The BPM Show is getting closer, and of course this means that a heap of new DJ shiny is due. But big launches don’t always mean big products — indeed the Reloop NEON is a diminutive Serato DJ controller that is likely to have as big an impact on turntable users as it does with controller users alike. So all that really cool stuff that the big boy top end Serato DJ controller users have is now available to more or less everyone, for a relative peanuts price point.
Read the press release fresh out of Reloop HQ:
Not my photo, but the influence is clear ;)
RELOOP NEON
ONE MIGHTY BOX
The Reloop NEON is a powerful pad controller for Serato DJ that will elevate your performance to a whole new level. Acting as the perfect support hardware for DVS users and controller DJs, the 8 ultra-low-latency and touch-sensitive RGB drum pads with aftertouch are perfect for triggering samples, cues, loops and effects.
Coming in as the most extensive Serato SP6 sample controller on the market, the NEON also offers LED feedback for each sample slot – feeding back status and mode information. A total of 8 power modes can be accessed by up to 4 decks with only one NEON: Sampler, Pad FX, Slicer, Looped Slicer, Cue, Flip, Hot Loop and Manual Loop are all at your fingertips. The brand-new FLIP mode allows you to record and play back your own remixes or cue trigger sequences on the fly.
Handling these advanced functions is easy as the drum pads’ smart colour coding offers users visual feedback in each mode, so you’ll never get lost mid-performance. Two endless push encoders for track navigation, volume control and loop editing complete this simple yet powerful device.
Taking inspiration from the game-changing RP-8000 turntables, you can also connect two NEON controllers via smart link function, saving precious USB ports while allowing you to push your performance further. An extremely flat yet sturdy design makes NEON not only the ultimate plug-and-play performance tool, but also something that can also be easily stowed in any DJ bag and set-up for use in a matter of seconds.
Statement A.J. Bertenshaw / CEO Serato INC LP
“Finally, the Reloop Neon brings an ultra-compact form to an accessory specifically designed for Serato DJ. It will be an excellent addition to any minimalist DJ setup to put a host of powerful Serato features within reach without wasting any space.”
Statement Robert Lauterwein / CEO Reloop
Neon is Reloop’s first modular controller for Serato DJ and it features the most extensive Serato SP6 sample control on the market – no other Serato DJ modular controller offers the range of functions that Reloop Neon does. High-quality manufacturing, extremely flat, sturdy construction at a fair price – our “mighty box” for Serato DJ.
Available October 2014
MSRP. 129 €
Features
Powerful Serato DJ drum pad modular controller
Official Serato Accessory: plug-and-play with Serato DJ
Dedicated Serato DJ SP-6 sampler control
4-deck control for Slicer, Cue and Loop
Perfect addition for DVS users and controller DJs
8 touch-sensitive RGB performance drum pads
A total of 8 intuitive performance modes (Sampler, Pad FX, Slicer, Looped Slicer, Cue, Flip, Hot Loops, Loop and Manual Loop)
Supports brand new Flip mode: Create individual edits from a song ‘on the fly’ and trigger these sequences as Hot Flip
Sampler
The most extensive Serato SP6 sample controller on the market
5 different trigger variants per sample slot (One Shot, Toggle, Hold, Repeat Mode and Sync) with corresponding status LED for visual feedback
Access to all 6 synchronizable sample slots in 4 banks
Dedicated sample volume control (Master + Slot)
Pad FX
Direct access to 6 selectable iZotope FX in Pad FX mode (Velocity Depth Control
Slicer/Looped Slicer
Slicer performance modes for slicing of your tracks
Cue/Cue Roll
8 colour coded cue points per deck which can be triggered as roll
Loop/Manual Loop
Quick access to more than 8 storable loops and manual loop control
Further Features
2 endless push encoders for volume control, track navigation, loop editing as well as loop Shift and loop roll function
Censor, slip and sync functions for all decks can be selected directly with the controller
Internal/relative mode for DVS users
USB bus-powered
Smart Link: NEON can be connected to each other via mini jack cable
Works with every MIDI compatible DJ or studio software
Sturdy construction, but still easily portable due to slim profile design
technical details
Connections: mini USB, link port, Kensington
Dimensions: 223 x 16.1 x 123 mm
Weight: 359.2 gr (net)
Incl. USB cable, quick start guide and link cable (3.5 mm jack)
Reloop NEON – short name, but big features
Cheesy copywriting there, but it describes the NEON perfectly. Essentially, it condenses all of Serato DJ’s performance pad features into a single book sized unit. When I first got the NDA through from Reloop, I had expected some behemoth controller to answer the NS7II and DDJ-SX/SZ. But instead, I got a tiny box, with an even tinier controller inside. It did pretty much stop me dead in my tracks for a good five minutes as I held it out in front of me, and equally fight the urge to immediately Instagram it to see if my reaction was mirrored in the DJ community.
There is an awful lot going on with the NEON, and it’s going to take me a little while to really dig into what it can do, what it can do it with, and how well it does achieve its goal. Being MIDI, it lends itself to every single MIDI mappable software on the market. I can see Traktor owners, particularly hardcore controllerists getting worked up by the NEON, provided the lightshow is a two-way affair of course.
First reactions — this is a smart little box of tricks that is going to appeal to owners of small controllers (I’m currently pairing it with a Pioneer WeGO) and especially to DVS users. And for these users I’m going to recommend buying a pair, if only because it means not getting lost between layers. For $149/€129/£110, it’s not breaking the bank for what you get.
The NEON certainly makes the lines between DVS and controllers considerably more fuzzy for me. Let’s have a direct effects controller paired with this, and wrap them around turntables and a mixer and that’s a very controller-like setup.
Before you ask…
There is a stand for the NEON. It looks like a mini-Crane stand. I don’t know the price, nor do I have one here. But it’s designed for the NEON and can take other things too. I’m working on the review as we speak and will hopefully have a review by the end of the week. In the meantime, here’s some quick and nasty pictures.
Over To You
Seeing as I have yet to put finger to keyboard on the Reloop NEON, feel free to get your questions in for me to cover in the review.
