Those of you that took the all-in-one DJ controller route when looking for a simple DJ setup may have previously doubted your decision.  When you decided to plunk down the dollars for once piece of machinery instead of a mixer and two decks, you did so knowing that you would be stuck with a piece of hardware that was completely dependent on its firmware.  For those most part, you were limited to only watered down pieces of software that came bundled with the hardware.  The good part is that this intro software was created by respectable DVS companies like Rane and Native Instruments, so there would be serious consequences if they did not stand by their product. Luckily, they have not forgotten about you.  If you purchased a newer Pioneer controller such as the DDJ-Ergo, it came bundled with Serato DJ Intro, instead of Serato Itch or another Native Instruments software.  The catch is that the included DVS software was not fully functioning like Serato Scratch Live is for those who chose the alternative route.  Well, Christmas is arriving soon, and the folks at Rane are offering the full version of the Serato DJ, giving you access to extra midi mapping and smart crates.  It isn’t cheap, but it’s still priced well below the cost of SSL 3. http://www.digitaldjtips.com/2012/12/serato-dj-mc2000-ddj-ergo-mixtrack-pro/

There couldn’t be a better time in history to learn how to DJ by simply “jumping in”.  Only a couple of years ago, you had to know DVS software like the back of your hand AND have a decent budget to even begin purchasing equipment.  This mean that having a decent laptop was a no brainer, but it also meant that you needed to physical decks and a mixer – which could add thousands of dollars to the budget of someone who is simply trying to learn how to remix songs. [embed width="656"]http://youtu.be/QONj2LYAGO8[/embed] When the full sized solutions like the Numark NS7 came about that budget began to shrink a little bit, eliminating the full sized mixers and separate decks from the equation.  Still, you needed to carry around a rather large piece of coffin sized gear – which detracted from the portability of your setup.  The second generation of all-in-one controllers comes out to be a better deal.  The Pioneer WeGO comes sized around the dimensions of a laptop, but with 2 decks and mixer built in.  At last you had less to carry, and less to spend to begin with.  With the WeGo’s integration into iOS software like djay by Algoriddim, it couldn’t be easier to unpack and begin mixing. http://djworx.com/pioneer-wego-and-djay-place-nice-at-last/

You can’t do much without the proper wire these days.   Wire is probably the worst word I could use to describe a cable, since a cable is so much more than that.  Years ago, audio enthusiasts were building their own speaker boxes and were finding ways to get around the high cost of components.  The same wire that could be used to light up a house lamp could also carry the sound to speakers.  This sounds nice, but it is not the norm anymore.  Cables for audio are very specific and can alter the quality of your music depending on your individual needs. USB cables, however, can be very generic – and one cable bought at a cheap price may very be just as useful as the one rebranded into a pretty package with pretty colors.  Some devices, like an iPad tablet, make it very hard to use standard cables.  What’s more is that when a USB cable is used in their 30 pin adapter it prevents the user from charging the unit at the same time, which is no good for long performances.  This new dual USB cable from Pioneer looks to solve that problem – but not without a Pioneer price.    http://www.djtechtools.com/2013/04/04/pioneers-djc-wecai-connects-ipad-to-controllers-algoriddim-djay-compatability/

Given the speed at which new MIDI gear and other types of digital DJing instruments are produced, the DDJ-SX is pretty old by now.  If you think about when it was released, it actually isn’t old at – there are still original stocks from the first shipment of these sitting on the shelves at music store near you.  Compare that to let’s say a Pioneer mixer; although these are produced pretty quickly as well, it’s not near as fast as the time it takes to drop a new controller.  Pioneer actually hasn’t made that many controllers compared to Numark – and really, this is a bonus for them. Curious shoppers and online reviewers are getting a chance to actually take a deep hard look at the DDJ-SX before moving on to the next big thing, and I feel like it will be many months before Pioneer tries to trump their own design.  What this controller has over other is build quality, and of course, beauty.  Nothing on this unit speaks of cheapness, and every detail right down to the jog wheels take you back to the original CDJs that started it all.  Take a closer look and you’ll be amazed, rather than disappointed. http://djworx.com/review-pioneer-ddj-sx-serato-dj-controller/

