And in other news, Pioneer DJ and Serato continue to cosy up together and update existing controllers for the newer feature set of Serato DJ. This time the DDJ-SR gets a bit of a reworking to make the DDJ-SR2, and with it comes RGB pads and Pitch ‘n Time for key and pitch shifting fun.
The words:
Harmonic control: Meet the DDJ-SR2 –
Dedicated controls for the latest Serato DJ features7th September 2017: We’ve upgraded one of our popular Serato DJ controllers to create the 2-channel DDJ-SR2. You can use the new dedicated controls to get hands on with the latest features in Serato DJ, including the Pitch ‘n Time DJ Expansion Pack, with Key Shift, Key Sync and Pitch Play controls. The lightweight and portable DDJ-SR2 is Serato DVS Upgrade Ready (licence available separately), making it one of the most compact DVS-ready controllers1 that enables perfect harmonic control using Serato DJ.
The DDJ-SR2 inherits design traits and features from our professional DJ gear, including multicoloured Performance Pads that give you instant feedback on pad modes and playing statuses, plus generous space between faders, buttons and knobs for comfortable, intuitive mixing and scratching. Thanks to the high-quality aluminium-finish top panel and jog wheels, the controller is approximately 18 per cent lighter than its predecessor, so you can easily take it wherever you go.
To help you get the most out of the controller, the Serato DJ Enabled DDJ-SR2 comes bundled with the Pitch ‘n Time DJ Expansion Pack. Pitch ‘n Time DJ allows you to shift and sync the key of your tracks as well as increase and decrease BPM to extreme tempos while retaining the original key of the music. This means you can maintain perfect key while mixing, cutting and scratching any combination of tracks.
Download the latest version of Serato DJ to use with the DDJ-SR2 from serato.com/dj/downloads.
The DDJ-SR2 will be available from September at an SRP of €699 including VAT.
1: One of the most compact controllers in the DVS-ready controller market (according to internal investigation as of 7th August 2017)
Watch the introduction video and find out more about the DDJ-SR2.
KEY FEATURES OF THE DDJ-SR2
1. Dedicated hardware controls for Serato Pitch ‘n Time DJ (licence included)
Instantly and intuitively trigger the key-related functions in Serato DJ with dedicated controls for:
- Key Shift: Change the key of tracks by semitone without changing the tempo.
- Key Sync: Automatically sync the keys of different tracks during mixes.
- Key Reset: Instantly reset to the track’s original key after changing keys.
2. Feature set mirrors professional set-up
- Multicoloured Performance Pads: Use the large, multicoloured tactile Performance Pads to trigger Hot Cues, Roll and Sampler. Hit the pads and watch their colours change as they indicate the selected pad mode and playing status.
- Needle Search Pad: Instantly jump to a specific part of a track with a simple touch of the pad.
- Dual Level Meter: See the master out and channel levels at all times.
3. Easy to use wherever you go
- Lightweight and portable: The DDJ-SR2 is approximately 18 per cent lighter than the DDJ-SR.
- Mains or USB power: Choose your preferred source.
- Flexible connectivity: You can use the DDJ-SR2 to control trims, EQs and channel faders for audio from media players or turntables thanks to dual line and phono inputs. The controller also has a Mic input so you can add audio from an external device. A booth and two master outputs give you the freedom to connect the controller to various kinds of PA equipment.
4. Other features
- Audio mixer feature: When you’re using the DDJ-SR2 to control music stored on your PC/Mac via Serato DJ, you can also use trims, channel faders and EQs to control audio from external equipment such as turntables and media players. Even when the controller isn’t connected to a computer, the trims and channel faders can be used for audio input from external sources.
- Professional XLR outputs: A professional XLR master output, a TRS booth output and secondary master output give you the freedom to connect the controller to various kinds of PA equipment with ease.
DDJ-SR2 Specifications
Software Serato DJ Frequency range 20 Hz ~ 20 kHz S/N ratio 105 dB (USB) Sampling rate 44.1 kHz A/D, D/A converter 24-bit Total harmonic distortion 0.003 % (USB) Input / Output terminals Inputs LINE/PHONO × 2 (RCA x 2) MIC × 1 (1/4-inch TS JACK)
Outputs MASTER × 2 (XLR × 1,RCA × 1) BOOTH OUT × 1 (1/4-inch TRS JACK)
PHONES × 2 (FRONT 6.3-mm 1/4-inch TRS JACK × 1, 3.5-mm 1/8-inch STEREO MINI JACK × 1)
USB USB (TypeB) × 1 Dimensions (W x D x H) 553.0 mm × 334.5 mm × 65.1 mm Unit weight 3.7 kg System Requirements
Supported operating systems Windows Windows® 10, 8.1, 7 (latest service pack) Mac macOS Sierra 10.12 (latest update) OS X 10.11, 10.10, 10.9 (latest update)
CPU Intel® processor Core™ i7 and i5 1.07 GHz or higher Memory 4GB or more of RAM
What’s new?
Taking the opportunity to move things around a little, the DDJ-SR2 updated the pads to RGBs (surely the SP1 must be getting an update at BPM?), controls have been added for the bundled Pitch ‘n Time for tone play, booth out has been included, and will now work as a DVS mixer for Serato DJ DVS, but you’ll need to buy the expansion pack separately.
This is what I call a proper update. It got beyond the cosmetic and minor nudging of controls, and brings genuinely useful additions. If you’re an existing DDJ-SR owners, I think you’ll be happy enough with the update to consider moving up.
SUMMING UP
The new DDJ-SR2 will arrive late September with a price tag of $699/€699/£629.