Denon SC3900 Digital Turntable/MIDI Controller Press Release

[DENON]

Does this give two deck support? By this I mean does one of the SC3900 control two decks along with a mixer(like the SC2000). I'm looking to use it in with a digital software like Virtual DJ. It would be amazing if the answer was yes.

Hi roshanbhoj, great question.
Each SC3900 acts as a single MIDI Deck, but it could be made Dual or more Layers if you wish, RPM and Virtual DJ does this already for our S3700.

P.S. I'm really liking the direct feedback you're giving here on DJTT. One of the great things about Denon!

My pleasure, I'm here to listen, learn and contribute.

[DENON]

To be fair there was a lot less "reliable" competition on the dual deck DJ circuit back then,

True, but when it did come years later, Denon still held its own as #1.

as I mentioned in other posts I feel Denon really dropped the ball when CDJ's came out, there was just no product to compete in a market that longed for what pioneer provided, a CD player with the action of a turntable (well a big friggin wheel on top).

Denon did offer a tabletop solution, <DN-S5000> 1-year after the CDJ1000 was released in 2002. It was then and still is now, the most advanced CD player ever made. Worlds First Spinning Platter control, Played 2 tracks off the same CD at the same time (Alpha Track), 4 Hot Cues, 4 Seamless Loops, 4 Samplers, removable IDE drives...etc

If Denon at that point had released something before the MK2's and 500's arrived I firmly believe they would be the standard, the 2000F's were still installed in the majority of clubs.

[inside scoop]
Denon decided to enter the tabletop market after Pioneer decided to enter our booming rackmount market, however they never succeeded with their CMX5000/3000 models. Even when the CDJ1000 first came out, Denon rackmount’s still outsold Pioneer tabletops for a while. It took two years for the CDJ1000 to be accepted (back then) by turntable users.

The ironic thing is that many of the DJ's who have grown up with Pioneer don't understand the logic of a moving platter with vinyl on top.

[inside scoop]
The early adoptors all used turntables or Denon rackmounts prior to the CDJs, so they all knew all about spinning platter control and vinyl records. Pioneer really didn't have their first hit until the CDJ1000 MK1 came out. From 1994~2001 Pioneer was coasting along, with the exception of their small CDJ700's, and Mixer, DJM500, those did well.

Sorry if I was unclear, one of the real downers for me using CDJ's is apart from a pitch lock, is a transpose knob/dial/fader to allow you to match keys on the Deck itself rather than needing to scan libraries with the likes of mixed in key and pre-arrange sets based on harmonic values, I do this with ableton and when I was using traktor would use the transpose function to match key's by ear - it allows Increments of .01 of a Tone.

Thanks, understood.

And I hope he does a blistering job making Denon a new Club Standard, I always preferred the Denons to Pio's.

Wishing Denon the best of luck in toppling Pioneer..... finally

Thanks!
Denon is not really looking to win marketing titles.
Our goal and position has always been the same, create intuitive, innovative and reliable products at a fair market price with world class support for our valued customers.

[Luconia]

I think Denon makes great products, real solid quality, but you need to get your face out there a bit more, finding reliable opinions on your products, or even in-depth information about them is difficult as it is now.

If only Denon has an authorized distributor in Malaysia. I've visited the Asia Pacific website, too bad there's no Malaysia & Philippines listed!
Really interested in Denon product since the release of DNS-3700.

[deevey]

Denon is not really looking to win marketing titles.
Our goal and position has always been the same, create intuitive, innovative and reliable products at a fair market price with world class support for our valued customers.

You really NEED to start winning some marketing titles unless you intend always playing second violin, you guys really sound wayyyyyy too relaxed about selling gear.

At this point in time:

Pioneer = Windows, everyone knows how it works and everything they already own works on it.
Denon = Linux (not even a Mac) People need to be taught how much better (and easy) it is, or it will only be system admins (tech heads) who actually buy and use it.

Start the marketing engines guys!

• Give out free stuff to the biggest (not only best)DJ's in the world.
• Get said DJ's to ALWAYS request Denon Equipment on their Ryder.
• Get some decent product video's together.

Make Denon once again the first name when you think of CD + DJ

From 1994~2001 Pioneer was coasting along, with the exception of their small CDJ700's, and Mixer, DJM500, those did well.

Pioneer were building up one hell of a name I think moreso in europe prolly than the USA, being involved in about 20+ NEW Installs at the time of the 500s (CDJ700 for stateside folks), we completely ditched Denon CD decks completely having not been updated in an age, and the 2500f just was too little too late.

Vinyl people were still certainly against CDJ's (me included) BUT we would always have installed 2xCDJ500s' alongside turntables regardless, prompting alot of residents to start experimenting with the possibilities.

