Pioneer DJ have announced the DDJ-200, a new controller for their WeDJ app, recently announced as the first app that will stream Beatport's catalogue directly into the software. The controller features two channels, with two mini jog wheels, 16 performance pads in total, two faders and a crossfader. It also features a basic three-band EQ and a single FX knob, with assignable FX per channel.
Beatport have launched a new subscription service for DJs called LINK. The new service lets DJs stream Beatport's catalogue into DJ performance software, starting with Pioneer DJ's WeDJ app and soon into their flagship rekordbox dj. Once LINK lands in rekordbox DJ in Q3 2019, it'll bring with it an ability to access curated playlists, higher quality audio and offline performance mode.
Pioneer DJ is reportedly for sale, with its two owners – Pioneer Corp and KKR & Co – considering selling off their stakes in the DJ behemoth. In 2015, Pioneer sold 85% of Pioneer DJ to KKR, retaining 15% but creating a separate company in the process. With sales of around $200m last year, it's expected to land around $500m when it's eventually sold.
The news came via Resident Advisor who spotted the news in a Nikkei Business article.
Pioneer DJ have announced the DDJ-800, a two-channel version of their highly-rated DDJ-1000 controller. Coming in at £779, the controller features the same coloured LED screens on the jogwheels as the 1000, with the centre mixer section mimicking the layout and functionality of Pioneer DJ's DJM range. Features include Light/Heavy jog adjust, the familiar Beat FX section, 16 back-lit RGB pads for cues, beat jumps, FX and sample triggering as well as DVS support for rekordbox DJ.
Picture the scene: You’re wrapping up an incredible set, outstretched arms are begging for sweaty high-fives from the packed dancefloor; your plus-one's grinning wildly, eyes darting from left to right making sure everyone knows they came in with you; lavender-scented towel in hand, as requested. The floor, the club, nay, the world is yours.
Pioneer DJ's latest rekordbox beta hints at what we've long suspected is coming – cloud-based analyses for rekordbox. It's the first of what we're expecting to be a roll out of all things cloud-based, starting with analysis and likely ending up in storage, accessed eventually from the CDJ itself.
Though more and more artists are bringing live elements into their tech riders, Saytek is no bandwagoner. His first shows were in 2003, when a Roland MC-909 was at the heart of his setup. 15 years later and the core values are the same – deep, hypnotic house and techno, all performed live and heavily improvised.
The DJ Mag Tech Awards 2018 hosted its yearly live stream yesterday, with a panel of carefully selected judges voting for the winners across six categories.
Pioneer DJ have announced a new all-in-one unit the XDJ-RR. Coming in at £1,019, it's significantly cheaper than the flagship all-in-one unit XDJ-RX2, a popular unit for smaller bars and for home use to transition to the full NXS2 setup.
The new version of Pioneer DJ's rekordbox has added an easier way to mix in key. The new 'traffic light' system highlights tracks that are suitable to play next, if you want your music to match harmonically. Despite being called a 'traffic light' system, it only seems to use the colour green, rather than orange and red for tracks that may clash slightly and tracks that don't work at all.
