In a move to appeal to those looking to learn how to mix, Pioneer DJ has announced the latest addition to its family of hardware: the DDJ-FLX4. The two-channel controller was built with the intention of “making it easy for people with no experience to start mixing”, according to AlphaTheta (Pioneer’s parent company) CEO/President Yoshinori Kataoka.
Key features
The DDJ-FLX4 has a minimalist design in shades of matte and metallic grey with a pretty straightforward setup meant for beginners. Here’s a rundown of its primary abilities:
- Two jog wheels + 8 performance pads for sampling
- Smart Fader – a new feature that adjusts the volume, BPM, and bass of your current track for you, so you’ll only need to move the fader or crossfader to bring in a new track
- Smart CFX – also fresh to the FLX4, Smart CFX is a single-knob effects tool that applies a “combination of effects” to your output (though it’s unclear what that combination includes)
- Microphone audio via USB – you won’t need a separate soundcard or mixer to use a microphone when playing with the FLX4, as it mixes the mic’s output with the music
- Rekordbox and Serato compatible – with access to rekordbox and Serato DJ Lite, you can plug the FLX4 into a Mac or PC to utilize whichever software you prefer and use their respective Performance modes. You’ll need to buy a license or subscription if you’re interested in upgrading to use Serato DJ Pro.
- USB Bus powered – aka no need for an extra power cord
- Usable with both Mac + PC computers, plus iPhones, iPads, and Android phones and tablets
An affordable place to start
With the growing number of music heads that are interested in learning to DJ, this is an admittedly smartly-timed release from Pioneer DJ. The hardware is expected to hit stores at the end of November –which is just in time for the holiday season. Sitting at a relatively affordable price of $299, the DDJ-FLX4 could be a smart buy to support the budding DJ in your life.
Starting your holiday shopping early, or interested in joining the DJ world yourself? Pioneer DJ’s DDJ-FLX4 is available to pre-order now in the DJTT shop.
