Dual Headphone Outputs
What’s the most commonly lost item for DJs everywhere? It’s got to be those pesky 1/8″ to 1/4″ headphone adapters – from leaving them behind in mixers to dropping them into the depths of your gear bag, they’re incredibly easy to lose.
A lot of newer DJ gear (like the above pictured Pioneer DJM-S9 mixer – watch our review here) has finally started to reflect the hard truth that the headphone industry isn’t going back to 1/4″ jack plugs anytime soon. We’ll still need adapters for older mixers and controllers, but the pure convenience of having both ports on new gear is something that every DJ can be happy about.
Built-In USB Hubs
We constantly get emails asking us what the best USB hub for DJ gear is. The truth is that the best USB hub is one that you don’t have to remember to bring with you!
Native Instruments has lead the charge in this territory, with integrated USB hubs on the Kontrol Z2 mixer and more recently the Kontrol D2 – both of which make since as NI wants to support DJs being able to easily plug in their accessory/modular hardware. As we start to see Rekordbox DJ develop, maybe we’ll see integrated USB hubs on Pioneer gear as well?
Dual Soundcards
Rane was the first company to put two soundcards in a DJ product five years ago with the Rane Sixty Eight. While that mixer didn’t receive very widespread adoption, putting two soundcards on gear that is likely to be shared by multiple DJs either in a collaborative B2B setup or just simply when handing over control of a setup to the next DJ.
Rane has continued to put dual soundcards on most of their high-end mixers, and it seems that Pioneer standard on their high-end products, as it is present on the DDJ-SZ controller and new DJM-S9 mixer.
Built-in Mix Recorders (via USB)
Anyone who has had a chance to play around with the Pioneer all-in-one XDJ-RX rig has likely noticed one of the most convenient features is the ability to plug in a second USB stick and send the Record Out output directly into a WAV file on the drive. This is a pretty obvious move for an all-in-one unit, but what if we started seeing it on digital mixers and controllers as well?
Many DJs have a hard time remembering to bring their audio recorders and set them up properly (clear space on your SD card, the levels sound good, plenty of battery left), so why not cut out the recorder entirely and let DJs just hit a single button on the mixer?
Highly-Playable Cue Buttons
This was actually one of the needs that lead to the Special Edition modification of the Vextax VCI-100 way back in the beginning of DJ Techtools. In a nutshell, the plastic buttons on the VCI-100 were far too difficult to use with any predictable response because of their stiffness – so Ean drilled out holes and replaced the buttons with arcade buttons to make them fun and playable.
We’ve seen a widespread adoption of pads on DJ controllers – but not all of them are as playable as arcade button controllers, or Maschine and Akai pads. Wouldn’t it be great to have a cue button on every piece of DJ gear that feels great and is easy to play along with the beat to? Maybe we should start replacing the cue button on CDJs with arcade buttons!
Universal MIDI Sync
Live performers and DJs who use multiple pieces of MIDI-syned hardware or software deserve a reliable way to ensure their equipment stays synchronized. There’s a number of ways to do it now – but wouldn’t it be nice to just have a simple and reliable synchronization across devices and platforms?
Right now it looks like Ableton hopes to solve this problem for many performers with their new Link platform (now in Beta) – it would be amazing to see something like this become industry standard for synchronization.
Tell DJ Manufacturers What You Want!
Tired of seeing posts like this full of speculative “would be nice” discussion and ready to make manufacturers listen? We know that the big companies all keep close tabs on social media, so hit the share button on the post below to spread the word about common-sense improvements you want to see in DJ products.
Ableton, Akai Professional, NATIVE INSTRUMENTS, Pioneer DJ, Denon, Numark, Rane Corporation, ALLEN & HEATH (official): Here are some features we'd love to see become industry standard on new DJ gear:
Posted by DJ TechTools on Sunday, November 29, 2015
Plus, leave your own thoughts in the comments below as to what features you’d like to see that aren’t mentioned here – and vote up other ideas!
