This Rane Seventy A-Trak review produced by David Michael, host of The Passionate DJ Podcast with production help from Tony DeSaro.
Special performance by Dave Chapelle’s resident DJ, Fatty Lumpkin.

This Rane One review produced by David Michael, host of The Passionate DJ Podcast.
Special performance by Dave Chapelle’s resident DJ, Fatty Lumpkin.
Written review by Alex Pyatetsky, co-founder of The DJ Hookup

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Products Featured

Model: Pioneer DJ CDJ-3000
Release Price: $2,299 (contact by livechat, phone or email for preferred pricing)
Released: September 2020, Available Now.

Model: Denon SC6000 Prime
Release Price: $1,499 (contact by livechat, phone or email for preferred pricing)
Released: January 2020, Available Now.

Model: Pioneer DJ CDJ-2000 NXS2
Release Price: $1,999 (contact by livechat, phone or email for preferred pricing)
Released: January 2016, Available Now.

This CDJ-3000 Review review was produced by David Michael, host of The Passionate DJ Podcast.
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If you’re considering getting CDJs/media players, you don’t want to make the wrong choice. In a perfect world, you’d have a pair of each to play with for a few months, discuss with your friends and then make your decision. Unfortunately, this test would run you a cool $10,000+.

That’s why we sent David Michael, host of the Passionate DJ Podcast, a pair of each the current flagship media players. He’s been playing with them since September, had in depth discussions with other pros and synthesized his findings about how these players stack up and which one is right for you in this review.

Disclaimer: this isn’t just a feature dump. It’s a detailed consideration of features that actually affect your workflow & experience as a DJ. He goes deep into hard-to-see, “you have to get your hands on them to understand” differences that you’d need to spend hours in a showroom to appreciate.

If you’re totally content with your current non cdj-style setup, you probably want to skip this one. But if a new set of CDJs/media players is on your horizon, you definitely want to check it out.

This Akai Professional MPC Live 2 review produced by David Michael, host of The Passionate DJ Podcast.

This Pioneer DJ XDJ-XZ review produced by David Michael, host of The Passionate DJ Podcast.

Today, Pioneer DJ announced a killer new standalone DJ system leaving little daylight between it and their flagship NXS2 setup used by pros worldwide.

Introducing the Pioneer DJ XDJ-XZ, a four-channel, standalone DJ system and controller that combines Pioneer DJ’s best professional features with flexible media and software options. 

Update: 3/12/20 Serato DJ announces full support for Pioneer DJ XDJ-XZ. Updates regarding production delays below.

At a glance,  XDJ-XZ is astonishingly reminiscent of the CDJ-2000NXS2 + DJM-900NXS2 setup. Full-sized jog wheels and intuitive displays are familiar from the CDJ-200NXS2. Meanwhile, 14 Beat FX and 6 Sound Color FX come straight from the iconic DJM-900NXS2 mixer. Beyond that, consolidating three units into one with grab-handles eliminates wires and drastically reduces the price compared to the NXS2 rig. And it’s fully integrated with Serato DJ out of the box.

Base price is $2,299 USD (below-advertised pricing available via livechat here).

We explore its most interesting features and discuss potential limitations below.

2020 Production Delays

The biggest issue with the XDJ-XZ has been getting one.

The unit, first schedule for full release in November 2019, experienced production delays which were later compounded by supply chain disruption by the corona virus outbreak. As of March 2020, few units have been released to the market with most DJs having to preorder 1-8 weeks in advance to secure a unit from the few dealers receiving them.

If you’d like to secure a unit with 5% down, with the balance due when the item comes in stock, follow the instructions here.

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Product Featured

Model: Denon SC5000M Prime
Release Price: $1,499 (contact by livechat, phone or email for preferred pricing)
Released: Late 2018, Available Now.

This Denon SC5000M review produced by DJs Are Not Jukeboxes, a Chicago-based DJ advocacy group focused on progressing music culture and education.
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