What happens when two companies truly work together to build better experiences for DJs? Denon DJ and Serato seems to have done that with a new update for their entire Prime standalone line. The update adds Serato DJ Pro controller mode support to the Prime 4 and SC5000M.
Serato DJ Pro “Controller Mode” On Prime Gear
Essentially, they’ve added Serato Controller mode to the Prime 4 and SC5000M. This means:
- full control over Serato Pro performance pads
- library / browse / loading view with touchscreen navigation
- waveform overviews (note, no scrolling waveforms on any of these units)
- Dual deck selection
- Serato FX control (mostly on the Prime 4 as it has FX units) – up to 3 instances of FX with parameter adjustment and display on those small OLED screens
- The Prime 4 is Serato DVS-ready if you’ve got the Club Kit
- The SC5000M gets super-high resolution scratch performance – Denon DJ writes “The SC5000M’s hi/lo torque brushless DC electric motor ensures lightning-fast response […] Serato DJ Pro is controlled with the platter 7” vinyl providing 3,600 MIDI resolution ticks per single rotation
Wasn’t This Already A Thing?
You might be thinking “didn’t Denon DJ already have controller mode on a Prime unit?” – and you’d be right. The original SC5000 Prime players do have this controller mode – where you have overview waveforms, complete performance pad/loop/beatjump/cue controls, and library browsing. This is specifically the SC5000Ms and Prime 4 units that we’re talking about.
A Shot At The DDJ-1000SRT
Denon DJ seems to believe firmly that this update makes the Prime 4 a very, very compelling alternative to Pioneer DJ’s new and well-selling DDJ-1000SRT. With all of the standalone features that the unit has, they’re not wrong in terms of added value – check out the comparison chart below:
The message seems to be “hey, Serato DJ users – spend a little bit more money ($1,699 instead of $1,299) and get a more well-rounded controller.
We’ve seen a number of Serato DJs disappointed with the lack of discreet Serato FX control on the DDJ-1000SRT, and this new update seems to have that well covered on Prime 4.
Both the SC5000M and the Prime 4 are available in the DJTT store – support us and make your gear purchases with a company run by real DJs instead of with a faceless massive corporate entity!