One of the biggest aspects that makes digital DJing a better option, is its price.  You might be thinking that a computer, a controller, and software would cost much more than your standard analog DJ setup – but you would be very surprised how much things can cost.  Turntables, and a pair of them at that, can cost you over a thousand dollars in one sitting.  That is a lot of money for something that doesn’t do anything by itself.  In comparison, a thousand dollar computer buys you much more for your money.  It is capable of being virtually anything you want it to be. Controllers, in the grand scheme of things, are cheap.  They are built cheap and they don’t cost as much to maintain or control.  DJs don’t expect much out of a sub one hundred dollar controller, but they aren’t disappointed at it either.  There is however a small group of controllerists who take controllers to the extreme.  I’m talking about the controller that cost nearly a thousand dollars.  These are far from toyish accessories and go on to become the mainstays of a DJs setup.  There are really only a handful of controllers at this price range, each with their own offerings. http://djmag.com/content/dj-controller-over-%C2%A3600

You know something must be going on when Pioneer creates a device for those who are on a tighter budget.  Nothing is actually wrong, except that Christmas is around the corner, and some of the kids out there know that their parents aren’t dropping a thousand dollars on a Christmas gift.  If they won’t spend a thousand dollars, maybe they could get away with spending half of that.  The DDJ-SX is probably an item that many of us would want to have, but even those of us with a decent paying job it is still a lot of money to drop at once.  Pioneer introduces their new controller, the DDJ-SB. I’m not sure what the B and the X stands for at the end of that model number, but it certainly seems like something car makers would do.  On looks alone, it looks pretty similar to their SX version.  I would imagine that the materials of certain parts have been scaled down to something more reasonable – but overall, it doesn’t seem like too much is missing from the setup.  The big question is where it stands against the competition.  When Pioneer drops the price on a controller, Numark seems to follow suit to remain competitive. http://djworx.com/pioneer-ddj-sb-controller-premium-brand-budget-price/

I think that it is hard to separate the idea of a controller and something that is durable.  Controllers are easy to make when you are making millions of them.  They require very little actual hands on work to get one together, at least not when compared to an actual analog synthesizer that has to be built and wired by hand.  MIDI controllers are actually becoming more sophisticated by the day – and some of them are doing things that makes a synthesizer look old fashioned.  Touch sensors and control voltage are also pretty nice since they avoid the problem of the DJ pounding away at his new controller. The next step in any controller is really to become something worth the high cost.  Controllers are pretty cheap, and only the costly ones are actually built with care in mind.  If you begin adding non-computer components to a controller, making it something that can be used without a computer, it adds to its value and is instantly treated differently by the user.  An old guitar pedal made from metal is less likely to break than an all-digital pedal that was built with cheap cost in mind.  The DDJ-SZ combines the best of all worlds. http://www.digitaldjtips.com/2014/01/namm-2014-pioneer-ddj-sz-talkthrough-video/

When Pioneer releases something new and ultra-expensive.  It’s rather hard to look at it objectively for what it is.  You have the fan boys who think that Pioneer can do nothing wrong, and then you have the other side who thinks that what they have created is merely a ploy to get some of your hard earned cash in their pockets.  Let’s just say that those who actually buy it when it comes out get to feel a sense of satisfaction – that is until the next things comes around the corner.  Personally, I haven’t seen much from them that stands off as revolutionary or even worth the large chunk of change. Money aside, everything that Pioneer seems to produce reeks of high class gear.  I would easily assume that the guy who is buying the new DDJ-SZ does not have any concerns over getting their money’s worth.  They are definitely getting a top of the line machine – but at what cost?  The DDJ-SX doesn’t look too far off of what the SZ is now, so why buy it?  Rumor has it that Pioneer has even deleted a few features like dual decks, which is making the right people angry enough to say something about it. http://djworx.com/brief-play-pioneer-ddj-sz-insert-air-horn/