So I am thinking of ditching my Native Instrument S5 for something with jog wheels. I believe I have narrowed it down to either the Dennon MCX8000 or the new pioneer DDJ-SZ2. Both seem comparable as far as features go with the exception of MCX8000 being able to play directly from a USB that seems like a bonus to me but not a deal breaker as far as the pioneer is concerned. Anyway since I have never owned a product from either manufacturer I thought I’d ask the community’s opinion.
I recently moved over to a Pioneer RZ/Rekordbox from an NI S4 Mk1, mainly due to the hardware no longer being supporting on Sierra. Have to say I still very much prefer Traktor as software but the RZ hardware is very good indeed. I went to the shop with the intention of trying out the RX/RZ against the Pio CDJ/DJM’s in terms of feel and the RZ does match closely to the Nexus range of CDJ/DJMs - which is what I’m used to in clubs etc (another reason - both hardware and prepping music in Rekordbox once for home and club use). I come from a turntables background, so jogs are always going to feature in my mixing style, hence the S5/S8 were never in contention unfortunately, which is a shame as I do like NI kit. I’ve heard good things about the Denon too, esp with its play direct from USB feature - which is lacking on the RZ/SZ2. The SZ2 would also be good for you if you wish to use it with other software as the RZ is tied to Rekordbox.
Somehow I thought not having jog wheels would be OK because of sync and master tempo but i have found that transitioning from say a D&B trak @172 to a break @87 is difficult with out being able to manually line up lows/highs. I was interested in some of the recordbox specific pioneer controllers until I read that due to a lack of transition to recordBox by the pros (clubs/DJs) that they reconciled with Sarato.
As a former Traktor long time user, a previous MCX8000 owner and now a Pioneer controller owner.. I’m going to say go for the Pioneer.
Traktor is great but is lacking updates for jog/turntable style DJs.. It’s clear the direction NI is heading and it’s what lead me to look elsewhere and I’m glad I did.
I upgraded to the MCX8000 and Serato. I must say I wasn’t a fan of Serato at all, I found it quite bland and boring. The MCX8000 is a great bit of kit, very well built and full of features for the price, you wont beat it. However, I just couldn’t get used to it, Serato was boring for me, the symmetrical decks were off putting and it weighed a ton (no good for constant portability) Overall I just felt like I wasn’t using it to it’s full potential so I sold it.
I ended up with a DDJ-SX2 and RekordBox and one word: WOW. I love the controller and love the software, it’s not as well built as the Denon but it’s okay, much smaller and lighter. I found RekordBox a breath of fresh air.. I wont go into a full review but I’ll never look back. The FX are great and the assignable parameters to the pads works very well and intuitively the creative possibilities are endless.. The effects section leaves Traktor and Serato in the dust.
I should also point out I am a massive Denon fan having owned several of their mixers. I love their kit it surpasses Pioneer in my opinion.. but on this occasion, Pioneer got it right.
So, this is interesting to me. I’m in the same boat, loved my S4 mk1 but of course it’s no longer supported…however it was time to upgrade to better hardware with built-in analog mixer and jogs.
I purchased an SX2 and have been disappointed by any Traktor mappings in general. Pioneers own mapping is brutal, JaJa’s is the best but still not right for me and he stopped updating it. So of course I’ve been playing with Serato since. Though it’s a proven strong piece of software with many followers, I’m just having a hard time feeling at home with it (based on the software) as I also find it boring. It’s a simple software which seems to fit with many, but I simply prefer Traktor so far. The hardware itself however is well built.
I’ve been contemplating trying Rekordbox, in fact I downloaded their trial yesterday but haven’t yet installed it. Reading the last comment is giving me hope and I’m anxious to give it a spin as it may be the answer for me.
BUT!!! since this is a Pioneer versus Denon thread, I was just informed by a colleague that Denon has released a Traktor Mapping for their latest MC7000!!! SAY WHAT!?!?!? Yup, it’s right their on the website (VDJ too it seems).
So this is big news! However there is no reviews anywhere on the web I can find so far. I will be attending a DJ conference/show in March and I’m really hoping to put this to the test on a display model. This may be a game changer for me depending on that experience versus Rekordbox.
I made a map for the DDJ-RX that should work fine on your SX2 if you feel like giving Traktor another shot. Both devices send basically the same MIDI messages so it should work for the most part. Sequencer controls are included btw =).
This is good knowledge to have I actually had to go look at a top down view of the MX8000 because I thought that just like a media player or turntable the left and right decks would be the same. This will defiantly play a role come decision time. I also appears that is how all denon controllers are.
Pretty good in my opinion, way more than enough to beat match comfortably and should take some scratching. I’m always open to feedback so if you feel there’s room for improvement I’m listening.