[…] There’s also a USB hub on the back with two powered USB ports – someone at Numark has been reading my list of innovations that need to be commonplace on DJ hardware. […]
..here is my new Star wars homage…lemme know what u think-https://youtu.be/JoyxUxUR8R0
RASP HAUNT STAR WARS THEME FRETTLESS FADER YO
REMEMBER,THE FORCE WILL BE WITH YOU ….ALWAYS
youtube.com
also,if you havent already had me send these..here are some of my tracks..https://soundcloud.com/rasphaunt
Rasp Haunt
Thank You for Listening…
I think They should make Frettless fader Mixers…Best way to actually Play the Turntable…better than a C1 even,because with the C1/ Controller One ‘Vestax’s First Midi Turntable’,one needs to take almost half your record hand off the record to hit the notes….The Frettless Fader allows you to keep both Hands where they belong…one on the Fader,the other on the Record…IMO,and many many A-list Tablist that own C1’s..Prefer a Frettless fader and a Pdx 3000,or a Frettless and a Reloop Midi turntbale 10 times better than just the C1,. Also,the Dual Head Phone Jack,Large and Mini,has been done for some time now…,the QFO has had it and its been out since like 2003-04.
So I would love to see mass production of the Frettless fader..as opposed as having to either make one yourself,or have one custom made,Both Very Very Expensive…this will truly finally make it undeniable that the Turntable is a Musical Instrument.We,with a Frettless Fader,can Play ‘Their Music’…Note for Note…as opposed to only strange sounds or crazy sounds released…Making Turntablism more of a Style of Music,Than A True Musical Instrument…This is the Main Argument when Classic Musicians and I debate the Issue..I played Classical Piano for 12 yrs,and even though I have been a tablist for over 20 yrs…I Understood their point…One simply Cannot ‘Jam’ in the same way as ANY OTHER 2 or more Musicians can…they can only Collaborate with one another…but not Truly ‘Play’ Together and Compliment note for note…creating a true back and fourth and truly create songs that sound like ANY 2 OTHER INSTRUMENTS CAN….Thanks for John Beez for creating the First Frettless Fader ever…Yet ive been emailing him for 9 yrs,as well as many of my colleages offering up to 3 grand for one of his Frettless Mixers…So I hadda get my own.
I Truly love and respect turntablism,This,However,will remove ANY LIMITATIONS’…Yet still allowing all the ‘Other Great tricks and effects the Turntablists do….
Rasp Haunt
JKUTTA
MSTRMND
TRNTBLSM
[…] DJTechTools – Bulan terakhir tahun 2015, kami pikir itu akan menarik untuk kita lihat beberapa inovasi terbaik DJ gear dalam beberapa tahun terakhir – dan mengapa mereka harus menjadi dimana-mana. Dari built-in USB hub untuk tombol isyarat yang sangat dimainkan, kami berharap untuk melihat adopsi yang lebih luas dari fitur ini pada peralatan DJ tahun 2016 dan seterusnya. […]
A few of these things sound like things DJTT knows are coming at NAMM this year.
But to add to the list:
Wider new format support – Steams on Serato and in DAW’a or some alternative to steams
New connections support – USB type C / Thunderbolt 1,2,3
More stable Software.
One of the Best Drum beating Software i am using for my sound edit for
my professional , it is very user friendly and easy to make multiple
sounds tracks, i highly recommended to all , i put the link here
http://tinyurl.com/herj3vm
i Like it
I had crazy Idea for Rane to create universal format with YouTube to enable streaming/playing YT videos directly form internet and mixing them.
I just want to see more standalone units that don’t need a computer at all. They should have their own display screen and ability to stream video to a tablet if you just have to have a bigger screen. They should have HDMI outputs to connect to your TV or monitor.
Don’t you still have to use a computer with the new NI offerings?
Music visualisation built into traktor serato vdj etc. Winamp has had this for decades, nice way to get into adding visuals into your sets and getting into video djing
Small controllers without large unused jogwheels with integrated soundcards, to be clear audio interfaces with 2 stereo outputs is cheap… Still can’t find replacement for my reloop contour interface edition
How about Allen & Heath Xone K2, would that fit the description?
Only one competitor… And only one “true” RCA on the back – you need to take care about other audio cable to use 2 channels with external mixer, which can be broken or lost in some cases. Contour costs less than $100 for me, and it has 4-channel output on the back (it’s not core audio, but it was developed 5 years ago), but it was discontinued many years ago without replacement and even official reloop has no replacement parts for my broken unit.
