitely over. And given that the hardware appears to be identical, it comes down to pricing, and what the controller has to offer.
Working with English pricing, the DDJ-1000 is currently £1129, and the DDJ-1000SRT come in at £1339, a full £210 more. The sweetener is that the first 5000 come with the full Serato DJ Suite — that’s everything including DVS and video.
Rekordbox DJ doesn’t come with DVS or video, and that’s an extra £243 on top of the £1129 which brings the total to £1372, which is close enough to the £1339 list price of the SRT version to not matter.
So for more or less the same money, you get the same hardware doing more or less the same thing. The only tangible difference I can see is the centre display — the DDJ-1000 has a lavish if a tad busy display with waveforms, whereas the DDJ-1000SRT has a somewhat less cluttered interface and just delivers the basics.
Honestly, I couldn’t pick between them. These days, I’m relatively software independent. Serato has been my preferred software maker for a long time, but given the similarities between them all, I can jump on anything and make it work very quickly.
So I guess it really does come down to your tribe. I’m sure a good number of people jumped from Serato to Pioneer DJ with the advent of the DDJ-1000, but will the DDJ-1000SRT lure them back?
SUMMING UP
This is an easy win for both sides. Minimal effort and cost outlay, with maximised return for both. Pioneer DJ has successfully turned the tables and now has Serato adapting its software for Pioneer DJ hardware rather than the other was around, but both will still make significant loot from it.
The DDJ-1000SRT will be in shops more or less right away, and will set you back $1299/£1399/€1499. GBP higher than USD? A sign of things to come post-Brexit?
