Pioneer new controller!

[Onimode]

It doesnt "look like a toy" unless you think everything thats mainly plastic looks like a toy. Its not like it looks like Fisher Price.

They have obviously learned that the DDJ-T1 was is too big and that people complain that the S4 is too big. They have also realised that the DDJ and maybe the S4 come in at a price range that isnt been taken up by that many real beginners so i imagine this is their entry level controller.

I just hope those feet on the back come off so it can fit in a case flat. I've got a MixTrack, which is the same size as the S4 and VMS4, and an APC40. Big controllers don't exist to me. :P

[Karlos Santos]

Yeah the feet need to come of or id agree that part is a fail. Damn thing wont lay flat on other gear in the booth.

[Karlos Santos]

I don't like how company's nowadays keep on flooding the market with gear,
Ok some of the releases will become classic/industry standard

But most of it will disappear and be forgotten about.

Sorry to go ot

True... very true. But i guess companies are just looking for a return and if they have done their homework and this appeals it will sell and then Pioneer can move onto the next thing that we will all hate but will sell in boat loads.

[K.T.I.T.]

It doesnt "look like a toy" unless you think everything thats mainly plastic looks like a toy. Its not like it looks like Fisher Price.

This. It doesn't look like a toy to me but still it's a down-side that it's made out of plastic. Metal is just way more solid.

Yeah the feet need to come of or id agree that part is a fail. Damn thing wont lay flat on other gear in the booth.

It almost looks as if you can fold those feet into its back.

nowadays

I doubt this is something that has only been going on in recent years.
Sorry, but too often, people tend to think everything was way better back in the days.

[Sherlock Ohms]

More of a breakdown of the unit from Gizmo over at Skratchworx ...

http://www.skratchworx.com/newspage....nts&fn_id=1784

[fullenglishpint]

I should qualify my statement of saying 'looks like a piece of crap' by adding that I don't mean it will have bad build quality, or that it will bomb, just that it's uninspiring. And as karlos said, that's probably just because I know pretty much every controller out there.

At the end of the day it's just another mixtrack pro but with pioneer on it, just as the S2 is for NI. They'll both probably sell quite well, although I think NI might have the advantage with the rep the S4 has gained.

One thing I don't understand it why they've stuck with the CDJ paradigm on a compact controller. The play and cue buttons are on the left of each deck, and the pitch faders are on the right. That makes sense with CDJs, because let's face it you're not going to make a left and right handed version, and it makes sense with the DDJ series because they're basically the controller version of a CDJ setup and have a lot of space to play with. But this is a small format controller, and as you can see in the picture below, the left pitch fader is right next to the channel faders.

Surely it would have made more sense to have a more VCI like arrangement? Maybe Pio know something I don't about people's workflows, but I don't understand it.

I'm hoping those knobs between the EQs and FX sections are filters. Obviously they could be remapped as such if not but it would make most sense.

[padi_04]

Surely it would have made more sense to have a more VCI like arrangement? Maybe Pio know something I don't about people's workflows, but I don't understand it.

Easy, they want new folks to get used to the CDJ arrangement so it's a natural transition if they do upgrade. I agree the left pitch fader proximity with the faders is a potential party killer.

The Jog lights is a big selling point for a lot of people (people love flashy lights and glitter), so that is an "advantage" over the rest of the beginner controllers. I don't think making the jogs translucent was a great idea tho, it just makes them look cheap, a ring around the metal platter (like the cdj400) does the job perfectly well and keeps the unit "classy". It reminds me of these

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odQjNSutYW0

Those feet don't look like the brightest of design decisions to me either.

[fullenglishpint]

As long as the feet are foldable/removable, I think they're a smart decision.

[fullenglishpint]

Easy, they want new folks to get used to the CDJ arrangement so it's a natural transition if they do upgrade.

I know, and that makes perfect sense on the DDJ-T1, but IMO this would have been better with a more symmetrical layout. With my big hands I'd find it hard to use the pitch fader for fine adjustments without nudging the crossfader or left line fader, and I'm quite sure that in low light after a few beers that pitch fader is well within the firing line for a fader slam fuck up.

I was interested that Gizmo said:

Contrary to popular thought, there are pitch faders.

Was there speculation that pio would release a totally sync reliant controller? For pio that's about as far out of the box as I can imagine. No, further.

[Michielygil]

I like it as usual untill the price tag is communicated. This would be an ideal basic controller for on the go, when your flight case full of turntables and 12" mixer isn't really necessary.

But knowing Pioneer, they'll probably price it way outside the reasonable price range.