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Pioneer takes on Korg with its first analog synthesizer
If you want an analog synthesizer, but don't have a lot of floorspace, then Korg's Volca range is for you. Maybe hold that thought a sec. Until now, Pioneer has focused on the club crowd with its ubiquitous DJ decks and controllers. The company branched out into general music production with its Toraiz SP-16 sampler last year; today it's stepping further into music-making with the Toraiz AS-1 analog sound machine.
Even Pioneer CDJs don't play CDs anymore
The Pioneer CDJ-1000 sparked a revolution in the early '00s, persuading many DJs to put their vinyls to one side and make the move from analog to digital recordings. While, thanks to services like iTunes and Spotify, CDs have almost been relegated to the history books, CDJs are still very much a thing. If Pioneer has its way, however, they won't be for much longer. The aptly named XDJ-1000 is the company's first USB-only deck -- the first CDJ to not play CDs.
Pioneer's CDJ900NXS brings new performance features to its slightly less pricey DJ deck
If your raison d'être is eat, sleep, rave, repeat, then you might want to cop a look at Pioneer's new CDJ900NXS. Much like the CDJ2000nexus was to its predecessor, the new deck is just a CDJ900 after a tickle with the feature brush, rather than a full overhaul. No bad thing though, as the original '900 is a great player, and the one that introduced the coveted "Slip Mode" into Pioneer's CDJ line. So what's new this time? Like the revamped 2000, you can browse media with artwork, or custom views. Auto Beat Loop is sent to pasture in lieu of a new Beat Divide function and there's a new Slip Loop feature -- plus four-deck Beat Sync and the Quantize button we first saw on the CDJ2000NXS. The CDJ900NXS also gets an improved screen, and is WiFi compatible -- to add to the already long list of ways to send media to it (USB, Ethernet, CD etc.). If the new features light up your LEDs, then expect to pay £1,149/1,399€ a piece when it launches next month. In the meantime, there's a pair of demo videos past the break to whet your appetite. Update: Pioneer has now confirmed the US price, which is $1,699. The CDJ900NXS will be available over here in January 2014.
Pioneer CDJ-2000nexus updates the flagship DJ player, brings WiFi and slip mode (video)
Pioneer's CDJ-2000 took the spot at the top of the firm's CD turntable range a couple of years back, and has enjoyed a decent spell as the club standard. To ensure that its reign continues unchallenged, a new iteration in the form of the CDJ-2000nexus (no relation) has just been announced. The vast majority of the DNA remains the same, but there are some key new features such as WiFi (as we saw in the XDJ-AERO) for use with the rekordbox app, Beat Sync, Wave Zoom and Slip (a much wanted feature first seen in the CDJ-900). In total, you can now load tracks from CD, DVD, USB, SD, networked machines, and WiFi, meaning the player has essentially outgrown its "CDJ" labeling, becoming a true multimedia player. If you fancy taking one for a spin, you can do so starting from some time this month, for the upbeat price of $2,399. Laidback Luke demo video on rotation after the break.
Denon SC2900 DJ Media player gets a euro price and summer launch date
Wherever there's a teaser video, full product info is sure to follow. Denon's decided to stop being so coy, and got its new SC2900 DJ media player fully out in the open. We pretty much got to see most of what's on offer, including that 7-inch non-motorized platter, and slew of format-playing options (mp3 / audio CD, USB drives, direct from laptop,) but we didn't know when, and how much. The answers to those questions? For Europeans, July, and €800 plus tax. That's about $997 by conversion, but the actual US price will come as and when availability here's confirmed.%Gallery-157668%
Denon teases new SC2900 DJ controller and media player, hopes to get heads spinning (video)
As the world of digital DJing offers those who spin increasingly individual configurations, there's still a dedicated crowd who like to keep it strictly "ones and twos." Denon hears this, and is hoping to snag some of those faithful with its latest SC2900 DJ media player. From the tease video (after the break) it looks like it's pitting itself against Pioneer's CDJ900 and CDJ2000 models. There's a 7-inch platter (Denon's first without a motor,) jazzed up with LEDs for cue and marker points. This can be used to get hands on with CDs (audio and MP3,) USB drives, music direct from the companion "Engine" software (i.e. hosted on a Mac or PC,) and shared media from other compatible networked players. Other goodies include four hot cues, native support for Traktor (and other) DJ software over MIDI, a "slip mode" made popular by the CDJ900 for keeping tracks in the mix even when scratching, and library browsing via iPad (though we're not sure if it's anything more than that). Pricing and availability should get played out soon, in the meantime you might want to start boning up on those old DMC routines.
Pioneer's new CD deck and mixer feature MIDI integration, USB for external storage
If you're looking for a product designed to "transform novices" (that is, you) into "the next generation DJ" (that is, Sven Vath) you're in luck: Pioneer has just announced a CD deck / mixer combo that includes the usual compliment of features (looping capabilities, a visual beat display, BPM lock, so on, and so forth) as well as some computer-friendly touches, including MIDI integration -- allowing you to use either as a control surface for your fave DJ software. The CDJ will also play music off your thumb drive, and the mixer itself accepts external USB storage device for saving your mixes as WAV files. Sure, in our day all one needed were two turntables and a crossfader to rock the party -- but that was a long time ago, kids. The CDJ-350 and DJM-350 will be available in June 2010 for $850 and $750, respectively. We've only scratched the surface here, however -- peep the PR below for all the vital details.
Pioneer's new CDJ-2000 DJ deck hopped up with a 6.1-inch LCD, new features
Sure, it's not quite as legendary as the Technics SL-1200MK2, but Pioneer's CDJ-1000 has an impressive reputation of its own in clubs the world over, and the new CDJ-2000 looks to take things to the next level with a 6.1-inch 480 x 234 LCD and the ability to play music directly off USB and SD media. That huge LCD shows waveforms, album art, and song info, and it's paired with a horizontal "Needle Pad" touchstrip underneath it that lets you drag directly to the part of the song you want -- no more endless cueing. Oh, and there's more: up to four 2000s can all share a single USB or SD music source with the Pro Link feature, there's a MIDI mode that allows you to use all 35 buttons to control your favorite audio software, a new four-beat loop cutter that autoslices loops for you on the fly, and the whole shebang is bundled with Pioneer's rekordbox music-management software. Yeah, it's steep at $2,150 -- $1,600 for the screenless CDJ-900 -- but we so, so want one. Video after the break.
