In our next Future DJ Gear series piece, we’ve aimed to conceptualize a standalone “turntable” version of the Denon DJ SC6000 player. Meet the SC6000M.

In this edition of our Future Gear Concepts series, I aimed to conceptualize a standalone “turntable” version of the Denon DJ SC6000 player. Denon DJ’s SC6000 and its already existing motorized counterpart both come packed with controls and features, making them great for club DJs – but not so suited to turntablists. What’s more, the existing Denon DJ SC6000M motorized player only has a 7-inch platter, which is a turn off to many scratch DJs.

Today, let’s dive into a potential idea that could solve this solution. I’ve designed a 12-inch player that draws from the Denon DJ SC6000M as well as devices such as the Rane Twelve, providing a large open layout for turntablists.

Overview

The conceptual SN6000 features a sparse open layout designed around a 12-inch motorized platter. This platter would likely be very similar to that found on the Rane Twelve, which is manufactured and owned by the same parent company as Denon DJ – InMusic Brands. Denon’s existing SC6000M features the somewhat crowded layout of a club player alongside a 7-inch motorized platter. While the SC6000M is much better for scratching than a regular player, many battle DJs still turn to laptop-based setups using DVS, Phase, or controllers like the Rane Twelve for increased platter size and a more spacious layout. 

The SN6000 concept minimizes unnecessary clutter to provide an open and accessible layout to scratch DJs, drawing influence from the SC6000, Rane Twelve, and the now-discontinued SC3900 (which had a 10-inch motorized platter.) The concept features the important parts of a standalone player: performance pads, a touch screen, transport controls, and the like, while still managing to keep an open and spacious layout to suit battle DJs.

Who’d make it: Rane Or Denon?

The SN6000 would be a fusion of Rane and Denon technology. InMusic has an array of different brands under its wheelhouse that feature unique product groups. For example, Denon has standalone DJ gear, Rane has scratch equipment, Stanton has turntables, and Numark has budget gear. The SN6000 concept would likely fall under Denon’s brand, though it would be conceivable to see it released under Rane as well.

Let’s talk features. 

12-Inch Motorized Platter

The Denon SN-6000 concept features a 12-inch turntable-style platter, using the same technology found on the Rane Twelve and (in miniaturized form) the SC6000M. This technology would grant the player razor-sharp accuracy and low latency with a vinyl-like feel. 

Motor Controls

The traditional Technics-style on/off switch has been repurposed into a motor on/off switch. When switched on, the platter functions like a turntable. When off, the stationary platter acts as an old-school nudge dial. There are also a pair of buttons for switching between 33rpm and 45rpm settings, as well as torque and start/stop time dials. 

Performance Pads

The concept sports the cutting-edge pads found on the Prime SC lineup, which allow for control over hot cues, loops, rolls, and slice points. However, this concept also includes a new “Scratch” pad mode for immediate recall of scratch samples onto a separate “layer” of platter control. A similar pad function exists in Pioneer DJ’s new S7 and S11 battle mixers, which serve as a much-improved alternative to scratch tracks. The SN-6000 allows for one of its layers to be used as a scratch sample bank, utilizing the layer select button to transfer platter control between a track and a sample.

Top-Right Tempo Fader

The SN-6000 has its tempo fader placed in the top right corner in the traditional “battle-style” turntable fashion, as opposed to in the bottom-right corner like a CDJ or other DJ player.

Plunger-Style Play Button 

The SN-6000 has Technics-style plunger actions for its Play/Pause and Cue buttons, which should feel instantly familiar to turntable users. The inclusion of a Cue button allows for CDJ-style track cueing as an alternative to platter-based cues.

Reduced-Size Display

The SN-6000 concept is massive, outsizing almost any other DJ deck on the market. To help reduce its large footprint, the concept includes a reduced-height display. This smaller display would be placed on a hinge, allowing it to fold under the player for secure and compact storage. 

Our final take: gear built for battle DJs

The SN-6000 concept combines the roles of a standalone media player and a streamlined battle-style deck. It uses the turntable-emulation tech of the Rane Twelve and SC-6000M combined with Denon’s Engine OS standalone tech, all packaged into a simplified and powerful deck for scratch DJs to have standalone capability.

A standalone device truly designed with battle DJs in mind would be huge with turntablists and hip hop DJs alike. Many of these DJs still use laptops alongside control vinyl even in professional settings, which can be a massive hassle to set up. The larger control surface granted by 12-inch platters are the most important thing to many of these scratch DJs, and a standalone player with such a platter would be a massive hit.

Given that Denon DJ and Rane are both owned by InMusic Brands, a device combining the control features of the Denon DJ Prime range and the Rane Twelve player would be very feasible. Such a device would finally give turntablist DJs a way to free themselves from the laptop and perform standalone without the extra hassle of interfaces, DVS, and software.

So, what do you think? Is this a concept you could see happening in the future? Which features do you agree or disagree with? What additional features would you like to see? Let us know in the comments.