I have k2 and I was actually looking to buy Countour. It is a shame the there is no replacement for such great controller. I’ve seen Denon making something similar few years back.
DN-SC2000. But it has no audio interface.
Maybe, my thoughts about soundcard is not real, but “old” pio mixers without soundcard is still present at many places
I have bought an Zomo MC-1000 and honestly it is awesome. Build quality is top notch and the feel is awesome !
No core audio support, home-class audio interface…
Zomo’s website states that it supports core audio and asio drivers(in fact that’s how i’m running it) … as for the “Home class interface” considering cd’s are 44.1khz at 16 bits and this sound card does up to 48khz and 16 bits… I’d say its good enough. You can have a 96khz 24bit audio interface or better if you want to… but the truth is the big majority of the music you’re going to find is not going to take advantage of that superior headroom or better sampling rate. Is the MC-1000 the best there is ? Hell no! But considering you can find these things laying around for barely nothing, they are all metal, buttons and pots feel nice, have 4 deck control and a 4 deck audio interface i say its a good deal. My 2 cents
What’s up with channel names? last time i tried MC1000 it was “front left, front right” and other “not a dj” names…
My daily mixer is a denon dn-x1600 … and when you look at the traktor output tab it looks it’s labelled : 3-front center, 4-low frequency effects, etc. Even tho its a full professional 4 channel mixer with fx and 24bit 96khz sound card and is Traktor scratch certified.
that’s pity
ZOMO MC1000 also fit my needs but i never see them in real life
I vote that we find out and hurt whoever came up with time-based pitch bend by jog wheel. It’s got to be someone who was both stupid and lazy at the same time, probably also a scratch aficionado who had little interest in mixing. Rate-based is the only option. Anyone who says different needs to lose a finger.
I’m not gonna lie after seeing your overall attitude and interactions with other people here I have much wonder what kind of person would want to pay for your input let alone listen for free. This only further confirms my reasons for rarely posting on DJTT. It is their biases and readers (or commenters I should say) that hurts them most IMO. Try to pretend for a second that there is usually an alternate side to every opinion and scenario. If a company does something and it becomes a success there just MAY be some reasoning behind this besides everyone (yourself excluded of course) being mindless sheep. Pio’s practices led them to achieve 60% of the global market share of DJ products. This means ALL the other manufacturers and developers totaled is your 40%. There is room for improvements all around but let us not pretend that Pioneer does not already offer the vast majority of the ideas mentioned in this article (Oh wait I forgot this was bad journalism) so how “off” can they really be? There are quality issues to be said about most manufacturers. Rane offers some of the best built gear with the best support available yet they had cue point buttons issues on an epidemic scale.
You strike me as the “everyone is wrong but me” type pf person so I see no need in trying to debate with you but I just felt MAYBE a fresh outside POV may be beneficial to aware yourself of how this is coming across. I actually agreed with one point you made above yet overall in the argument I see you as wrong by default. Do you care? I doubt it. I just know I would personally want to know so I figured what the hell………………… take it or leave it.
Pioneer makes good gear — woefully overpriced, but good gear. They became the club standard in part because they gave the gear away for free to major clubs, DJs, and producers around the world as part of their affiliation, promotions, and sponsorship programs, thus creating a standardization that others need to follow. They saw this standardization quite smartly and other companies didn’t.
I also agree that Rane mixers are very nice pieces of kit. Where did I say different?
And why did you respond to a post where I am dissing time-based jog pitch bend? Did you invent it that shortcut lazy-ass firmware trick for pitch bending?
If you want to argue with me on the actual merits of a point, please feel free to discuss it in the post you have a problem with rather than calling me out for being too right all the time or whatever the hell you happen to think you’re doing. And grow a pair.
By the way, what makes arcade buttons so much more durable than the crap micro switches and soft button combination used on most controllers and players? Do arcade buttons have some incredible engineering ingenuity, are they just a different but still simple tech, or is it the hardness of the button that does it?
One of the things holding me back is a lack of anything more than basic commands being shared with MIDI/HID … er devices (I guess that’s like ATM machines). I can get any button to trigger any action (in most cases), but I can’t get the lights on my buttons or ring LEDs on my gear to respond to inputs that aren’t in-house models already designed to do such a thing. I guess it’s a real roadblock for creative minds when, try as you might, you just can’t get something done because the developers just didn’t make their gear to play well with others. I haven’t yet played with the N.I. Button and Knob controls, but I’m going to assume it only works well with N.I. gear.
