denon | Digital DJ Tips

August 31st, 2012 Reviews

Review & Video: Denon MC2000 Serato DJ Intro Controller

by Phil Morse

Is the Denon MC2000 the perfect Intro controller? We find out…

For a long time now, we’ve recommended the Numark Mixtrack Pro as the best DJ controller for beginners, as it’s cheap and it does the basics well. But the Denon DJ MC2000, which launched on Monday and which we’ve had the chance to have a thorough test of in the Digital DJ Tips workshop, looks like giving the Mixtrack Pro a real run for its money.

Supplied with Serato DJ Intro (one of the easiest pieces of DJ software to get going quickly with, and for which there is now a Serato DJ upgrade available), beautifully built in metal, and coming in at a competitive if not rock-bottom price, the Denon DJ MC2000 has, on paper, got a lot going for it. But with competition fierce at the lucrative entry-level end of the DJ controller market, does it stand out enough to be a success? Let’s unbox it and find out…

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August 13th, 2012 Reviews

Review & Video: Denon DJ SC2900 Digital Controller & Media Player

by Phil Morse

Denon takes its biggest swipe yet at Pioneer, with a fully featured, non-motorised platter cross media player that aims to offer something to all types of DJ, digital or otherwise.

Like its bigger brother the SC3900, Denon DJ’s SC2900, which we review here today, is a pro media player and DJ control deck that not only covers the basics, but has a host of added extras designed to entice all types of DJ.

It comes in at below the price of the Pioneer CDJ-900, but with a lot of equivalent features to the much more expensive Pioneer CDJ-2000. And as we’re about to see, it’s more of a direct competitor to Pioneer’s CDJs than the SC3900 is. This means that if you can see past the Pioneer dominance of the pro DJ booth, the SC2900 may well appeal to you.

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June 4th, 2012 News & Opinion

Denon Ups Its Assault On The DJ Box With The SC2900 Player

by Phil Morse

The Denon DJ SC2900 appears to offer all the benefits of the company's flagship SC3900 model, but with static platters.

Hot on the heels of its well-received SC3900 model, Denon today revealed a new digital controller and media player, the SC2900, via a pre-launch YouTube video.

Although there is no official work on pricing or specifications yet, the video is revealing enough for the lid to be blown on what looks like an interesting new entry in the mid-range media player market.

14 Comments »

April 12th, 2012 News & Opinion

Video: Denon DJ SC3900 Digital Turntable & Midi Controller

by Phil Morse

At Musikmesse 2012 a week or so ago we snagged a private talkthrough of the Denon DJ SC3900, Denon DJ’s latest spinning platter controller.

It can be used to control timecode software (eg Serato Scratch), as a USB DJ device, as a straight Midi controller, or with an iPad and Denon’s new Engine software. Oh, and if you really want to you can play CDs on it too.

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February 20th, 2012 News & Opinion

Denon DJ Announces SC3900 Player & Engine DJ Software

by Phil Morse

The Denon SC3900 digital turntable and media controller.

Denon DJ today launched an all-out assault on the modern DJ booth by announcing the SC3900 digital turntable and media controller, and Engine, a completely new DJ software package.

The player takes off from where the company’s critically acclaimed SC3700 reached. As well as a nine-inch real vinyl, high-torque spinning platter (endorsed by DMC scratch champ DJ Switch), it offers Denon’s widest-yet range of DJing options. Meanwhile, the software adds direct PC support with potentially innovative hardware / software load-sharing, plus iPad wireless network control.

56 Comments »

November 18th, 2011 Reviews

Review & Video: Denon DJ MC3000 Controller

by Phil Morse

Smaller and sleeker than the DN-MC6000, the MC3000 nonetheless shares the same look, feel and construction standard.

Denon DJ’s MC3000 feels like a serious contender for all-round digital DJ controller of the year, and it’s not even out of the box as I write this intro! How can I say that already? Because just by looking at the spec, seeing the size and feeling the weight of it, I know the controller inside is going to be compact, is going to cover the digital DJing essentials, and is good enough for pro use.

