Pioneer DJ XDJ-RX - No Laptop Required, just rekordbox & USB drive

Pioneer DJ XDJ-RX – No Laptop Required, just rekordbox & USB drive

The Pioneer DJ XDJ-RX has just been announced and it’s what many DJs have been asking for; a truly integrated all-in-one DJ controller that does not required a laptop to perform.

Despite the new Pioneer DJ XDJ-RX you will still need a laptop or PC to prepare and buy tunes of course.

So what’s the new Pioneer DJ XDJ-RX all about?

Basically the rekordbox software is now built in to the new Pioneer DJ XDJ-RX controller, pretty much like on their CDJs and the new XDJ-1000.

What this means is that you will be able to prepare your music on your desktop or laptop computer using rekordbox, copy your playlists to USB and then on loading the USB sticks, play off them pretty much the same way one would do with the CDJs.

Why own a Pioneer DJ XDJ-RX when you can just rock up at a gig with USB drives?

Good point. And it’s true. If you are comfortable with just using USB and the CDJ350, CDJ900 or CDJ2000’s (or the new XDJ-1000 when they start to appear in clubs) then why would you want to lug around an XDJ-RX?

Well you wouldn’t really unless of course you’re keen to use some of the great new controllerism features the Pioneer DJ XDJ-RX boasts.

NEW large full-colour LED screen with dual waveform display
USB driven (Deck 1 for playback, Deck 2 for playback and record)
Mixer with high-quality Sound Colour FX and Beat FX
Pads with NEW Loop Slice
Quantize, Beat Sync and Slip Mode
Loops, cues, Beat Countdown, Active Loop
Multiple inputs
Midi control

On the surface the new Pioneer DJ XDJ-RX may just look like 2 CDJs and a mixer – albeit of course high quality ones but it’s a bit more than that. The controllerism features I alluded to include 4 rubber pads at the bottom of each deck which can be used to trigger cue points, loops and Pioneer DJ’s new feature – LOOP SLICING which is pretty much Traktor’s FREEZE mode and Serato’s SLICER feature.

But can I still connect a Laptop to the Pioneer DJ XDJ-RX?

You can indeed. And it gets better. It can turn into a fully-fledged Traktor controller (didn’t see that one coming) and they will reportedly support advanced HID on the platters too.

The mixer can also be used as a stand-alone mixer – as you can see from this image below there are stereo RCA inputs for two channels as well as the obligatory professional XLR master outputs as well as booth outs and 2 mic inputs.