Denon did offer a tabletop solution, <DN-S5000> 1-year after the CDJ1000 was released in 2002.

Well aware of it and its a superb design, but Pioneer had already captured the flag with early adopters, and were a proven tabletop club solution much like Denon who were trusted at building rackmount units.

I dont think there was the slightest chance at that point of getting the 5000 into clubs 8 years had passed pretty successfully for pioneer in the big boy superclub circut, the 1000 just re-enforced their hold.

Denon decided to enter the tabletop market after Pioneer decided to enter our booming rackmount market. Even when the CDJ1000 first came out, Denon rackmount’s still outsold Pioneer tabletops for a while.

Maybe their was some gentlemans agreement between Pio and Denon about each others market segment, I kinda LOL'd when I read this. Just seems very bad thinking on both a product development AND business standpoint to allow the competion so much leverage for so long.

I know things are different in other countries, but I certainly could count the number of Rackmount DJ units we sold/installed once the 700/500s came out.

The majority of units we did sell were as replacements in DJ boxes that could not be adopted to fit 500s'

Also dont forget the rackmount units were literally less than half the cost of a CDJ 1000 and targeted (and still do to an extent) the mobile dj market rather than the club installation market.

Anyhoo, dont want to hijack you anymore, we should create a "how to market denon" thread instead

[Shishdisma]

I have a question about Engine. If this seems a bit abrasive, I apologize, I'm simply not very impressed with what I've seen so far and what I understand.

Engine seems to compete with software like SSL, but over a Rekordbox Link style connection. Given that Engine is essentially a DVS with absolutely no performance features or playback options. Other than cost and the iPad connectivity (which ironically negates the cost), why would a DJ want to use Engine over SSL, it's apparent competitor. I'm just not seeing what it offers, it seems to be a DVS without the features, rather than a crate manager like Rekordbox. I'm hoping I'm just missing something.

[Michielygil]

You've got some great credible names supporting you, like Dave Clarke and Switch, better make some serious use of this. The products you're putting out are top notch productwise (your software support however could be a LOT better).

[deevey]

some great credible names supporting you, like Dave Clarke and Switch

My fear would be the younger generation may need more instantly recognizable names than that, anyone I've takes to in recent times under the age of 30 wouldn't have a clue who Dave Clarke is (I don't know who switch is either, guessing this guy?) ....
But its the Skrillex's Guetta's, Burrens, Pauly D's, PVD and Tiesto's that "Could" make Denon a club standard again, sad but true, yeah there was a time when DC was a household name, but times have changed, even sasha / digweed are only recognized in clubbing sub cultures these days.

why would a DJ want to use Engine over SSL,

Proper Rotating platter Vinyl style CD players rather than turntables and no expensive SSL box needed if the players are installed already, and no control vinyl or CD's 1201's, needles etc required, thats pretty damn awesome isn't it ?

And ALOT of people already have an iPad

[Michielygil]

DJ Switch, 3 times DMC world champ... Not the guy who works with Diplo a lot

[DJWORX]

I have a question about Engine. If this seems a bit abrasive, I apologize, I'm simply not very impressed with what I've seen so far and what I understand.

Engine seems to compete with software like SSL, but over a Rekordbox Link style connection. Given that Engine is essentially a DVS with absolutely no performance features or playback options. Other than cost and the iPad connectivity (which ironically negates the cost), why would a DJ want to use Engine over SSL, it's apparent competitor. I'm just not seeing what it offers, it seems to be a DVS without the features, rather than a crate manager like Rekordbox. I'm hoping I'm just missing something.

Not sure I agree with the DVS comparison. That includes the need for a full software suite and an audio interface, as well as paying for a lot of extra bells and whistles.

Engine is a music manager, where you can organise your music, and importantly feed it directly to your 3900s via the link feature. The features are on the 3900s themselves. And effects are probably best handled on the mixer of your choice anyway.

[Shishdisma]

Not sure I agree with the DVS comparison. That includes the need for a full software suite and an audio interface, as well as paying for a lot of extra bells and whistles.

Engine is a music manager, where you can organise your music, and importantly feed it directly to your 3900s via the link feature. The features are on the 3900s themselves. And effects are probably best handled on the mixer of your choice anyway.

See that's kind of why I'm not seeing the point of it, it seems like a really basic DVS. I'm equating it with a DVS because the music isn't actually sent to the player, it's streamed with a 15 second buffer from the laptop, essentially taking the function that a laptop has in a DVS, rather than as a giant flash drive ala Rekordbox. The laptop crashes, and you've got 15 seconds of "load USB and transition" time before it goes dead. It just seems like it could have been better implemented so that the laptop isn't a fail point, but an idle browser.