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Pioneer DJ just announced the brand new Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX6, a 4 channel controller with full-sized jog wheels made for Rekordbox and Serato DJ Pro. At USD 600, it’s an interesting mix of features aimed at beginners and more professional features, at a competitive price.
I really like the mixer layout, with the possibility to store and call FX presets, select a loop size, and select a channel. Simple, but effective.
The Merge FX knob combines several FX into one (you can combine the effects in Serato DJ pro or in Rekorbox DJ) and uses it to spice up your drops. Turning the knob not only activates the effects all at once but also adds a crescendo.
There are also features to help you with getting scratching right without actually knowing how to do it. The Jog Cutter button launches a scratch pattern by simply moving the jog wheel and the Sample Scratch loads a sample to a deck in a quick way using the performance pads.
The jog wheel also stands out, being of the large type. It also included a central LED position indicator, that helps you to use the above features.
On the input and the output side, the DDJ-FLX6 has an RCA master and an RCA booth output but doesn’t have individual channel inputs, which is to be expected for the price.
Overall, this is an interesting controller for DJ’s that don’t want (or can) spend close to 1000 dollars on a professional DJ controller, but also that feel that basic DJ controllers (such as the Pioneer DJ DDJ-400) aren’t enough.
Key Features
- JOG CUTTER: MAKE PRO-SOUNDING SCRATCH EFFECTS, ONE-HANDED: Turn on Jog Cutter and, when you move the jog wheel, a professional scratch effect will be applied to the last Hot Cue or playback position you used on that deck. There are 10 different scratch patterns and you can switch from one to another by simply moving the play head position, shown on the jog wheel’s display, to point toward the angle for the scratch you want to use. When you lift your hand away, the track will continue to play as normal from the Hot Cue position.
- FULL-SIZE JOG WHEEL WITH TRACK POSITION DISPLAY: Pitch bending and scratching feel natural on the DDJ-FLX6 thanks to the large jog wheels, which are the same size as those on the flagship CDJ-3000 multiplayer. Each one features an On Jog Display too, so you can keep an eye on the play head position.
- SAMPLE SCRATCH: Sample Scratch is a brand-new pad mode in rekordbox which enables you to choose sounds you’ve assigned to the sampler and load them onto the decks. So, when you want to create a live remix of a track or simply add some texture to the music, you can scratch with your favorite sounds. If you’re using Serato DJ Pro, you can use Scratch Bank to trigger samples by hitting the Performance Pads.
- PLUG AND PLAY COMPATIBILITY WITH REKORDBOX AND SERATO DJ PRO: With a built-in sound card and support for the DJ Performance functions in rekordbox and Serato DJ Pro, all you need to do is connect the DDJ-FLX6 via USB cable to a laptop that’s running either software application and you can start DJing. You don’t need a paid subscription plan for either. The DJ controller also comes with license keys for the FX Pack and Pitch ‘n Time DJ Expansion Pack for Serato DJ Pro so you can get creative with advanced features, no matter which application you choose.
Pricing and Availability
USD 600, release date TBA
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