I agree with that one. MIDI commands in a lot of player/controller firmware is limited to just the minimum stuff necessary to DJ and often not everything the unit does. You’d think they’d just have a catalog of every function on the unit in one long list, and then just give MIDI or HID assignments to each in the list when they’re done.
Dual Jacks are a good call, have them on my nuo.
also serves as backup if 1 gets broken :]]
Mini jacks are easy to break, though, and y connectors are cheap. I don’t require this one.
Numark was the first to put two soundcards on a mixer. Rane was the first to put two ASIO soundcards on a mixer.
A boxing glove that shoots out the front of the mixer and punches you in the dick if you redline
Plus one on other side to punch everyone asking for request
64bit ASIO for Pio hardware would be nice.
Don’t Pioneer ASIO drivers work with a 64bit OS?
How about a universal warning label that reads “no drinks near the equipment”? 😛
Not “gear” per se, but one glaring omission I see across all platforms is a UNIFORM, output standard for sharing playlists/setlists. I am envisioning a text based output which includes: time/date stamp, track info(title, artist, album), track duration, tracks mixed into/out of, and maybe even mixer settings (x-fade position, h/m/l knob position). In essence a text based representation of your set, which could be uploaded to a central repository (an XML stream or similar protocol). This would allow for easy sharing of setlist info without uploading large files and the ability to re-create your exact set if you had all the original files (with original naming structure). This would also allow artists to garner more play hits (as happens with spotify/pandora) and probably sidestep a lot of issues related to the illegality of uploading copyrighted material.
Most software contains this, but the key component here is UNIFORMITY!!!!
Split cue on controllers, only Denon and Numark seem to realise this is a feature many DJs use. It is on all the high end mixers by Pioneer, Rane and A & H. If Pioneer bring out a controller with this feature, they have my money.
Split cue should be done by the software.
Very true but none of the Pioneer controllers even have a switch to enable this.
Some of the software is built on top of really rudimentary, crude audio processing code. They build on top of a foundation of crap. It’s the ones that are built from scratch to be high end and full functioning, usually later entries, that have tended to have this capability.
Dvs built into a turntable
Who cares who builds it, i’m buyin
(Until then ill just stick with the one i made myself. Theres a lot if extra room inside a t80)
pioneer 64bit win drivers
Traktor 3.0
arcade cue buttons on pioneer controllers, hell yes!
Yes, but only if working in a “fire when pressed” way , not “fire when released” way. One of the things that kinda sucks about arcade buttons.
Midi Fighters fire when pressed, it comes down to how you set it up
Why not both? Midi Fighters all send note-on and note-off signals…
I cringe a bit every time I see someone using the expression “sound card” in 2015. Why not just call it “audio interface”? “Sound card” makes me think of a Sound Blaster PCI-card from the 1990s 😀
Depending on the hardware AC, DAC and sound processor are acceptable too.
DACs can’t necessarily be connected to a computer.
As I’ve said “depending on hardware”. The Wolfson DACs in my old 900s and current 2KNXS do advanced audio routing in Traktor quite well, the DAC in my A&H ZED10-FX is pretty useful with an OTG cable and a Samsung Tab when I have to do a quick recording and don’t feel like hooking up a Zoom.
“AC, DAC and sound processor” don’t mean the same thing as audio interface or sound card mean in this context.
I never said that it did, reading comprehension may be skill you have to brush up on. “Depending on the hardware” is a direct quote. My DJM850 contains 4 ACs and a DAC, the SH-201 that I used to use as my audio interface for Live has a sound processor. These are all USB enabled devices in my studio that are not a standard “audio interface” like a PCI, PCIe or USB/IEEE 1394/thunderbolt connected soundcard… You know not the same as my Audio10 or Avid C400.
Geez, just admit you were wrong already. It’s quick and painless. The person you were responding to was talking about “sound card” being outdated to mean what usb/firewire/etc audio interface means, but colloquially “sound card” is indeed still common usage and we all know what that means. If one were to simply mention there’s a DAC or ADC in some device, that doesn’t mean the same thing. Not all media players and digital mixers can play music directly from a computer.
