Serato’s DJ software has not only become an industry standard, but a cultural touchstone: remember Kanye’s “You ain’t got no Yeezy in Serato?” As a result, better controllers for Serato have been coming out at a rapid pace for the last year, but the $1200 Pioneer DDJ-SX may be the best one yet. As an instrument, it features eight velocity-sensitive performance pads, a four-channel standalone mixer, and two big jog wheels that mimic turntables. Its signature feature is that it has a prominent dual deck, which allows two tracks to be controlled at the same time. Another feature that DJs wanted to see is slip mode, and the DDJ-SX does allow DJs to resume a track at the same place as it would have been had the DJ not scratched or looped the track. The current industry-preferred mixer is the Numark NS7, and the Pioneer DDJ-SX is both in the same price range and has superior features. The real question is whether the build quality can stand up to weeks and months on tour.
For a chance to see the DDJ-SX in action, peek at the video below, and it should be available in November.
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