#Pioneer ddj xdj xz full#
#Pioneer ddj xdj xz software#

While I was unable to test this personally, you can connect Pro DJ Link-equipped CDJs to the system, and get full audio and music browsing integration right on-board the controller. And finally, Pioneer DJ has equipped the XDJ-XZ with Pro DJ Link.

Or, you can use Pioneer DJ’s own “rekordbox” performance features. You can use the unit as a very nice Serato DJ controller while taking advantage of the unit’s key hardware features. There are two separate USB connectors on the top for USB mass-storage devices for a start. The unit has a number of ways to get the music into your performance. For DJs accustomed to ubiquitous Pioneer DJ hardware of the more conventional type, the familiarity will resonate. Indeed, it does “read” in some respects as a pair of CDJ-2000NXS2 decks with a DJM-900NXS2 mixer glued in between, with some of the parts moved around. One of the unit’s key benefits is that it provides what is in many ways Pioneer DJ’s revered NXS2 configuration in a single piece of hardware. This forces me to take issue with Pioneer DJ’s website stating that it’s “easy to carry,” but the recessed spaces on the unit’s sides at least provide you with a solid grip while you’re hefting it around. Strip off all the packing material, and it’s still a very substantial 29 pounds of hardware, which stands 5 inches off the desk, and is 18-inches deep and 35-inches wide. It comes in a shipping carton that is roughly 1- by-2- by-3-feet - and tips the scales at a hefty 35 pounds. It’s important to note that many of these all-in-one units also provide support for laptop-based DJing, providing an additional layer of flexibility, and the XDJ-XZ is no exception – more on that in a moment.įirst Impressions: Let’s just say that, in terms of first impressions, the Pioneer XDJ-XZ certainly makes one. Having the option to load up some digital media on some sort of USB mass-storage device and plug it directly into a controller to start a gig certainly has its merits.

#Pioneer ddj xdj xz software#

As much as I love my DJ software of choice (and I do), computers occasionally have issues, and it is just one more thing to lug around gig to gig. These DJ controllers are designed for party life without a laptop - a time, quite frankly, I never thought I’d see (but am happy to do so). Whether you call them “all-in-one” or “standalone” controllers, they’re sort of the rage these days. I recently had a chance to spend a couple of weeks with a review unit, and I’m happy to report that Pioneer DJ has still got it going on - should anyone have had any doubts. From entry level to midrange to the stuff of pros, we are all (as the Brits would say) spoiled for choice.Īt the Winter NAMM show in Anaheim, Calif., this past January, Pioneer DJ showed off its latest entry, an all-in-one controller dubbed XDJ-XZ. There are so many ways to perform now - so much gear, supporting so many different approaches and styles - I can’t help but feel great about the state of the DJ universe (well, other than the lingering impacts of a global pandemic, anyway). It feels as if I’ve said this a lot in recent years, but as I survey the DJ hardware and software landscape, I continue to feel like there’s no better time to be a DJ.