When you say sweater and I say cardigan, I’m not wrong. A+ definition of an audio interface in an audio I/O device. A soundcard, a DAC, etc… these can be audio I/O devices. Soundcards have DACs and AMPs, but they also have processors and therefor are not DACs, but instead soundcards. Now as I’ve repeatedly stated “DEPENDING ON THE HARDWARE” a DAC can be an audio I/O device. Hence the fact that the DAC in my Fiio X1 cannot be an audio I/O device, but the models up can like the X2 or X3 dual as a USB DAC.
“When you say sweater and I say cardigan, I’m not wrong. A+ definition of an audio interface in an audio I/O device. A soundcard, a DAC, etc… these can be audio I/O devices. Soundcards have DACs and AMPs, but they also have processors and therefor are not DACs, but instead soundcards. Now as I’ve repeatedly stated “DEPENDING ON THE HARDWARE” a DAC can be an audio I/O device. Hence the fact that the DAC in my Fiio X1 cannot be an audio I/O device, but the models up can like the X2 or X3 dual as a USB DAC.”
You’re just plain full o’shit, O’Phyle. You’re going around in circles chasing your own tail, contradicting yourself, and double speaking. “AC, DAC and sound processor” are not interchangeable with the terms ‘sound card’ or ‘computer audio interface’. I gave you a chance to man-up and instead you decided to dig yourself further into a hole. People can read and see this discussion all for themselves.
Look dude “audio interface” is the generic term, not soundcard. I listed a bunch of hardware that I use everyday that contain a USB audio interface with no “soundcard”. As it is, try and find something in pro audio that has a “soundcard”, the term is used for a unit that contains a DAC and a sound processor (usually for surround). Do some research and realize that Rane, Pio and NI use DACs, ACs, etc… If you are going to replace the term soundcard with audio interface, be prepared to call everything that’s not a “soundcard” by it’s proper name to differentiate. After all they aren’t all the same. You know kind of like sweater being the generic term. Turtleneck, cardigans, hoodies, etc… being types of sweaters.
Yes, ‘sound card’ is technically an audio interface that is in the form of a card. Everyone knows that. ‘Audio interface’ with regards to a computer, such as for USB or firewire audio interface or even PCI, is indeed a more generic, proper term, which is why the original poster thinks ‘sound card’ is outdated.
However, your response was “Depending on the hardware AC, DAC and sound processor are acceptable too.” That’s false. Every digital DJ media player and digital DJ mixer in the world has a DAC and processor. Specifying those of these that can connect to a computer *and* play audio from it as being an ‘audio interface’ or a ‘sound card’ is a minimum, understandable, necessary piece of information to tell the consumer what it is. One term might seem more professional than the other, but that’s besides the point of my disagreement with you. ‘Sound card’ might be an old term, but everyone knows what it is, and ‘DAC’ or ‘processor’ is not a sufficient replacement term.
While it might be slightly unprofessional to your ears, no one looks at a digital DJ mixer with a built-in ‘sound card’ and literally thinks there’s a PCI card included. There is plenty of DJ hardware out there with USB ports, DACs, and processor that will not function as a sound card/USB audio interface. This distinction is extremely important. This does not matter that Rane, Pioneer, and NI equipment have DACs or include the term DAC in the specifications. That’s completely irrelevant.
Please enter installation diskette …
Ableton Link to ALL!
[…] post DJ Gear Innovations That Should Be Industry Standard in 2016 appeared first on DJ […]
industry standard for beatgridding + hotcue that can be shared across platforms, distributed with music on DJ shops and co-created by users and shared over the internet (as part of the music format, or as an add on to it, like Ableton’s .asd files)
The Pioneer DJM 900 NSX2 will have most of those above listed features.
correction *NXS2 🙂
WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH!!!
Is this real? Leaked pic of the new mixer??
Got any pics of the new CDJ nexus replacements? I guess they’re supposed to hit sometime in Jan?
Is that dual USB? Lay out looks like a mash up between a 900NXS and my 850. I love those 350’s in white, grabbed a pair for my daughter with a Xone:22 she loves them.
