PIONEER DDJ-FLX6
- Brand: Unbranded
Description
Pioneer DJ dominates the DJ landscape as one of the best-known and most popular companies in the industry. Pioneer systems are versatile, effective, and often pretty great to look at too. Plug and play capability is available via the in-built soundcard and DJ Performance functions with either rekordbox or Serato DJ Pro. All you need to do is connect using a USB cable to a connected laptop that is running either of the music software applications, and you are ready to get DJing. Each jog wheel comes with an on-jog display to help you keep an eye on your position, and they look aesthetically great too. 1/O Connectivity That said, the FLX-6 is a Rekordbox unit first and foremost, as its Serato DJ integration isn’t nearly as tight – there’s no MIDI mapping and less customization over features like Merge FX. I did, however, find the unit to be more responsive with Serato DJ, but that may just be due to the fact that Serato DJ has traditionally optimized as a lighter program designed for turntablists. I/O connectivity
It’s the first ever Traktor-compatible controller with full-sized jogwheels and a club layout– the DDJ-FLX6-GT has a club-style mixer layout, and CDJ-sized jogwheels, which mean it feels similar to using club gear (like the ever-popular DDJ-1000 controllers). Traktor owners jealous of users of other software with access to these units now have a unit they can use themselves with these featuresIndeed, with the DDJ-1000, even though the software (Rekordbox) still had effects built in as I just described, the hardware didn’t control them at all. In that unit, they were actually hardware effects. BONUS: Existing DDJ-FLX6 users can get all the new functionality too– I thought it was worth adding an eighth “bonus” point for those who own the original DDJ-FLX6, just to make it crystal clear: Aside from the paint job, the hardware hasn’t changed at all, which is great news for existing users, as they can get all the functionality with a simple firmware upgrade Some DJs will probably find it easier to use the jog cutter feature than to learn how to scratch in the first place. It seems pointless to focus your attention on learning this new functionality when you could just practice scratching – and use your skills on other devices too. Beat FX
Pioneer’s jog wheels on the DDJ FLX6 are responsive and lightweight, so they’re a decent choice for making natural and bending feel as natural as possible. Overall, the Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX6 is a decent consumer-focused controller intended for the mid-level market. This device focuses primarily on performance features rather than build, with four channels, and a host of new features – though some are more appealing than others. I’m intrigued as to why Pioneer DJ didn’t made a “DDJ-600” controller, a well-considered step up from the DDJ-400, but below the professional brace of the DDJ-800 and DDJ-1000 – something we could recommend to our Rekordbox users who are still hobbyists but want four channels, and who one day want to play in pro DJ booths. The jog wheels have displays in the center and are lovely for gaining an insight into exactly where your needle is. If you’ve already used a high-level controller with better-built jog wheels, however, you might find that these jog wheels feel a little cheap.The Merge FX experience is relatively easy to get used to. All you need to do is choose a pre-set and press the knob to start building your music. Still, you get the usual on/off button, the Level/Depth knob, the Beat buttons, Channel Select (a single button that cycles), and FX Select – the latter simply cycling through the six effects you have selected across the two effects engines. You do get a few simplicities built-in, such as a set of beat buttons, a level/depth knob, your standard on/off button, channel select, and FX select. One bonus is that you will be able to choose between whether the mic goes through the Booth outputs or otherwise. For Rekordbox, it’s a 3/5 from me, and as this is primarily a Rekordbox controller, that is the score we have used on this review. But for Serato, it’s a 2/5 – I just can’t recommend it, and I’d direct people to the DDJ-FLX4 or Numark NS6II in a heartbeat.
When Pioneer DJ launched the DDJ-1000 controller, it changed things up. Instead of having controls as I just described, the controls were more like those found on club mixers, such as the DJM-900NXS2. Noticed that the DDJ-FLX6 has a fresh look? It’s the first Pioneer DJ unit released in a new dark gray matte finish, and its jog wheels have a unique design to complement the aesthetics. Watch the introduction video or find out more about the new DJ controller. It has also been announced as working with Virtual DJ– This is good news, but then, it always did work with Virtual DJ in its previous DDJ-FLX6 incarnation. Maybe this is just exactly the same mapping made official and announced by Pioneer DJ, or maybe there are improvements (we’ll no doubt find out soon enough) The big jog wheels on the DDJ-FLX6-GT, are the same size as those on the top-of-the-line CDJ-3000, which make pitch bending and scratching feel natural. Each one also has an "On Jog Display" so you can see where the playhead is, and the new rubberised finish on the outer ring provides a much better feel, especially when pitch bending. Merge FX FeatureIf Pioneer DJ hadn’t tried to make this a Serato controller too, and had redirected some of the budgets towards adding some of the much-needed omissions, it would have been a better device.
- Fruugo ID: 258392218-563234582
- EAN: 764486781913
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