You see, I believe that DJ controllers need to do two “sets” of things: The essential stuff, and the “would be nice” things.

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October 21st, 2011 News & Opinion

Denon DN-MC3000: Another Leaked Pic…

by Phil Morse

Confirmation of inputs and outputs on the forthcoming Denon two-channel controller.

We’ve got hold of this picture, almost definitely genuine, which shows the rear panel of Denon’s new DJ controller.

The image was called “DN-MC3000_rear”, so we can pretty much assume that our previously guessed name for this unit is correct, and it’s also plain to see that this is the same device as that in our already leaked image.

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October 10th, 2011 News & Opinion

Leaked: The New Denon DN-MC3000 DJ Controller

by Phil Morse

We've brightened the image to reveal more detail - Click to enlarge, then note the "3" in the name top-left, and the "Traktor" logo top right.

Having exclusively revealed a new controller from Denon in our BPM coverage, we now have an official “leaked” picture of the unit.

The picture seems to show that it is probably called the DN-MC3000, something that was pretty much confirmed by an eagle-eyed reader in the comments section of our previous post about Denon’s new controller, who snapped the controller on a distributor’s poster named as such (see below).

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June 7th, 2011 Equipment

Review & Video: The Denon DN-HP500S DJ Headphones

by Phil Morse

The Denon DN-HP500S headphones are a white version of the black DN-HP500 model, designed for DJ and non-DJ usee.

The Denon DN-HP500 headphones (US$69 / £75 / €84) are an all-round DJ-friendly set of entry level ‘phones that are equally at home being used for DJ practice and out and about with an MP3 player as they are in the DJ booth. Now the company has released a white version of the same, the Denon DN-HP500S – review below.

We’re fans of compact DJ headphones here at Digital DJ Tips. We like them because it means you don’t necessarily need to own two pairs – the one pair can go loud enough for DJing, but be stylish and portable enough for the rest of your life.

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December 3rd, 2010 Equipment

Single Jogwheel DJ Midi Controllers: 6 Top Models Reviewed & Rated

by Phil Morse

Denon's DN-SC2000 is an innovative new addition to the market.

Modern DJ Midi controllers tend to be all-in-one units, with 2 “decks” and a mixer in the one box. But, of course, traditional DJ set-ups are separates – typically 2 decks for vinyl or CD, and a separate mixer. And while all-in-one units have revolutionised DJing, there’s still a demand for separate, modular digital DJ kit.

Single jogwheel DJ Midi controllers allow the laptop DJ to reintroduce elements of the traditional DJ set-up for whatever reason. Here we look at 6 single-jogwheel DJ midi controllers. (By the way, we’re calling them “single jogwheel” rather than “single deck” throughout this review for the sake of clarity, because many can actually control 2 or more decks for you.)

21 Comments »

November 5th, 2010 Equipment

DJ Controllers: The Ultimate Buyer’s Guide 2011

by Phil Morse

The Traktor Kontrol S4 is one of the most desirable DJ Midi controllers on the market today.

34 36 of the best DJ Midi controllers reviewed and rated

Most people get started in digital DJing out of curiosity. They tend to download a trial or limited version of one of the big software packages such as Traktor or Virtual DJ, loading some MP3s onto the screen, and having a go. Indeed, some never progress past this stage, happy to DJ with a keyboard and mouse or trackpad.

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August 16th, 2010 Equipment

Denon DN-MC6000 DJ Mixer & Midi Controller Announced

by Phil Morse

The new Denon DN-MC6000 crams a lot in to a small space.

Looks like the new Traktor Kontrol S4 hasn’t got everything its way: Announced today at the 2010 DJ Expo in Atlantic City, the Denon DN-MC6000 (US$949 / £615 / €709) is an exciting 4-deck DJ mixer and Midi controller with all the high-end features you could possibly imagine integrated into its sleek tabletop steel chassis.

It certainly looks the part, being of predictably high construction quality and really cramming a lot into its 19″ rack-mountable frame.

48 Comments »