Xone 22 is a bad, bad mixer. Change it to 32 when you can.
She’s only 17, so it’s her starter kit. I want her to pay her dues a little before we upgrade her. I set her up with my beater laptop and figured she is Rekordbox Dj ready with the 350s. Got the 22 for a good price and it has master, monitor, record out’s and send/return. It’s enough for her to do house parties and school functions by herself. Anything bigger than that I bring my kit and I give her a hand, it tends to get a bit more involve with PA rentals and full set ups.
I actually don’t think most of these things should be standard (more chips = more production cost). I DO think a lot of these things should be pop-in upgrades. Make the audio interface modular, so I can pay another $300 to add the 2nd set of DACs. Enable Bluetooth recording across the DJM and CDJ line, and then sell a compact recorder box that can be charged over USB. Or, create a new product that is fully tricked out for club use, for those who want it.
That being said, I want lightning bolt interfaces! USB is far too slow to run 12 channels in/out simultaneously, and Firewire always caries that risk of frying your gear when you plug it in.
Chip prices keep coming down so it’s possible to incorporate them in devices like mixers and keep the same price. However, I do really like your pop-in upgrade concept!
Allen & Heath Xone:K4… 8 faders, 6 audio channels (4 RCA), with RGB powered lights
And a decent controller editor!
Scratch grade crossfaders & updfaders in all mixers / controllers. Anyone can benefit from the durability and performance of such faders, doesn’t t need to be a turntablist to ask for them.
As a Traktor user i’d love to see this awesome feature called STABILITY.
🙁
You forgot to mention FLAC (and ALAC?) support and exFAT/NTFS support on CDJ/XDJ type media players 🙂
NTFS is supported on cheap players like Numark NDX-400, so it should not be too difficult in a player that cost almost 10x more (like CDJ-2000nxs)
One of the Best Drum beating Software i am using for my sound edit for
my professional , it is very user friendly and easy to make multiple
sounds tracks, i highly recommended to all , i put the link here
http://tinyurl.com/herj3vm
Easy to make any music
Actually I am really surprised that you did not mention FLAC. It is the most used lossless compression audio file format around, and the only one that has support for metadata and is openly available for all platforms. The last article where you have mentioned FLAC is from 26th SEP 2012, more than 3 years ago. Instead you have had multiple articles about NI Stems which is still nonexistent in comparison, and a niche product in comparison. Bad journalism 🙁
It’s almost 2016 and it seems to be impossible to have FLAC/ALAC support in stand-alone dj players. Pioneers XDJs come to mind, but I can’t think of any dj media player that supports these formats. Maybe somebody could explain to me why, because it’s really beyond my understanding..
Sandisk has media players that does support FLAC
Sansa Clip+ costs 60eur: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2352177,00.asp
And a 2000eur CDJ-2000nxs does not have FLAC
Hence the reason Pioneer Japan unloaded the DJ division on KKR. Pioneer can’t be any more of the standard or get away with selling $5-10 grand worth of overpriced front-end player & mixer gear to clubs forever. It was the optimal time to sell it.
Yep, and almost any other Digital Audio Player has it as well (even Pioneer and Denon home audio players have it), but I was talking about DJ players.
sorry I somehow misread the message. AFAIK even XDJ does not support FLAC. If you stick a USB sticks with FLACs inside it will not read them (if I am wrong please correct me). Instead Rekordbox has some FLAC functionality. I am living under the impression that Rekordbox can process flac but when you export playlists from it to a USB stick it needs to convert the FLAC format tunes to WAV or AIFF.
You are right, XDJ’s don’t support FLAC, but RB4.0 does. In other words: running RekordBox from laptop > yes, using USB sticks > no.
Rekordbox DJ software has FLAC support, that’s why Rekordbox has the file type support.
I have been also thinking “why”. My theory of reasons,
1. In the beginning the only place with wide FLAC availability was pirate networks and maybe this is why it has a bad nuance. Maybe key people in the industry have still not noticed that there are major legal distributors (like Bandcamp and Juno Downloads) that provide FLAC.
2. If you live in Apple ecosystem and have a lot of money for the most expensive SSDs, you don’t have that bad need for FLAC as AIFF seems to have working metadata support. New technology is always difficult to implement in the beginning before prices come down because of economies of scale. So it would be natural that this new technology would be introduced by a firm that provides the most expensive DJ-products (Pioneer).
But Pioneer has in the past shown (by not introducing NTFS or exFAT support) that it does not care about needs of Windows users, and Mac users might be able to live with AIFF…
Funny thing is that Pioneer does support FLAC in their new DAP: http://www.whathifi.com/news/pioneer-xdp-100r-worlds-first-mqa-ready-hi-res-music-player But not in their €1-2K dj players. My guess is that it’s maybe too complex (read: expensive) to decode compressed lossless files that also can be scratched, looped, scrubbed etc..
I think that when you load a tune to CDJ, the first thing that the player does is that it reads / decodes the tune to RAM of CDJ as a waveform (regardless if the file was MP3, AAC, or WAV/AIF). Then it would not make any difference in playback: scratching, looping, scrubbing, etc.. would be totally the same as before. The only thing that would need to be modified is the algorithm that loads the file to RAM. If CDJ does not work like this, somebody please correct me 🙂
My $50 Sansa and Cowan DAPs have more sophisticated internal abilities than a Pioneer media player. More memory. Faster processing. More advanced DSPs. Pioneer slaps an expensive touch LCD on the front of a plastic box filled with legacy chips and Wolfson DACs on the back and people shell out 2 grand for one.
Exactly!. I just watched tear down of new Pioneer Turntable. Guy said inside is cheap shit electronics that won’t last. Nothing to compare to Technics. Plus pitch fader is soldered to main bard, so no easy replacement of most commonly faulting part. Just bad engineering and cheap China like solutions. And it costs a fortune.
Numark had FLAC support on open-source Linux based players years ago. The technology inside a Pioneer player is literally like decades-old stuff that can’t be made any more capable than it already is, and people are gullible enough to shell out thousands for them.
exFAT of course… but if Pio is going to take an under the hood Linux/Unix approach at it, instead of NTFS I would suggest GPT. NTFS is a propietary Win file system that was introduced with 3.1 and refined to what it is today in XP, where as GPT is used by Linux, Chrome, Win, Mac and BSD.
GPT is not a file system, but a standard for a partitioning table, where all your partitions (fat, ntfs, exfat, etc.) are defined.
You know what? My bad, you’re right. Was kind of brainstorming a solution that is universal through all OS. Looking for one that is open and non-proprietary, yet keeping up with today’s growing hardware demands… a bit harder than I initially thought. I just realized that even exFAT is under an M$ patent. I kind of understand where Pio is going and I respect it to a great extent. Using mpg321 is kind of awesome, especially if you realize where it comes from and where things can potentially go. Honestly, if they are reading and anything good comes from us brainstorming and bantering… all the better. Please, if you have any suggestions… an even discussion is a great way to learn and can lead to some cool ideas. Personally, I’m more of a rip it apart, clean it, upgrade or fix it, build the server rack and stuff it, patch network cables and make my home box do things it shouldn’t kinda person. I’m fairly decent with laltops, so coders that I know bring me hardware, in return they code when I need it. To be completely honest, other than hardware my strength leans toward Active Directory and keeping track of OU and groups along with keeping in mind what resources are open.
Modular decks. We’ve seen plenty of modular mixers but I’m talking round circular decks that are HID supported by both Serato and Traktor. No carrying large 1200s for a small gig, just show up with three modular controllers that fit in a back pack. The decks have lighted pioneer style position markers and would be good enough for scratching. Portable mixer would be innofader quality with options for effects. Modular and supported should be standard in 2016. Also make them affordable.
Controllers are nice, but having the option to mix and match is the future. Behringer built something like this but the lack of native support by Traktor and Serato, and no deck support put a halt to those great controllers. Otus Raw was also a step in that direction but the lack of native support from NI and Serato was missing.
Turntable groovebox. Something in between D2, Maschine and traktor, allinone.
DJ Mixers with Bluetooth device inside for wireless headphones.
Nope. Latency and overall reliability doesn’t match industry requirements.
and sound quality
loop lenght display
bpm display like reloop rp 8000
Learn how to beat match 🙂
why ? i know how to count phrases.
LOL. That shut him up real good.
Input matrix such as the Xone:DB series.
SO TRUE!
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